On the 1st Feb. 1783, the subject of this memoir was made a Lieutenant, into the Monarca, another ship of the line, com-
island of Mauritius, where he formed a junction with the squadron of M. D’Orves, which increased his force to ten sail of the line, a 50-gun ship, three frigates, and three smaller vessels, mounting in the whole 870 guns, and carrying 7071 men. With this fleet he sailed for the coast of Coromandel, accompanied by a number of store-ships and transports, on board of which were embarked 3457 troops. On the 15th Feb. 1782, the enemy appeared off Madras, and was instantly pursued by the squadron under Sir Edward Hughes, consisting of eight ships of the line, one of 50 guns, and two small vessels, carrying 628 guns and 4820 men. In the course of the following day six vessels of the French convoy were captured; five of which proved to be British prizes recently taken, and the sixth a huge transport of 1,300 tons burden, deeply laden with a train of artillery, intended as a present to Hyder Aly, a large quantity of gun-powder, and a complete assortment of other military stores; she also had on board a number of land officers, and about 300 soldiers. The hostile squadrons remained in full view of each other, practising various manoeuvres till about the afternoon of the 17th, when five of the British ships were obliged to sustain an action on disadvantageous terms, the situation of the enemy preventing Sir Edward Hughes from bringing the whole of his force into play. The brunt of the battle fell on the Superb, Hero, and Exeter, the former bearing the flag of the Commander-in-Chief; the latter the broad pendant of Commodore King. After enduring these disadvantages for about two hours, a sudden squall of wind enabled the five English ships to become ia turn the aggressors; and they renewed the engagement with such vigour and effect, that in twenty-five minutes, those of the enemy within their reach, after having sustained considerable damage, suddenly hauled their wind, and together with their companions stood off to the north-east. The loss of the British in this conflict amounted to 32 slain, and 95 wounded. Among the killed were Captain Stephens of the Superb, and Captain Reynolds of the Exeter. On the morning after the action, the enemy being out of sight, Sir Edward Hughes made the best of his way to Trincomalee, the only place in that quarter where his ships could be properly repaired; and about the middle of March he returned to Madras.
The securing of Trincomalee from the designs of an enemy, now powerful in the East both by sea and land, and the protection of an expected convoy, recalled Sir Edward Hughes to Ceylon, before the end of the month; and on his way thither March 30, he was joined by the Sultan, 74, and Magnanime, 64, from England. These ships having had a tedious and bad voyage, were extremely sickly, and their crews much reduced by the scurvy. On the 8th April, the French fleet appeared in sight, and, accompanying the British squadron to the coast of Ceylon, gained the wind, as the latter was steering for Trincomalee, in the night of the 11th. At daylight on the following morning, they crowded all sail, and their copper-bottomed ships came up so fast with the English rear, that an action was
