paid off soon after her arrival at Portsmouth, in May Lieutenant Curzon was immediately appointed to the Flora, of 36 guns, on the Jamaica station, where he remained till December 1785; at which period, being attacked with the fever of that climate, he was obliged to return to England for the recovery of his health. He subsequently served in the Ambuscade and Aquilon frigates, commanded by Captains O’Hara and Montagu; and from the latter vessel, which had been principally employed in the Mediterranean, he was ap-
Hughes returned to Madras, where he narrowly escaped the effects of a dreadful hurricane on the 15th Oct., which caused the wreck of several British traders, besides a great many coasting vessels laden with rice, and eventually produced a shocking famine among the natives. The intention of the Admiral in going to Madras was, only to give his ships such a partial repair as might enable them to proceed to Bombay, where they were to receive a thorough equipment; but before he could accomplish this purpose, he was driven out to sea by the hurricane just alluded to.
The squadron on its passage to Bombay experienced a continued series of tempestuous weather. The Superb was dismasted, and otherwise so much damaged, that Sir Edward Hughes was obliged to shift his flag to the Sultan; and the fleet was so scattered, that the ships did not all arrive till the 21st Dec., and then in a very weak and sickly condition. They were there joined by five sail of the line and a frigate, that had arrived from England, under the command of Commodore Sir Richard Bickerton, father of the present Admiral of that name.
Sir Edward Hughes thus reinforced, returned to Madras towards the close of April 1783; but though his fleet left Bombay in excellent health, the scurvy had made such ravages among the crews, that by the 8th June, the sick amounted to no less than 1,125 men, of whom 605 were in the last stage of the disorder. These were sent to the hospital at Madras; yet within a fortnight the healthiest ships had from 7O to 90 men each, and some double that number, incapable of duty. With his force thus diminished he was cruizing of Cuddalore, for the purpose of covering and protecting the army before that place, when M. de Suffrein arrived on the coast from Trincomalee. On the 20th June, about 4h P.M., the French fleet, consisting of fifteen sail of the line, three frigates, and a fire-vessel, made an attack, favored by the wind, upon the British, who upon this occasion had eighteen line-of-battle ships, and nine other vessels. A heavy cannonade ensued on both sides, and continued without intermission during three hours, at the end of which the enemy drew off, and retired to Pondicherry roads. In this fifth and last battle between Sir Edward Hughes and M. de Suffrein, the loss of the former amounted to 99 killed and 431 wounded. A few days afterwards all hostilities were terminated by the intelligence of a general peace.
