our trade. Some months after he removed into la Prudente, of 38 guns and 280 men; and after making a voyage to the Baltic, was attached to the Channel Fleet.
On the 4th July, 1780, Captain Waldegrave, having been sent by Sir Francis Geary to cruise off Cape Ortegal, in company with the Licorne, of 32 guns, fell in with, and after an obstinately contested action of four hours, captured la Capricieuse, a new French frigate, pierced for 44 guns, but mounting only 32, with a complement of 308 men, above 100 of whom, including her commander, were either killed or wounded. Upon taking possession of the prize, she was found in so disabled a state, owing to her gallant defence, that upon the report of a survey held by the carpenters of the British frigates, Captain Waldegrave ordered her to be burnt.
La Prudente bore the brunt of the above action, and was consequently a greater sufferer than her companion. She had four midshipmen and 13 seamen killed; her second Lieutenant, one midshipman, and 26 men wounded. The Licorne had only three men slain and seven wounded.
In the spring of 1781, Captain Waldegrave accompanied Admiral Darby to the relief of Gibraltar[1]; and towards the close of that year he assisted at the capture of a number of French transports, that were proceeding with troops and stores to the West Indies, under the protection of M. de Guichen. The skill displayed by the British squadron on this occasion, in presence of an enemy’s fleet nearly double in numbers and force, deserves to be recorded. The following are the particulars of this affair, which reflected credit on all present; In the month of November, 1781, the French fleet, consisting of nineteen sail of the line, many of which were first and second rates, besides two 64-gun ships, armed en flute, and several frigates, put to sea from Brest, to escort their East and West India trade safe to a certain latitude. The British Government were no sooner apprized of this, than a squadron of twelve sail of the line, one ship of 50 guns, and four frigates, under the command of Rear-Admiral Kempenfelt, was despatched to intercept them. On the 12th December, at day-break, about being thirty-five leagues to the westward of Ushant, the enemy were discovered, and appeared much dispersed, the ships
- ↑ See p. 4, and note ‡, at p. 33.
