when being off Kinsale, early in the morning, he perceived a strange vessel in chace of some merchantmen that had sailed from Cork on the preceding day, under his protection. He immediately made sail; and at 7 A.M., got within pistol-shot of the stranger, then under English colours. On being hailed by the Bienfaisant, she hauled them down, and hoisted French. A smart action, commenced on both sides with musketry, now took place; and, at the expiration of an hour and ten minutes, the enemy struck, having had 21 men killed and 35 wounded, with her rigging and sails cut to pieces. The Bienfaisant had 3 men killed and 20 wounded; and the Charon, a 44-gun ship, which came up at the close of the engagement, had 1 man wounded. The prize proved to be le Comte d’Artois, of 64 guns and 644 men, commanded by the Chevalier Clonard, who was slightly wounded.
Le Comte d’Artois was not destined to be a solitary captive; for, in the course of the following month, the Bienfaisant also captured la Comtesse d’Artois, another French privateer.
At the close of 1780, Mr. Sotheron removed with his gallant commander into the Artois frigate, which had been taken from the French a few months before, and was considered to be the finest vessel of her class in the world. This ship formed part of the force employed to watch the motions of the Dutch squadron, which was then ready for sea in the Texel; and our young officer was consequently present, in the month of Aug. 1781, at the engagement off the Dogger Bank, between Sir Hyde Parker and Admiral Zoutmann[1]. On the 3d Dec. in the same year, the Artois captured the Hercules and Mars, Dutch privateers, mounting 24 nine-pounders and 10 cohorns each, the crews of which amounted to 310 men, 22 of whom were slain and 35 wounded. The Artois had only 1 killed and 6 wounded. She is also represented as having formed part of the fleet under Admiral Barrington, when that officer intercepted a French convoy bound to the East Indies, on which occasion the Pegase of 74 guns, l’Actionnaire a 2-decker armed en flute, and ten sail of transports, fell into the hands of the British[2].
During the remainder of the war Mr. Sotheron served in the
