built upon a range of rocks that lie midway of the entrance. It has two tiers of heavy cannon, and in war times, its garrison consists of about sixty officers and men. ***

On the 23d of March, 1781, we took our departure from Morlaix in the privateer which I have already given a description of. Two days afterwards we arrived off the Coast of Ireland. On the 27th, we took four prizes, which we ransomed, detaining a man as an hostage out of each. On the 27th at daybreak, saw several ships and other vessels in shore of us. It being then calm, the boat was ordered to be manned, on board of which I embarked and took an officer with me, all of us being well armed; and at 7 A.M. returned on board with ransom bills amounting to upwards of twelve hundred guineas, having secured five hostages for the payment of said sum. We returned on board before the captain (who had been upon deck the greater part of the preceding night) had awakened out of his sleep. He was very agreeably surprised when I told him of my enterprise, but blamed me for not acquainting him with my departure. At meridian being close under the land, we discovered a large ship in the offing, which we at first thought to be an English frigate, standing to the westward toward the port of Cork. She had an English ensign, pendant and jack flying with a cloud of sail spread. Soon after she was abreast of us, and we could distinguish by our spy glasses, that she had a tier of guns, and as she presented her broadside to us, we could count twelve guns upon this side.

We at length concluded that she was nothing more than an English letter of marque, and probably commanded by an English swaggering blustering fellow. Accordingly she passed us at some distance, and took no more notice of us than if we had been a small fishing boat. We made sail after her, and when we had got within a couple of miles of her, she rounded to, and gave us her broadside,

consisting of twelve cannon, as we then supposed, which were only half the number which she carried. This circumstance of firing at us at so great a distance, when none of her shot reached more than half way to us, indicated cowardice on the part of the English captain. This I noticed to Captain Anthon who coincided with me in opinion; and from that moment we considered the ship as our own. As we approached nearer to her, we could discover that she made quite a warlike appearance. We could soon after perceive a number of men with muskets upon her quarterdeck, and she appeared to be crowded with men. She continued to round to every few minutes, and fire her broadside at us. We now prepared everything in readiness for boarding her, knowing this method almost always to succeed, when we have to contend with an English man of war, or an English letter of marque; more especially when the strength of the enemy is superior in point of force. At length we got within cannon shot of the enemy, who hauled up their courses, handed their top gallant sails, and appeared to be making every disposition for a stout resistance. We now shewed who we were by setting a French ensign, and hoisting an American pendant. This last was to let the English know that they had to fight with Yankees. The drummer was sent up with his drum at the head of the foremast where supporting himself with one foot upon the rattline of the fore-shrouds, and the other upon the fore yard, the wind blowing about a four-knot breeze; when we had got near enough for them to hear, the drummer and fifer were directed to play Yankee Doodle, which was continued during the action.

By this time the ship had fired a number of broadsides at us, without doing us any injury. We at length came within pistol shot of her, ran under her stern, and poured our broadside into her, which raked her fore and aft and which made a confounded racket in the cabin among the crockery; and some women who were

passengers on board, and were in the cabin at the time, made a dreadful screaching and crying out. This single broadside drove all the English off the quarterdeck, upon the main deck. We now made an attempt to board the enemy but the privateer having so quick headway we shot by her without being able to succeed in boarding her. We passed across her fore foot, wore, and gave her another broadside. At the same time one of the enemy's shot cut away our jib haulyards, and the slings of our fore-yard, and down it came upon deck and the drummer with it. The enemy seeing this, cheered three times; and after firing her broadsides and musketry into us, they made all the sail which they could crowd from us. But we had no idea of losing her in this manner. We soon got everything which had been cut away in repair, and gave her chase; the wind then began to die, and we gained upon her very fast. When the enemy saw this, they again took in their light sails, hauled up their courses, and made every disposition which they thought proper for renewing the action. Being ourselves now prepared with two broadsides and men ready for boarding; I then went forward, they being within hail and commanded them to haul their colours down, if they wished for quarters, to which they made no answer. I then desired Captain Anthon to order the privateer to be run under the enemy's stern, when we would give her another broadside; immediately after which I was ready with the party I commanded to board her. Accordingly we ran under her stern, fired our cannon into her cabin windows, luffed up under her lee, and layed her aboard. At the same instant the enemy bawled out for quarters and dowsed the British flag.

The action lasted about one hour, and some part of it was very severe. She proved to be an English letter of marque, four hundred tons burthen, carrying twelve long six pounders, two short carronades (which would carry eighteen pound shot), ten cowhorns,

twelve brass swivels, and fifty-five men, and twenty-six gentlemen passengers, besides seven English ladies. She was from Bristol, bound to the West Indies, laden principally with dry goods.

The invoice of her cargo amounted to thirty thousand pounds sterling.

I leaped on board of her at the time she struck, and asked for the captain, who came forward and delivered me his sword; a major and a captain also delivered me their swords. These last were bound to the West Indies to join the regiment to which they belonged. The ladies also crowded around me, and offered me their purses, which I refused to accept of.

One of them was wringing her hands, and lamenting the loss of her husband, who had been killed in the first of the action by one of our cannon shot which passed through his body. The other gentlemen passengers kept crowding round me, and teazing me with their outcries:-that I had killed one of his majesty's colonels. Which drew from me this reply 'Blast his majesty's colonels, I wish they were all dead, and his majesty too.' I was sorry for this expression, I must confess, as soon as it had escaped my lips-it was uncharitable, and unchristianlike. However I was busy at the time, in securing the prisoners, and sending them on board the privateer, and in doing what I considered to be my duty, and was therefore, perhaps on that account the more excusable.

I certainly felt sorry on the lady's account whose husband was killed, and to her I made an apology for the harshness of the expression; but I did not feel myself bound to apologise to anyone else, on the most rigid principles of honour or good breeding.

It must be acknowledged, that this ship so well provided as she was, with all kinds of warlike stores, and having at the time, more and heavier guns than what we had on board of our privateer ought to have taken us, and afterwards hoisted her in upon deck.

However, "the race is not always to the swift nor the battle to the strong.

The ship lost in the action, one lieutenant colonel, one master's mate, one boatswain's mate, four seamen and one boy killed, and eleven men and boys wounded. On board of our privateer not a man was killed, and only five were slightly wounded.

I wished to continue in the prize but Captain Anthon would not consent to it. All the officers as well passengers, as those who belonged to the ship, and her men, except three, and one of the master's mates were taken out of the prize, and sent on board of the privateer. The ladies were left on board the ship with their servants, by their particular request.

We then put a prize master on board, with thirteen able seamen and he was ordered to shape his course and make all possible speed for Brest or Morlaix; and that the privateer should, if in our power keep her company until we arrived safe at one of those ports.

We accordingly kept with the valuable prize until in sight of Ushant, near the entrance of Brest, when there sprung up a violent gale of wind from the N.E. which separated us from our prize (and we afterwards heard that she was taken by the English) and after having sprung a leak, we were forced to heave overboard all our guns but four, and in two days thereafter we arrived in the port of Brest in distress, and she leaked so bad at the time that we were obliged to lay her ashore on our arrival in order to have her leak stopped and her bottom cleaned.

The port of Brest is one of the best seaports for ships of war in the known world. It lies upon the Atlantic Ocean, on the starboard hand of the British Channel, and is in lat. 48.25 N. and in long. 5.0 W. from the meridian of London. The Land's End of England bears north a little westerly from it. Ships of the line, fifty's, forty-four's, frigates, and sloops of war, all lie at their re