fire upon this ship until we came up with the Arrow, who had put her helm a-weather and was now raking her; we hauled our wind to clear the Arrow, who appeared to be wearing; I hailed, and asked if he meant to again come to the wind on the starboard tack, but could not under. stand what he said; as soon as clear of the Arrow, we again directed our fire against the commodore's ship, which we continued until eight, when, with the greatest grief, I saw the Arrow obliged to strike, being no longer able to contend with the great superiority of force opposed to her. She had, I conceive, received much damage in the act of wearing; the wind being light, she lay a considerable time with her head to the enemy. The Acheron being now very much disabled in masts, sails, and rigging, and part of her stern-post carried away, I considered farther resistance on my part could answer no good; and, unwilling to sacrifice the lives of men who had given me the highest proof of their courage, I determined to make what sail I could, with little hopes of saving the ship, but with a view of prolonging the time of my being captured, to give the convoy the better chance of escaping. The superiority in sailing of the enemy's ship rendered the chace but short; at three quarters past eight, having received one broadside and part of another, and the enemy now very near us, with the greatest mortification and sorrow I was obliged to surrender to the French frigate L'Hortense, of 44 guns, commanded by Mons. De la Marre La Mellierie, who, finding her much disabled, as soon as the officers and ship's company were re moved, set her on firc.

Account of the Capture of the French Ship La Ville de Milan, and Recapture of the Cleopatra, by his Majesty's Ship Leander, Captain J. Talbot, in a letter to Sir Andrew Mitchell, K. B. on the Hallifax station.

Leander, off St. David's Head,
Bermuda, March 6.

Sir,

On

I have the honour to inform you, that I proceeded to sea, and cruized in his majesty's ship under my command, according to your orders, dated the 13th of last month. Saturday the 23d of February, at 12 o'clock at noon, a sail was seen from the mast-head, bearing south of us; the weather at this time was hazy, with squalls of wind and rain from the northward. All sail was immediately made in chace; the weather becoming still more hazy, in a few moments we lost sight of the chace; at half-past two it cleared away a little to the southward, and we again got sight of her. I found we had considerably neared the chace, and that it was a large ship under jury-masts standing to the south-east. At three o'clock wa saw another ship a short distance from the chace, steering the same course also under jury-masts, in appearance a much larger vessel. As we closed them very fast, we soon clearly saw they were both frigates; on their making us out to be a man of war, they closed to support each other, firing a gun to leeward, and hoisting French ensigns from their main-stays; at 4 o'clock we were within gun-shot of them, they separated, the frigate nearest to us put before the wind, the other steered with it on her larboard quarter.

By half-past four we got within musket

musket-shot of the smallest frigate, gave her one of the main-deck guns, when, after a few minutes hesitation, she hauled down her colours, and hove to. On my hailing this frigate, I am sorry to tell you, Sir, that Í was informed by them, she was his majesty's ship Cleopatra, of 32 guns, lately commanded by Sir Robert Lawrie, bart. She was taken on Sunday, the 17th of February, after having brought to and sustained a most severe and gallant action for the space of three hours and a quarter, by a French frigate, nearly double her force, in size, comple. ment of men, and weight of metal. Observing that the part of the crew left on-board her, belonging to his majesty's ship Cleopatra, had come on deck, and taken possession of her, on the ship striking to us; I hailed, ordered them to make sail, and steer after his Majesty's ship Leander; again made sail in chace, and in about an hour's time got along-side the French frigate; she hauled down her colours, and struck to us without a gun being fired on either side. On hailing the French frigate, you, sir, may easily judge how happy I must have felt, on hearing I was answered by my friend Sir Robert Lawrie, who told me he was well, and that the ship was La Ville de Milan, 19 days from the island of Martinique, bound to France. La Ville de Milan is a remarkably fine and handsome frigate, about one year old, 1200 tons burthen, mounting fourteen long 2-pounders on her quarter-deck, six long 9-pounders on the forecastle, 15 ports on a side on the main deck; when she sailed from France had twenty eight18-pounders mounted on it-now twenty-six; two were landed from her at Martinique,

2

for

When the action commenced between La Ville de Milan, and his Majesty's ship, Cleopatra, she was commanded by Mons. Reynaud, capitaine de vaisseau, had on board 360 men as her complement, besides a number of officers and soldiers of the French army, going passengers to Europe. The officers of La Ville de Milan agree in saying, that, having dispatches on board France, with orders not to speak any thing during her passage, every thing in their power was done, to avoid being brought to action by the Cleopatra. Mons. Reynaud was killed by the last shot fired from the Cleopatra ; he was esteemed an experienced and active officer; and had served in the late king of Franco's service, as an auxiliary officer. He sailed in La Ville de Milan, from L'Orient, the 1st of last August, as commodore of six of their largest frigates, with troops embarked on board them, to be landed on the Island of Martinique; after having performed this service, he was ordered, as the French officers express it, to make a sweep through the islands. It is not possible for officers to speak in stronger terms, than the French officers do, in praise of Sir Robert Lawrie's perseverance in so long a chace, except it is in the praise they bestow on him, his officers, seamen, and marines, for their gallant conduct during so long and severe an action. The French officers, whom I have prisoners on board this ship, cannot themselves avoid to acknowledge, that had not the Cleopatra unfortu nately forged a-head of La Ville de Milan the latter part of the action, La Ville de Milan must have surren dered to the Cleopatra. It is a very painful part of my duty to be

obliged

obliged to inform you, sir, that your eldest son, who was doing duty as an acting lieutenant, is included among the number of badly wounded, on board the Cleopatra. Sir' Robert Lawrie speaks in the highest terms of his conduct, and, indeed, of that of all the officers, seamen, and marines, of his majesty's ship Cleopatra. Sir Robert has, at my request, been so kind as to take charge of the Cleopatra, till she arrives in port. I have given Mr. Nairne, first lieutenant of his majesty's ship Leander, charge of La Ville de Milan, and nothing can exceed the exertions he has made in putting her in a sea-worthy state. The alacrity of the officers, seamen, and marines, of his majesty's ship under my command, during the chace, and their steadiness on going down to attack the two frigates, who had closed, in appearance with a determination to make a formidable resistance, convinced me, sir, that had they waited to make the resistance they seemed disposed to do, the Leander would not have sullied her good name. I am, &c.

JOHN TALBOT, post-capt. [Here a letter from capt. Talbot, introduces the following narrative of the action between the Cleopatra and La Ville de Milan.]

Cleopatra, at Sea, Feb. 25. Sir, I have to request that you will be pleased to acquaint the Commander-in-Chief, that on Saturday the 16th inst. in lat. 28 deg. N. lon. 67 deg. W. at ten A. M. saw a ship in the S. E. standing to the E. N. E. the wind at N. W. made sail towards her; at 11 perceived the chace to be a large frigate, with 15 ports of a side on the main deck; cleared ship for action, and hoisted Ame

rican colours, to induce him to bring to for us; but, instead of which, he made more sail; the weather squally; made and shortened sail occasionally; carried away several studding-sail yards, and the fore topmast studding sail boom shifted over the starboard one, and set the reefed lower studding sail; a good deal of swell; the chace apparently steering so as to keep the studding-sails drawing full; and that at day-light on the 17th, was about four miles a-head; fresh breezes and swell as before. At half past ten he took in his studding sails, and hauled more up; when we got within about three quarters of a mile, took in ours also. At half past eleven he hauled his main-sail up, and kept more to the wind; upon our steering so close, with him, upon his quarter, he again set it and stay-sails, trying to gain the wind of us (upon which point of sailing he had the advantage); we made all sail, the chace having some time before hoisted French colours, and we ours. On his seeming to draw a-head from us, at the distance of about half gun-shot, fired our bow-chacers, which he returned occasionally from his stern. His guns appearing so well directed, and of heavy metal, and to prevent being raked by them, I was obliged to steer so as to keep on his quarter, though prolonging the chace. Latitude, at noon, 29 deg. 24 min. N. long. 64 deg. 20 min. W. At half past 2 P. M. having got within about a cable's length from the enemy, luffed close to the wind, and gave us two broadsides, which, when at less than a half cable's distance, we returned, and a warm action commenced, both ships trimming sails, steering sometimes close to the wind, and at others about three points

he

free,

free, during which we had consider ably the advantage. About five, having shot away his main-topsailyard, we forged a-head, although the mizen top-sail was squared, and both jib, stay, and haulyards gone, finding neither fore nor main cluegarnets left to haul the courses up, our running rigging cut to pieces, so as to render it impossible either to shorten or back a sail, and both main and spring stays were shot away, the mainmast only supported by the storm staysail stay, I was induced to cross his bow, and, by. hauling up, to have raked him, in preference to exposing our stern to the fire of 25 pieces of cannon from his broadside; but in the act of which an unfortunate shot struck the wheel, the broken spokes were jammed against the deck, so as to render it immoveable, as well as the rudder, which, at the same time, was choaked in the end by splinters, pistols, &c. placed near it. Our op. ponent, availing himself of our ungovernable situation, with the wind upon his quarter, gave us the stern, running his head and bowsprit over our quarter-deck, just abaft the main rigging, and, under the cover of a very heavy fire of muskets and musketoons, attempted to board us, but was drove back; we exchanged a few musketry with them; but their great advantage in height, and superiority of numbers, as well as by their musketoons from their tops, cleared our decks, and in at our ports. The only two guns we could bring to bear, being fired from within-board, did them little injury, the shot passing their lower deck. Most of our sails laying ashiver, or partly a-back, and bore down by so heavy a ship (having been intended for a 74,) going almost

VOL. XLVII.

before the wind, and much sea running, appearing to cut us asunder at every send, I saw no prospects of saving the ship, or the lives of the numerous wounded that were then below. On the suggestions of the first lieutenant, we attempted to hoist the fore-topmast staysail; and I directed the spritsail-topsail to be set also; but, in the execution of which orders every man was knocked down by their musketry and other small shot, as they made their appearance. At a quarter past five they succeeded in boarding, and I was compelled to surrender to the French frigate La Ville de Milan, of 46 guns, French 18-pounders, on the main-deck, and eights on the quarter-deck and forecastle; 350 men besides several officers and passengers; commanded by Monsieur Renaud, capitaine de vaisseau, and Monsieur Gillet, capitaine de fregate; the former was killed, and the latter badly wounded in the action; and immediately afterwards the Cleopatra became a perfect wreck, not a spar standing but the mizen-mast, the bowsprit and other masts gone by the board, and I fully expected she would have foundered before both ships could get clear of each other. I trust it will be found that every exertion was made to bring a ship of so superior a force into action, and in maintaining of it. La Ville de Milan is nearly double our size and force, being a new ship, of about 1200 tons burthen, and having almost twice our number of men on board, as we only mustered at quarters 199, being 10 short of complement, and that from the strength of the ship's company in able seamen, there were several on the sick list.

More gallantry and bravery could
M m

not

not have been displayed than by both officers and men of so young a ship's company, many being under 20 years of age, and only three marines who had joined that corps more than two weeks before they embarked. I have no hesitation in saying, that had not the above unlucky accident occurred, she must have struck to us, as the next morning her foremast and bowsprit were the only masts standing, much cut in the hull, and I counted 11 shot in the wreck of her mainmast; that our 12-pounders could not do that justice too from its size, nor the thickness of her sides, that was so well intended.

their gallant exertions may be laid before his majesty: the zeal and talent manifested by the brigadiergeneral upon this occasion, it is my duty to present for his royal consi deration; and at the same time I beg to be permitted to express the high sense I entertain of the distinguished bravery of his majesty's troops, and the militia of the colony, employed upon that service. The vigorous resistance which the enemy have experienced, and the loss which they have sustained in this attack, must evince to them, that, however inferior our numbers were on this occasion, British troops are not to be hostilely approached with impunity; and, had not the town of Roseau been accidentally destroyed by fire, we should have little to regret, and much to exult in. Your lordship will perceive by the returns, that our loss in men, com. pared to that of the enemy, is but trifling; but I have sincerely to lament that of major Nunn, of the 1st West-India regiment, whose wound is reported to be of a dangerous kind; he is an excellent man, and a meritorious officer. I am, &c.

W. Myers.

Head-quarters, Prince Rupert's, Dominica, March 1.

Sir,

About an hour before the dawn of day, on the 22d ult. an alarm was fired at Scotshead, and soon after a cluster of ships was discovered off Roseau. As our light increased, I made out five large ships, three frigates, two brigs, and small craft, under British colours, a ship of three decks carrying a flag at the mizen. The frigates ranged too close to Fort Young; I ordered them to be fired on, and, soon after, 19 large barges, full of troops, appeared