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Egyptienne, 1804
Type: French frigate-built privateer ; Armament 36 (12 and 6 pounders)
Launched : Taken 25 Mar 1804 ;
Disposal date or year : 1816
Complement: 248
Notes:
23d of March 1804 (Vol iii - page 254-5)
On the 23d of March, the British 18-gun ship-sloop Osprey, Captain George Younghusband, cruising on the Windward-island station, discovered in the south-west quarter, and immediately chased, the French frigate-built privateer Egyptienne, of 36 guns, Captain Placiard, with three merchant ships under her convoy. As soon as the Osprey had arrived within hail, the Egyptienne hoisted her colours and fired her broadside. This was instantly returned, and the two ships continued in close action for one hour and 20 minutes ; at the end of which time the Egyptienne ceased firing, and began to make off, and her convoy to separate on different courses. To the regret of the British officers and crew, it was soon found that the French ship, even with her topsails on the cap, outsailed their vessel. The Osprey, however, continued the chase, until the Egyptienne disappeared in the dark.
The force of the Osprey consisted of 16 carronades, 32-pounders and two sixes, with a complement of 120 men and boys : that of the Egyptienne was 36 guns, French 12 and 6 pounders, with a crew on board of 248 men. The one ship measured 386, * and the other, which was formerly the national frigate Railleuse, * since given or sold to some merchants at Bordeaux, 857 tons. The Osprey sustained a loss of one man killed and 16 wounded, and was a good deal damaged in her sails and rigging. The loss on board the Egyptienne, as afterwards ascertained, amounted out of a crew of 248 men and boys, to eight men killed and 19 wounded ; and the ship herself was very much cut by shot in hull, masts, sails, and rigging : a proof that the Osprey's carronades had been discharged with quickness and precision.
It is exploits like these that afford examples of gallantry in the true import of the word. Had Captain Younghusband, on discovering the size and strength of the Egyptienne, forbore to attack her, no imputation would have rested on his professional character. But he had a higher sense of the duties of a British naval commander : he chose to wrestle with his powerful antagonist ; and so vigorous and effective was his attack, that nothing but lightness of heel saved the Egyptienne from becoming his prize. In such a creditable encounter we must not omit to state, that Lieutenant Francis Augustus Collier was second in command of the Osprey.
25th of March 1804 (Vol iii - page 255)
On the 25th, in the forenoon, this same Egyptienne fell in with the British 14-gun ship-sloop Hippomenes (ten long 12, and 2 long 8 pounders, and two 24-pounder carronades, all Dutch caliber), Captain Conway Shipley, and mistaking her probably, for the ship she had been so beaten by two days before, crowded sail to get off. The Hippomenes pursued, and, after an arduous chase of 54 hours, and a running fight of three hours and 20 minutes more, came up with and captured, the French ship. The Egyptienne struck the moment the sloop got fairly alongside ; and, owing to her feeble resistance, inflicted no greater loss on the Hippomenes than slightly wounding one person, a Mr. John Lloyd, a master's mate.
The bold front and rational confidence of the Egyptienne in the beginning of the one action, and her panic-struck behaviour and hasty flight in that of the other, occasion the principal difference in the merits of the two. The conduct of Captain Shipley was much enhanced by his readiness to do justice to the performance of his brother commander of the Osprey, " whose gallantry, " he says, " astonished them. " It is probable that M. Placiard found a difficulty in persuading the merchants of Bordeaux again to place him in the command of one of them privateers.
Being 30 years old and much broken in her sheer, the Egyptienne was purchased into the British service merely as a prison-ship. Her name was changed to Antigua ; and she was stationed at English harbour in the island of that name.