the guns into a tender which he chose to fit out. The consequence was, that the Corsicans, left in charge, had no alternative but to abandon the tower, and a party from the French squadron immediately landed and took possession of it.

On the 24th of October, at 9 h. 30 m. a.m., the British 12-pounder 32-gun frigate Thames, Captain James Cotes, being in latitude 47° 2' north, and longitude 7° 22' west, standing close hauled to the southward, with the wind at west-south-west, saw a sail bearing south ; which sail, after hoisting a blue flag at the fore by way of signal, as it afterwards proved, to a brig that accompanied her, bore away large. The weather soon came on very thick, and did not clear up until 10 h. 15 m. a.m.; when the stranger, now seen to be a frigate, appeared on a wind standing for the Thames. The latter immediately cleared for action, and at 10 h. 30 m. p.m. the French 40-gun frigate Uranie, the frigate in sight, fired a gun to windward, and hoisted French national colours.

The two ships, having the same object in view, soon passed very near to each other, on contrary tacks; at which time the Uranie fired her broadside, and wore round on the opposite tack. An action now commenced, and was continued, with great spirit on both sides, until 2 h. 20 m. p.m. ; when the Uranie, getting under the stern of the Thames, gave her two or three raking broadsides, and then attempted to board on the starboard quarter; but, on receiving through her bows a well-directed fire from six or seven of the Thames's maindeck guns, double-shotted, the Uranie threw all her sails aback, and hauled off to the southward. The British crew, on seeing this, gave three hearty cheers; but the Thames was in too crippled a condition to make sail in pursuit.

The Thames, whose force consisted only of her established long guns, 32 in number, had quitted England 30 men short of complement, and was obliged, in consequence, to take the marines from the 6-pounder to assist in working the 12s. Her loss in the action, out of a crew of 184 men and boys, amounted to 10 seamen and one private marine killed, her second lieutenant (George Robinson), master (George Norris), one master's mate (David Valentine), one midshipman (James Dale), 14 seamen, and five private marines wounded.

The Uranie's force in guns was exactly that of the French 40-gun frigate, in the table at p. 54, and her complement was stated to have been from 320 to 350. The constant stream of musketry, that poured from her during the whole of the action, renders it probable, that the highest of those numbers came nearest to the amount. The loss on board the Uranie does not appear; but it was believed to have been very severe, and to have included among the killed her captain, M. Tartue.

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