for this crisis in the affair, was not slow in returning the compliment, and a close and smart action ensued. At the end of twenty minutes, however, the Résolue, being much cut up in hull, spars, and sails, and having sustained a loss of 25 men killed and 40 wounded, struck her colours to the two British frigates in company, with a loss to the frigate that had engaged her of six men killed and 11 wounded.

Now, it can no more be denied, that the French captain did his duty in resisting the search of his convoy, than that he most gallantly supported the honour of his flag, in delaying to haul it down until his loss had become so severe, and his chance of escape so utterly hopeless. Hopeless, indeed, except perhaps by flight, it was from the first; for, in addition to the unprepared state of his frigate, the Résolue carried only 12 and 6 pounders, while all three British frigates, the one in action, the second within gun-shot, and the third in sight, carried 18 and 9 pounders.

The search having been made, and no contraband of war found, Sir Richard was about proceeding to rejoin his commanding officer at anchor in the road, but the French captain declined to continue in charge of his surrendered ship. The Résolue was therefore taken possession of by the British, towed into the road of Mahé, and there left with yards and topmasts struck.

M. Saint-Felix, the commodore of the French squadron, arrived soon afterwards, in the 40-gun frigate Cybèle ; and a correspondence, conducted with much anger on one side, and with temper and firmness on the other, ensued between the French and British commodores. M. Saint-Felix threatened further resistance, if any vessels under his orders were attempted to be detained.

It appears, however, that the Cybèle and Résolue afterwards got under way and put to sea, attended by the Minerva and Phœnix; who cruised with them several days, and also brought to some vessels under French colours without interruption. M. Saint-Felix subsequently despatched the Résolue on another service; and Commodore Cornwallis did the same with the Phœnix. The Minerva and Cybèle were thus left cruising together; but, although the two commodores kept each other's company for some days, we hear of no further altercation between them. The attack upon the Résolue occasioned, as may be supposed, some stir in France; but matters were then in too disturbed a state for the nation to take that notice of the transaction, which, in more settled times, would certainly have been the case.

Owing to the zeal and promptitude of Mr. Baldwin, his majesty's consul at Alexandra, information that war had been declared by France, and that all the British and Dutch vessels in the ports of the latter had been seized, reached Fort St.-George in Calcutta, on the 1st, and Fort-William in Bengal on the 11th of June. Measures were immediately adopted for taking posses-

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