On the 27th of May, early in the morning, the Lizard bearing north-north-east distant 15 leagues, the British 14-gun brig-sloop Suffisante, Captain Nicholas Tomlinson, discovered a strange sail about six miles to windward. After a chase of 11 hours, the Suffisante came up with the French brig-corvette Revanche, of 12 long 4-pounders and 85 men, commanded by Lieutenant George-Henri Draveman, an old and experienced seaman, and who was now endeavouring to escape into Brest by the Passage du Four. After a close engagement of half an hour, amidst the rocks between the island of Ushant and the main, the Revanche struck her colours, having sustained a loss of two men killed and seven wounded, and inflicted no greater loss upon the Suffisante than one seaman wounded.

The action having been fought close upon a lee-shore, the greatest exertions were required, as well to avoid the numerous rocks by which the British brig was surrounded, as to prevent the French brig from effecting her escape by her better acquaintance with the intricate navigation of this part of the coast. Captain Tomlinson, however, had previously distinguished himself by his skill and activity in operations upon the French coast, and, we believe, was made a commander, chiefly on account of his praiseworthy conduct in the Pelter gun-brig, when, in the summer and autumn of 1795, that vessel formed a part of Sir John Warren's unfortunate Expedition to Quiberon.

On the 8th of June, at 2 a.m., Scilly bearing east half-south distant 17 leagues, the British 18-pounder 32-gun frigate Unicorn, Captain Thomas Williams, and 12-pounder 36-gun frigate Santa-Margarita, Captain Thomas Byam Martin, discovered, about three miles on their lee beam, three strange ships of war ; which, on being neared in chase, were ascertained to be two frigates and a ship-corvette. They were, in fact, the French 36-gun frigates Tribune, Commodore Jean Moulston and Tamise (late British Thames *), Captain Jean-Baptiste-Alexis Fradin, and 18-gun corvette Légère, Lieutenant Jean-Martin-Michel Carpentier. These ships had sailed from Brest on the 4th, in company with the 40-gun frigate Proserpine, Captain Etienne Pevrieux, who had since parted from them in a fog.

At 9 a.m. the three French ships formed in a close bow and quarter line, and continued to run from the two British frigates in that position, the Tribune keeping under easy sail for the support of the others. The Légère, as the two British frigates approached, hauled out to windward, passing the latter at long gun-shot ; but she afterwards continued the same course as her two companions, apparently to be in readiness to lend her aid to the one that should most need it. At 1 p.m. the Tribune and Tamise, having hoisted French colours, and the former a broad pendant, commenced with their stern-chasers a quick and

* See p. 107.

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