the French van-ship tacked, in the expectation of being followed by her squadron, and thereby driving the Glatton upon the Brill shoal, which was close to leeward. The French van-ship soon arrived within hail on the Glatton's weather beam, and received a fire from her larboard guns, the effects of which were heard in the cries and groans of the wounded, and partially seen in the shattered state of the ship's side. This quickly elicited the cheers of the British crew, and the discomfited enemy passed on to the southward ; leaving the Glatton still engaged with the French commodore upon her lee bow, another large frigate (the latter's second ahead when the action commenced) upon her lee quarter.

The action had now lasted about 20 minutes ; when the Glatton's pilot called out, that the ship, if she did not tack in five minutes, would be on the shoal. Captain Trollope replied "When the French commodore strikes the ground, do you put the helm a-lee." Almost immediately afterwards the French commodore tacked to avoid the shoal, and, while in stays, received a heavy raking fire that much disabled him. The other French ships had previously gone about ; and the Glatton, as well to continue the action, as to escape running on the shoal, prepared to do the same, but, owing to the damaged state of her sails and rigging, experienced a great difficulty in getting her head round.

The combatants were now all on the starboard tack ; and, although the three large and hitherto principally engaged frigates had fallen to leeward, the three smaller ones still kept up a harassing long-shot fire ; to which the Glatton, on account of the distance, could not make a very effectual return. The wounded state of the topmasts and the increasing power of the wind rendering it necessary to take a reef in the topsails of the Glatton, her men unhesitatingly flew upon the yards, which were also wounded by shot, and performed their task in the face of a smart cannonade from the nearest of the three ships to leeward left in a state to continue the action ; and which ship, mistaking the cause of the cessation of the Glatton's fire, was seemingly advancing to reap the fruits of her prowess. The British crew, however, were soon at their guns again, and the fall of a topsail yard belonging to one of the French ships, coupled with some other damage, convinced the Frenchmen on board that the victory was not yet to them, and very soon induced these three ships to follow the example of their three more powerful companions, and withdraw themselves from the combat.

The six French ships, thus beaten, were not ; however, the only opponents that had been assailing the Glatton. Towards the close of the action the brig and cutter, the first mounting 16, and the other eight or ten guns, had stationed themselves under her stern, and opened a smart fire; a fire which the Glatton ; from the defects in her equipment already noticed, could

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