As the Andromaque had not hoisted either ensign or pendant, Captain Keats concluded she did not intend to make resistance, and therefore fired no more than three shots before he sent the boats, under the command of Lieutenant Henry Lloyd, first of the Galatea, to effect her destruction. At a few minutes before 7 a.m. the Artois and Sylph came up, and joined their boats, with Lieutenant Benjamin Carter, first of the Artois, in command, to those already despatched by the Galatea. Notwithstanding the height of the surf, and the consequent danger of any attempt to reach the shore, the French crew seemed much more desirous to encounter the risk, than to surrender themselves as prisoners to the few boats which the heavy breakers would permit to approach the vessel. Several prisoners, however, including the captain, some of his principal officers, and a few Portuguese seamen taken out of two Brazil ships, were at length brought away ; and the remainder of the frigate's crew, whom the ebbing of the tide had now enabled to walk to the shore, were humanely apprized by the British that it was the intention of the latter to destroy the ship.

At 8 a.m. the boats with the prisoners reached the Sylph, and, having placed them on board, took the brig in tow. On getting close abreast of the Andromaque the Sylph anchored. with a spring on her cable, and commenced firing into the frigate's bottom, in order to prevent the possibility of her floating at the return of high water. At noon the Sylph, having accomplished her object, ceased firing, and sent the boats to their proper ships; the two nearest of which, the Artois and Galatea, were about two miles outside of her, and the remaining two, the Pomone and Anson, away in the offing.

Finding it impossible to board the frigate until the tide flowed, the Sylph weighed, and stood off and on until 3 p.m.; then again stood in towards the frigate. The French crew were now assembled among the sand-hills near their ship, as if they intended to prevent her being boarded ; but a few well-directed shot from the brig soon dispersed them. At 4 p.m., when it was nearly high water, the Sylph ran within 700 yards of the shore, and, having again anchored, sent her boats to complete the destruction of the frigate; the crew of which made some resistance, but were kept in check by the fire of the brig. At 4 h. 30 m. p.m. the boats returned, having set the frigate on fire. At 5 p.m. the Andromaque being in a total blaze fore and aft, and having blown up forward, the Sylph weighed and made sail towards her squadron ; which, at 6 h. 30 m. p.m., she rejoined.

We regret to be obliged to observe, that very few of these particulars, so creditable to the respective officers and crews of the Galatea and Sylph, are contained in Sir John Warren's letter in the Gazette. The account of the destruction of the Andromaque French frigate ought to have been written by the captain of the Galatea.

Under the peculiar circumstances of this case, almost any commanding

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