action, we shall now endeavour to describe the awful but interesting occurrences that so closely followed its sudden termination. At about 4 h. 20 m. a.m. the moon, opening rather brighter than it had done, showed to Lieutenant George Bell, who was watchfully looking out on the Indefatigable's forecastle, a glimpse of the land, bearing north-east, or right ahead, distant about two miles ; and, scarcely had the lieutenant reached his captain with the intelligence, ere the breakers were visible to all. The Indefatigable was then close to the Droits-de-l'Homme's starboard bow, and the Amazon was near to her on the larboard one. The Indefatigable's crew, with that calm self-possession which characterizes British seamen, instantly hauled on board the tacks, and the ship made sail to the southward.

The land could not then be ascertained, but it was supposed to be Ushant ; and, in that case, no particular fears were entertained. But, just before day, breakers were seen upon the lee bow. The ship was instantly wore to the northward, and the lingering approach of daylight was by all anxiously expected. It came at about 6 h. 30 m.; and, the land appearing very close ahead and on the weather bow, and breakers to leeward, the ship was again wore to the southward, in 20 fathoms' water. In the direction of the land was seen, at 7 h. 10 m. a.m., the French 74,, broadside uppermost, with a tremendous surf beating over her. The Indefatigable, the wind blowing dead on the shore now known to be that of Audierne bay, passed, at the distance of about a mile, the wreck of her late opponent, without the possibility, unfortunately, of affording her any succour. Her own safety, indeed, depended on her weathering the much dreaded Penmarcks. This, at about 11 a.m., the Indefatigable accomplished, passing to windward of the rocks about half, or, as the log says, three quarters of a mile.

At the time that the Indefatigable, on first discovering her danger, had wore to the southward, the Amazon, to whom her consort had promptly made the night-signal of danger, had wore to the northward. In about half an hour afterwards, every effort of her officers and crew to work their crippled ship off the shore having proved unavailing, the Amazon struck the ground. The ship's company, with the exception of six men that stole the cutter and were drowned, preserved themselves by making rafts. These conveyed the people in safety to the shore, but it was only to be made prisoners. Every officer and man of the Amazon's crew that survived the action, with the exception of the above six, were by 9 a.m. safely landed. A party of French soldiers immediately marched them off to Audierne, a town situated about a league from the wreck ; thence to Duarnez, and subsequently to Quimper. Here the prisoners remained, and were well treated.

It is almost superfluous to state that, when Captain Reynolds and his officers, of the 29th of the succeeding September (having

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