convince him that Captain Berkeley had acted with no more than becoming prudence. We may however be permitted to regret that the circumstance ever happened." *

Coupling this apologetical account with the entry in the Emerald's log, as to the omission of a part of the squadron to answer the signal to keep sight of the enemy, we are bound to consider that some such reason did induce Captain Berkeley to discontinue the chase. Why, then, did he not bring the captains of the Niger, Bonne-Citoyenne and Raven to a court-martial for their disobedience ? We are persuaded, however, that the Niger was as ready to attack as the Minerve ; and we believe that the Raven brig had just before parted company : hence, in this view of the case, the Bonne-Citoyenne was the only ship whose commander evinced a reluctance to unite with three frigates in keeping sight of an enemy's crippled first-rate. Had the Bonne-Citoyenne been a frigate like the Emerald or the Minerve, her defection might have been worth counting upon ; but she was a ship of only 20 guns. Upon the whole, this was a sad business. Let us therefore hasten to relate a fact, that will operate as a far better comment upon Captain Berkeley's behaviour than any thing we, or any one else, can say.

We mentioned that, towards the close of this discreditable rencontre, a frigate joined company. Here, even upon Captain Berkeley's own showing, was a frigate of equal force to the one complained of ; and yet no effort, that we can discover, was made to renew the pursuit of the retreating enemy. The Terpsichore soon afterwards parted company, and was cruising alone ; whether with the intention, single-handed, of seeking an enemy's ship, which three frigates, two of them heavier than herself, had declined to follow, we cannot say ; but we will say that, if there was any officer in the British navy who would undertake so bold and perilous an enterprise, it was Captain Richard Bowen.

On the 28th, at 7 p.m., Cape Spartel bearing east-north-east distant 23 leagues, by accident we must suppose, the very Santisima Trinidad, so avoided, as she was striving to regain the coast, from which she had been driven by a gale, was fallen in with by the Terpsichore. On the 1st of March, at daylight, the strange ship was descried in the east-south-east, at the distance of about three miles. Instantly the British frigate cleared for action, and at 9 a.m. bore down towards the enemy ; whose four decks and dismasted state made her known at once to Captain Bowen, as the ship from which his friends had retreated.

At 10 a.m. the Terpsichore brought to and began engaging the Spanish first-rate, and so manoeuvred as to keep tolerably clear of the broadside of the latter ; who had therefore no guns but her chasers, wherewith to requite the temerity of her pigmy foe. At half-past midnight the Terpsichore ceased firing, and

" Brenton, vol. ii., p. 155.

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