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Naval History of Great Britain - Vol II
1797 Light Squadrons and Single Ships 80

little remissness on his own part, had lost him at least five valuable Indiamen.

On the 31st of January, as a small frigate-squadron ; under the orders of Lord Garlies, in the Lively 32, was cruising about nine leagues north-West of the Monsheque mountains, with the wind at east-north-east, a strange ship hove in sight to the northward. Chase was then given ; and, by an hour after sunset, the 12-pounder 32-gun frigate Andromache, Captain Charles John Moore Mansfield, having run far ahead of her companions, came up with the stranger. After hailing and being answered in Spanish, the Andromache opened her fire ; and the two ships continued closely engaged for upwards of 40 minutes, when the Andromache's opponent, having failed in an attempt to board, hauled down her colours.

It now appeared that the ship, which the British frigate had been engaging, was an Algerine, of much the same force as the Andromache, and who had taken the latter for a Portuguese frigate. This mutual mistake cost the British three men killed and six wounded, and the Algerine as many as 66 killed, and 50 badly, besides several slightly wounded. By far the greater number of the Algerine ship's killed consisted of those who had been rash enough to throw themselves upon the British frigate's deck, in the vain hope to carry her by boarding. After the action had terminated, the Lively and the rest of the squadron joined company.

On the 22d of February, in the evening, the French 40-gun frigates Resistance and Vengeance, 22-gun ship-corvette Constance, and lugger Vautour, anchored in Fisgard bay on the coast of Wales. During the night they landed 1200 galley-slaves, dressed and accoutred as soldiers, but without any cannon or camp-equipage. The alarm soon spread, and it was not long before a strong body of militia, under the command of Lord Cawdor, assembled near the spot. The Frenchmen, whose intentions were rather predatory than warlike, immediately surrendered, and were marched as prisoners to Haversfordwest. Meanwhile the vessels that had brought them weighed, and soon disappeared from the coast. What was the object of this silly expedition; no one, not even among the French, seems rightly to have understood.

On the 9th of March, early in the morning, the British 18-pounder 36-gun frigate San Fiorenzo, Captain Sir Harry Neale, and 12-pounder 36-gun frigate Nymphe, Captain John Cootie, while on their return to Admiral Lord Bridport's fleet off Ushant, after having reconnoitred the road to Brest, then bearing from their east by north distant three or four leagues, saw to the westward, standing in towards the port, two of the three ships which had been so creditably employed ; one the 40-gun frigate Résistance, Captain (de vais.) Jean-Baptiste Montagniés Laroque, the other the, 22-gun corvette, Constance, Captain

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