On the 4th of May, at 4 a.m., as a small British squadron, composed of the 38-gun frigate Arethusa, Captain Thomas Wolley, 12-pounder 32-gun frigate Niger, Captain Edward Griffith, and 44-gun ship Argo, Captain James Bowen, was cruising off the mouth of the river Seine, a fishing-boat pulled alongside the Argo, and was found to have on board Captain Sir Sidney Smith, Lieutenant John Westley Wright, and two French gentlemen, one of whom was Sir Sidney's particular friend, Mr. Phelipeaux. This party had effected their escape from the temple at Paris, by means, as it would appear, of a forged order of removal to another prison, planned and executed by Mr. Phelipeaux. Sir Sidney and his companions proceeded straight to Rouen ; and, embarking there in a boat, reached the British squadron as already related. The moment he learnt who were the persons received out of the French fishing-boat, Captain Wolley directed Captain Bowen to part company for England ; and on the 6th, in the evening, the Argo came to at Spithead.

On the 16th of June the British 12-pounder 32-gun. frigate Aurora, Captain Henry Digby, cruising off the bay of Curmes on the north-west coast of Spain, sent two of her boats, under the orders of Lieutenant Henry Lloyd, to destroy some vessels which had just run in there for shelter. The boats, covered in their approach by the frigate, succeeded in burning a brigantine laden with hemp and iron, and in scuttling a schooner laden with various merchandise, and got back to the Aurora with three men wounded, two of them slightly, by musketry from the village or town at the bottom of the bay, and by a wall-piece mounted on an adjacent height.

On the 19th, while standing in for Cape Prior, in thick hazy weather, with the wind from the westward, the Aurora discovered an enemy's ship, carrying 18 or 20 guns, and five merchant brigs, standing along the land to the eastward, in the direction of the harbour of Cedeira ; which, at about 4 p.m., the armed ship and convoy all entered. The Aurora immediately stood in after the vessels, and at 4 h. 30 m. opened a fort on the north-east side of the town ; which, as well as the ship, now with French colours flying, commenced a fire upon the Aurora. This the frigate promptly returned, but, soon losing the wind and being nearly land-locked, found it necessary, with the way she still possessed, to tack, and stand out. At about 6 p.m. the Aurora, by towing and sweeping, got out of the harbour without damage or loss ; having left two of the brigs on shore, the corvette or privateer at the extremity of the harbour, and the fort damaged, and, it was thought, silenced.

On the 22d the Aurora, being then on the south shore of the bay of Biscay, off Cape Machichicao, chased a ship, apparently a corvette or privateer of 20 guns, scudding before a north-west wind. At about 3 h. 30 m. p.m., on discovering the Aurora to be a frigate, the ship hauled in for the land, and, hoisting

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