We wish we could speak as favourably of an account in a recently published French work of general respectability, as we have been induced to do of Vice-admiral Bruix's picture. The gist of that account is, that the Baïonnaise " de vingt canons de 8" captured the Ambuscade, "portant quarante-deux bouches â feu de 18, 24, et 6." * We have known cases wherein a French minister of marine's account, on a point of pure naval concern especially, might even exceed the bounds of moral probability, and yet be maintained as true by a French historical writer. We now find, that it is only when no other French account exceeds it in exaggeration, that such implicit reliance is placed.

The disparity of force, in guns at all events, which did really exist between the Ambuscade and Baïonnaise, should, and, but for a succession of untoward accidents, doubtless would, have led to a very different result. The bursting of a gun on board a ship is irremediable. Who knows but that the next gun, and every gun in succession along the side, may prove equally treacherous. They are all of the same caliber, were put on board at the same time, and cast at the same foundry. If the man who had loaded the gun survived the explosion, he would naturally insist, whatever was the fact, that no more than the proper charge had been used. Hence, the ship's company would attribute the misfortune to some flaw in the gun ; whether the effect of original construction, or of age or negligence, no matter. After the occurrence of such an accident, the remaining guns are seldom well loaded, or well pointed. Many shots would have been thrown away, and much injury from the enemy's unabated fire be sustained, ere that confidence, which is so necessary towards success, would again reign throughout the ship.

The gun-force of the Ambuscade, even while the cannonade lasted, was of little comparative effect ; and as soon as the Baïonnaise got on board her adversary, it gave place to musketry. Here a new species of contest commenced ; a contest in which the French ship from superior numbers had some, and, from superior tactics and other circumstances, many advantages. Thirty veterans of the famous regiment of Alsace, headed by an enterprising officer, and assisted by a French crew of more than seven times their number, stood opposed to about 20 young marines, and 170 seamen (officers, men, and boys), of whom three fourths, we mean of the men, were the scum of the British navy. Nor had the sailors been improved in discipline, or in love for the service, by the partial and ill-judged conduct of Captain Jenkins ; who, it seems,, had brought with him from the 74-gun ship Carnatic a party of seamen, whom he styled the "Gentlemen Carnatics;" distinguishing those he found on board the frigate, by the opprobrious epithet of " Blackguard Ambuscades."

* Victoires et Conquêtes; tome x., p. 427.

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