The French on board the Furet now threw into the Wolverine's cabin windows some leather bags filled with combustibles. These immediately set the vessel on fire, and a blaze burst forth directly over the magazine. While the Wolverine's people were occupied in extinguishing the flames, the two luggers took the opportunity to effect their escape. As one of them (the Furet, it is believed) was retiring, she fired a shot which mortally wounded Captain Mortlock, who had previously, although he kept on deck, been wounded in the hand, in the breast, and in the loins. Giving the necessary orders to his lieutenant, this brave young officer went below, saying, "Luff ; luff, keep close to them." He soon afterwards fainted from loss of blood. The Wolverine, finding she had no chance with the luggers in sailing, on a wind especially, bore up for Portsmouth.

The Wolverine had two men killed, and eight, including her gallant commander, wounded. Captain Mortlock died at Portsmouth on the 10th of the month. The loss of the privateers, as acknowledged by themselves, was rather severe. The Furet had five men killed, her captain and five men mortally, and 10 men badly wounded; the Rusé had her first and second lieutenants, another officer, and two seamen killed, and five mortally, and several badly wounded.

In this affair, which was almost entirely a hand-to-hand struggle, 70 British were opposed to at least 150 Frenchmen; and yet the latter were compelled to retire without effecting their object. Had the two luggers kept off at long-shot, the Wolverine, from the nature of her armament, must have cut them to pieces. She was originally the merchant vessel Rattler, of London, measuring 286 tons, and was purchased, in order to be fitted with guns upon Captain Schank's principle. Accordingly, on the 22d of February, 1798, the Wolverine, as she had then been named, was established with two long 18-pounders and six 24-pounder carronades on her main deck, four 12-pounder carronades on the quarterdeck, and one of the same caliber on the forecastle, total 13 guns. In order that the eight maindeck guns might be fought on one side, eight ports, exclusive of the bow-port, were cut, and grooves were made in the deck running across from side to side. To these grooves the trucks of the gun-carriages were attached, by a pivot fore-locked, in order to shift the guns from one side to the other as occasion required. Thus armed, the Wolverine was a much more formidable vessel than her appearance indicated.

On the 28th of January, at noon, the British 28-gun frigate Proserpine, Captain James Wallis, having on board the Honourable Thomas Grenville and suite on a mission to Berlin, sailed from Yarmouth road, bound to Cuxhaven. Early on the morning of the 30th the frigate arrived. off Heligoland, and took on board a pilot for the Elbe. Having a fair wind at north-north-east and a fine clear day, the Proserpine, by evening, reached and anchored at the Red buoy. Here it was found that the:

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