the Guillaume-Tell's mizen chains, Sir Edward Berry called upon the latter to strike, following up his demand with a treble-shotted broadside. To this the Guillaume-Tell replied in a similar manner, and with such effect as to cut away a great deal of the Foudroyant's rigging. Having incautiously arrived up with so much sail set, the Foudroyant necessarily shot ahead, and could not, for several minutes, regain her position alongside of her opponent. That object being at length effected, the firing recommenced; and the Guillaume-Tell's second broadside brought down the fore topmast, maintopsail yard, jib-boom, and spritsail yard of the Foudroyant. Having also had her foresail, mainsail, and staysails cut in tatters, the British 80 dropped from alongside, leaving the Lion, who now lay upon the Guillaume-Tell's larboard side, and the Penelope upon the same quarter, occasionally firing at her.

At 6 h. 30 m., a.m., the French ship's main and mizen masts came down. By this time, having cleared away the wreck of her fallen spars and partially refitted herself, the Foudroyant had again closed the Guillaume-Tell, and, after the exchange of a few broadsides, nearly fell on board of her. At 8 a.m., the foremast of the Guillaume-Tell was shot away. At 8 h. 20 m. a.m., Cape Passero bearing north-half-east distant seven leagues, the Foudroyant and Lion being, one on her starboard, the other on her larboard quarter, and the Penelope close ahead, the Guillaume-Tell, rolling an unmanageable hulk on the water, with the wreck of her masts disabling most of the guns on the larboard side, and the violent motion from her dismasted state requiring the lowerdeck ports to be shut, hauled down her colours.

Both the Foudroyant and Lion were in too disabled a state to take possession of the Guillaume-Tell; that ceremony, therefore, devolved upon the Penelope. The damages of the Foudroyant were very severe : her mainmast, mizenmast, fore topmast, and bowsprit were wounded in several places ; and her mizenmast was so much injured, that, in four hours after the action, it came down, wounding in its fall five men. The Foudroyant had also received, in her hull, several of the Guillaume-Tell's shot. The masts of the Lion were likewise wounded, and her hull struck; but not to so great an extent as the Foudroyant's. The damages of the Penelope were confined to her rigging and sails.

The loss sustained by the Foudroyant, out of a complement of 719 men and boys, amounted to eight seamen and marines killed, her commander (slightly), one lieutenant (John Aitkin Blow), her boatswain (Philip Bridge), three midshipmen (Edward West, Granville Proby, and Thomas Cole), and 58 seamen and marines, exclusive of the five that suffered by the fall of the mizenmast, wounded. The Lion, out of a crew on board of only about 300 men and boys, had one midshipman (Hugh Roberts) and seven seamen and marines killed, and one

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