the division of French gun-vessels which, by the orders of Rear-admiral Charles Magon, the commanding officer of the Ostende flotilla, had on the preceding evening, as already stated, anchored to the westward of the lighthouse, and which had subsequently gone to the assistance of Rear-admiral Ver-Huell.

The loss on the part of the British, compared with the vigour and duration of the firing, was of no great amount. The Cruiser had one seaman killed, and her captain's clerk (George Ellis) and three seamen wounded; the Rattler, two seamen killed and three wounded ; the Aimable, one master's mate (Mr. Christie), one midshipman (Mr. Johnson), four seamen, and one boy killed, and one lieutenant (William Mather), her purser (William Shadwell), one midshipman (Mr. Conner), and 11 seamen wounded ; total, 13 killed and 32 wounded. Besides having, her rigging and sails a good deal cut, the Cruiser received two large shot between wind and water. The Rattler suffered also in her rigging and sails ; and the Aimable, in addition to her damages aloft, was struck in several parts of her hull. The acknowledged loss, on the Gallo-Batavian flotilla, amounted to 1 killed and 60 wounded, 29 of the latter and four of the former on board the two prames.

From the sketch here given it now appears, that the Cruiser and Rattler, unsupported by any other ships, most gallantly attacked, and after a two hours' action very nearly discomfited, this formidable Gallo-Batavian flotilla. Unfortunately the public letter of Commodore Sir Sidney Smith, although it admits that "Captains Hancock and Mason bore the brunt of the attack, and continued it for six hours against a great superiority of fire," was calculated to convey an impression, the letter in fact expressly states, that the Antelope, Penelope, and Aimable participated in the action from its commencement. Sir Sidney says, " The signal was made to the Cruiser and Rattler for an enemy in the E.S.E. to call their attention from Ostend ; the squadron weighed, " But, in reality, neither of the sloops was in sight of the Antelope for a full hour after she and her companions had weighed ; nor does the log of the Antelope mention their names until the following entry occurs : " At 2 observed the Rattler and Cruiser commence firing on the enemy's flotilla. " The log of the Aimable refers to the first appearance of the two sloops in nearly the same manner : " At 2 Cruiser and Rattler brought the enemy to action," And how could the commodore well have descried the two sloops earlier than the commencement of the afternoon, when the Antelope had been at anchor full six leagues (some accounts say nine) from their anchorage; at such a distance, in fact, that it took the Stag, from 9 p.m. on the 15th to 5 h. 30 m. a.m. on the 16th, before her commander could deliver his despatches to Sir Sidney ? Moreover, the first signal of any kind, noticed in the log of the Antelope, is one made at 4 p.m., " to engage the enemy. " Whereas, in proof that much

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