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Her complement, including troops, extended to 640 men. Of these the Incorruptible doubtless sustained a greater loss than one killed and five wounded, the amount stated in the Moniteur, otherwise her damages would not have detained this frigate in port on the second departure of the Toulon fleet. * The noble defence made by this sloop and bomb-vessel did something more than display an additional proof of the bravery and devotedness of British seamen : it preserved from capture 31 out of 34 sail of merchantmen, (the Duchess-of-Rutland and two others were all that fell into the hands of the frigates,) and the captured men-of-war had been so long and so bravely defended as to be useless in the French service. Indeed scarcely had the surviving crew and passengers been removed from the Arrow, and that by the French boats, her own having been destroyed by shot, than the ship settled on her beam-ends and sank ; and the shattered state of the Acheron induced the captors, as soon as her people were removed, to set that vessel on fire. Had the Arrow, with her powerful battery and gallant crew, fallen in with the Incorruptible alone, under such circumstances of wind and weather, as would have allowed the former to maintain a close position, the combat might have resembled, in its result, that fought in the preceding war between the British brig Pelican and the French frigate Meddlée. † As it was, the conduct of both commanders received its just reward in their almost immediate promotion to post-rank. We regret to be obliged to add, that the brave defence of the Arrow failed to produce for her late officers and crew the slightest sympathy in the breast of Captain Billiet ; who, in the treatment of his prisoners, appears to have fallen very little short of the celebrated Captain Lejoille. ‡ On the 8th of February, at daybreak, the British 16-gun brig-sloop Curieux, Captain George Edmund Byron Bettesworth, being about 20 leagues to the eastward of Barbadoes, discovered on her lee bow a large brig, that immediately bore up and made all sail. Chase was given ; and, after a run of 12 hours, during which the brig tried every point of sailing to escape, the Curieux got within point-blank shot. The former, which was the French privateer Dame-Ernouf, then took in her studding-sails, brought to on the starboard tack, hoisted French colours, and commenced a brisk fire of great guns and small arms. As soon as she had arrived within musket-shot upon the privateer's weather quarter, the Curieux opened her fire. The action continued with great obstinacy for 40 minutes ; when the Dame-Ernouf ceased firing, and, after three cheers had been given by her crew, steered for the Curieux's lee quarter. Aware of the intent, Captain, ^ back to top ^ |