enemies, and the only boat that could swim was launched for the purpose. By this means 55 persons that were floating on the scattered remains of the wreck, the survivors of a crew of 160, were rescued from a watery grave.

The Renard's establishment of guns was 16 carronades, 18 pounders, with two long sixes, and a complement of 121 men and boys ; none of whom are represented to have been hurt in a the action. The Général-Ernouf had been the British sloop of war Lily, and was armed with 18 English 12-pounder carronades (four more than she mounted when captured by the Dame-Ambert * ), and two long 6-pounders. The fatal precision of the Renard's fire shows the high state of discipline of her crew ; and the already-established gallantry of her commander † needs assurance, that, had the Général-Ernouf been even more formidably armed, her officers and crew would have found it a difficult task to avoid becoming the prize of the Renard. It has appeared somewhere in print, that the Général-Ernouf, on first coming alongside, hailed the Renard, in English, desiring her to strike, and that Captain Coghlan replied, he would strike, and d---d hard too. If the account be true, the captain amply fulfilled his promise.

On the 23d of March, as the British 18-gun ship-sloop Stork, Captain George Le Geyt, was cruising off the port of Cape Roxo in the island of Porto-Rico, a large armed schooner was discovered lashed alongside a brig in the harbour. For the purpose of cutting out this vessel Captain Le Geyt, in the evening, despatched the pinnace and cutter of the Stork, containing between them 18 men, under the command of Lieutenant George Robertson, assisted by Lieutenant James Murray.

As the schooner, which was the Dutch privateer Antelope, was preparing to heave down on the following day, her five guns were on board the brig, and the two vessels were defended by 40 out of her 54 in crew. Both the schooner and the brig were boarded simultaneously by the two boats, and gallantly carried, without any other casualty to the British than Lieutenant Murray and one seaman slightly wounded. The privateer's men having taken to the water soon after the boats got alongside, 15 prisoners were all that were secured.

On the 5th of April, as the British 22-gun ship Bacchante, Captain Charles Dashwood, was cruising off Havana, island of Cuba, information was received that there were three French privateers lying in the harbour of Mariel, a small convenient port situated a little to the westward, and defended by a round tower nearly 40 feet high, on the top of which were three long 24-pounders, and round its circumference numerous loop-holes for musketry. The daring and piratical conduct of these privateers, who plundered and maltreated Americans as well as

*  See vol. iii., p. 271,

†   See vol. ii., p. 44.

^ back to top ^