for 16) guns ; but, the chief part of her crew being on shore, with only her captain and 14 men present when the attack commenced and these jumped overboard at its conclusion and escaped to the shore. The noise of the struggle alarmed the forts, which immediately opened a very heavy fire. The garda-costs's cables were, however, quickly cut, and sail made upon her. After a fire continued for some time between the Swift and Marianne and the Truxillo batteries, the prize was brought safely out without the loss of a man. To the additional credit of Mr. Bowler, he had been only two years at sea.

On the 9th of October the British 18-pounder 36-gun frigate Princess-Charlotte, Captain George Tobin, cruising near the island of Tobago, discovered at a great distance to windward a suspicious ship and brig. Seeing no chance of overtaking these vessels if he went in chase, Captain Tobin disguised his vessel as much as possible. This had the desired effect ; and the French brig-corvette Naļade of 16 long 12-pounders, four 2-pounder brass swivels, and 170 men, commanded by Lieutenant Joseph-Pierre-Marie Hamon, and ship-corvette, late British sloop, Cyane, of 26 guns (18 long 6-pounders * on the main deck, and two fours and six 12-pounder carronades on the quarterdeck and forecastle, all English caliber), and 190 men commanded by Lieutenant Charles Leonard Menard, bore down to capture the supposed merchant ship.

The two French vessels did not discover their mistake, until the Cyane at least was within gun-shot of the frigate. That ship made a very gallant defence, and did not surrender until, besides being greatly damaged, she had her first lieutenant and two seamen killed, and an enseigne de vaisseau and eight seamen wounded, some of them severely. The French commodore, M. Hamon, by taking a more prudent, if not so honourable a course, and by superior sailing, effected his escape without any apparent injury. In a week afterwards, however, after a nine hours' chase to windward, and a partial firing of 15 minutes' duration, in which she had one man killed, the Naļade was captured, in latitude 14° 5' north, longitude 55° 48' west, by the 12-pounder 32-gun frigate Jason, Captain William Champain.

On the 14th of November the French 38-gun frigates Libre and Furieuse sailed from Flushing, bound on a cruise, first off the coast of Ireland to capture British merchantmen, and then off the mole of St.-Nicolas, island of St.-Domingo, to destroy the vessels and harass the commerce of the black inhabitants. The two frigates were next to proceed to the city of Santo-Domingo, and, if there or elsewhere they could get a sufficient of provisions, were to extend their cruise to October, 1806.

*  The Gazette-letter says "twenty", but the ship had only ports for 18 which was the number she carried it the British service.

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