and dressing the wounded. This, in a merchant vessel, is a more exposed spot than in a ship of war, the space analogous to the cockpit in the latter being usually filled with a portion of the cargo. Thus circumstanced, the Warren-Hastings, at about 4 h. 50 m. P.M., hauled down her colours.

The loss sustained by the Warren-Hastings amounted to her purser (John Edwick) and six men killed, and 13, including her chief, third, and sixth officers (James Cockwell, Edward Davies, and William Hope), and her surgeon's mate (James Greville), wounded. The loss on the part of the Piémontaise, as stated by Captain Epron himself, amounted, out of a complement, in crew and supernumeraries, of 385 men and boys, to seven men killed, and five badly wounded ; nor, considering that the frigate's principal damages were confined to her rigging and sails, could the loss well have been greater.

An action between a merchant vessel and a ship of war requires in order fairly to show the relative force of the parties, some further explanation than a mere statement of figures can afford. The chief purpose of the one ship being to carry a cargo, armament is made a secondary consideration ; whereas, the object of the other is to fight : accordingly, no pains are spared to render the former, both in matériel and personnel, fully adequate to the duties of her station. This comparison of the man of war with the merchantman applies to common cases. But, by some mismanagement on the part of her equippers, the Warren-Hastings could make very little use of her upperdeck and poop batteries, after the second or third round of shot, and, for want of hands, could man only eight, out of the 11 guns on her lowerdeck battery ; while the Piémontaise, as has already been shown, was armed in a manner every way calculated for causing destruction to an adversary, and for bringing the combat, even with a regular frigate like herself, to a favourable issue.

Some scenes that now ensued would have better become an

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