the part performed by the Constance, not unimportant variations. The official letter states, that the surrender of the Salamandre occurred at 4 P.M., and that the first lieutenant of the Sheldrake took possession of the prize. As it nowhere appears, in that letter, at what time the Constance struck the ground, the inference may be that she did so pending the action with the French ship ; whereas, according to the testimony of an officer of the Constance, the latter did not touch the ground until two hours after the Salamandre had hauled down her colours and the master been sent to take possession. It was the shot from the French battery that, by cutting her cables, drove the Constance on shore. According to the official letter, the force of the Salamandre was " 26 long 12 and 18 pounders ; " but we still believe our account to be correct. The Constance is also represented as " a perfect wreck " whereas the French, on the third day, as we understand, got the Constance into St.-Malo and afterwards repaired her for sea.

In the month of September Commodore Sir Samuel Hood cruised off Rochefort with the following squadron:

On the 25th, at 1 A.M., as the above squadron, with the wind at north by east, was stretching in upon the larboard tack for Chasseron lighthouse, then distant six or seven leagues, seven sail were discovered to leeward. At this time the Revenge was to windward of the Centaur, the Monarch, who had first made the signal for an enemy, to leeward and a mile and a half ahead of her, and the Mars on her starboard bow. The remaining ships of the British squadron were considerably in the rear. In expectation that the strangers or a part of them, were line-of-battle ships, a signal was made to form the line ; but the almost immediate discovery that they were frigates, caused the signal for a general chase to be substituted. The strangers were a French squadron which had escaped the preceding evening from Rochefort, bound to the West Indies, and consisted of the:

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