1809	Horatio and Consorts with Junon	151

foresail set. At this moment the Junon, having only her foretopsail tie shot away, was enabled to range ahead out of gunshot. Now was the time for the Driver to have rendered assistance ; but that sloop, although her signal to make more sail had been hoisted at 2 p.m., was still two miles distant on the Horatio's starboard bow. The Supérieure, however, was near at hand, and raked the Junon, as the latter, with her three masts standing certainly, but with scarcely any rigging to support them, and with her sails all flying about and hull visibly shattered, put away nearly before the moderate breeze, which the previous heavy cannonade had then left blowing.

At 2 h. 24 m. p.m. Lieutenant Douglas hailed the Supérieure, and directed the brig to take the Horatio in tow, to enable her the more quickly to get again alongside of her antagonist. The Supérieure, did as she had been ordered ; but the Horatio, having set her tore topsail and hauled aft her main sheet, was presently going upwards of five knots with the wind on the quarter, and the brig cast her off. At 2 h. 40 m. p.m. the Driver fired her bow-chasers at the Junon, then nearly a mile distant from her. This sloop continuing to yaw about as if she was afraid to advance, the Horatio, at 2 h. 50 m. P. M,, directed the Supérieure, to make the Driver's signal to engage more closely.

Having, agreeably to his orders, hoisted this signal, and. doubting, as it was not obeyed, whether it was rghtly understood, Captain Ferrie resolved himself to show its practical meaning. Accordingly, at 3 h. 10 m. p.m., the Supérieure, hauled across the French frigate's stern and gave her a broadside, in a very gallant style ; but, having only two 18-pounders, not in so effectual a manner as the Driver might have done with her eight 24-pounders.

Finding that the force of example was in the present instance thrown away, the Horatio, at 3 h. 10 m. p.m., repeated the Driver's signal to engage more closely, with two gun shotted. This produced some effect, for, in five minutes, the sloop set her foresail and steered towards the Junon ; who was now firing at the Latona, as the latter was advancing to engage her. At 3 h. 25 m. p.m. the Latona, having arrived within pistol-shot, opened her broadside ; and shortly afterwards the Driver, becoming more bold from having so efficient a consort, hauled across the French frigate's stern and discharged her broadside, receiving in return from the Junon's chase-guns a fire that cut away her foretopsail tie and wounded one seaman. In five minutes after this, being closely pressed by the Latona, the Junon hauled up on the starboard tack, and had scarcely come to the wind, when her previously wounded main and mizen masts, unable to resist the lateral pressure against them, fell over the side. The French frigate instantly struck her colours. This was at 3 h. 40 m. p.m., and in two minutes more the Junon's foremast fell over her bows. When that took place the Horatio was not above a mile and a

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