1810	Africaine with Iphigénie and Astrée	299

France ; and, just as Isle Ronde bore north-north-east two miles ; she discovered a schooner about four points on the larboard bow, standing on a wind to the southward. At 6 h. 15 m. a.m. the frigate hauled up in chase, stood close to the reef in Grande-Bale, and tacked ; in doing which she carried away her fore topmast. The schooner, which was the French aviso, No. 23, commanded by Enseigne François-Nicolas Massieur, from Port-Louis laden with stores for M. Duperré's squadron at Grand-Port, then bore up off the land ; but, after having proceeded about a quarter of a mile, the vessel hauled to the wind, stood in through a passage in the reef, and ran on shore in a small bay or creek of the Poudre-d'Or coast, within pistol-shot of the beach.

At 7 h. 3 m. a.m., being near the reef, the Africaine hove to and sent her jollyboat, with master's mate Jenkin Jones and six men, to find the passage through which the aviso had run. The barge, under the command of Lieutenant Robert Forder, quickly followed the jollyboat ; and the two boats pulled into the creek. It was now discovered, that the rocks and beach were lined with soldiers, who immediately opened a heavy fire of musketry on the British. The fire was quickly returned by the marines, but with little or no effect, the French sheltering themselves behind the rocks. The barge grounded ; but the jollyboat, drawing less water, succeeded in boarding the schooner. Not finding on board any thing which would serve to set her on fire, the party of seven endeavoured to stave the vessel by throwing her guns down the hatchway. This was scarcely done, when, having no other arms than their cutlasses, the British were compelled to relinquish the prize with the loss of five out of the six men badly, and the master's mate slightly wounded. Meanwhile the barge, owing to her immovable state, had become a dead mark for the French soldiers ; and before she could extricate herself, two of her men were killed, one lieutenant of marines (James Jackson, the 2d, slightly), one midshipman (Henry Sewell, severely), and eight men wounded ; making a total loss in the two boats, of two men killed and 16 wounded ; which was within six or eight of the whole party that had been sent upon this hazardous, and, even had it fully succeeded, inadequate service. With the assistance afforded her from the shore, the aviso soon got afloat, and on the following day proceeded, without further molestation, to the port of her destination.

As soon as her two boats returned, which was not until 1 h. 30 m. p.m., the Africaine bore up for Isle Bourbon, and at 4 a.m. on the morning of the 12th made the island. At 6 A.M. the Africaine observed two ships in the offing of St.-Denis, and at 7 a.m., learnt from a transport at anchor in the bay, that they were French, as well as a man-of-war brig now also seen to windward of the frigates. At 8 a.m., Captain Corbett went on shore ; and the Africaine continued standing on and off the bay, clearing herself for action. At 10 A.M. the two frigates, which

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