1810	Light Squadrons and Single Ships	304

men might as well have fired blank cartridges as shot. A proof of this has already appeared in the trifling execution done to the two French frigates. That the Iphigénie although mounting English guns, had stood in no actual need of shot for them, we infer, because not a complaint of the kind is discoverable is Captain Bouvet's account of the action. On the other hand, the French could have had but a very small quantity of English round shot left, and would naturally be anxious to procure as many of the Africaine's shot as they could, in order that the Iphigénie might be ready to defend herself in case of being attacked.

At a few minutes before the Africaine hauled down her flag, a breeze began to swell the sails of the Boadicea ; and the latter, very soon after daylight, " passed within musket-shot of the enemy." It was now discovered that the Africaine was a prize to the two French frigates, and greatly disabled, while they apparently had suffered but little. At 6 a.m. the Boadicea tacked and stood to windward of the Iphigénie and Astrée, to look for the Otter and Staunch ; whose very bad sailing was at this time particularly unfortunate. At 6 h. 10 m. a.m. the Africaine's foremast was seen to fall by the board ; at 7 a.m. her mizenmast and main topmast, and at 8 a.m. her mainmast. Her bowsprit, or the head of it, also, we believe, went ; and thus was the Africaine a totally dismasted hulk.

We regret to find, that the only paragraph in Commodore Rowley's letter respecting the state of the Africaine's masts is the following: " Day dawned and showed us the result ; the enemy appeared to have suffered little ; the Africaine was in their possession, with no apparent loss but that of her mizen topmast. " To this we cannot do better than oppose, in addition to the facts we have gleaned from the Boadicea's log, an extract from the official letter of Lieutenant Tullidge. " Of the Africaine's subsequent recapture by the Boadicea, their lordships must of course have been informed by Commodore Rowley. I must add, however, that her remaining masts and bowsprit fell over the side soon after our quitting her." But, as Lieutenant Tullidge's letter, owing to the unfair and impolitic practice of suppressing the official details of a defeat, simply because it is a defeat, never appeared in the London Gazette, the contradiction, we fear, comes too late to produce much effect. In saying that the Africaine, when first seen by the Boadicea in the grey of the morning, had all three of her lower masts standing, Commodore Rowley was correct ; but he omitted to mention, what all on board the Boadicea must have seen, or the entries would not have been in her log, that, within three hours afterwards, the Africaine was totally dismasted.

At 7 h. 30 m. A. M, the Boadicea discovered the Otter and Staunch to windward, and at 10 a.m. was joined by them. At 40 minutes past noon the Boadicea and her two companions

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