from the Perlen east-north-east 10 or 11 leagues. At 1 p.m., finding that the two ships were advancing rapidly upon her, the Perlen cut away the sheet, spare, stream, and kedge anchors. At 2 h. 30 m. p.m. the Trident was on her lee, and the Amélie on her weather quarter ; both still keeping up a heavy fire, and the Perlen returning it. In another quarter of an hour, provoked at being fired at so effectually, in a position from which she herself could bring no guns to bear, the Trident yawed and discharged her broadside. This of course occasioned the French 74 to drop astern ; and, accompanied by the Amélie, the Trident stood for the Volontaire. In a little while, however., the two French ships, finding that the state of their rigging gave them no hope of success in the chase, altered their course, and bore away for Toulon.

The Perlen had her standing and running rigging and sails very much cut, and received two shot so low down, as to cause her to make nine inches of water per hour ; but, fortunately, the frigate had none of her crew hurt. The Volontaire was not struck ; although, at one time, two two-deckers, one with a rear-admiral's flag, fired several broadsides at her. Having thus chased away the only British force at this time off the coast, and which the magnifying optics of his reconnoitring captains made out to be " un vaisseau et une frégate," Vice-admiral Emeriau continued manoeuvring about until the 26^th ; then reanchored in the road of Toulon. On the same day Vice-admiral Sir Edward Pellew, with the British fleet, anchored off the south-east end of the island of Minorca.

The length of the French admiral's cruise required a few days' relaxation ; and it was not, we believe, until the 9th of December, that the fleet again weighed from the road. On this day M. Emeriau, having as he states, been apprized by the signal-posts, that a British fleet of 12 sail of the line was in the offing, put to sea with " 16 sail of the line and two frigates. " In a few hours, however, the French admiral returned into port ; and this proved to be the last exploit of the Toulon fleet during the year 1811.

Is it not a little surprising that, out of upwards of 56 sail of the line in commission at the different ports of the French empire, namely, 18, including three Dutch ships, in the Scheldt, seven in the Texel, two m Cherbourg, two in Brest, four in Lorient, three in Rochefort, 16 in Toulon, and four at least in the ports of Genoa, Spezzia, Venice, and Naples, not one squadron, nay, not one line-of-battle ship, should have ventured out of sight of her own harbour ? What prevented Vice-admiral Emeriau from going fairly to sea on the 20th of November ? Where had the glory of the " great nation" hid itself ? Where were the Duguay-Trouins, the De Grasses, and the Suffrens, when, on the 6th of December, 1811, a French admiral, with 16 sail of the line allowed himself to be driven back into port by a British

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