1811	Light Squadrons and Single Ships	22

frigate was altered, from twelve 36-pounder carronades and four or six eights, to fourteen 24-pounder carronades and two eights ; and even the French 24-pounder carronade weighs within about 120 pounds of the English 32, and so nearly agrees with the latter in size, as to be easily taken for a carronade of that caliber. According to this statement of the guns on each side, the broadside force of either the Astrea or Galatea was 467 lbs., and that of anyone of the three French frigates 463 lbs. The complements of either of the latter, even without the troops, far outnumbered that of either of the three British frigates. In point of size, the French frigates had also the advantage ; the Renommée measuring 1073, the Clorinde 1083, and the Néréide, 1114 tons.

The difference in guns, men, and size, therefore, between a British 18-pounder 36 and a French 40-gun frigate, rendered the parties in this action, notwithstanding the presence of the brig, who, it is clear, might have been in Port-Louis harbour, about equally matched ; that is, making due allowance for the side which possessed the inferiority in number of men. Had the Renommée not have been somewhat roughly handled by the Galatea, and had the Clorinde, when the Renommée was attacked by the Astrea and Phoebe, given to the former the support that was in her power, the French commodore's ship, in all probability, would have effected her escape; and that without the slightest disparagement to the Astrea. The resolute conduct of the Néréide, in not surrendering to the Phœbe after having sustained so heavy a loss in killed and wounded, redeems, in some degree, the previous shyness, on two occasions, of Captain Lemaresquier; * unless we are to consider that, as he fell in the action, the credit of not striking the colours is due to the next officer in command, Lieutenant François Ponée. With respect to the Clorinde, the behaviour of her captain on the present, perfectly agrees with his behaviour on a former occasion. M. Saint.-Cricq abandoned his commodore in March, 1806 ; † he does the same in May, 1811 : then his heels could not save him ; now they do save him. Upon the whole, if some glory was lost to the French navy by the misconduct of the Clorinde, more was gained to it by the acknowledged good conduct of the Renommée and Néréide,

On the 21st, at daylight, the Astrea, Phoebe, and Racehorse discovered the Renommée and Galatea to windward ; and their bearings, as taken on board the Racehorse, were, Galatea southwest by south, Renommée south-west by west. A very singular circumstance appears to have prevented the Galatea from joining her three consorts to leeward. It will be remembered, that only two officers and five men were sent to take possession of the Renommée, who had then a crew of nearly 400 effective officers

* See vol. v., pp. 178, 229    † See vol., iv., p. 226.

^ back to top ^