1811     CAPTURE OF JAVA     35

escape. On the 30th of August the Akbar, who had been in company with the Bucephalus at an anchor off the east end of Java, weighed and sailed to the westward.

On the 3d of September, at 3 p.m., the two French frigates, having received on board several of General Jansen's aides-decamp, and others of the principal fugitives from Cornelis, weighed and began warping themselves into the outer road. The Bucephalus saw the manoeuvre, and instantly weighed and made sail close to the enemy. On the 4th, at daylight, the Barracouta joined the former, and at 10 a.m. the British frigate and brig wore and stood towards the two French frigates ; who, during the night, had warped themselves considerably ahead, and were now under sail working out of the harbour, with the wind a moderate breeze at north-east. The Bucephalus and Barracouta immediately proceeded in chase ; and at midnight the two French frigates bore from the first, who was far ahead of her consort, north-west half-west distant three or four miles. By daylight on the 5th the Bucephalus was ahead of the Barracouta six or seven miles, and the French frigates on the former's lee bow, the weather nearly calm. At 5 h. 30 m. a.m. a breeze sprang up from the eastward ; and at sunset the French frigates bore north-east by north distant seven or eight miles. During the 6th, 7th, and 8th nearly the same distance was preserved between the two French frigates and the one British frigate, which, accompanied by a brig sloop of war, was so earnestly pursuing them ; but, at midnight, notwithstanding all her efforts to keep up, the Barracouta dropped entirely out of sight of her consort.

The Bucephalus, now entirely alone, persevered in the chase during the whole of the 9th, 10th, and 11th, and at 6 a.m. On the 12th saw the island of Great Pulo-Laut, bearing east-southeast, and her enemy south, distant about four leagues, with the weathergage in his favour. At 9 a.m. the two French frigates bore down, with the apparent intention of embaying the British frigate between Borneo and Paulo-Laut ; but the Bucephalus wore and bore up, in order to keep off shore. The Nymphe now signalled the Méduse ; and shortly afterwards the two frigates wore, and made all sail in line abreast after the Bucephalus, then within four miles of them, steering west by north, and soon under an equal press of sail with her pursuers. By noon the Nymphe had got ahead of her consort, and was gaining on the Bucephalus, now steering about west by south. At 1 p.m. the latter commenced firing her stern-chasers ; and shortly afterwards the Nymphe returned the fire with her bow-chasers, yawing occasionally, as she advanced on the British frigate's larboard quarter, to get her foremost maindeck guns to bear. This yawing necessarily checking her progress, the Nymphe dropped a little astern. At 2 h. 30 m. p.m. the Méduse got up on the starboard or lee quarter of the Bucephalus, and,

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