1813     SIR EDWARD PELLEW AND COMTE EMERIAU     155

wheel. The five British 74s, having wore round and come to, continued the cannonade with their starboard broadsides, and were then not more than a mile distant from the shore near Cape Sepet.

At 45 minutes past noon the advanced squadron filled and stood on ; and at 1 p.m. the Caledonia, Boyne, and San-Josef, who were far ahead of the remainder of their fleet, stood in-shore athwart the bows of the former. In four minutes the Caledonia opened a heavy fire from her larboard guns upon the stern-most French ship, the Wagram ; who, being then on the starboard tack, returned the fire with her larboard guns. The Boyne and San-Josef, as they arrived in succession, also got into action with the French rear. Having reached the wake of the Wagram, the Caledonia wore, and came to on the starboard tack, still engaging ; but the French ships, having the weathergage, in a few minutes got out of gun-shot, and the firing, in which the batteries had slightly participated, ceased.

The casualties, on either side, arising from this skirmish, were not of any serious amount. The Caledonia received one shot through her mainmast and three or four in her hull ; had a shroud and some backstays cut, and her launch and barge destroyed, with three seamen slightly wounded. One unlucky shot, which fell on the San-Josef's poop, struck of the leg of each of two fine young officers, Lieutenant of marines William Clarke, and midshipman William Cuppage, and slightly wounded one marine and one seaman. The Boyne and Scipion had each one man wounded slightly ; and the latter had another killed by an accident. The Pembroke had three men slightly wounded by shot, and the Pompée two men slightly burnt by accident ; total, 12 wounded by the enemy's fire, and one killed and two slightly wounded by accident. The Armada escaped without any loss, but one of the enemy's shot passed through the bows of her launch and lodged in the booms.

The Agamemnon appears to have been the greatest sufferer among the French ships : she had her masts, rigging, and sails a good deal damaged, and received several shot in her hull, by which nine men were slightly wounded. The Wagram also suffered, but in a less degree, and had only two men wounded. A shot, that entered the roundhouse of the Borée, wounded two seamen, and carried away the wheel ; a splinter from which slightly wounded Captain Mahé The Ulm had one man severely and another slightly wounded. Of the four advanced frigates, the Pénélope and Melpomène were the most engaged : both received damage in their sails, rigging, and hull, and the latter had one man wounded ; making the total loss on the French side 17 wounded. Leaving a small squadron off Toulon, Sir Edward Pellew soon afterwards steered for Minorca, and on the 15th of the same month anchored in Port-Mahon. On the 5th

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