1813     LINNET AND GLOIRE     159

when this dastardly French frigate, who, it appears, did not have a man hurt on the occasion, had run herself completely out of sight. Captain Davies merited great praise for his gallantry and perseverance ; and there cannot be a doubt that, by the boldness of the Albacore in chasing and attacking the Gloire, several merchant vessels were saved from capture.

On the following day, the 20th, the Gloire captured the Spy armed store-chip, from Halifax, Nova-Scotia, and, disarming her, sent her to England as a cartel. Captain Roussin then steered for the coast of Spain and Portugal, and on the 28th, off the rock of Lisbon, was chased for a short time by two ships of war. On the 1st of February he arrived to windward of Barbadoes, and returned soon afterwards to Europe. On the 25th, in the chops of the Channel, the wind blowing a gale with a raging sea, the Gloire fell in with the British 14-gun brig Linnet, Lieutenant John Tracey. Bearing up under her foresail and close-reefed main topsail, the Gloire, at 2 h. 30 m. p.m., arrived within hail of the Linnet and ordered her to strike. Instead of doing so, the brig boldly crossed the bows of the French frigate, and, regardless of a heavy fire which the latter commenced, got to windward of her. As the Gloire outsailed the Linnet on every point, all that Lieutenant Tracey could now do, was to endeavour to out-manœuvre her. This he did by making short tacks ; well aware that, owing to her great length, the frigate could not come about so quickly as a brig of less than 200 tons. In practising this manoeuvre, the Linnet had to cross the bows of the Gloire a second and a third time (the second time so near as to carry away the frigate's jib-boom), and was all the while exposed to her fire ; but which, owing to the ill-direction of the shot from the roughness of the sea, did no great execution. At length, at 3 h. 30 m. p.m., having succeeded in cutting away some of the Linnet's rigging, the Gloire got nearly alongside of her ; but the resolute lieutenant would not yet haul down the British colours. The Linnet suddenly bore up athwart the hawse of the frigate ; and the Gloire, had she not as suddenly luffed up, must, Captain Roussin says, have passed completely over the brig. Being now under the guns of the Gloire, two of the latter's broadsides carried away the fore yard, gaff, and bowsprit of the Linnet, and compelled the brig to surrender.

Such seamanship and intrepidity, on the part of Lieutenant Tracey, show where the Gloire would have been, had he encountered her in a frigate. To do M. Roussin justice, he complimented his prisoner highly for the skill and perseverance he had shown ; and all must allow, that the captain of the Gloire was an excellent judge of the best means to effect an escape,

On the 27th the Gloire and her prize anchored at Brest ; and Lieutenant Tracey and his officers and crew remained as prisoners until the spring of the ensuing year. On the 31st of

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