five fhips, engaged against fo fuperior a force of the enemy, behaved through the whole action with the greatest steadiness and bravery. After the action I ftood to the fouthward under little fail all night; and in the morning, at day-light, found the Superbe's main-maft, fore-maft, and bowfprit fo much wounded, as to render it exceedingly dangerous to carry fail on them; the Exeter's mafts were allo much damaged, and the fhot-holes, in all the fhips that had been engaged, fo far under water, as to render it impoffible to stop them, but by giving the fhips deep heels in fmooth water; all which, and the wind continuing to blow from the northward, determined me to proceed to Trincamale, as the only proper place to refit the difabled thips; and I accordingly arrived there on the 24th; and having done, with the utmost expedition, what repairs were abfolutely neceffary to put the difabled fhips into a condition for fervice, I failed from that place with the fquadron on the 4th of last month. On the 12th I arrived at Madias with the fquadron, having feen nothing of the enemy's fquadron on my paffage from Trincamale to that place. The accompanying enclosure contains an exact lift of their squadron, and the number of troops einbarked on it at the Mauritius. This fquadron was commanded by M. D'Orve when it left the islands; but he dying a few days after its arrival on this coaft, the command devolved on Monfieur Souffrein. On their paffage from the islands to this coat they fell in with his Majesty's fhip the Hannibal, Capt. Chriftie, off the west coast of Sumatra, and took her, This ship raised the number of their line of battle to twelve, against nine under my command: had the joined me, our disparity both in number and force would not have been fo great. I am much concerned to inform their lordships, that his Majesty's floop the Chacer, commanded by Captain Parr, was captured by the enemy's frigate the Bellona, in her way to Madras Road, from a cruize on the northern part of this coast. A lift of the names, force, and comApril 4th, 1782. manders of the French Squadron, now on the Coromandel coaft, and of the land forces embarked on them and tranfports at the Mauritius, the 7th of December laft, and now landed to join Hyder Ally. LaPurvoyufe 40 Capt. 22 240 200 80 Flutes and Transports. Laufifton, Bon Ami, Maurepas, Biton, Dex Amis, Fille Unique, St. Ann, Ducide, Tufcany. Land Land Forces. De Legion du Laufane Men. In my laft, I mentioned the 650 junction of his Majefty's fhips Sul De L'Ile de France Soo tan, and Magnanime with the 445 fquadron on the 30th of March; 139 both fhips were then very sickly, 200 and much reduced by the feurvy; 1157, but as I had on board the fqua 47 dron a reinforcement of troops for this garrifon, and a quantity of military ftores, I judged it most for the public fervice, efpecially as I knew the enemy's fquadron was to the fouthward, not to return to Madras to land the fick and scorbutic of these two ships, but to proceed directly for Trinca 26 male, and there to land the rein forcement and military stores, as well as the fick of the Sultan and Magnanime, without either feeking or fhunning the enemy. 3438 Abstract of the Killed and Wounded on Board bis Majefty's Ships. Ships. Kd. Wa Tot. Superbe 36 II. 25 Exeter 10 45. Monarca I Hero 9 17 I 32 3 95 55 6 4 127 Among whom were the under-mentioned Officers, viz. Superbe.-Captain Stephens wounded, and fince dead. Lieutenants Hughes and Newcombe pri fell in with a French fhip, In purfuance of this refolution Iftood with the fquadron to the fouthward, and on the 6th of A laft from Mauritius, having on board difpatches from France for their commanders in chief by fea and land this fhip was chaced on fhore and burnt near Tranquebar, the officers and men efcaping with the dispatches. On the 8th, about noon, I came in fight of the enemy's fquadron, cor.fifting of 18 fail, in the N. E. quarter, and continued my courfe for this place. On the 9th, 10th, and 11th, the enemy ftill in fight. On the 11th, having made the coaft of Ceylon, about 15 leagues to windward of Trincamale, I bore away for that place. On the 12th, at day light, the pofition of the enemy's fquadron being altered by my bearing away, fo as Superbe, Sultan, Hero, Monarca, Burford, Exeter, Magnanime, Monmouth, Worcefter, Eagle, Ifis, Sea-horfe, and Combuftion fire-fhip. to to give them the wind of ours, I difcovered them crowding all the fail they could fet after us; and their coppered bottomed fhips coming faft up with the fhips in our rear, I therefore determined to engage them. At nine in the forenoon I made the fignal for the fhips in our fquadron to form the line of battle ahead on the starboard tack, at two cables length distance from each other, the enemy then bearing N. by E. diftant about fix miles, and the wind at N. by E. they continued manœuvring their hips, and changing their pofitions in their line, till fifteen minutes paft noon, when they bore away to engage us; five fail of their van ftretching along to engage the fhips of our van, and the other feven fail fteering directly on our center fhips, the Superbe, the Monmouth her fecond a-head, and the Monarca her fecond a-ftern. At half paft one the engagement began in the van of both fquadrons; three minutes after I made the fignal for battle. The French admiral in the Hero, and his fecond a-ftern, the L'Orient, bore down on the Superbe within piftol fhot. The Hero continued her pofition, giving and receiving a fevere fire for nine minutes, and then flood on greatly damaged to attack the Monmouth, at that time engaged with another of the enemy's hips, making room for the fhips in his rear to come up to the attack of our center, where the engagement was hotteft. At three the Monmouth had her mizen-maft hot away, and, in a few minutes after, her main-maft, and bore out of the line to leeward. And at forty minutes paft three, the wind unexpectedly con VOL. XXV. tinuing far northerly, without any fea-breeze, and being careful not to entangle our fhips with the fhore, I made the fignal for the fquadron to wear, and haul their wind in a line of battle a-head on the larboard tack, ftill engaging the enemy. At forty minutes paft five, being in fifteen fathom water, and apprehenfive left the Monmouth might, in her disabled state, drift too near the shore, I made the fignal for the fquadron to prepare to anchor. At forty minutes paft fix the enemy's fquadron drew off in great diforder to the eastward, and the engagement ceafed, their admiral having shifted his flag from the Hero to the French Hannibal, on account of the Hero's difabled ftate; and foon after I anchored with the fquadron, the Superbe close to the Monmouth, in order to repair our damages, which on board the Superbe and Monmouth were very great in the hulls, mafts, fails, and rigging; and almost all the ships had fuffered confiderably in their mafts, fails, and rigging. Much about this time the French frigate La Fine, being ordered, I fuppofe, to tow and affift their difabled fhip the Hero, fell on board his Majefty's fhip Ifis, and had actually ftruck his colours to her; but taking advantage of the darknefs of the night, and the ftate the Ifis was in, just come out of action, in which he had a number of men killed and wounded, and otherwife ill-manned, the frigate got clear of the Ifis, and escaped. An account of the number of officers and men killed and wounded on board the several ships of the fquadron, is here enclosed. On the morning of the 13th, at day-light, I found the enemy's [S] fqua fquadron had anchored about five miles without us, in much diforder and apparent diftrefs, but they had loft no lower mafts: both fquadrons were bufily employed in repairing damages, drawing into order for defence, the enemy feeming to apprehend an attack from us, and 1 myfelf uncertain if they would not renew the engagement, in order to get hold of the Monmouth. In thefe fituations both fquadrons continued at anchor till the 19th in the morning, when the enemy's got under fail with the land wind, and stood out to fea clofe hauled, and at noon tacked with the fear breeze, and stood in for the body of our fquadron, as if with intent to attack; but after coming within two miles of us, finding us prepared to receive them, they again tacked and food to the eastward by the wind; and I have not fince been able to learn certainly where they are gone. Having refitted the Monmouth in the best manner our fituation would admit, with jury main and mizen-mafts, I failed with his Majefty's fquadron for this place on the 22d, and anchored here on the evening of the fame day, immediately landing the reinforcement and military ftores deftined for the gar rifon, and the fick and wounded. In this fituation of the fquadron and its men, I thought it beft for his Majefty's fervice to remain at anchor here, and to fet about the repairs of the hull, mafts, and rigging of the feveral fhips, whilft the fick enjoyed every benefit of freth meat, vegetables, and wine, on fhore, for their recovery. I have the fatifaction to inform their lordfhips, that I fhall be able to re-maft the Monmouth by YOU will pleafe to acquaint their lordships with my arrival here with the Menagere, one of my prizes; having left the Alexander to follow two days ago. It was my intention to have returned to England as foon as pof fible, for the reafons given in my letter, dated off Ferrol the 6th inftant; but, having receiving in telligence from a neutral veffel that an America frigate was ready to fail from Bourdeaux, the wind being eafterly, I returned to the fouthward, to be able to fall into her track; and, On the 12th of December, at feven A. M. we discovered five fail on our lee beam; made fail, and gave chace. At eight their hulls were above water; they were forming in a clofe line of battle, and fhortened fail to their topfails to wait for us; the headmoft was L'Eugene, frigate built, of 36 guns, 133 men, commanded by Monf. Le Capitaine Baudin, laden for the French King, and bound to Port au Prince; he lay with a French pendant and enfign flying; next to her was an American brig, of 14 guns, and 70 men, with American colours; next to her a twodecked fhip, the length of a 64, armed en flute, called the Menagere, French pendant and enfign flying, commanded by Monf. de Foligne, Capitaine de Brutot, of the department of Rochfort, mounting on her main deck 26 long twelve-pounders, and 4 fixpounders on her quarter deck and forecastle, with a complement of 212 men, laden with gunpowder, naval ftores, and bale goods, for the French King's fervice, at Port au Prince; next to her lay the Alexander, of 24 nine-pound ers, and 102 men, with a French pendant and an American enfign, commanded by a Capt. Gregory, who appears to have been an Irifliman, but has a Congrefs com miffion, laden with ftores, provi fions, &c. for the French King's ufe at. Port au Prince; next to her lay the Dauphin Royal, of 28 guns, 120 men, bound to the East Indies, having a French pendant and enfign flying-and having determined, without lofing a moment's time, to endeavour to throw their fquadron into confufion, and, if poffible, to take advantage. of fome of them; and relying on the good failing of the Mediator to bring her off, if I could not fee a probability of fuccefs after a few. broadfides, I continued bearing down, with all fail fet, on the enemy, except fuch fails as might be in the way of quick manoeuvres. At ten received a few fhot from the Menagere's upper deck, which convinced me the had no lower deck guns, though she had all the ports complete to the eye; continued to approach the enemy, and receive fire from their line, and employed occafionally in tacking, wearing, bearing down, &c. . At half paft ten, having very much approached the rear of their line, it broke, the brig and Dauphin Royal crowding fail away from the reft; upon which the Menagere, Eugene, and Alexander wore under an eafy fail. At eleven I bore down, and cut off the Alexander from her conforts, employed fighting both fides occafionally; and the first broadfide, when very clofe to the Alexander, made her ftrike her American colours, and let fly her fheets; the Menagere and Eugene, after firing at us. for fome time, crowded all fail, and went away before the wind; boarded the prize, and laid her head towards the enemy, under an eafy [S] 2 fail, |