[HOWLEY] SVIGARAICIPI leer 
It will be observed that the Aigle and the Favory reached as far as the 
814° of latitude.” 
The return to France was quick and favorable. The Favory ar- 
rived first at Biarritz and Cap-Breton (France) with the flûtes, which he 
escorted. The superintendent of marine, M. Boulaye hastened to re- 
ceive them into the harbour of Bayonne. The Aigle followed close, 
and arrived on the 22nd of the same month. 
M. de Varenne, obeying orders received during his voyage, 
anchored in the roadstead of Belle Isle (Brittany), in the first days of 
the month of October. In a letter from the King of the 16th September 
he was blamed very strongly, for his inactivity in not having done more 
damage to the enemy. He should have been with the Aigle and the 
Favory in the fight with the 44 vessels of the enemy’s fleet. At the same 
time Le Croisic received a letter filled with felicitations for the 
courage he had displayed. 
A plan of the bay (Bear Bay) where the fight took place was sent 
to His Majesty by the Duc de Gramont. His Majesty in reply through 
the secretary said that he had seen with much pleasure the plan he had 
sent him of the bay where the Sieurs de Croisic and Harismendy at- 
tacked the Dutch fishermen. His Majesty was thoroughly satisfied 
with what these officers and their crews did on that occasion, and “you 
can assure them that he will not forget them when an occasion arises 
of doing a service to them.” Croisic and Harismendy were sent to sea 
again to go out and meet the terre neuviers (the French fishermen from 
Newfoundland) and to convoy them home after their summer’s fishery. 
“The career of this Bayonnais sailor so brilliantly commenced” writes 
M. Ducéré, “was suddenly interrupted. The following year (1694) 
he was killed at Newfoundland, and his body was buried in the cemetery 
at Placentia, where a tombstone recalls still to-day his name, and the 
date of his death.” 
Notwithstanding this excellent sketch, it is still evident that there 
is a chapter missing concerning the hero, Le Croisic and his lonely and 
shattered tombstone at Placentia. Let us hope that it may some day 
be brought to light. 



Norr.—M. Ducéré, the writer of the Article in the “ Revue Nationale des Etudes 
Basques,” from which I have abridged this paper says that all the particulars con- 
cerning the expedition to Spitzbergen are borrowed from an excellent study of Dr. 
M. E. T. Hamy, a learned Member of the Institute, and secretary of the section of 
Geography of the Committee of Historical works. Dr. Hamy was fortunate enough 
to find a large packet of documents in the archives of Bayonne. Among these was 
the account of the Naval Battle at Bear Bay, Spitzbergen, which Dr. Hamy thinks 
was written by Ensign Etchebéhére, who was on board the Favory, with Captain 
Harismendy. 
