36] ANNUAL REGISTER, 1800. 



she was completely in flames from cause of the fire is not ascertained, 

 her stern to the bows, and in a few as no person had been in the gun- 

 minutes more the three masts were room after eight o'clock ; and al- 

 overboard. Unfortunately it blew though several people slept over the 

 very fresh, and a current of at least gun-room scuttle, the smoke was 

 three or four knots. This, of course, not discovered till near three o'clock, 

 rendered it difficult for the boats to The scene was dreadful, from the 

 get along-side to save the people ; cries of between 2 and 300 men, 

 and so rapid were the flames, that many of them perishing in the flames 

 about thirty soldiers perished below or sea. Those that are saved ai'e 

 decks, being unable to get up the almost entirely naked, from being 

 hatchways. The number of lives hurried out of their beds. The re- 

 lost is about eighty. Captain Craig, maining troops, and all the passen- 

 with the ladies, were on shore. All gers (about 300), proceeded in the 

 the officers ofthe ship are saved; and, Kent to India. There are five la- 

 fortunately for us, the current carri- dies, and general St. John and fa- 

 edher clear of the bay, and she drove mily, who are accommodated by the 

 a considerable distance before she captain of the Kent* with his cabin 

 blew up, about seven A.M. The apartment." — ThisisthethirdEast- 



* The account of the disastrous fate of which ship lias come to hand since this 

 volume went to press, and as it is so mucli connected with the Queen, we shall give 

 it to the readers in this place. 



On Tuesday, March 3, 1801, the following account was received in town of the 

 capture of the hon. company's ship Kent, captain Rivinp;ton, after an engagement 

 of considerable duration, with the Confiance, a French privateer of 26 guns, and 250 

 men, captain SurcoufF, off the Sand Heads. 



On Tuesday morning, tlie 7th of October last, a strange sail was discovered in 

 the N. VV. quarter; the Kent at tliat time was lying to, for a pilot, and captain Riv- 

 ington, conceiving the vessel in sight to be a pilot scliooner, immediately bore down, 

 hoisted liis colours, and made the signal for a pilot ; the stranger upon this made 

 sail, and hauled up towards the Kent. It was soon afterwards discovered that she 

 was a ship, all hands were immediately called to quarteis, and the ship prepared for 

 action : upon her approach to the Kent, as she shewed no colours, a shot was iired at 

 her from the larboard side, which was followed up, as she passed \ipon liie opposite 

 tack, by a broadside, and a constant fire !<ept up while she was within reach of the 

 guns. The privateer, for it was now ascertained to be one, soon afterwards tacked, 

 came up on the larboard side, and commenced the engagement within about musket 

 shot, but without doing much injury, although she continued in this position forsome 

 time: she then got a-liead, and passing round the bow of the Kent, renewed the 

 engagement on the other side, nearly at the same distance, and for the same length 

 of time, but with as little effect as before. She afterwards made sail a-head, as if 

 with an intention of relinquishing the attack, and making off, which she could easily 

 have done, having greatly the superiority in sailing : when she had got about the 

 distance of half a mile a-head of the Kent, she was, however, observed to haul her 

 mainsail up, and wear round immediately towards her, and in about ten or fifteen 

 minutes afterwards, or as soon as her guns would bear, she, for the first time, 

 hoisted the national colours (Surcouff afterwards declared that he had forgot them 

 before), and fired a 'jroadsidc and volley of musketry from every part of the ship, 

 wliich was immediately returned by the Kent, and continued while Iier guns 

 would bear : the privateer then wearing round her stern, ranged close up along- 

 side and received a full discharge irom the Kent's starboard guns ; at this moment 

 she fired a whole broadside, and threw a number of hand-grenades from her tops 

 into the Kent, some of which penetrated the upper deck, and burst ou the gun- 



