5^2 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1804. 



get under weigh and pass throngh 

 alHiough 



at the time I had no idea 

 that could be possible, especially as 

 I saw the Ocean in shore of us get- 

 ting under weigh, burning blue 

 lights, and firing a gun ; the Portu- 

 guese ship, I suppose, must have 

 beeii in the same situation as the 

 Rolla. During the night of the 5th 

 of February 1 carried an easy sail, 

 and on the following day hove-to 

 for above two hours, hoping to see 

 those ships ; but there was no ap- 

 pearance of thcm,nordid they ever 

 join the ilcet. — On the 14th Feb. 

 at day-break, we saw Pulo Auro, 

 bearing W. S, W. and at eight A. 

 M. the Royal George made the sig- 

 nal for seeing four strange sail in the 

 S. W. : I made the signal for the 

 four ships noted in the margin*, to 

 go down and examine them : and 

 lient. Fowler, of the royal navy, 

 late conmiander of the Porpoise, 

 and passejiger with me, having 

 handsomely offered to go in tfie 

 Ganges brig, and inspect them 

 nearly, I afierwards seat her down 

 likewise, and from their* signals I 

 perceived it was an enemy's squa- 

 dron, consisting of a line of battle 

 •hip, three frigates, and a brig. 



At one P.M. I recalled the look- 

 out ships by signal, and formed the 

 line of battle in close order. 



As soon as the enemy could fetch 

 in our wake, they put about ; we 

 kept on our course under an easy 

 lail. At near sun-set, they were 

 close up with our rear, and I was 

 n momentary expec^tation of an at- 

 tack there, and prepared to sup- 

 port them ; but at the close of day 

 we perceived them haul to wind- 

 ward. I sent lieut. Fowler in the 

 Ganges brig, to station the country 



the enemy ; and having done so, hi 

 returned with some volunteers from 

 the country ships. 



We laid to in line of battle alt 

 night, our men at their quarters ; at 

 day-break of the 15th, we saw the 

 enemy about three miles to wind- 

 ivard, lying to ; we hoisted our co- 

 lours, offering him battle, if h« 

 chose to come down. The enemy's 

 four ships hoisted French colours, 

 the line of battle ship carrying a 

 reat-admiral's Hag ; the brig wa» 

 under Batavian colours. 



At nine A; M. finding they would 

 not come down, we formed the or- 

 der of sailing, and steered our 

 course under an easy sail ; the ene- 

 my then filled their sails, and edged 

 towards us. 



At one P. M. finding they pro- 

 posed to attack, and endeavour to 

 rear 



the signal 



cut off our rear, I made 

 to tack and bear down on him, and 

 engage in succession, the Royal 

 George being the leading ship, the 

 Ganges next, and then the Earl 

 Camden. Tiiis manoeuvre was cor- 

 rectly performed, and we stood to- 

 wards him under a press of sail. 

 The encany then formed in a very 

 close line, and opened their fire on 

 the headmost ships, which was not 

 returned by us till we approached 

 him nearer. The Royal George bore 

 the brunt of the action, and got as 

 near the enemy as he would permit 

 him ; the Ganges and Earl Camden 

 opened their fire as soon as the guns 

 could have cfiert; but, before any 

 other ship could get into action, 

 the enemj' hauled their wind, and 

 stood away to the eastward, under 



all the sail they could set. At two 

 P. M. I made the signal for a gene- 

 ral chase, and we pursued them till 

 ships on our lee-bow, by which four P. M. when, fearing a longei' 

 means we were between them and pursuit would carry us too far from 



tha 

 * Alfred, Royal George, Bombay Castle, Hope. 



