HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



219 



the jervictf, we are liappy in being 

 able to detail as gallant an instance 

 of our superiority, in the regular and 

 legitimate pradticeof our nayal war- 

 fare, as it has ever fallen to our lot 

 to record ; which, although occurring 

 in the year ISO^, did not come to 

 our knowledge until the present. On 

 the ISth of September of the last 

 year, captain Lind, at that time com- 

 manding the Centurion, of 50 guns, 

 "Was, while refitting in Vizagapatam 

 roads, in the East Indies, attacked 

 bytheFrench admiral Linois,(whose 

 ravages, in that quarter, we have de- 

 tailed in our last volume) in the Ma- 

 rengo, of 80 guns, with two heavy 

 frigates, of 40 and 30 guns each. — 

 After a close and severe a^ion of 

 two hours, the Centurion succeeded 

 in obliging this formidable squadron 

 to sheer off, with very considerable 

 damage in rigging, and in loss of 

 men. An action, deservedly named, 

 by admiral Rainier, commanding in 

 chief in those seas, as " ranking with 

 *' the most famous of the defensive 

 " kind, ever recorded in the annals 

 " of the British navy !" From some 

 events, of a more recent date, it 

 should indeed fcem, as if this preda- 

 tory French naval hero was destined 

 to bo foiled and disgraced only, when 

 encountered by an inferior British 

 force ! 



In the Mediterranean also, an ac 

 tion of inferior note, but not less 

 distinguished by skill and intrepidi- 

 ty, occurred in the course of this 

 year, well worthy the Iiistoric page. 

 The Arrow sloop, and Acheron 

 bomb vessel, having convoy, were 

 attacked by two of the largest-sized 

 French frigates, to which their com- 

 manders were obliiced to surrender, 

 after a desperate aiftion, hut not un- 

 til they had the satisfat^^^tion ofseeing 

 thcmeicliantmon (hey were in charge 



of in safety, and their own vessels 

 sunk! — So long as it shall please God 

 to endow the British sailor with ener- 

 gy to achieve such feats as these, so 

 long will he preserve to England the 

 empire of the seas, and her rank a- 

 inong the first of the nations of th« 

 earth. 



But If the greatest advantages 

 were to be looked to, by the enter- 

 prizing British seamen and officers, 

 from the declaration of war against 

 Spain, as holding forth new and 

 great prospects of attaining individu- 

 al wealth and national glory, the ef- 

 fe6l of the union of the Spanish 

 fleets with theirs, seemed still more 

 to animate the French nation. Their 

 public orators, boastful of this accu- 

 mulated strength, took every op- 

 portunity of exaggerating its power, 

 and of threatening England with its 

 irresistible effe6ts. Their official ga- 

 zettes teemed with matter of the same 

 sort, but couched in a strain of mys- 

 terious warning, calculated, as they 

 supposed, to terrify and distradt tho 

 British councils. " Years," they 

 said, " it was true, had elapsed, but 

 " they had not been passed inadlive- 

 " ly. Arms, ships, and men had 

 " been secretly in preparation, and 

 " fleets were now to be poured forth 

 " from all her hai'bours. The ocean 

 " was no longer to belong to Eng- 

 " land, she was bade to tremble in 

 " every quarter of the globe, for in 

 " every quarter of the globe would 

 " her possessions be assailed !" 



Nor were the proceedings of the 

 French naval force conCned only to 

 empty boasting; a squadron of six 

 sail of the line, and two frigates, in 

 IJochefort, which had remained 

 striftly blockaded for more than two 

 years, found means (o elude the Rrit- 

 ish (orce off that port, and put to 

 fica. Oh the 15th of the same 



month, 



