APPENDIX to the CHRONICLE. 



527 



musket-shot of the smallest frigate, 

 gave her one of (he main-deck guns, 

 when, afterafew minutes liesitation, 

 she hauled down her colours, and 

 hove to. On my hailing this frigate, 

 1 am sorry to tell you, Sir, that I 

 was informed by them, she was his 

 majesty's ship Cleopatra, of 3^2 gnns, 

 lately commanded by Sir Robert 

 Lawrie, barf. She was taken on 

 Sunday, the I7th of February, after 

 haviuiT ijrought to and sustained a 

 most severe and gallant action for 

 the space of three hours and a quar- 

 ter, by a French frigate, nearly 

 double her force, in size, comple- 

 ment of men, and weight of metal. 

 Observing that the part of the crevs' 

 left on-board her, belonging to his 

 majesty's ship Cleopatra, had come 

 on deck, and taken possession of 

 her, on the ship striking to us : I 

 hailed, ordered them to make sail, 

 and steer after his Majesty's ship 

 Leander ; again made sail in chaco, 

 j and in about an hour's time got 

 along-side the French frigate; she 

 hauled down her colours, and struck 

 to us without a gun being fired on 

 cither side. On hailing the French 

 frigate, you, sir, may easily judge 

 hovv happy I must have felt, on 

 hearing I was answered by my friend 

 Sir Robert Lawrie, who told me he 

 was well, and that the ship was La 

 Ville de Milan, 19 days from the 

 island of Martinique, bound to 

 France. La Ville de Milan is a 

 remarkably fine and handsome fri- 

 gate, about one year old, 1200 tons 

 burthen, mounting fourteen long 

 2-pounders on her quarter-deck, 

 six long Q.poundcrs on the fore- 

 castle, 15 ports on a side on the 

 main deck ; when she sailed from 

 France had twenty eight 1 8- pounders 

 mounted on it — now twenty-six; two 

 were lauded from her at Martinique. 



2 



When the action commenced be- 

 tween La Ville de Milau, and his 

 Majesty's ship, Cleopatfa, she was 

 commanded by Mons. Reynaud, 

 cajiitaine de vaisseau, had on board 

 300 men as her complement, besides 

 a number of oflicers and soldiers of 

 the French army, going passengers 

 to Europe. The officers of La 

 Ville de Milan agree in saying, that, 

 having dispatches onboard tor 

 France, with orders not to speak 

 any thing during her passaigo, every 

 thing in their power was done, to 

 avoid being brSughtto action by the 

 Cleopatra. Mons. Reynaud was 

 killed by the last shot fired from the 

 Cleopatra ; he was esteemed an ex- 

 perienced and active officer; and had 

 served in the late king of France's 

 Service, as an auxiliary officer. He 

 sailed in La Ville de Milan, from 

 L'Orient, the 1st of last August, as 

 commodore of six of their largest 

 frigates, with troops embarked on 

 board them, t© be landed on the 

 Island of Martinique ; after having 

 performed this service, he was or- 

 dered, as the French officers express 

 it, to make a sweep through the 

 islands. It is not possible for offi- 

 cers to speak in stronger terms, 

 than the French officers do, in 

 praise of Sir Robert Lawrie's perse- 

 verance in so long a chace, except 

 it is in the praise they bestow on 

 him, his officers, seamen, and ma- 

 rines, for their gallant coiidudl dur- 

 ing so long and severe an action. 

 The French officers, whom I havu 

 prisoners on board this ship, cannot 

 themselves avoid to acknowledge, 

 that had not the Cleopatra unfortu- 

 nately forged a-head of La Ville de 

 Milan the latter part of the action, 

 La Ville de Milan must have surren- 

 dered to the Cleopatra. It is a very 

 painful part of my duty to be 



objigcd 



