528 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1805 



obliged to inform you, sir, that your 

 eldest son, who was doing duty as 

 an acting lieutenant, is included 

 among the number of badly wound- 

 ed, on board the Cleopatra. Sir 

 Robert Lawrie speaks in the highest 

 terms of his conduct, and, indeed, 

 of that of all the oflicers, seamen, 

 and marines, of his majesty's ship 

 Cleopatra. Sir Robert has, at my 

 request, been so kind as to take 

 charge of the Cleopatra, till she 

 arrives in port. I have given Mr. 

 Nairne, first lieutenant of his 

 majesty's ship Leander, charge of 

 La Ville de Milan, and nothing can 

 exceed the exertions he has made in 

 putting her in a sea-worthy state. 

 The alacrity of the officers, seamen, 

 and marines, of his majesty's ship 

 under my command, during the 

 chace, and their steadiness on 

 going down to attack the two fri- 

 gates, who had closed, in appear- 

 ance with a determination to make 

 a formidable resistance, convinced 

 me, sir, that had they waited to 

 make the resistance they seemed 

 disposed to do, the Leander would 

 not have sullied her good name. 

 I atn, &c. 



John Talp.ot, post-capt. 



[Here a letter from capt. Talbot, 

 introduces the following narrative of 

 the attion between the Cleopatra 

 and La Ville de Milan.] 



Cleopatra^ at Sea, Feb. 25. 



Sir, I have to request that yon will 

 be pleased to acquaint the Comman- 

 der-in-Chief, that on Saturday the 

 16th inst. in lat. 28 deg. N. Ion. 67 

 deg. W. at ten A. M. saw a ship in 

 the S. E. standing to the E. N. E. the 

 wind at N. W. made sail towards 

 her; at 11 perceived the chace to 

 be a large frigate, with 15 ports of 

 a side on the main deck : cleared 

 ship for action, and hoisted Ame- 



rican colours, to induce him to bring 

 to for us ; but, instead of which, hC 

 made more sail ; the weather 

 squally ; made and shortened sail 

 occasionally ; carried away several 

 studding-sail yards, and the fore top- 

 mast studding sail boom shifted over 

 the starboard one, and set the reefed 

 lower studding sail ; a good deal of 

 swell ; the chace apparently steer- 

 ing so as to keep the stfidding-sails 

 drawing full ; and that at day-light 

 on the 17th, was about four miles 

 a-head ; fresh breezes and swell as 

 before. At half past ten he took ill 

 his studding sails, and hauled more 

 up ; w lien we got within about three 

 quarters of amilc, took in ours also. 

 At half past eleven he hauled his 

 main-sail up, and kept more to the 

 wind ; upon our steering so close, 

 with h'm, upon his quarter, he again 

 set it and stay-sails, trying to gain 

 the wind of us '(upon M'hich point 

 of sailing he had the advantage) ; 

 we made all sail, the chace having 

 some time before hoisted French 

 colours, and we ours. On his seem., 

 ing to draw a-head from us, at the 

 distance of about half gun-shotj 

 fired our bow -chacers, which he re- 

 turned occasionally from his steni. 

 His guns appearing so well directed, 

 and of heavy metal, and to prevent 

 being raked by them, I was obliged 

 to steer so as to keep on his quarter, 

 though prolonging the chace. La- 

 titude, at noon, 29 deg. 24 min. N. 

 long. 64 deg. 20 min. W. At half 

 past 2 P. M. having got within about 

 a cable's length from the enemy, he 

 luffed close to the ^vitid, and gave us 

 two broadsides, which, when at less 

 than a half cable's distance, we re- 

 turned, and a warm action com- 

 menced, both ships trimming sails, 

 steering sometimes close to the windy 

 and at others abont three points 



free, 



