APPENDIX to the CHRONICLE. 



529 



free, during which we had consider- 

 ably the advantage. About live, 

 having shot away bis main-topsail- 

 yard, wc forged a-head, although 

 the mizen top-sail was squared, and 

 both jib, stay, and haulyards gowe, 

 finding neither fore nor main clue- 

 garnets left to haul the courses up, 

 our running rigging cut to pieces, so 

 as to render it impossible cither to 

 shorten or back a sail, and both 

 main and spring stays were shot 

 away, the mainmast only supported 

 by the storm staysail stay, I was in- 

 duced to cross his bow, and, by 

 hauling up, to have raked him, in 

 preference to exposing our stern to 

 the fire of 25 pieces of cannon from 

 his broadside ; but in the act of 

 which an unfortunate shot struck 

 the wheel, the broken spokes were 

 jammed against the deck, so as to 

 render it immoveable, as well as the 

 rudder, which, at the same time, was 

 choaked in the end by splinters, 

 pistols, &:c. placed near it. Our op- 

 ponent, availing himself of our un- 

 governable situation, with the wind 

 upon his quarter, gave us the stern, 

 running his head and bowsprit over 

 our quarter-deck, just abaft the 

 main rigging, and, under the cover 

 of a very heavy fire of muskets and 

 musketoons, attempted to board us, 

 but was drove back ; we exchanged 

 a few musketry with them; but 

 their great advantage in height, and 

 superiority of numbers, as well as 

 by their musketoons from their 

 tops, cleared our decks, and in at 

 our ports. Tlie only two guns we 

 could bring to bear, being fired 

 from withiu-board, did them little 

 injury, the shot pnssing their lower 

 deck. Most of our sails laying a- 

 •hirer, or pirtty a-back, and bore 

 down by so heavy a ship (having 

 been intendfd lor a 7 4,) going almost 

 Vol. XLVU. 



before the wind, and much sea run- 

 ning, appearing to cut us asunder 

 at every send, I saw no prospects of 

 saving the ship, or the lives of the 

 numerous wounded that '<*'ere then 

 below. On tb« suggestions of the 

 first lieutenant, we attempted to 

 hoist the lore-topmast staysail ; and 

 I directed the spritsail-top'^ail to be 

 set also; but, in the execution of 

 w hich orders every man was knock- 

 ed down by their musketry and 

 other small shot, as they made their 

 appearance. At a quarter past five 

 they succeeded in boarding, and I 

 was compelled to surrender to the 

 French frigate La Ville de Milan, 

 of 46 guns, French 18-pounders, oa 

 the main-deck, and eights on the 

 quarter-deck and forecastle; 350 

 men besides several officers and pas- 

 sengers ; commanded by Monsieur 

 Renaud, capitaine de vaisseau, and 

 Monsieur Gillet, capitaine de fre- 

 gate ; the former was killed, and 

 the latter badly wounded in the ac- 

 tion ; and immediately afterwards 

 the Cleopatra became a perfect 

 wreck, not a spar standing but the 

 mizen-mast, the bowsprit and other 

 masts gone by the board, and I fully- 

 expected she would have foundered 

 before both ships could get clear of 

 each other, I trust it will be found 

 that every exertion was made to 

 bring a ship of so superior a force 

 into action, and in maintaining of it. 

 La Ville de Milan is nearly double 

 our size and force, being a nev? 

 ship, of about 1200 tons burthen, 

 and having almost twice our number 

 of men on board, as we only mus- 

 tered at quarters 199, being 10 

 short of complement, and that from 

 the strength of the ship's company 

 in able seamen, there were several 

 on the sick list. 

 More gallantry and brarery could 

 Mm Mt 



