GENERAL HISTORY. 



[171 



loss a party of troops from the 

 garrisons of Leghorn and Pisa, 

 which came to attack him at 

 Via Reggio; and the weak state 

 of the remaining garrison of Leg- 

 horn being learned from the pri- 

 soners, it was determined to make 

 an attack upon that place. The 

 ships accordingly proceeded for 

 Leghorn roads, and the troops, 

 with the marines, were landed on 

 the 13th. On that evening they 

 got possession of the suburbs of 

 Leghorn; and on the following 

 morning the marines were attack- 

 ed on the Pisa road by a consider- 

 able body of the enemy, infantry 

 and cavalry, with two field-pieces. 

 They received the charge of the 

 cavalry with great coolness, kill- 

 ing the greatest part of them ; and 

 afterwards, advancing against the 

 enemy's infantry, they piit them 

 entirely to the rout. The com- 

 mandant of Leghorn was then 

 summoned, but without effect ; 

 and it being now ascertained that 

 an attack on the place could not 

 be attempted with any chance of 

 success, it was thouglit expedient 

 to re-embark the whole force, 

 which was effected during the 

 night or the next morning without 

 molestation from the enemy. The 

 loss sustained by the assailants in 

 this spirited attempt was inconsi- 

 derable : that of the adverse party 

 was estimated at from 250 to 300 

 in killed, wounded, and prisoners. 

 Captain Rainier, of the Niger, 

 communicated, on January 6th, to 

 Rear-Admiral Dixon at Rio Jan- 

 eiro, an account of the capture of a 

 French frigate. He stated, that 

 having made the island of St. 

 Antonio on the preceding morning, 

 for the purpose of correcting his 

 longitude, he discovered a strange 

 tail, and immediulely gave chase^ 



in company with the Tagus, Cap- 

 tain Pipon. The chase continued 

 ail that day, and at daylight on the 

 Oth they were only a mile and a 

 half from the object of pursuit. 

 The Tagus being to windward, 

 was first enabled to open its fire, 

 which was briskly returned by the 

 enemy ; when, after a few broad- 

 sides, the French frigate's main- 

 top-mast was shot away, and her 

 escape rendered impossible. The 

 Niger then coming up, farther re- 

 sistance would have been an use- 

 less waste of lives; the French 

 ship, therefore, firing another 

 broadside, struck her colours. She 

 proved to be La Ceres, of forty- 

 four guns and three hundred and 

 twenty-four men, commanded by 

 the Baron de Bougainville, only 

 one month from Brest, on her first 

 cruize. 



Rear-Admiral Durham, com- 

 mander-in-chief on the Leeward 

 Islands station, reported in January 

 his success in the capture of two 

 I'Vench frigates. On the 16th of 

 that month, the Cyane having 

 given the signal for two strange 

 sail, chase was immediately made, 

 and the Venerable, by superior 

 sailing, came up with them at the 

 close of the day, leaving the Cy- 

 ane far astern. The lewardraost 

 of the ships being hailed to sur- 

 render without effect, a cannon- 

 ading began, when she made a 

 bold attempt to lay the Venerable 

 on board, but the consequence 

 was, that she herself was boarded 

 and taken. She proved to be the 

 Alcmene, a fine French frigate of 

 44 guns, commanded by M. Du- 

 . crest de Villeneuve, an officer of 

 merit. Her resistance cost her 

 thirty men killed and fifty wound- 

 ed ; the loss in the Venerable was 

 inconsiderable. Her contort, in 



