172] ANNUAL REGISTER, 18U. 



the mean time, made her escape, 

 but the Cyane having kept her in 

 sight, she was pursued during the 

 night and the two following daj's, 

 and at length was overtaken and 

 captured by the Venerable. She 

 was the Iphigenie, a frigate of the 

 largest class, fully manned, and 

 like her consort, entirely new. 

 They had sailed from Cherbourg 

 on a cruise in October. 



On February 3rd, Captain Hayes, 

 of his Majesty's ship Majestic, 

 being on his way from St. Michael 

 to Madeira, at daylight descried 

 three ships and a brig of a suspi- 

 cious appearance in the S. S. E. 

 two of which gave chase to him. 

 Onapproaching,he discovered them 

 to be two 44 gun frigates and a 

 '20 gun ship ; and he bore down to 

 the headmost frigate, which short- 

 ened sail, and brought to for the 

 others to close. Captain Hayes 

 made all sail, in hopes of getting 

 alongside of her before this could 

 be effected, but was foiled by her 

 wearing and joining the other ; 

 and the whole with all the sail 

 they could carry, stood to the 

 S. S. E. Somewhat past two 

 o'clock, the sternmost frigate 

 hoisted French colours, and opened 

 a fire from her aftermost guns. It 

 was returned by the Majestic with 

 such effect, that at forty-nine 

 minutes past four she struck. The 

 wind increasing, and the prize 

 being in a state of confusion. Cap- 

 tain Hayes was obliged to stay by- 

 her, and suffer the rest to escape. 

 •The captured ship was the Terp- 

 sichore, of 44 guns and 320 men, 

 which, with her consort the Ata- 

 lante, sailed first from the Scheldt, 

 and last from L'Orient. The loss 

 was inconsiderable on board the 

 Terpsichore, and none on board 

 the Majestic. 



A well-fought action between 

 an English and a French frigate 

 was reported on March 1st by Cap- 

 tain Phillimore, of the Eurotas. 

 Having parted company on the 

 night of Feb. 21st, with the Rip- 

 pon, in chase of a vessel, on en- 

 deavouring to rejoin her on the 

 25th, he perceived, in lat. 47. 40. N. 

 long. 9. 30. W. a sail, to which he 

 gave chase. She was soon disco- 

 vered to be an enemy's frigate, 

 and the Eurotas having the ad- 

 vantage in sailing, was enabled 

 to bring her to close action about 

 five in the evening. A desperate 

 engagement ensued, the vessels 

 Ij'ing broadside to broadside, in 

 which all the masts of the Eurotas 

 successively fell, and the main 

 and mizen masts of her antago- 

 nist. At ten minutes after seven 

 the French ship slackened her 

 fire, and by the help of her stand- 

 ing fore-mast got out of range. 

 Captain Philliraore was now obli- 

 ged, through loss of blood from 

 a wound, to quit the quarter-deck, 

 and give up the command to his 

 first lieutenant Smith, by whose 

 exertions the wreck was cleared, 

 and the enemy was kept in sight 

 during the night. On the next 

 day, before twelve, the Eurotas 

 was fully prepared to renew the 

 action, and was fast coming up 

 with the enemy, when, " to the 

 mortification of all on board, " two 

 sail were observed crossing the 

 chase, the Dryad and Achates, 

 who deprived the people of the 

 Eurotas of the gratification of hav- 

 ing her colours struck to them.. 

 The French ship proved to be the 

 Clorinde, Captain Dennis Legard, 

 of 44 guns, and a picked crew of 

 360 men. Her loss in the action 

 was computed at 120 men ; that 



