APPENDIX TO CHRONICLE. 



161 



Admiralty -Office, March 

 5, 1814. 

 Copy of a letter from Admiral 

 Lord Keith, K. B. to John Wil- 

 son Croker, Esq. dated on board 

 his 3Iajesty's ship, York, in Caw- 

 sand Bay, the 2nd inst. 

 Sir, — I have the honour to en- 

 close, for the information of the 

 Lords Commissioners of the Ad- 

 miralty, a copy of a letter, from 

 Captain Phillimore, reporting the 

 capture of La Clorinde French fri- 

 gate, after a most severe conflict, 

 on the evening of the 25th ultimo, 

 between her and the Eu rotas ; an 

 action which reflects the highest 

 honour upon the bravery and pro- 

 fessional skill of Capt. Phillimore 

 and his officers, and upon the va- 

 lour and good conduct of his crew. 

 Captain Phillimore has been se- 

 verely wounded on the occasion, 

 but I entertain a flattering hope 

 that his Majesty's service, and the 

 country at large, will not long be 

 deprived of the services of so va- 

 luable an officer. 



I have the honour to be, &c. 



Keith, Admiral. 



His Majesty^s ship Eurotas, Ply- 

 mouth-sound, March 1. 



My Lord, — I have the honour 

 to inform your lordship, that his 

 Majesty's ship under my command, 

 parted company from the Rippon 

 on Monday night, the 21st ult. in 

 chase of a vessel which proved to 

 be a Swedish merchant ship ; and 

 on Friday, the 25th, in endeavour- 

 ing to rejoin the Rippon, being 

 then in lat. 47. 40. north, and 

 long. 9. 30. west, we perceived a 

 sail upon the lee-beam, to which 

 we gave chase. We soon dis- 

 covered her to be an enemy's fri- 

 gate, and that she was endeavour- 



Voi,. LVL 



ing to out-manceuvre us in bring- 

 ing her to action ; but having 

 much the advantage in sailing, 

 (although the wind had unfortu- 

 nately died away), we were enabled 

 at about five o'clock to pass under 

 her stern, hail her, and commence 

 close action. When receiving her 

 broadside, and passing to her bow, 

 our mizen mast was shot away. I 

 then ordered the helm to be put 

 down to lay her aboard, but the 

 wreck of our mizen mast lying on 

 our quarter, prevented this de- 

 sirable object from being accom- 

 plished. 



The enemy just passed clear of 

 us, and both officers and men of 

 the Eurotas renewed the action 

 with the most determined bravery 

 and resolution, while the enemy 

 returned our fire in a warm and 

 gallant manner. We succeeded 

 in raking her again, and then lay 

 broadside to broadside ; at 6. 20. 

 our main-mast fell by the board, 

 the enemy's mizen-mast falling at 

 the same time ; at G. 50. our fore- 

 mast fell, and the enemy's main- 

 mast almost immediately after- 

 wards. At ten minutes after 7 

 she slackened her fire, but having 

 her fore-mast standing, she suc- 

 ceeded with her fore-sail in getting 

 out of range. During the whole 

 of the action we kept up a heavy 

 and well-directed fire ; nor do I 

 know which most to admire, the 

 seamen at the great guns, or the 

 marines with their small arms, 

 they vying with each other who 

 should most annoy the enemy. 



I was at this time so much ex- 

 hausted by the loss of blood, from 

 wounds I had received in the early 

 part of the action from a grape- 

 shot, that I found it impossible for 

 me to remain any longer upon 



M 



