21G ANNUAL REGISTER, 1812. 



sloop, which I have the honour to 

 command. I have the honour 

 to be, &c. 



(Signed) John Andrew, 

 Commander. 

 T« John Talbot, esq. Captain of 

 his Majesty's ship Victorious. 



Admiralty-Office, May 30. 

 [Transmitted by Lord Keith.] 

 Northumberland, off" the Penmarhs, 

 Wind S. S. W. light breeze, and 

 jine lueather, May 24. 



Sir, — I have the honour to in- 

 form you, the object of the orders 

 I received from you on the 12th 

 instant, to proceed oft' L'Orient 

 for the purpose of intercepting two 

 Frencli frigates and a brig lately 

 seen at sea, has been accomplished, 

 by their total destruction, at the 

 enr ranee of that port, by his Ma- 

 jesty's ship under my command, 

 (the Growler gun-brig being in 

 company) under the circumstances 

 I I'Cg leave to relate to you. On 

 Friday the 22nd instant, ataquarter 

 after ten a. m. the N. W. point of 

 the Isle Groa bearing from the 

 Northumberland north by compass, 

 ten miles distant, and the wind very 

 light from W. by W. they were dis- 

 covered in the N. W. crowding 

 all sail before it for L'Orient. 

 My first wish was to endeavour to 

 cut them off to windward of the 

 island, and a signal was made to 

 the Growler (seven miles off in the 

 S. W.) to chase; but finding I 

 could not effect it, the Northum- 

 berland was pushed by every ex- 

 ertion round the S. E. end of Groa, 

 and, by hauling to the wind as 

 close as I could to leeward of it, 

 I had the satisfaction of fetching 



to windward of the harbour's 

 mouth, before the enemy's ships 

 reached it. Their commander see- 

 ing himself thus cut off", made a 

 signal to his consorts, and hauled 

 to the wind on the larboard tack 

 to windward of Point Taleet, and 

 they appeared to speak each other. 

 1 continued beating to windward 

 between Groa and the continent to 

 close wit!) them, exposed to the 

 batteries on both sides when I stood 

 within their reach, which was un- 

 avoidable. The wind had by this 

 time freshened considerably, and 

 was about W. N. W. : at forty- 

 nine minutes after two p. m. the 

 enemy (in force as above described) 

 bore up in close line a-head; and 

 under every sail that could be set, 

 favoured by the fresh wind, made a 

 bold and determined attempt to run 

 between me and the shore, under 

 cover of the numerous batteries 

 with which it is lined in that part. 

 I placed the Northumberland to 

 meet them as close as I could to 

 the Point de Pierre Laye, with her 

 head to the shore, and the main- 

 topsail shivering, and made dis- 

 positions for laying one of them 

 aiong-side ; but they hauled so 

 very close round the point, follow- 

 ing the direction of the coast to the 

 eastward of it, that, in my igno- 

 rance of the depth 6f water so 

 near the shore, I did not think it 

 practicable consistent with the 

 safety of his Majesty's ship (draw- 

 ing near 25 feet water) , to prosecute 

 that plan, I therefore bore up, and 

 steered parallel to them at the dist- 

 ance of about two cables' length, 

 and opened a broadside on them, 

 which was returned by a very ani- 

 mated and well-directed fire of 

 round, grape, and other descrip- 

 tions 



