historical chronic fe. 



guard, ilie got under way to 

 board them, and was followed 

 by the Phoenix j but having 

 little wind, they got into the 

 Mallee roads, a French port, 

 and close to Tillicherry. 



Captain Foot of the Atalan- 

 ta, sent a boat with an officer 

 to them, but they refused to 

 be examhied, alleging they 

 were in their own boat. Im- 

 mediately on the boat's return, 

 hearing of their resistance, he 

 sent an officer of marines, with 

 a party, with orders to force 

 the hatchways, and examine 

 them j Avhich being effected, 

 they were found laden with 

 merchandize only. This irre- 

 gular proceeding was, however, 

 huflied up by the comodore's 

 arrival, and interposition in 

 captain Foot's behalf with 

 the governor. 



Early in November, the 

 Resolue French frigate of 32 

 guns, arrived in Mallee roads, 

 and sailed on the 19th with 

 two merchantmen, at two 

 A. M. irom the same port, 

 which, it is conjectured, was a 

 scheme to discover whether 

 commodore Cormvallis would 

 board the merchantmen under 

 his protection, an unlucky ex- 

 periment in the event ; for at 

 five A. M. on seeing them in 

 the offing he made signals to 

 the Phoenix and Ferseverance to 

 board them j they got under 

 w ay, and chaced to the nortii- 

 ward, as far as Mangalore, be- 

 fore they came up with them. 



/ When the Phoenix came 

 within hail, ffie was alked what 

 ! (lie wanted ? Sir Richard Stra- 

 chan answered. That he had 

 orders to board the merchant- 

 men in company with her, and 

 would send an officer on board 

 of him to explain the reason. 



The first lieutenant, George 

 Parker, went on board j the 

 French frigate then made a 

 signal, which the merchant- 

 men answered, and made sail j. 

 the Phoenix making sail alsa 

 to intercept them, leaving the 

 cutter with Mr Parker some 

 distance astern, and firing at 

 the lliips on the larboard bow 

 and beam, to bring tl;em to. 

 The French frigate being on 

 the starboard quarter of the 

 Phoenix, fired two guns (hot- 

 ted to windward, which was 

 thought to be at the boats j 

 the Phoenix next hoisted out 

 her jolly boat and sent the- 

 tlie third lieutenant, Mr Butt, 

 to board one of them, the Per- 

 severance at the same time 

 boarding the other. 



At this time the Fhcenix,, 

 in backing astern, to keep one 

 of the merchantmen from ma- 

 king off, had her ensign stafF. 

 carried away by her jibb boom. 

 The French frigate kept firing 

 on the boats ; and upon the 

 Phoenix wearing to keep close 

 to her, fhe fiied a broadside 

 into her and commenced the 

 action. 



Tlie engagement lasted 25 

 minutes, and terminated by a 

 happy manauvre of Sir Rich- 



