THE 



The Bellona, of 74 guns and 558 men, with a most valuable freight on merchants' 

 account, and commanded by the celebrated Captain R. Faulkner, and the Brilliant, a 36-gun 

 frigate, Captain Loggie, sailed from the Tagus in August, 1761. When off Vigo, three 

 sail were discovered approaching the land, and the strangers continued their approach, till 

 they found out the character of the English vessels, and then crowded on all sail, in flight. 

 Upon this, the Bellona and Brilliant pursued, coming up with them next morning, to find 

 that they would have to engage one ship of 74 guns, the Courageux, with 700 men, and 

 two frigates of 36 guns each, the Malicieuse and Ermine. After exchanging a few 

 broadsides, the French vessels shot ahead; when Captain Loggie, seeing that he could not 

 expect to take either of the smaller vessels, determined to manoeuvre, and lead them such 

 a wild-goose chase, that the Bellona should have to engage the Courageux alone. During 

 the whole engagement, he withstood the united attacks of both the frigates, each of them 

 with equal force to his own, and at last obliged them to sheer off, greatly damaged. 

 Meanwhile, the Courageux and Bellona had approached each other very fast. The 

 Courageux, when within musket-shot, fired her first broadside, and there was much 

 impatience on the Bellona to return it ; but they were restrained by Faulkner, who called 

 out to them to hold hard, and not to fire till they saw the whites of the Frenchmen's 

 eyes, adding, "Take my word for it, they will never stand the singeing of their whiskers \" 

 His speech to the sailors just before the action is a model of sailor-like advice. 

 " Gentlemen, I have been bred a seaman from my youth, and, consequently, am no orator 

 but I promise to carry you all near enough, and then you may speak for yourselves. 

 Nevertheless, I think it necessary to acquaint you with the plan I propose to pursue, iu 

 taking this ship, that you may be the better prepared. ... I propose to lead yot" 

 close on the enemy's larboard quarter, when we will discharge two broadsides, and then bacic 

 astern, and range upon the other quarter, and so tell your guns as you pass. I recommend 

 you at all times to point chiefly at the quarters, with your guns slanting fore and aft ; this 

 is the principal part of a ship. If you kill the officers, break the rudder, and snap the 

 braces, she is yours, of course ; but, for this reason, I desire you may only fire one round 

 of shot and grape above, and two rounds, shot only, below. Take care and send them home 

 with exactness. This is a rich ship; they will render you, in return, their weight in 

 gold." This programme was very nearly carried out; almost every shot took effect. The 

 French still kept up a very brisk fire, and in a moment the Bellona's shrouds and rigging 

 were almost all cut to pieces, and in nine minutes her mizen-mast fell over the stern. 

 Undaunted, Faulkner managed to wear his ship round ; the officers and men flew to their 

 respective opposite guns, and carried on, from the larboard side, a fire even more terrible 

 than they had hitherto kept up from the starboard guns. "It was impossible for mortal 

 beings to withstand a battery so incessantly repeated, and so fatally directed, and, in about 

 twenty minutes from the first shot, the French colours were hauled down, and orders were 

 immediately given in the Bellona to cease firing, the enemy having struck. The men had 

 left their quarters, and all the officers were on the quarter-deck, congratulating one another 

 on their victory, when, unexpectedly, a round of shot came from the lower tier of the 

 Courageux. It is impossible to describe the rage that animated the Bellona's crew on this 

 occasion. Without waiting for orders, they flew again to their guns, and in a moment 



