98 TlMEHRI. 



for Surinam. She cruised off that coast from the 15th 

 to the 22nd of February without meeting a vessel, and 

 then stood for Demerara. On the morning of the 24th a 

 brig to leeward was sighted and chase given, but, finding 

 his vessel running into shallow water LAWRENCE thought 

 it well to haul off. In her chase of the brig the Hornet had 

 got within sight of the Demerara bar, where the British 

 sloop-of-war Espiegle was lying at anchor with hercolours 

 flying. At half-past three o'clock in the afternoon, when 

 the Hornet was beating round Great Courabanna Bank, to 

 get to the Espiegle, a strange sail was observed on the 

 weather quarter bearing down for the Hornet. Although 

 not made out, the Hornet had been seen from the Espiegle, 

 and had continued in sight for nearly an hour, when she 

 was observed to tack and stand to the south-east. 



On the morning of the following day, the 24th, 

 those on board the Espiegle noticed pieces of wreck 

 floating by their ship. In the afternoon, Captain 

 Taylor, who was ashore, was informed by Governor 

 Carmichael that news had come from Mahaica that 

 the Peacock had been defeated by the Hornet the evening 

 before ; that Captain PEAKE had been killed ; and that 

 the Peacock had gone down off the Little Courabanna 

 Creek. This was the tale which four seamen of the 

 Peacock told, who had been picked up off Mahaica by a 

 shore boat, after having with difficulty kept themselves 

 afloat for six or seven hours in a boat shattered by the 

 enemy's shot. They had got into the boat as the ship 

 was sinking, and had so made their escape. One of the 

 four men had his clothes stained with Captain Peake'S 

 blood, having been at the helm as that brave officer, 

 standing by, received his mortal wound. On the follow- 



