On the 23d of October, 1806, in the evening, as the British 12-gun schooner Pitt (ten 18-pounder carronades and two sixes), Lieutenant Michael Fitton, was lying at an anchor in the mole of Cape St.-Nicolas, island of St.-Domingo, the man looking out at the mast-head reported two sail in the offing, over the neck of land to the northward, one apparently in chase of the other. The Pitt instantly got under way, and, it being a stark calm, swept herself out of the mole. In the course of the night she was occasionally assisted by a light land wind, and on the 24th, at daybreak, descried three schooners, the largest evidently a privateer of force. Towards the latter the Pitt now steered ; and the stranger, as if confident in her strength, hove to. At 7 A.M. a distant firing commenced between the two schooners ; but, in less than half an hour, the Pitt's opponent, which was no other than the celebrated French privateer Superbe, of 14 guns (12 long 6 and two long 8 pounders), Captain Dominique Diron, bore up, under easy sail, after her two prizes, whom she was conducting to the port of Baracoa in Cuba. The chase continued throughout the day and night, the greater part of the time in calm weather, during which the crew of the Pitt plied their sweeps with unremitting vigour.

On the morning of the 25th, a breeze springing up favourable to the Pitt, the latter was enabled, in the course of the day, again to get within gun-shot of the Superbe ; who, having seen her two prizes safe into Baracoa, lay to off the port, as if determined to give battle to the British schooner, M. Dominique being well aware that, in case of discomfiture, he could run into Baracoa, where already lay four or five freebooters like himself. Aware, in some degree, of the Frenchman's intention, the Pitt contrived to get between the Superbe and her port, and at 4 P.M. recommenced the action. After a tolerably close cannonade of 30 or 35 minutes, the privateer again made sail ; and the Pitt, who, in passing near Baracoa at sunset, had observed five privateers lying there, so manoeuvred as to keep her opponent in the offing. In this way the two schooners passed the third night, the British crew having again to labour occasionally at the sweeps, with the additional duty of repairing their damaged rigging, and of remounting and securing several of the carronades, which, having been improperly fitted, had upset in the afternoon's engagement.

Early on the morning of the 26th the Superbe rounded Cape Maize; and, having to make Ochoa bay, where he knew there was a detachment of Spanish troops, M. Dominique was obliged to haul across the Pitt. In so doing the Superbe brought her starboard broadside to bear upon the Pitt's larboard bow, and, as soon as she had succeeded in crossing her, ran herself on shore among the rocks. The Superbe, with her colours still flying, then commenced landing her crew ; and the Pitt continued the cannonade to induce the privateer to surrender. Finding that the Frenchmen were quitting the Superbe in great numbers, the Pitt sent her boats, manned and armed, and took possession.

When just abreast of Ochoa bay, the Pitt had observed to leeward the three topgallantsails of a ship ; and which, by the time the schooner had got a hawser on board her prize to attempt to heave her off, made herself known by signal, as the British 16-gun ship-sloop Drake, Captain Robert Nicolas. Having been a merchant vessel purchased into the service, the Drake made very slow progress in working to windward. The sloop at length joined company, and Captain Nicolas sent his boats to assist in getting the prize afloat ; which, after considerable exertion, was accomplished.

Out of her complement of 54 men and boys, the Pitt had two men badly and six slightly wounded. On board the Superbe, whose alleged complement was 94 men, four were found dead in her hold, and three mortally wounded. The remainder, including M. Dominique himself, had escaped to the shore. The whole loss in killed sustained by the privateer was understood to have been 14, with a proportionate number of wounded ; most of whom, by the aid of their companions, landed along with them.

Thus, after a 67 hours' arduous chase, including several intervals of close and spirited action, had a stop been put to the career of one of the most formidable French privateers, coupling her force with the notorious character of her commander, that, for a long time, had infested the commerce of the West Indies. Dominique was not only a daring and experienced privateersman, but he was a perfect freebooter. He detained American as well as English vessels (the two schooners which he had sent into Baracoa were Americans); and, where he wanted a cause to capture, was never without one to pillage. Few neutrals that crossed his path, but left him with a serious defalcation in their sails, rigging, or stores. Among the papers found on board the Superbe, was a list of captures, English, Spanish, and American, made by Dominique, to the amount of 147,000L. sterling.

It was therefore some merit to have captured a privateer, so capable of doing further mischief as the Superbe. It was a till greater merit to have performed the act by a vessel decidedly inferior in force ; in men nearly double, in guns at least equal. If any thing can be said in addition, it is that the chase was persevered in during three nights, and until the afternoon of the third day, and that it was maintained, for the greater part of the time, by sweeping ; a service fatiguing to the men and harassing to the officers, the latter being obliged to be perpetually animating the former, lest they should relax in their exertions : it was also a mode of progression in which the privateer, from the increased number of her crew, possessed an immense advantage.

Unfortunately for Lieutenant Fitton, having been on deck during the whole three nights, he was too wearied to undertake the task of writing the official letter, although kindly requested-to do so by Captain Nicolas. The following extract from the letter of Rear-admiral Dacres to the secretary of the admiralty, enclosing the one received from Captain Nicolas, will show what, even from the latter's report, the former thought of the action between the Pitt and Superbe. " The zeal and perseverance manifested on this occasion, during so long a chase (being upwards of 50 hours at their sweeps with only two thirds the number of men the privateer had), the very gallant conduct of, and superior professional abilities displayed by, Mr. Fitton, will, I trust, recommend him to the protection of their lordships. "

M. Dominique afterwards equipped a brig, which he named "la Revanche de la Superbe," and actually sent, by a Spanish licensed trader, an invitation to Lieutenant Fitton to meet him at an appointed place ; but the latter, by the time the message reached him, had been superseded in the command of the Pitt by the élève of an admiral, not to be promoted to the rank of commander, but to be turned adrift as an unemployed lieutenant.

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