tried by a court-martial, and honourably acquitted; the sentence stating, that " every means had been used to prevent the Hyæna from being captured." In the first edition of this work, it was not mentioned that the Concorde was the advanced ship of a squadron. Two circumstances led to that omission: the neglect of Sir William Hargood to transmit the promised " particulars of the action and cause of the capture of his Majesty's ship Hyæna," and the very imperfect information furnished by a subordinate at a public office, even after he had received from his chief the most positive directions to make a full extract from the official document in his charge.

On the 17th of June the British 12-pounder 36-gun frigate Nymphe, Captain Edward Pellew, sailed from Falmouth on a cruise. Having, in his way up the Channel, arrived nearly abreast of the Start point, Captain Pellew ran out to the southward in the hope of falling in with one of the two French frigates which, a week or two before, the Nymphe and Venus had chased into Cherbourg, and which were known to be the Cléopâtre and Sémillante, already noticed in the action between the latter and the Venus. On the next day, the 18th, at 3 h. 30 m. a.m., the Start point bearing east by north, distant five or six leagues, a sail was discovered in the south-east quarter. At 4 a.m. the Nymphe bore up in chase under all sail; the stranger, which, by a singular coincidence, was the French frigate Cléopâtre, carrying a press of canvass, either to get away, or to prepare for action:

At 5 a.m., finding that the Nymphe had the advantage in sailing, the Cléopâtre hauled up her foresail and lowered her topgallantsails, bravely awaiting the coming up of her opponent. At about 6 a.m., the Nymphe approaching near, the Cléopâtre hailed her; but Captain Pellew, not hearing distinctly what was said, replied only by the usual " Hoa ! hoa !" * an exclamation instantaneously followed by three cheers from the crew of the Nymphe. Captain Mullon, upon this, came to the gangway, and, waving his hat, exclaimed, " Vive la nation!" and the crew of the Cléopâtre, at the same time, put forth a sound which was meant for an imitation of the cheers of the British.

At 6h. 15m. a.m., the Nymphe having reached a position from which her foremost guns would bear on the starboard quarter of the Cléopâtre, Captain Pellew, whose, hat, like that of the French captain, was still in his hand, raised it to his head,