East Indies, Attack upon the Résolue


 
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Naval History of Great Britain - Vol I

1793

Colonial Expeditions - West Indies

118

with five companies of the 49th regiment, under the command of Lieutenant-colonel Dansey, who succeeded Brevet-major Robinson as commandant of the district. The acquisition of these frigates enabled the commodore, by sending them off Port-au-Paix, to put a stop to an expedition, consisting of upwards of 5000 men, with which the republicans had intended to attempt the recapture of the town and batteries of the Mole.

Just at the close of the year, the parishes of Jean-Rabe], St.-Marc, Arcahaye, and Boncassin, on the north, and the province of Leogane, on the south side of the bight, surrendered to the British, upon terms similar to those which had been granted to Jérémie and Cape-Nicolas-Mole.

East Indies

The British naval force in the East Indies, at the beginning of the war, consisted of only a 64-gun ship, the Crown, lying at Madras, and one or two frigates and sloops at, or in the neighbourhood of Calcutta, and was under the command of Commodore the Honourable William Cornwallis. An occurrence that happened in these seas, nearly a year and a half before the war became known there, must be cursorily noticed ere we commence upon the regular narrative.

During the prevalence of hostilities between the East India Company and Tippoo Saib, in 1790 and 1791, the principal assistance which, owing to the internal nature of the campaign, the British navy could render, was to watch the port of Mangalore on the Malabar coast, and prevent the French, who rather favoured the cause of Tippoo, from throwing in supplies. In the beginning of November, 1791, while Commodore Cornwallis, who had then his broad pendant on board the 38-gun frigate Minerva, and was accompanied by the 36-gun frigate Phœnix, Captain Sir Richard John Strachan, and Perseverance, Captain Isaac Smith, lay at anchor in the road of Tellicherry, a fort and anchorage situated a few leagues to the southward of Mangalore, the French 36-gun frigate Résolue got under way from Mahé, a French factory, about seven miles to the southward of Tellicherry, and, in company with two country coasting-vessels, steered towards Mangalore.

As soon as the French frigate and her small convoy arrived abreast of Tellicherry, the British commodore detached the Phœnix and Perseverance to search the vessels for contraband of war. The Phœnix having run alongside the Résolue, Sir Richard informed the French captain of the nature of his orders, and of his determination to execute them, and despatched immediately a boat with an officer to board the two vessels; which, in the mean while, the Perseverance had brought to.

The captain of the Résolue resisted this insult to the French flag, by firing first, as is alleged, at the boat, and then at the Phœnix. The latter, who must have expected and been prepared

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