the greater part of the crew having fled to the shore just as the British approached.

The French captain, one lieutenant, and 20 men were found in the Bienvenue, but no prisoners : these, it was now understood, were on board another vessel higher up the harbour. The wind blowing directly in, the frigate's sails being unbent, and the incessant fire still kept up from the forts, and to which the British were unable to bestow an adequate return from the frigate's 8-pounders, rendering it impracticable to send men aloft to bring the sails to the yards, Lieutenant Bowen was constrained to depart with his 22 prisoners, and leave his principal trophy behind. Considerable risk attended the return of the boats ; but, at length, this intrepid young officer got clear, not, however, without a loss of three men killed and four or five wounded.

The success of Lieutenant Bowen's attack upon the Bienvenue led to an immediate assault upon the town of Fort-Royal. A number of scaling ladders were made of long bamboos connected with strong line, and the Asia 64, and Zebra sloop, the latter commanded by Captain Robert Faulknor, were ordered to hold themselves in readiness to enter the carénage, for the purpose of battering the lower and more exposed part of Fort Louis, the walls of which were not high ; also of covering the flat boats, barges, and pinnaces, sent in under the direction of Commodore Thompson, and commanded by Captains Nugent of the Veteran, and Edward Riou of the Rose. Meanwhile, a detachment of the army was to advance, with field-pieces, along the side of the hill under Fort Bourbon, towards the bridge over the canal at the back of Fort-Royal town.

On the 20th this plan of attack was put into execution, and succeeded in every point, except that the Asia was unable to get into her station, owing to the misconduct of M. de Tourelles, the former lieutenant of the port ; and who, after having undertaken to pilot the ship in, refused to do so, from an alleged dread of shoals, but probably from a real dread of what he might justly expect, should any unforeseen event place him in the hands of General Rochambeau. Observing the Asia baffled in her attempt, Captain Faulknor dashed singly on ; and, running the Zebra, in defiance of the showers of grape that poured upon her, close to the wall of the fort, "leaped overboard," says Sir John Jervis in his despatch, "at the head of his sloop's company, and assailed and took this important post before the boats could get on shore, although rowed with all the force and animation which characterize English seamen in the face of an enemy :" This, however, was not strictly the case. The boats, already mentioned as commanded by Captains Nugent and Riou, and which boats contained as many as 1200 men, pushed across the carénage before the Zebra could get in, and stormed and took possession of Fort-Royal. Captain Nugent, with the Veteran's people, hauled down the French