This was a well-contested match ; and, while every credit is due to Captain Otway and his numerically inferior crew, for so promptly deciding it, the loss sustained by the French ship shows that her officers and men were by no means deficient in bravery.

In the month of June Admiral Hotham, while cruising with the British fleet off the Island of Minorca, received intelligence that the French fleet was at sea. To ascertain the fact, the admiral, on the evening of the 23d, detached the 28-gun frigate Dido, Captain George Henry Towry, and 12-pounder 32-gun frigate Lowestoffe, Captain Robert Gambier Middleton, to reconnoitre the road of Toulon. On the 24th, at 4 a.m., latitude 41� 8' north, longitude 5� 30' east, these frigates, standing close hauled on the larboard tack, with the wind at north-north-west, descried approaching them, nearly ahead, the French 40-gun frigate Minerve, Captain Perrée, and 36-gun frigate Artémise, Captain Charbonnier, which frigates, by a singular coincidence, had been ordered by the French admiral to proceed off Minorca, and ascertain the truth of a rumour that the British fleet was at sea.

As soon as the private signal made by the Dido, who was ahead of her consort, discovered the relation of the parties to each other, the French frigates wore round on the other tack and stood away. The Dido and Lowestoffe immediately made sail in chase. At 7 a.m. it was evident that the French frigates were leaving their pursuers ; but at 8 a.m. the Minerve and Artémise, as a proof that they were not disposed to decline a combat with two ships, whose inferior force must now have betrayed itself, again wore round, and, with French colours flying, stood on under easy sail to meet the Dido and Lowestoffe; who, with colours hoisted, and all clear for action, kept their course to hasten the junction.

On arriving within about a mile of the Dido's larboard and weather bow, the Minerve, who was at some distance ahead of her consort, wore round on the same tack as the Dido, and at 8 h. 30 m. a.m. opened her fire upon the latter. The Dido, however, reserved her fire until 8 h. 45 m. ; when, having got close under the Minerve's starboard and lee beam, the British frigate commenced a steady and well-directed cannonade. In about five minutes the Minerve, suddenly bearing up, with yards square, attempted to decide the contest at once by running down the little ship that was presuming to contend with her. Just as the Minerve's flying jib-boom was about to touch the Dido's main yard, the latter put her helm aport, to avoid receiving directly upon her beam, a shock which, with the weight and impetus of the French frigate, must have sent her to the bottom. Owing to this well-planned movement, the Dido received the blow obliquely, the luff of the Minerve's starboard bow taking her on the larboard quarter. But so heavy, notwithstanding