raking fire. In the mean time the Dido, having bent new fore and main topsails, and partially repaired her damaged rigging, had wore and made sail in the direction of the Minerve ; who, at 11 h. 45 m., on her mizenmast being shot away by the board, and with it her colours, hailed the Lowestoffe to send a boat and take possession. At this time the Artémise was nearly hull-down to windward ; and the Minerve, certainly, if not in a defenceless, was in an utterly unmanageable state.

The Dido, out of her complement of 193 men and boys, had her boatswain (Cuthbert Douglas) and five seamen killed, her first lieutenant (Richard Buckoll, who, however, did not quit the deck), captain's clerk (Richard Willan), and 13 seamen wounded. The Lowestoffe, out of her complement of 212, had none killed and only three wounded. Each of these frigates carried the guns of her class, as described at J and H of the table at p. 91, with four 18-pounder carronades in addition ; making the Lowestoffe's guns 36, and those of the Dido 32.

The Minerve mounted two carronades less than her establishment at p. 54, or 42 guns in all, with a complement on board of 318 men and boys, and is represented to have lost upwards of 20 in killed and wounded (among the latter her captain), exclusive of those that were drowned by the falling off the bowsprit. The loss sustained by the Artémise, a regular 36, mounting 40 guns, out of a complement amounting at least to 300, could not of course be ascertained, but, from her small share in the action, was probably of very slight amount.

In every point of view, this was a gallantly fought action on the part of the British. The Minerve alone was superior in broadside weight of shot to the Dido and Lowestoffe together, and the Artémise was rather more than a match for the Lowestoffe. The conduct of Captain Towry was noble in the extreme. His senior rank gave him, although commanding the smaller ship, the right of choosing his antagonist, and he did not hesitate a moment in laying the Dido alongside a ship of nearly double her size and force. A ship of 1102 tons, and 318 men, coming stem-on upon a ship of 595 tons, and 193 men, was indeed a critical situation for the latter ; and, had the Minerve's consort not behaved in a most dastardly manner, the Dido at least must have become the prize of the French commodore.

It was well for the Dido that the Lowestoffe's captain possessed none of the backwardness of the captain of the Artémise ; and, indeed, so ready is Captain Towry to admit the benefit he derived from his consort's aid ; so far is he from wishing to monopolize the credit of the victory, that in his official letter he says, "By Captain Middleton's good conduct the business of the day was, in a great measure, brought to a fortunate issue."

The Minerve was conducted in safety to Port-Mahon, and afterwards to Ajaccio, and was added to the British navy, under