extinguish the flames. This done, the Mermaid and her prize, at 3 p.m. weighed and made sail out of the bay.

On the 13th, in the evening, having seen the Brutus safe into St.-George's, the Mermaid came to an anchor off one of the small islands close to the northward of Grenada ; and on the 14th, at daybreak, weighed in chase of a ship in the west by north, or leeward quarter. At 10 h. 45 m. a.m. the Républicaine, as the ship proved to be, put before the wind under all sail ; and at 3 h. 50 m. p.m., after a running fight since noon, and a close action of ten minutes, struck her colours, with a loss, out of a crew, including a French general (intended to command at Grenada) and his suite and several other passengers, amounting to 250 men, of nearly 20 killed and several wounded. On board the Mermaid one seaman only was killed, and three wounded.

On the 14th of October, at 1 p.m., while the British frigates Melampus, Captain Sir Richard John Strachan, and Latona, Captain the Honourable Arthur Kaye Legge, were running before a fresh south-south-east wind, between the island of Groix and the main land of France, the batteries on each side of the channel opened upon them a heavy but ineffectual fire; and which the frigates, as they passed rapidly on, returned with one or two broadsides each. At 6 p.m. the south point of the island of Groix bore from them east, distant seven leagues.

On the 15th, at 6 h. 15 m. a.m., as these two frigates were standing close hauled on the starboard tack, with the wind at west by north, two ships were descried in the south-west, and a brig in the north-west. The latter was the French 16-gun brig-corvette Eveillé, and the two former the French 40-gun frigate Tortue and 36-gun frigate Néréide, making the best of their way to Rochefort, after a 60 days' tolerably successful cruise in company with the new 44-gun frigate Forte, who appears to have got safe in during the preceding night.

The Latona, as soon as she had signalled the two strange frigates to her consort, edged away towards them, and was quickly followed, under all sail, by the Melampus. At 11 a.m. the 74-gun ship Orion, Captain Sir James Saumarez, and 36-gun frigate Thalia, Captain Lord Henry Paulet, made their appearance in the north-east, and joined in the chase. At three-quarters past noon the Latona, who was at some distance ahead of her consort, began firing her bow-chasers at the rearmost French frigate ; and the latter, shortly afterwards, returned the fire from her stern-chasers. At 3 p.m. the Orion, having badly sprung her main topmast, wore and discontinued the chase, hauling up for two sail in the north-north-west ; which proved to be the 40-gun frigate Pomone, Commodore Sir John Borlase Warren, and 36-gun frigate Concorde, Captain Anthony Hunt.

In the mean time the Latona and Melampus, followed by the