surrendered without discredit. As it was, after capturing the Proserpine, the Dryad, owing solely to her opponent's forbearance, was able to fight another frigate of the same force ; and, could he have secured his prisoners without diminishing his crew, the Dryad's captain would no doubt have rejoiced at such an opportunity. Lord Amelius, in his official letter, speaks highly of his first lieutenant, Mr. Edward Durnford King, and the latter, most deservedly, was promoted to the rank of commander.

The only remaining ship of Commodore Moulston's squadron, the Légère, was captured, on the 22d, in latitude 48� 30' north, and longitude 8� 28' west, after the exchange of a few shot, by the British frigates Apollo and Doris, Captains John Manley and the Honourable Charles Jones.

The Proserpine, under the name of Amelia (a Proserpine being already in the service), was admitted into the British navy as a cruising frigate, and, from her size and sailing properties, became a valuable acquisition to her class. The distinction between a British 38 and 36, as remarked elsewhere, is simply in the latter's having a pair of ports less on the main deck. The late Proserpine's two foremost ports (vacant when captured) were considered to be sufficiently aft to admit two guns ; hence, the Amelia fell into the class of 38-gun frigates. The Légère, a frigate-built corvette of 453 tons, capable of carrying eighteen 6-pounders, with six 18-pounder carronades on the quarterdeck, was also added to the British navy under the same name.

On the 9th of June, about noon, while the British Mediterranean fleet was cruising before Toulon, a French corvette was descried working up towards the road of Hyères ; situated within the islands so named. Sir John Jervis immediately called on board the Victory, by signal, Captain James Macnamara of the 12-pounder 32-gun frigate Southampton ; and, pointing out the object of his wishes, said, " Bring out the enemy's ship if you can. I'll give you no written order ; but I direct you to take care of the king's ship under your command." * Captain Macnamara, hastening back to his ship, reached her about 5 h. 30 m. p.m. ; and the Southampton was presently under all sail steering for the Grande Passe, or passage between the islands of Porquerolles and Portcros. At 6 p.m. the Southampton discovered the corvette to the northward, at no great distance from the shore ; and hauling up, under easy sail, close under the batteries on the north-east side of Porquerolles, was apparently mistaken, as had been hoped would be the case, for either a French or a neutral frigate.

Profiting by her stratagem, the Southampton stood boldly across Hyères; road, and at 8 h. 30 m. p.m. got within pistol-shot of the French ship-corvette Utile, of 24-guns (eighteen 6

* Marshall, vol. i., p. 686.