particular desire of Rear-admiral Sercey, had exchanged with Captain l'Hermite. These two frigates set sail from the Isle of France on the 23d of January, but, unfortunately for an object that required despatch, not by themselves. Early in the month two ships belonging to the Philippine company, laden with silk, indigo, spices, and other precious merchandise, to the estimated value of four millions of piastres, had arrived at Port-Louis from Manilla. For 60,000 piastres, the colonial government agreed to convoy these galleons to Spain ; and, with the two heavy-sailing hulks in company, the Vertu and Régénérée proceeded on their voyage.

We will now relate an exploit performed in the quarter whence these two richly-laden ships had recently arrived ; an exploit in some degree connected with the proceedings of Rear-admiral Sercey's squadron, inasmuch as it owed its success to a simulation of two of his ships. On the 5th of January the British 38-gun frigate Sibylle, Captain Edward Cooke, and 12-pounder 32-gun frigate Fox, Captain Pulteney Malcolm, sailed from the road of Macao, for the purpose of reconnoitring the Spanish force in the Philippines, and, in particular, to endeavour to possess themselves of two richly-laden ships supposed to be nearly ready to sail from Manilla, the capital of the island of Luconia. On the 11th the two frigates made the island, and on the 12th, while coasting down it with French colours flying, captured a small vessel from the port off which they were bound. After taking out of her 3900 dollars, and ascertaining from her master that, of the Spanish squadron, reported by him to consist of four sail of the line and four frigates, in Cavita, the port belonging to the city of Manilla, one ship only of each class was in a state to put to sea, Captain Cooke allowed the vessel to proceed on her voyage. It being intended to pass for two frigates of M. Sercey's squadron, the Sibylle, we presume, for the Seine, and the Fox for the Prudente or Régénérée, the two captains began taking measures to disguise their ships.

On the 13th, at about 8 p.m., every thing being ready, the Sibylle and Fox entered the bay of Manilla, and, passing the small island of Corrigidore, whereon the signal-house stands, without detection, came to an anchor at about 11 p.m. in 14 fathoms, each ship keeping the topsails at her mast-heads, to be ready for a sudden start. On the 14th, at 5 h. 30 m. a.m., the two frigates weighed, and, hoisting French colours, began working up the bay. At sunrise three gun-boats made their appearance to leeward, also bound up the bay. At 9 a.m. the Fox opened the ships in Cavita road, which were seen to consist of three sail of the line and three frigates : of the six ships, four were without masts, and the remaining two, with only their lower masts in. The road of Cavita was about three miles distant from the leading frigate, the Fox ; and, at 11 a.m., when the latter was about the same distance from the town of Manilla,

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