Seine, keeping abreast of each other, continued an unremitting interchange of broadsides, for two hours and 35 minutes ; when the British frigate, having had her main topmast shot away, dropped astern.

The Jason now coming up, Captain Stirling hailed the Pique, and desired her commander to anchor ; but Captain Milne, not hearing what was said, and anxious to see the last of an opponent whom he had so long singly engaged, pushed up, under all the sail he could carry, on the larboard side of the Jason. There the Pique unfortunately grounded. Almost at the same instant, the land near Pointe de la Trenche was seen close upon the Jason's larboard bow ; and, before the ship would answer her helm, she also took the ground near to the Seine, who, it was perceived, had likewise grounded, and was entirely dismasted. As the tide rose, the Jason hung only forward, and therefore swang with her stern fairly exposed to the enemy's broadside. Of this the Seine took proper advantage, and poured into the Jason several raking broadsides ; which, besides inflicting nearly the whole loss she sustained, wounded her masts, and cut and tore to pieces her rigging and sails. In a little while, however, the Jason got some guns run out abaft ; and the Pique, having by squaring her yards, forged a little ahead of the Jason, was enabled to point four of her foremost 12-pounders clear of the latter. On receiving a few shot from the guns of both opponents thus brought to bear, and seeing the Mermaid fast approaching, the Seine struck her colours.

The Pique, besides having lost her fore topmast, was exceedingly shattered in her masts, rigging, and sails, and had unfortunately lain near enough to receive some of the Seine's shots as they passed over the Jason ; but, until towards the close of the combat, as already mentioned, the former could not return a shot without firing into or through her companion. Every attempt to get the Pique afloat was exerted in vain, and she bilged. The Jason was more successful, being heaved off into deep water by the Mermaid ; who, notwithstanding every effort to get up, did not arrive in time to participate in the action.

The Jason lost her second lieutenant (Anthony Richard Robotier), one corporal of marines, and five seamen killed, her commander, two midshipmen (Frederick Bedford and Samuel Luscombe), and nine seamen wounded. The Pique had one seaman killed, and one missing, her boatswain, boatswain's mate, one seaman, and three marines wounded ; total in the two ships, nine (including the one missing) killed, and 18 wounded. The loss on board the Seine, out of a complement including soldiers, of 610 men, is represented to have been as many as 170 killed (including, we believe, several that were drowned), and about 100 wounded.

The Pique, a very inferior antagonist to the Seine, bore the brunt of the action ; but the Jason, no doubt, contributed her

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