quarters of an hour, when the latter sheered off. The Viper immediately gave chase ; and, after a running fight of an hour and a half, had the good fortune to lay her opponent on board. Two well-directed broadsides then compelled the French lugger-privateer Furet, of fourteen 4-pounders, and 57 out of a complement of 64 men (seven having been sent away in a prize on that morning), commanded by Citizen Louis Bouvet, to strike her colours.

The Viper had her mainmast rendered unserviceable by the privateer's shot, and her rigging and sails very much cut ; but the cutter escaped with only her commander (slightly) and one seaman wounded. The Furet's rigging and sails were in as bad a condition as the Viper's, and her loss much greater ; amounting to four seamen killed, her first and second captains, and six seamen wounded, four of them dangerously.

This was a very spirited little affair, and ranks with the Courier and Guerrier as to the near equality of the match. Moreover it was, as will be recollected, the second occasion where the Viper cutter, under the same commander, had captured a French privateer of equal force. *

Colonial Expeditions - West Indies.

On the 31st of July an expedition intended to act against the Dutch island of Surinam, composed of the 98-gun ship Prince-of-Wales, Captain Adrian Renou, bearing the flag of Vice-admiral Lord Hugh Seymour, 74-gun ship Invincible, Captain William Cayley, four frigates, one 20-gun ship, and one gunbrig, having on board a body of troops commanded by Lieutenant-general Triage, sailed from Port-Royal bay, Martinique.

On the 11th of August the expedition made the coast of Surinam to windward of the river of that name, and on the 16th, in the afternoon, stood in and came to an anchor off the mouth of the river. A summons was immediately sent in to the governor of the colony, who requested and received 48 hours to, consider of the proposals. On the 18th the Dutch governor, consented to treat ; and on the 19th, on account of the shallowness of the water, the troops were removed from the two line-of-battle ships to the frigates. This done, the latter, with the admiral and general on board of one of them, weighed and proceeded to afresh anchorage about two miles up the river.

In this situation the British squadron continued until the night of the 20th, when the capitulation was returned finally ratified and confirmed. by the governor ; and on the following clay, the 21st, Fort New-Amsterdam was taken possession of, and the garrison, numbering 750 men, of whom 250 only were regulars, marched out with the honours of war. On the 22d several other forts and posts, including the town of Paramaribo,

* See p. 82.

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