chasers. At 11 h. 30 m. P.M. the Seine, having gained so in the chase as to be close on her opponent's quarter, fired several broadsides at her; but the Vengeance still stood on, firing in return all the guns she could bring to bear. This greatly damaged the rigging and sails of the Seine, and compelled her, at about midnight, to drop astern.

The remainder of the night was occupied in reeving fresh rigging, and preparing to renew the combat ; each ship carrying every sail she could set. On the 21st, at 7 h. 30 m. a.m., the Seine got again within gun-shot, and at 8 A.M. close alongside, of the Vengeance. The action now recommenced, and continued, with unabated fury, until 10 h. 30 m. A.M.; when the Vengeance, having lost her foremast, mizenmast, and main topmast, all of which had fallen in-board, and being terribly shattered in her hull, surrendered. This was made known by an officer, who hailed the Seine from the end of the French ship's bowsprit.

The Seine lost none of her masts, but had her mainmast badly wounded, and received several shot in her remaining masts and hull. Her loss, out of a complement of 281 men and boys, amounted to her second lieutenant (George Milne) and 12 seamen killed, and one lieutenant of marines (Archibald Macdonald), her master (Andrew Barclay), captain's clerk (Mr. Horne), 22 seamen, three marines, and one boy wounded. The loss of the Vengeance, Captain Milne merely says, " has been very great." As 291 were the number of prisoners received out of her, and 326, according to the deposition of her officers in the prize-court, the number of persons on board when the action commenced, we may fairly set down the killed at 35 ; and the wounded, if in the usual proportion, were probably about 70 or 80.

The Seine, late the French frigate of that name taken by the Jason and Pique in June, 1798,* carried two long nines and eight 32-pounder carronades more than the establishment of her class. � The force of the Vengeance has already, on more than one occasion, been referred to. � Captain Milne calls the eights of the Vengeance twelves ; but no French frigate, not even the Forte of 1401, nor the Egyptienne of 1430 tons, mounted a heavier caliber than 8-pounders on the quarterdeck and forecastle. Moreover the Vengeance, as Captain Milne admits, was a sister-vessel to the Resistance ; and the latter, as has already been shown, carried 8-pounders. � In calling the 36-pounder carronades 42s, Captain Milne has only erred as other captains have done; but, in adding, " The weight of metal I have

* See vol. ii., p. 220.

� For which see letter Z in the small table at p. 91 of the first volume.

� See vol. i., p. 341, and vol. ii., p, 80.

� See vol. ii., p. 81.

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