Seeing the frigate in this apparently disabled state, the Sylph made sail in chase ; but, on account of a severe wound in her mainmast and a rising sea, the brig was obliged, instead of tacking, to wear, which retarded her progress. While the Sylph was thus slowly advancing, the frigate swayed up her fore yard, wore, and made all sail for the land, but still without hoisting any colours. As the brig's mainmast was every moment expected to go over the side, as she was then making a foot and a half of water per hour from shot-hole leaks, and as the stranger was evidently a frigate of 14 guns of a side on her main deck, Captain Dashwood felt it to be his duty to wear and stand to the northward ; having already sustained a loss, by the preceding night's action, of one seaman killed, and one midshipman (Lionel Carey) and eight seamen wounded, three of them dangerously.

Before we submit any remarks upon the alleged name and force of the Sylph's antagonist in this to her very-creditable action, we will relate another contest in which, about a month afterwards, the brig was engaged almost in the same spot.

The damages the Sylph had received rendering her return to port indispensable, Captain Dashwood was directed by Admiral Cornwallis, under whose orders he was cruising, to proceed to Plymouth. Having here undergone a complete refit, the Sylph sailed to rejoin the commander-in-chief off Ushant, and by the latter was ordered to resume her station off the north coast of Spain. On the 28th of September, in the afternoon, Cape Pinas bearing south distant 42 leagues, the Sylph chased a ship in the north-west; and, although before sunset the discovery was made that the stranger was a French frigate of the same apparent force as the one which the brig had formerly engaged upon this coast, Captain Dashwood gallantly resolved to do his utmost to bring her to action.

Being desirous, as before, to gain the wind of an antagonist so decidedly superior, the Sylph made all sail for that purpose; and the French frigate seemed equally determined to frustrate the attempt. At 7 h. 30 m. p.m., however, after various man�uvers, during which the two vessels crossed each other three times, and exchanged, at a very short distance, as many heavy broadsides, the Sylph obtained a station within pistol-shot upon the frigate's weather bow. A severe conflict now ensued, and continued without intermission for two hours and five minutes, when the frigate wore and made sail on the opposite tack ; leaving the Sylph with her standing and running rigging cut to pieces, and main topmast badly wounded, but, on account of the skilful manner in which the brig was manoeuvred, and the unskilful manner in which the frigate's guns (admitting them to have been such as supposed) were fought, with so trifling a loss as one person slightly wounded, Mr. Lionel Carey, who had been wounded in the former action.

The following is the concluding passage of Captain Dashwood's

^ back to top ^