hour. * The Bahama and French Swiftsure, reduced to the state of wrecks suffered a proportionate loss of men ; the first having had nearly 400 killed and wounded, including among the former her captain, and the second very little short of that number.

Being close astern of the Colossus and sailing well, the English Achille became, in a few minutes after the former, warmly engaged. Having passed close astern of the Montanez, the Achille luffed up and engaged that ship to leeward. In less than a quarter of an hour the Montanez sheered off, and the Achille made sail to succour the Belleisle, then lying to leeward totally dismasted, with three enemy's ships upon her. While on her way to perform this duty, the Achille found herself obstructed by the Argonauta. The British 74 immediately brought to on the Spanish 80's larboard beam, and a close action ensued, which lasted an hour. The Argonauta now attempted to set her mainsail to shoot ahead, but, failing in that, ceased firing, shut her lowerdeck ports, and, as it appeared on board the Achille, threw an English jack or ensign over her larboard quarter.

At this moment two French ships came up, and one of them soon found other employment for the English Achille then taking possession of the Argonauta. The French Achille edged down on her English namesake's larboard quarter, and engaged her in passing to windward ; and the Berwick, who had been distantly engaged with the Defence, ranged up on the English Achille's starboard side, between the latter and the Argonauta. The French Achille passing on in the direction of the Belleisle, and the Argonauta dropping to leeward, the English Achille and Berwick were left in fair single combat. The action continued for upwards of an hour, when the Berwick hauled down her colours, and was taken possession of by the Achille.

The masts of the latter, although all standing, were badly wounded, and so was her bowsprit : her hull had also received considerable damage. The loss on board the English Achille amounted to one midshipman (Francis John Mugg), six seamen, and six marines killed and two lieutenants (Parkins Prynn and Josias Bray), one captain and one lieutenant of marines (Palms Westropp and William Leddon), one master's mate (George Pegge), three midshipmen (William H. Staines, William J. Snow, and William Smith Warren), 37 seamen, and 14 marines wounded.

The Argonauta, the English Achille's first steady opponent appears to have suffered greatly in rigging, hull, and crew, but to have had no spars of any consequence shot away : her loss is represented to have amounted to nearly 400 in killed and wounded, including among the dangerously wounded her

* Victoires et Conquetes, tome xvi., p. 178.

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