men, for the purpose of taking one of the British African settlements, thereby to have drawn off a division of the Channel fleet. The command, both afloat and on shore, was to have been given to the emperor's brother Jérôme ; but the latter was to have been attended by two intelligent officers, one belonging to each service, to prevent him from committing blunders.

On his first cruising ground M. L'Hermitte took and destroyed several British slave-ships and merchant vessels, and was fortunate enough, on the 6th of January, to capture the British 18-gun ship-sloop Favourite, Captain John Davie. The French commodore manned the latter as a cruiser, and, it is believed, sent home the Surveillant. According to a loose statement in the French newspapers, this brig afterwards attacked a large English letter-of-marque ship, and was sunk by her.

After committing sad depredations on the African coast, the squadron proceeded to the Brazils to refit. M. L'Hermitte again put to sea, and cruised a short time in the West Indies ; when, on the 20th of August, being in latitude 22° 26 north, and longitude 55° west, on his return to Europe, he was overtaken, and his ships dispersed by the hurricane which proved so destructive in all parts of the Atlantic. The frigate Cybèle, having lost her topmasts, steered for the United States, and on the 1st of September anchored in Hampton roads ; but the Régulus and Présidente, being so fortunate as to retain their masts, were enabled to steer for France.

On the 27th of September, at 3 h. 30 m. A.M., having separated from her companion, and got as near home as latitude 47° 17' north, longitude 6° 52' west, the Présidente fell in with a British squadron of six sail of the line, under Rear-admiral Sir Thomas Louis, in the Canopus. Chase was immediately given by the squadron; and the 18-gun brig-sloop Despatch (sixteen 32-pounder carronades and two long sixes), Captain Edward Hawkins, soon became the leading vessel in the pursuit. By 4 P.M. the Despatch had got within three miles of the Présidente, and was gaining fast upon her. At 5 h. 30 m. P.M. the brig shortened sail, and at 6 h. 45 m. commenced firing her bow guns at the frigate ; who returned the fire with her stern-chasers. A running fight between the Despatch and Présidente was thus maintained until about 7 h. 45 m. P.M. ; when the latter bore up and stood towards the British squadron, the nearest ship of which, the 38-gun frigate Blanche, Captain Sir Thomas Lavie, was about three miles astern of the brig. The Canopus shortly afterwards fired a distant shot at the French frigate, who thereupon hauled down her colours, and was taken possession of by the brig. So says the log of the Despatch ; also that the Présidente had previously struck to her. The letter of Rear-admiral Louis contains no particulars ; although it would have been but fair to have given the brig the credit

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