1806 - Pitt and Superbe


 
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Naval history of Great Britain - Vol. IV
by
William James
1806 Pitt and Superbe 269

rigging, and of remounting and securing several of the carronades, which, having been improperly fitted, had upset in the afternoon's engagement.

Early on the morning of the 26th the Superbe rounded Cape Maize; and, having to make Ochoa bay, where he knew there was a detachment of Spanish troops, M. Dominique was obliged to haul across the Pitt. In so doing the Superbe brought her starboard broadside to bear upon the Pitt's larboard bow, and, as soon as she had succeeded in crossing her, ran herself on shore among the rocks. The Superbe, with her colours still flying, then commenced landing her crew ; and the Pitt continued the cannonade to induce the privateer to surrender. Finding that the Frenchmen were quitting the Superbe in great numbers, the Pitt sent her boats, manned and armed, and took possession.

When just abreast of Ochoa bay, the Pitt had observed to leeward the three topgallantsails of a ship ; and which, by the time the schooner had got a hawser on board her prize to attempt to heave her off, made herself known by signal, as the British 16-gun ship-sloop Drake, Captain Robert Nicolas. Having been a merchant vessel purchased into the service, the Drake made very slow progress in working to windward. The sloop at length joined company, and Captain Nicolas sent his boats to assist in getting the prize afloat ; which, after considerable exertion, was accomplished.

Out of her complement of 54 men and boys, the Pitt had two men badly and six slightly wounded. On board the Superbe, whose alleged complement was 94 men, four were found dead in her hold, and three mortally wounded. The remainder, including M. Dominique himself, had escaped to the shore. The whole loss in killed sustained by the privateer was understood to have been 14, with a proportionate number of wounded ; most of whom, by the aid of their companions, landed along with them.

Thus, after a 67 hours' arduous chase, including several intervals of close and spirited action, had a stop been put to the career of one of the most formidable French privateers, coupling her force with the notorious character of her commander, that, for a long time, had infested the commerce of the West Indies. Dominique was not only a daring and experienced privateersman, but he was a perfect freebooter. He detained American as well as English vessels (the two schooners which he had sent into Baracoa were Americans); and, where he wanted a cause to capture, was never without one to pillage. Few neutrals that crossed his path, but left him with a serious defalcation in their sails, rigging, or stores. Among the papers found on board the Superbe, was a list of captures, English, Spanish, and American, made by Dominique, to the amount of 147,000L. sterling.

It was therefore some merit to have captured a privateer, so capable of doing further mischief as the Superbe.  It was a

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