1808	Gorée with Palinure and Pilade	41

first lieutenant, William Cutfield ; also of his master, Henry Bell, and purser, Thomas Bastin ; the first for having taken the brig into so dangerous a navigation, and the last for having, in the absence of the second lieutenant, commanded the after-guns. Mr. Bastin had, it appears, on a former occasion, been severely wounded, and is described as a very deserving officer.

On the 22d of April, at 6 a.m. as the British ship-sloop Gorée, of 18 long sixes and eight 12-pounder carronades, with 120 men and boys, Captain Joseph Spear, was lying at an anchor in Grande-Bourg bay, island of Marie-Galante, the two French 16-gun brig-corvettes Palinure, Capitaine de frégate Pierre-François Jance, and Pilade, Lieutenant de vaisseau Jean-Marie Cocherel, each mounting fourteen 24-pounder carronades and two sixes, with 110 men and boys, then on their way from Martinique to Guadaloupe, made their appearance in the south-east. Having ascertained that they were enemy's vessels, and hoisted a signal to that effect to the brig-sloop Supérieure, of twelve 18-pounder carronades and two long twelves, Captain Andrew Hodge, at an anchor a few miles off in the north-west, the Gorée, at 9 a.m., slipped and made sail in chase, with a moderate breeze at east-south-east.

Confident in their strength, the two brigs waited for the Gorée, and at 10 a.m. the action commenced within pistol-shot. At the end of an hour's cannonade, observing the approach of the Supérieure, and of another vessel or two, the Palinure and Pilade bore up and made all sail ; leaving the Gorée, with her main yard, and fore and main topsail yards, shot away in the slings, all her masts and topmasts badly wounded, and the ship in other respects so disabled that she could not follow them. Owing, however, to the high firing of her two opponents, the Gorée's loss amounted to only one man killed and four wounded. Each French brig had four men killed ; the Pilade six, and the Palinure 15, including her captain, wounded : total, eight killed and 21 wounded. With no other sail to set than her foresail and driver, the Gorée now hauled her wind for Marie-Galante, and in about half an hour regained the anchorage she had quitted.

By noon the Supérieure, who had weighed at 10 h. 15 m. A., M., got within three miles of the two French brigs, then in the west-south-west, steering for the Saintes. At about half past noon a running fight commenced between the Pilade and Supérieure, and continued until 3 h. 30 m. p.m., when the latter, being close to the forts at the Saintes, shortened sail and hauled to the wind on the larboard tack ; having sustained no loss, and no greater damage than one carronade disabled, and the axle of one of her 12-pounders broken. At 6 p.m. the Palinure and Pilade anchored in the Sainte ; and, in justice to those brigs, it must be stated, that, when the Supérieure gave up the chase, the 12-pounder 32-gun frigate Circe, Captain Hugh Pigot, and 18-gun

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