1808	Wizard and Requin	49

yet, as was a little extraordinary, no spar of either came down. The Requin then filled and made sail, followed by the Wizard ; who, being to leeward, had the wind taken out of her sails by the former, and, in consequence, dropped astern ; but the British brig still maintained a running fight with her antagonist as long her guns would reach.

In this smart encounter the Wizard had her lower masts and main yard badly wounded, and her boats, booms, rigging, and sails much cut, and had also one man killed and five wounded. The loss on the part of the Requin must have been much more severe, as the Wizard's guns were directed chiefly at her opponent's hull ; while those of the French brig were pointed high, as if to disable the rigging of her antagonist. At 6 p.m., by which time the Wizard had fished her lower masts and main yard, repaired the principal part of her rigging, and was again in chase under every sail she could spread, the island of Toro bore east by south half-south distant 12 leagues, and the Requin south-east half-east distant a mile and a quarter. At 9 p.m., the breeze having nearly died away, the sweeps of the Wizard were again resorted to, and were unceasingly plied until 11 P.M.; when, a moderate breeze springing up from the westward, the sails again performed their office, to the great relief of the fatigued but not disheartened crew, whose hammocks, during the whole of a second night, remained lashed in the nettings.

On the 12th, at 5 a.m., the Requin altered her course from south-east by south to south ; and at 6 h. 15 m. a.m. the Wizard got near enough to fire her lee guns, but the former soon increased her distance. At 7 a.m. the Requin was out of gunshot, and at 8 a.m. one mile ahead ; the Wizard still sweeping, with all her strength, and who, to quicken her progress in the light air that was blowing, knocked away the stanchions from under the beams of her deck and started the wedges of her masts. Notwithstanding all this, the Requin, with her sails alone, increased her distance, at noon, to a mile and a half, and at 4 p.m. to two miles and a half. The Wizard now ran her sweeps across the deck, and got her bow guns amidships, but still could do no more than keep way with her opponent. At 9 h. 30 m. p.m., a light breeze springing up from west by north, the Wizard trimmed sails, and, being near the land, bent the small bower cable, and got a hawser ready for a spring. This done, midnight left the two brigs still two miles and a half apart, the Requin bearing from the Wizard south by west, and the African coast right ahead, distant about seven miles; and again there was no sleep for the British crew.

On the 13th, at 0 h. 30 m. a.m., the Requin tacked ; and the Wizard, on getting abreast of the latter's lee beam, and nearly within gun-shot, did the same, under all sail. At 5 a.m., the weather becoming foggy, the two vessels lost sight of each other ; but at 6 a.m. the Wizard was again cheered with the

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