1808	Light Squadrons and Single Ships	86

soon silenced the two smaller batteries and drove the troops from the beach.

Observing at this time that the French brig and the schooner in her company were unlading, Captain Collier directed the Morne-Fortunée to watch the motions of the schooner on shore, and to give similar orders to the Epervier on her coming up ; and then, with the Circe, Stork, and Express, he made sail. towards the Cigne and her consort, now lying well to windward, close to the rocks, and under the protection of four batteries and a considerable number of troops, with field-pieces, assembled ors the beach. Having manned her barge and two cutters, with 68 officers and men, under the command of Lieutenant Charles Henry Crooke, Mr. William Collman the purser, and Mr. William Smith the master, and directed Lieutenant Crooke to lie off until the French brig's fire slackened, the Circe, followed by the Stork and Express, stood in and opened a close and well directed fire upon the brig, the batteries, and the troops on the beach.

As soon as the Circe and Stork, which latter ship had manned her boats to assist those of the former, had run past the batteries and brig, Lieutenant Crooke, without waiting for the Stork's boats, dashed on, in the most gallant manner, and boarded the Cigne. It happened, in this instance, that gallantry did not meet its accustomed reward. The three boats were defeated with dreadful slaughter. One boat was taken, another sunk, and the third entirely disabled ; and, out of the 68 men detached from her, the Circe lost nine killed, 21 wounded, and 26 missing : total 56, including, among the badly wounded, Lieutenant Crooke, in four places, and Mr. Collman the purser. It being when the issue of this unfortunate business was known, quite dark, the Circe stood off from the shore ; leaving the 18-gun brig-sloop Amaranthe, Captain Edward Pelham Brenton, who had just joined company, to watch the Cigne during the night.

At daylight on the 13th the French brig got under way, and, aided by her sweeps and boats, stood alongshore for St.-Pierre's. Captain Brenton having in the handsomest manner volunteered to bring out the Cigne, the Amaranthe, towed by the boats of the Circe and Stork, used her utmost endeavours to close with her. At 10 A. M, the Cigne grounded near several batteries to the northward of St.-Pierre's : whereupon the British brig tacked and worked in, under a heavy fire from the French brig, and particularly from the batteries, by which the Amaranthe had one man killed and five wounded. The Circe and the rest of the squadron, meanwhile, were engaging the batteries to leeward. By her close and well-directed fire, the Amaranthe soon obliged the crew of the Cigne to quit their vessel and take to the shore : immediately on which the boats of the Amaranthe, Circe, and Stork, led by Lieutenant James Hay, first of the Amaranthe, gallantly boarded and carried the Cigne,

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