1809	Onyx and Manly	147

much cut up in sails and rigging, and having most of her guns disabled by the close and well-directed fire of her antagonist, the Manly hauled down her colours, with the loss of five men killed and six wounded ; while that on the part of the Onyx amounted to only three men wounded : a difference in execution very creditable to the latter's young ship's company, especially considering the difficulty of pointing the guns, in the turbulent state of the sea.

The slight superiority of force was on the side to render the parties about equally matched ; and the officers and crew of the Onyx were entitled to great credit for the bravery, as well as skill, they displayed. It gives us pleasure to be able to add, that Captain Gill was immediately made a post captain, and that Lieutenant Edward William Garrett, first of the Onyx, became also promoted to the rank of commander. Having, previously to her capture by the Dutch in the river Ems, been. the British gun-brig of the same name, the Manly was permitted to resume her station among her old class-mates in the British navy.

On the 2d of January, at 11 a.m., being off the Welbank near the Texel, standing to the southward, the British 12-pounder 32-gun frigate Aimable, Captain Lord George Stuart, discovered a strange sail upon her weather quarter, standing to the northward and eastward. Suspecting her to be an enemy, the Aimable wore round and made all sail ; and, at 4 p.m. on the 3d, after a chase of 24 hours, came alongside of the French ship-corvette Iris, of 22 carronades, 24-pounders, and two long 12 or 8 pounders, with a complement of 140 men, commanded by Captain Joseph-Jean Macquet. After a running fight of a few minutes, the Iris hauled down her colours.

To the credit of the French crew in the use of their guns, the Aimable had her mainmast shot in the head, main yard shot away in the slings, mizenmast head, mizen topmast, and trysail mast shot away, and her rigging and sails greatly cut up. With all this damage, however, damage which very nearly caused the escape of the French ship, the Aimable had only one seaman and one marine slightly wounded. The loss on board the Iris amounted to two killed and eight wounded.

The Iris had sailed from Dunkerque on the 29th of December, with 640 casks of flour on board, bound to Martinique. She was a ship of 587 tons, launched at Dunkerque, October 12, 1806, and became added to the British navy by the name (an Iris being already in the service) of Rainbow. Her English armament was 20 carronades, 32-pounders, on the main deck, and six carronades, 18-pounders, and two long sixes on the quarterdeck and forecastle, total, 28 guns; with a net complement of 173 men and boys.

On the 5th of January, at noon, latitude 39° 24' north, and longitude 11° 41' west, the British 38-gun frigate Loire, Captain

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