1809	Cyane and Cérès	175

British and Sicilian gun-boats to bring their opponents to close action ; whereby, before 10 a.m., 18 French gun-boats were taken and four destroyed. In this smart affair, the Cyane received 23 shot in the hull, had her masts, yards, rigging, and sails a good deal cut, and lost one seaman and one boy killed, one master's mate (David Jones) mortally, and six seamen slightly wounded. The, Espoir appears to have escaped without any loss whatever.

On the same afternoon, observing a flag of truce on a battery near Point Messino, Captain Staines detached the boats to the spot ; and, after spiking four 36-pounders on the battery and destroying the carriages, the boats took off 15 deserters. At 7 p.m. the Cyane and Espoir, accompanied by 23 Sicilian gunboats, stood into Pozzuoli bay, where the Cérès, Fama, and 12 gun-boats, were lying at anchor. Captain Staines continued working and sounding off the town of Pozzuoli ; and at 8 a.m. on the 27th the Cyane found herself becalmed so near to the shore, that a battery of four guns opened upon her. At 10 a.m., the fire becoming troublesome, Captain Staines embarked in one of the gun-boats, and, leading them to the attack, soon silenced the battery. He then landed with a party of men, spiked four 36-pounders, destroyed the carriage, hove a 10 inch mortar into the sea, and returned to his ship without a casualty.

At 5. p.m., finding that the Cyane and Espoir lay becalmed in the offing, and considering the gun-boats in the bight of the bay was no obstacle, the French commodore weighed and put to sea with the Cérès, Fama, and 20 gun-boats, bound to Naples. At 5 h. 42 m. the Cyane made the Espoir's signal to prepare for battle and make all possible sail. At 6 h. 23 m. p.m. the Sicilian gun-boats began annoying the rear of the French gun-boats. At 6 h. 50 m., finding that the Espoir and Sicilian gun-boats were now too far astern to be of much service, and observing that the French frigate was nearly a mile and a half astern of the corvette, and about the same distance from the French gun-boats, the Cyane manned her sweeps and stood towards the Cérès then not more than three miles from the mole of Naples.

At 7 h. 20 m. p.m. the Cyane succeeded in getting alongside of the French frigate, within half pistol-shot distance, and commenced the action with her. The Cérès assisted occasionally by the corvette, the gun-boats, and the batteries of Naples, within gun-shot of which she had by this time arrived, returned the Cyane's fire. At 7 h. 30 m. the Cérès was observed to get a reinforcement of men from Naples. Notwithstanding this, at 7h. 45 m., the frigate hauled down her colours, but rehoisted them on getting a second reinforcement of men. At 8 h. 25 m. p.m. the fire of the Cérès slackened considerably. In two or three minutes more the frigate discontinued firing her maindeck guns ; and at 8 h. 30 m. ceased firing altogether. But, as the Cyane,

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