1809 - British Indiamen and French Frigates

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1809 Boats of the Otter at Riviere-Noire 195

here, Captains Dale and Gelston addressed a joint letter of thanks to M. Feretier, for his good treatment of them and of his prisoners in general. To this letter M. Feretier returned a suitable reply ; but in the reply, short as it is, he finds an opportunity of paying a compliment to the national character of his country. "Extrêmement sensible aux remercîmens que vous me faites, je suis aussi extrêmement content que l'évènement vous ait prouvé que, si le François sçait vaincre, il sçait aussi ce qu'il doit d'égards à de braves ennemis."

Some credit was undoubtedly due to the captain of the Caroline for his bold advance upon the three Indiamen, as well as for the skilful manner in which he attacked them. Had the Streatham, instead of only hauling up her foresail to wait for the Europe to close, tacked, and placed the French frigate between two fires, the Caroline would at all events have purchased her victory at a dearer rate. But having been allowed to conquer his opponents in detail, M. Feretier came out of the contest with almost entire impunity ; and, on every consideration, the French Lieutenant, who had thus ably filled a captain's post, deserved the reward bestowed upon him by General Decaen, the Governor at the Isle of France ; which was a commission as capitaine de frégate. Nor must we omit to do justice to the two merchant captains, who certainly defended their ill-armed and worse manned ships as long as was practicable ; one of them, as we have seen, not surrendering his vessel until she was reduced to a sinking state.

On the 14th of August the British 18-gun ship-sloop Otter, Captain Nisbet Josiah Willoughby, cruising off Cape Brabant, Isle of France, discovered a brig and two fore-and-aft vessels at anchor under the protection of the batteries of Rivière-Noire. The brig had recently arrived from France with a cargo. One of the smaller vessels was a merchant lugger, and the other a gun-boat attached to the French squadron on the station. Thinking it practicable, notwithstanding the immense strength of the batteries, to cut out these vessels by a coup de main, Captain Willoughby resolved to make the attempt that same night. In the mean time, to prevent suspicion, the Otter bore away for Bourbon until dark ; then hauled up and worked back to the vicinity of Rivière-Noire. At 11 h. 30 m. p.m., when close enough in, Captain Willoughby pushed off in his gig, accompanied by Lieutenant John Burns in the launch, and midshipman William Weiss in the jollyboat. The plan was, for the gig, supported by the two remaining boats, to carry the gun-vessel ; the launch was then to secure the brig, and the jollyboat the lugger.

Favoured by the darkness, the three boats got into the harbour unperceived ; and having from the same cause, and the silence of the enemy, missed the gun-boat, the boats pulled alongside and captured the lugger. Having secured this vessel, Captain Willoughby detached the launch and jollyboat to board the brig,

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