1810	Light Squadrons and Single Ships	242

was such, that the latter, soon after her capture, filled and sank, carrying down with her one of the seamen belonging to the British brig.

On the 10th of December, in the evening, the British 10-gun brig-sloop Rosario (same force as Briseis *), Captain Booty Harvey, cruising off Dungeness, with the wind blowing hard from the westward, fell in with two large French lugger-privateers, whose intention was evidently to board her. Knowing their superiority of sailing, Captain Harvey, with the utmost gallantry and promptitude, ran the nearest lugger alongside whereupon Lieutenant Thomas Daws, with a party of men, sprang on board, and in a few minutes succeeded in carrying her. The Rosario at the same time was engaged on the starboard side with the other lugger ; but who, on seeing the fate of her companion, sheered off and effected her escape, owing principally to the loss of the Rosario's jib-boom in boarding the captured lugger, and her consequent inability to make sail to windward. The prize was the Mamelouck, of Boulogne, Captain Norbez Lawrence, carrying 16 guns and 45 men ; of whom seven were wounded. The loss on board the Rosario amounted to five men wounded, two of them severely.

On the 12th of December, at 8 a.m., the British cutter Entreprenante, mounting eight 4-pounders, with 33 men and boys, Lieutenant Peter Williams, while lying becalmed off the coast of Spain, about midway between Malaga and Almeria bay, observed four vessels at anchor under the castle of Faro. At 9 a.m., they vessels, which were French latteen-rigged privateers, one of six guns, including two long 18-pounders, and 75 men, another of five guns and 45 men, and the remaining two of two guns and 25 men each, weighed and swept out towards the cutter. At 10 h. 30 m. a.m. the privateers hoisted their colours, and opened their fire. At 11 a.m., which was as early as her lighter guns would reach, the Entreprenante commenced firing at the privateers ; one of the two largest of which lay on her starboard bow, the other on her starboard quarter, and the two smaller once right astern. The action was now maintained with spirit on both sides, at a pistol-shot distance, each party firing with round and grape shot, and the cutter with musketry also. At noon the Entreprenante had her topmast, peek-halliards and blocks, fore jeers, fore halliards, and jib-tie shot away; also two of her starboard guns disabled, by the stock of one and the carriage of the other being broken.

Seeing the cutter in this disabled state, the nearest of the two large privateers attempted to board ; but her men were driven back by the British crew, who, with the two foremost guns and musketry, kept up an incessant fire. A second attempt was made to board, and a second time it was defeated, but with a

* See p. 230.

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