1810	Light Squadrons and Single Ships	262

Sémillante, on their departure for Europe as merchant ships, had left behind the principal part of their crews. There was also, we regret to have to state, another source whence the French at the Isle of France derived a supply both of sailors and soldiers, but chiefly the latter. When any prisoners were brought in, every art was made use of to inveigle them into the French service. As the bulk of the prisoners consisted of detachments of soldiers taken out of the Indiamen, and as the majority of those were Irish Catholics, an assurance that France had not yet abandoned her intention of conquering Ireland and restoring the Catholic religion, was generally found a successful expedient ; especially when coupled with threats of the most rigid confinement in case of refusal. Other deserters, no doubt, had not the excuse of the poor Hibernian to make. Nor were soldiers on this occasion the only traitors : between 20 and 30 of the late Laurel's crew entered with the enemy whom they had so resolutely fought.

On the 14th of March, taking advantage of the absence of the British blockading squadron from the station on account of the hurricane season, Captain Duperré with the Bellone and Minerve frigates, and the recaptured ship-corvette Victor, now commanded by Captain Nicolas Morice, the same officer, with a step in his rank, who had commanded her when captured as the Jéna by the British frigate Modeste in October, 1808, sailed from Port-Louis on a cruise in the bay of Bengal. On the 1st of June, having taken and sent in two prizes, and there being no prospect of making any more this season, Commodore Duperré steered for the bay of St.-Augustin, island of Madagascar, to repair his ships and refresh his crews. Having accomplished this object, the French commodore, in the latter end of the month, again sailed, and stood leisurely up the Mosambique channel, until he came in sight of the island of Mayotta, when an occurrence happened, which proved that his cruising ground had been well chosen.

On the 3d of July, at 6 a.m., or just as the day dawned, the island of Mayotta bearing east half north distant about 12 leagues, the three British outward-bound Indiamen Ceylon, Captain and senior officer Henry Meriton, Windham, Captain John Stewart, and Astell, Captain Robert Hay, steering their course to the northward, with a fresh breeze from the south-south-east, discovered about nine miles off in the north-north-east, under a press of sail, close hauled on the larboard tack, the Bellone, Minerve, and Victor. At 6 h. 30 m. a.m., agreeably to a signal from the commodore, the three Indiamen hauled their wind upon the larboard tack, under double-reefed topsails, courses, jib, and spanker. At 7 h. 30 m. a.m. the Ceylon made the private signal to the three strangers, then passing on the opposite tack at the distance of about four miles. No answer being returned, the British ships cleared for action. At 9 h. 30 m. a.m., in consequence of the Astell making a signal that she was over-pressed, the Ceylon and Windham shortened sail.

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