1810	Light Squadrons and Single Ships	274

of the inhabitants, as it did a flattering one of their future happiness, provided, when the British came to conquer their country, they offered no resistance. In short, as the principal strength of the island, after its forts were carried, consisted in its unembodied militia, the object was, by sapping their integrity, to render them comparatively powerless.

On the 10th of August, having left Captain Lambert, with the Iphigenia, off Port-Louis, Captain Pym, with the Sirius, Néréide, and Staunch, arrived off Grand-Port. On the same evening the boats of the two frigates, containing about 400 seamen, marines, and soldiers, under the command of Captain Willoughby, were taken in tow by the Staunch, who had on board the Néréide, black pilot, and proceeded to attack Isle de la Passe. The night becoming very dark, and the weather extremely boisterous, so as to occasion several of the boats to run foul of each other and some to get stove, the pilot began to falter, and declared it was impossible to enter the channel under such disadvantageous circumstances. Captain Willoughby offered the man a thousand dollars, if he would persevere and carry the boats in ; but the pilot persisted in his declaration of the impracticability of the undertaking, and the enterprise was given up. Daylight on the 11th discovered the boats scattered in all directions by the weather, but the frigates and gun-brig at length picked them up.

In order to lull the suspicions of the French as to any meditated attack upon Isle de la Passe, Captain Pym bore away with his small force round the south-west end of the island, and joined Captain Lambert off Port-Louis. It was now arranged, to further the deception, that the two frigates should return off Isle de la Passe by different routes, the Sirius to beat up by the longest or eastern route, and the Néréide, accompanied by the Staunch, to proceed by the leeward or south-western route ; and, as the Néréide, sailed very badly, it was calculated that the two frigates would arrive off Grand-Port nearly at the same time. Previously to the departure of the Sirius, two boats from the Iphigenia, under the command of Lieutenant Henry Ducie Chads, second of that ship, came on board to assist in the intended attack.

On the 13th, in the afternoon, the Sirius arrived off Isle de la Passe ; but the Néréide, and Staunch, having to beat up from the south-west end of the Isle of France, were still at a great distance to leeward. Fearing that the French might gain some intimation of his intention, and thus render the enterprise doubly hazardous, and perhaps impracticable, Captain Pym resolved to detach his own boats on the service ; the more so, as the weather was unusually favourable, and as he had taken from the Néréide, her black pilot. Accordingly, at 8 p.m., five boats, including the Iphigenia's two, containing between them 71 officers, seamen,

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