1810	Ceylon and Venus	309

about 1 h. 15 m. a.m. ; when, having by this time ascertained clearly enough, that her opponent was a ship of war, the Vénus wore round and dropped astern. The Ceylon was thus afforded an opportunity of repairing her damaged rigging, and of making sail to escape from an antagonist, who, although singly not what a British frigate would consider a decided overmatch, was deemed too powerful to be engaged when likely so soon to be aided by a consort, believed to be, at the least, of equal force.

The same superiority of sailing, which had first enabled the Vénus to overtake the Ceylon, brought her again alongside; and at 2 h. 15 m. a.m. the action recommenced. 1t was now maintained with such renewed vigour on both sides, that, by a little after 3 a.m., the Vénus had lost her mizenmast and her fore and main topmasts and gaff : The standing and running rigging of both frigates was also much cut, and the courses of the Ceylon were torn nearly to pieces by the fall of the topmasts. In this unmanageable state, the two frigates continued engaging until a few minutes past four, when the Vénus dropped about 450 yards to leeward, and fired only at intervals. At this time the Victor was seen from the Ceylon, coming down under a crowd of canvass. At about 4 h. 30 m. a.m., having passed close to windward of the Ceylon, the Victor placed herself athwart the latter ship's bows, as if intending to rake her. At this moment, being unable in her totally ungovernable state, to evade a fire which, as coming from a ship supposed, even yet, to be a second Vénus in point of force, might have been very destructive, the Ceylon showed a light as a signal of having struck. At 5 h. 10 m. a.m. a lieutenant, with a party of men, came on board from the corvette and took possession of the prize: and Captain Gordon, his first and third lieutenants (George Henry Campbell and Edmund Malone), and Major-general Abercromby and the other army-officers, were taken on board the Vénus.

The loss of the Ceylon's topmasts has already been stated her lower masts were also much injured ; and her loss of men amounted to six seamen and four soldiers of the 69th regiment, acting as marines, killed, her captain, master (William Oliver, both severely), Captain Ross of the 69th regiment, her boatswain (Andrew Graham), 17 sailors, one marine, and nine soldiers wounded ; total, 10 killed and 31 wounded. The principal damage done to the Vénus consisted in the loss of her mizenmast and topmasts, as already described ; but her loss of men although, in all probability, full as severe as that on board the Ceylon, we are unable to state, owing to the silence of the published accounts, and the failure of our efforts to obtain the particulars from any private source.

It is generally an advantage to a well-disciplined ship to engage at night ; because, in case of being assailed by a superiority of force, she may reduce the odds, nearly if not

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