1810	Light Squadrons and Single Ships	310

quite, to the level of her own powers by a superiority of tactics. But the Ceylon would have done better, had she fought her action by daylight ; not owing to any lack of skill in her crew, as the damages of her antagonist testify, but because the obscurity of night caused her to overrate, far to overrate, the force of that antagonist's unengaged consort. Had the Victor been rigged with two masts instead of three, as, with one or two exceptions, all similarly armed vessels in the British navy at that time were, her real insignificance would have discovered itself even in the dark, and her approach been greeted with a broadside, which would probably have sent the Victor to the bottom, or, at all events, have disabled her from offering any effectual resistance. What resources would then have remained to the Ceylon, it is difficult to say ; but, undoubtedly, she was in no worse state than the Vénus ; and, had a suspension of the firing continued a few hours longer, the appearance of the British force, whose arrival we shall presently have to announce, would have preserved the Ceylon's flag from falling, and would have prevented a French 16-gun corvette from claiming the honour of having summoned, successfully summoned, a British frigate to surrender.

At 7 h. 30 m. a.m. Commodore Rowley, whom with the Boadicea, Otter, and Staunch, we left at anchor in the road of St.-Paul, first descried the two French ships and their prize, then abreast of St.-Denis, and about three leagues distant from the shore. At 7 h. 40 m. a.m., having received 50 volunteers from the Africaine, the Boadicea, accompanied by her two consorts, got under way and made sail in chase ; and the Victor, who at 8 a.m. had discovered and signalled the British vessels as they cleared the bay, hastened to take the Ceylon in tow, and follow the Vénus, now using her best endeavours to get back to the Isle of France. Scarcely had the Victor made sail with the Ceylon, than the tow-rope broke ; and it was not until nearly noon that the prize was again secured. The corvette, with the wind fresh from the east-south-east, again steered after the Vénus; who was standing on the starboard tack, under her foresail and mainsail, and a small sail upon the stump of her mizenmast. At 3 h. 30 m. p.m., being too small and light to tow the Ceylon with any effect, the Victor slipped or cast off the hawser; and, waiting only till he had taken his officer and men out of the prize, Captain Morice hauled up towards the Vénus. The latter wore to join her consort, and then came to on the larboard tack, with her head towards the Boadicea; while the Victor herself, as ordered by Commodore Hamelin, stood away to the eastward.

As soon as the Victor got out of gun-shot, the Ceylon rehoisted the colours which had been struck in the morning, and was again a British ship of war under the temporary command of Mr. Philip Fitz-Gibbon, the second lieutenant. At 4 h. 40 m.

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