1811	Alceste and Active with Pauline and Pomone	379

would have enabled both French frigates to have effected their escape.

The best voucher an officer can obtain of his good conduct in action is the testimony of his enemy ; but, unfortunately, it is not every heart that can cherish such a sentiment, nor every understanding that can perceive how much it redounds to true glory, to give to that sentiment free and unrestrained utterance. Captain Rosamel, however, had the happiness to fall into the hands of an officer, who both felt, and publicly expressed, what was due from one brave enemy to another. Captain Maxwell thus expresses himself on the subject: " Captain Rosamel fought his ship with a skill and bravery, that has obtained for him the respect and esteem of his opponents. " That this act of justice emanated solely from principle, may be gathered from the following well-attested anecdote. According to the etiquette of the service, Captain Maxwell, as senior officer of the two British frigates, became entitled to the sword of the French captain indeed, the French captain would deliver his sword to no one else ; but, no sooner did Captain Maxwell receive it, than, considering the Pomone to be the fair trophy of the Active, he sent, or rather took, the sword to Captain Gordon, as his by right of conquest.

It was about noon when the Unité so far closed in the wake of the Persanne, whose end-on appearance indicated that she also was a frigate, as to exchange bow and stern chasers ; but the variable state of the wind, which shifted from south to east, and the continuance of the Persanne in a course that kept the Unité directly astern, made it nearly 4 p.m. before the latter got close enough to open a part of her broadside. As soon as this was done, the Persanne fired a broadside in return, and hauled down her colours.

The masts, yards, sails, and rigging of the Unité were more or less cut by the galling stern-fire to which she had been exposed ; but her loss was restricted to one seaman severely wounded. The Persanne was also tolerably damaged aloft ; and, out of her 190 men in complement, had two killed and four wounded. Animated by the same spirit of fairness which, as we have shown, characterized his commodore, Captain Chamberlayne says in his official letter, that Captain Satie's " masterly manoeuvres and persevering resistance, for nearly four hours reflect great credit on him."

The Pomone was one of the largest class of French frigates, and had in her hold 42 iron guns, chiefly 18-pounders, and nine brass guns, besides 220 iron wheels for gun-carriages. The Persanne whose 26 guns were 8-pounders, was a ship of 860 tons, and had in her hold 130 iron 24-pounders, and 20 brass 9-pounders. The Pauline, in all probability, had on board a quantity of the same description of warlike stores. The Pomone was built by the citizens of Genoa at the commencement of the

^ back to top ^