1811 - Action off Madagascar

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1811 Light Squadrons and Single Ships 18

having passed out of gun-shot astern of the Néréide, the Astrea prepared to tack and renew the action ; but, as was to have been expected so near to the land, particularly Madagascar, the cannonade produced an almost instantaneous calm to leeward. Having, in consequence, missed stays, the Astrea attempted to wear, and had scarcely accomplished that, ere there was an entire cessation of the breeze. From their weatherly position, the French ships of course felt its influence the longest ; and the breeze did not quite leave them until the Clorinde and Renommée had bore up and stationed themselves, in a most destructive position, across the starboard quarters and sterns of the Phoebe and Galatea. Now was the time for the Racehorse, with her facility of sweeping, to have distinguished herself, by taking a position close athwart the hawse of the Néréide, between whom and the Astrea a distant and partial cannonade was maintained. The Racehorse did begin sweeping, but stopped to engage long before her shot could reach the French frigate ; and, in consequence, the Astrea made the brig's signal to engage more closely, and, as it was never answered, kept it flying. Owing to the leeward position of the Galatea, and the efforts of the Ph�be, by backing her sails, to support her consort, these two ships lay nearly abreast of each other, in the manner represented in the following diagram

On the starboard quarter of the Phoebe lay the Renommée and on her starboard bow the Néréide, who had just cleared herself from the Astrea and Racehorse, then upwards of a mile and a half ahead of their two consorts, and like them in an ungovernable state for the want of wind. At 6 h. 30 m. p.m. a light air from the south-east enabled the Phoebe, who had hitherto been able only to bring her bow guns to bear on the Néréide, and her quarter ones on the Renommée, as the swell hove her off and brought her to, to close the Néréide, in a raking position ; and whom, at the end of 25 minutes, the Phoebe completely silenced, but was then obliged to quit, as the Renommée

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