1811	Colonial Expeditions - East Indies	36

after receiving a few of the latter's shot, yawed also, and fired her broadside. By this time the Nymphe had hauled to windward, on the larboard quarter of the Bucephalus, out of gun-shot ; and, the Méduse dropping also out of gun-shot on the opposite quarter, the British frigate ceased firing. At 4 p.m. two shoals were discovered right ahead of the Bucephalus. Confiding in his skill and experience, Captain Pelly passed between the shoals, in the hope of decoying both or one of the French frigates upon them ; but they, seeing the danger in time, shortened sail and tacked to the north-east, and at dark were lost sight of, at daylight on the 13th the island of Arentes bore from the Bucephalus south-south-west : and at 11 a.m. the two French frigates were again seen at a great distance in the north-east, but shortly afterwards wholly disappeared.

The Bucephalus had not a man hurt, and sustained very slight damage in her rigging, sails, masts, or hull. To what extent her shot had injured the Nymphe and Méduse is not known ; but it was evident that the rigging and sails of the Nymphe had in some degree suffered. Admitting that these frigates were justified in using the utmost despatch to get away from the Java coast, and from the fleet that was hovering near it, what had they to dread on reaching the coast of Borneo ? It is true that Commodore Raoul then chased in his turn ; but he desisted from pursuit on the first appearance of danger from shoal water, and abandoned a British frigate which, obstinately defended as she undoubtedly would have been, must have ultimately been his prize.

The conduct of Captain Pelly on the other hand, was in the highest degree praiseworthy : he was induced to chase an enemy more than doubly superior to himself, in the hope of being able to separate one French frigate from the other, or of falling in with a consort, with whose assistance he might have a fair prospect of conquering the two ; and his perseverance in chasing, and success in keeping sight of, two French frigates, during so many days and nights, afforded a decided proof both of his gallantry and his seamanship. Of the Nymphe and Méduse, we have nothing further to state, than that they made their long voyage in safety, and arrived at Brest on the 22d of December.

While these two French frigates were meditating an escape from the channel formed by the west end of the small island of Madura, the two British frigates Sir-Francis-Drake and Phaëton lay unconsciously at anchor off the east end, close under the isle of Pondock. They were not, however, lying inactive, as the following details will show. On the 29th of August Captain Harris, the senior officer, having resolved to attack the fort of Samanap, the capital of the island, sent the Dasher sloop round the south end of Pulo 'I Lanjong, to gain an anchorage as near as possible to the fort, and in the evening, accompanied by Captain Pellew, proceeded with the boats of the two frigates, in two

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