1813	Light Squadrons and Single Ships	160

May, 1814, a court-martial was held on board the Gladiator at Portsmouth, to try the late officers and crew of the Linnet for her loss. On that occasion, Lieutenant Tracey received, with an honourable acquittal, the most unqualified praise for his conduct; and in 11 days afterwards, as we see by the list, was deservedly made a commander.

On the 17th of April, in the morning, the British 16-gun brig-sloop Mutine, Captain Nevinson De Courcy, cruising in the bay of Biscay, discovered and chased a strange ship on her lee bow. At 2 p.m. the ship, which was the Invincible privateer, of Bayonne, Captain Martin Jortis, mounting 16 guns (twelve French 18-pounder carronades and four long sixes), with a crew on board of 86 men, partly Americans, hoisted French colours, and commenced a fire from her stern-guns ; which, disabling the Mutine in her sails and rigging, occasioned her to drop astern. The Mutine immediately commenced refitting herself, and at 8 h. 40 m. again arrived within gun-shot ; when the Invincible hoisted a light and opened a fire from her broadside. In this way the running fight was maintained until 10 h. 45 m. P, M. ; when, the ship having had her main topgallantmast and jib shot away, the Mutine was enabled to close. Still it was not until after a spirited resistance of 50 minutes, which made it 11 h. 30 m. p.m., that the Invincible hauled down her colours. The Mutine is represented to have had two men wounded in the action, but the loss, if any, sustained by the Invincible appears to have been omitted in Captain De Courcy's letter.

On the 9th of September, at 3 p.m., the British schooner Alphea, of eight 18-pounder carronades, and 41 men and boys, Lieutenant Thomas William Jones, fell in with and chased the French 14-gun privateer schooner Renard, Captain De Roux, belonging to Cherbourg, and acknowledged to have had on board a crew of 50 men. At midnight the Alphea commenced firing her chase-guns ; and at 1 a.m. on the 10th a close and spirited action commenced. After a while, the Alphea, by the calm and the heavy swell that prevailed, became forced under the bows of the Renard. The crew of the privateer immediately threw into the Alphea several hand-grenades and made au attempt to board, but were gallantly repulsed by the crew of the British schooner; which latter then poured in a most destructive fire of grape-shot, that swept the whole of the Renard's forecastle. A second boarding attempt was made, and the Frenchmen were again beaten off.

The two schooners soon afterwards burst the grapplings by which they had been held together, and separated to a short distance ; both still maintaining a furious cannonade. At 3 h. 30 m. a.m., owing in a great measure to the number of hand-grenades which had been thrown into her, the Alphea blew up ; and along with her, perished the whole of her gallant crew. Three or four men were seen on a piece of the wreck, but the Renard