1813	Telegraph and Flibustier	161

having had her jollyboat sunk by shot as it was towing astern, and her launch cut to pieces as it lay on the booms, could render no assistance ; nor could the poor fellows find their way to the privateer, although repeatedly hailed to do so, as they had lost their eyesight by the explosion.

The loss on board the Renard, as acknowledged by her officers, amounted to five men killed and 31 badly wounded, including the captain with the loss of an arm, and three of his lieutenants. There was also a fourth lieutenant, who took the command when Captain Le Roux was wounded. It is not unlikely, therefore, that the "50 men" refer to the sailors only, and that, officers included, the Renard had from 70 to 80 men. As mounting "14 guns," this schooner must have been about 200 tons measurement : whereas the Alphea one of the Bermudian vessels was only 111 tons. The execution admitted to have been done by the Alphea to her antagonist, was highly creditable to the gunnery of the British crew, and renders it probable that, had not the fatal accident happened, the Alphea would have made a prize of the Renard, although the latter was so much superior to her in force. It was, indeed, a lamentable occurrence; and, to heighten the misfortune, Lieutenant Jones was a very deserving officer.

In the early part of October the French brig-corvette Flibustier, mounting fourteen 24-pounder carronades and two long sixes or eights, and commanded by Lieutenant de vaisseau Jean-Jacques-Léonore Daniel, lay at St.-Jean-de-Luz, about three leagues north-east of the bar of Bayonne, watching an opportunity to put to sea, with treasure, arms, ammunition, salt-provisions, and a few troops, for the garrison of Santona. The near approach of the Marquess of Wellington's army at last made it necessary to move ; and, taking advantage of the dark and stormy state of the weather, the Flibustier, at midnight, on the 12th, attended three " trincadores," or armed fishing-boats, weighed and stood alongshore to the south-west. At daylight on the 13th the French brig, then lying becalmed close under the heights near the mouth of Bayonne river, was seen and chased by the British schooner Telegraph, of twelve 12-pounder carronades, Lieutenant Timothy Scriven, also by the 18-gun brig sloop Challenger, Captain Frederick Vernon, and 12-gun brig Constant, Lieutenant John Stokes; the latter about six, the former upwards of eight, miles distant in the offing.

Favoured by a partial breeze, the Telegraph rapidly approached the Flibustier, who had by this time anchored under the distant protection of some batteries ; and at 6 h. 45 m. p.m. the schooner commenced cannonading the brig in a raking position ahead. The Flibustier returned the Telegraph's broadside with such of her guns as would bear. The action continued in that way until about 7 p.m.; when finding the two British brigs in the offing approaching to take a part in the combat, the French brig

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