1815	British and French Fleets	354

By 4 p.m. the fire of the Légère had considerably slackened, and at 4 h. 30 m. she hauled up her mainsail, and backed her mizen topsail, in order to drop astern. Captain Nicolas endeavoured also to shorten sail ; but, having had every brace, bowline, and clue-garnet cut away, the Pilot unavoidably shot ahead. The brig, then, as the only alternative, put her helm up to fire into her opponent's bows. Of this movement on the part of the Pilot, the Légère took immediate advantage, by hauling close to the wind, and making off with all the sail she could carry. The yards of the Pilot being wholly unmanageable, her main topgallantmast over the side, her maintopsail yard shot away in the slings, and her stays and the chef part of her standing as well as running rigging cut away, the brig was not in a condition for an immediate pursuit. In about an hour, however, the Pilot got another maintopsail yard across, and the sail set, and by 7 p.m. was going seven knots by the wind in chase of the French corvette, then bearing on her weather bow about six miles distant. The Pilot continued the chase until the 18th, at daylight ; when, to the mortification of all on board, it was found that the Légère had eluded them in the night.

The principal damages sustained by the Pilot have already been described : her loss amounted to one seaman killed, another mortally wounded, and her first lieutenant (Keigwin Nicolas, the captain's brother), purser (Thomas Rowe), 10 seamen, and two marines wounded. The damages of the Légère were almost wholly in her hull and lower masts ; and her loss is represented to have amounted, out of a crew that probably was not less than 170 men, to 22 killed and 79 wounded, 64 of them severely.

Even half this loss would show that the guns of the Pilot had been ably managed ; and, indeed, the action throughout reflects very great credit upon Captain Nicolas, his officers, and brig's company.

According to the following statement, which has appeared in print, the Pilot was better provided against accidents by shot than any of her unfortunate sister-brigs ; such as the Avon, Peacock, and others. " On rejoining the Pilot (end of 1814), Captain Nicolas applied to the admiralty to have that sloop altered agreeably to a plan he proposed ; and by which a shot-hole could be immediately stopped, between wind and water, in any part of the ship : and which, in the former arrangement of the store and bread rooms was impossible. This, it had been confidently asserted, was the principal cause of the capture of the Avon and Peacock. The admiralty not only complied with his request, but ordered all the 18-gun brigs then under repair at Portsmouth to be fitted on the same plan. " * It is very probable that some improvement had also been made in the fastenings of the Pilot's carronades.

Naval Chronicle, vol. xl., p. 427.

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