32-gun frigate Solebay, Captain Stephen Poyntz, cruising, off the island of St.-Domingo, discovered four vessels under easy sail in the north-west or windward quarter. Although rather scattered, owing to a strong gale which had blown during the night, the strangers were a French squadron, composed of the Egyptien, an armed store-ship having a broad pendant and two rows of ports, out of the upper of which she carried 18 long brass 12-pounders and two brass 36-pounder carronades, with a complement of 137 men ; the ship-corvette Eole, of 16 long brass 8-pounders and two brass 36-pounder carronades, and a crew of 107 men, the brig-corvette Levrier, of 12 long brass 8-pounders and 96 men, and the schooner Vengeur (late Charlotte, British), of eight long brass 6-pounders and 91 men. This squadron had recently arrived at Cape-François from Rochefort, and was now bound on a particular service to Jacmel.

At 6 a.m., after making some signals which convinced Captain Poyntz that the squadron was French, the Egyptien set all sail, and, accompanied by her consorts, steered towards Cape Tiburon. The Solebay, crowding sail also, followed in pursuit, and kept watching for an opportunity to separate a force which, while it remained united, was too formidable to be attacked. By 2 p.m. the wind had very much decreased ; but the Solebay, being the weathermost ship, continued to feel its influence in a considerable degree, while the Egyptien and her consorts lay nearly becalmed, and were still much disunited ; the commodore and the brig being to windward, and the second ship and the schooner at some distance to leeward. Thus favoured, the frigate ran between the two divisions ; and, closing with the two weathermost vessels, captured them in succession after a slight resistance. Observing the fate of their commodore, the ship and schooner to leeward now endeavoured, by a light air of wind which then sprang up, to effect their escape ; but they were soon overtaken by the Solebay, and, after receiving a few of her shot, hauled down their colours.

Thus were taken, at one time, four French vessels, mounting between them 58 guns and manned with 431 men, by a British frigate mounting at the most 38 guns, with a crew of about 212 men ; and all without a casualty on either side. In this affair, so highly creditable to the officers and crew of the Solebay, no gazette-letter was published: we therefore suppose that none was transmitted to Admiral Sir Hyde Parker, the commander-in-chief on the station. If an omission of this kind affected only the individual who was the cause of it, no one would have a right to complain ; but, on board a frigate especially, there are several commissioned officers whose main hope of advancement in their profession may be for ever blighted by such an apparent neglect in their captain. In this very instance, Lieutenant Robert Scott, first of the Solebay, was not made a commander

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