from that harbour the moment his approach was announced. Captain Willoughby, surely, had a right to anticipate, that one or the other of his boats would succeed in reaching either the Sirius, Iphigenia, or Magicienne, before the enemy could find time to send a reinforcement of men overland to Duperré; and he felt confident, from the enthusiasm of every one on board la Nereide, that the co-operation of a single frigate would have secured a most brilliant victory. The disasters that afterwards befel the Sirius, on two successive days, and which we shall presently have occasion to notice, may therefore be deemed truly unfortunate.
On the following day, to prove to Commodore Duperré that the Victor had struck her colours, to impress upon him an idea of the confidence with which la Nereide maintained her position, and to reconnoitre and obtain a correct knowledge of that taken up by the enemy. Captain Willoughby sent in a flag of truce, with a letter, of which the following is a copy:
“Sir,– Trusting to the honor of the French flag, and the laws of war, I demand that the Victor corvette shall be given up to my disposal, in consequence of having yesterday struck her colours to his Majesty’s ship under my command; hailed she had done so, and anchored, in obedience to my orders, close to the Nereide.
“Lieutenants Burn and Pye, whom I send with this letter, were in a boat alongside the Victor, to take possession of her, when she cut and followed the Minerve, being hailed and ordered to do so by her. I have the honor to be, &c.
“To Commodore Duperré.”
On the 22d August, Captain Willoughby received just such an answer as he expected the enemy to return:–
(Copy.)
“Sir,– In answer to the letter you did me the honor of writing, I am commanded by his Excellency the commander-in-chief. General De Caen, to say that he objects to your extraordinary demand. I have the honor to be, &c.
When it is remembered that la Nereide mounted only 12-pounders on the main-deck, that nearly 100 seamen and marines were absent in her boats, and that Captain Willoughby was not chased and obliged to fight in his own
