the action ceased about fifteen minutes after four in the morning.
Day dawned, and shewed the result; the enemy appeared to have suffered little; the Africaine was in their possession, with no apparent loss but that of her mizen-top-mast. Such a state did not appear to justify Captain Rowley commencing an attack on a force so much superior, particularly in the then critical situation of affairs, when the Boadicea was the only remaining British frigate on the station; and Captain Rowley knew of two other frigates of the enemy and a corvette cruizing in the neighbourhood. He therefore made sail to bring up the Otter and Staunch, then out of sight; and having soon effected a junction, he led them towards the enemy, who, on the approach of the British, abandoned the Africaine, leaving an officer and 9 Frenchmen in charge of her, with most of the wounded, and about 83 of her crew, whom they had not time to remove. Her gallant commander, Captain Corbett, was wounded early in the action, and died a few hours after it had terminated.
Soon after this affair, the Astrea and Iphigenia, reinforced by a large brig of war, resumed their former station, and Captain Rowley again put to sea to meet them; but the dull sailing of the Otter and Staunch, and the circumstance of the enemy having the weather gage, combined to prevent his attacking them with any possibility of success. He therefore returned to St. Paul’s Road, from whence, on the morning of the 18th Sept. he discovered three sail in the offing, two of which appeared to have suffered in their masts and rigging. Our officer immediately weighed, in company with his former consorts, but from light winds was unable for some hours to clear the bay, at which period the strangers were nearly out of sight.
The Boadicea now having the advantage of a fresh breeze, neared the enemy; one of them, which had a crippled frigate in tow, cast her off, and made all sail away from her pursuers; the third bore up under her courses (having lost her top-masts,) to protect the other, which enabled Captain Rowley soon to run her alongside; when after a short, but close action, having lost 9 men killed and 15 wounded, she struck to the Boadicea, and proved to be the Venus, of 44 guns, with a com-
