my’s ships lying at that anchorage, and made an accurate report of their condition to the Admiralty. The Dutch squadron shortly after attempted to come out; but upon the Artois making a signal to the British ships in the offing, and the latter anchoring in the Land Deep, the enemy put back in such confusion, that a 74 grounded on the Haak Sands, where she was completely wrecked.
On the 3d Dec. in the same year, the Artois fell in with, and, after a smart action, captured the Hercules and Mars, two beautiful privateers belonging to Amsterdam, mounting 24 nine-pounders and 10 cohorns each; the former having a complement of 164 men, the latter 146. The Artois, on this occasion, had 1 man killed and 6 wounded; the enemy sustained a loss of 22 killed and 35 wounded. These vessels had been cruising off Flamborough Head, to intercept a fleet of English merchantmen coming from the Baltic, of which Mr. Bowen was fortunate enough to obtain information while watching the Texel in a tender belonging to the Artois.
Early in 1782, the Artois was ordered into the Channel; and, in the month of April, she formed part of the fleet which was sent out under Admiral Harrington, for the purpose of intercepting a French squadron, then about to sail from Brest for the East Indies. On the 20th of that month, being a-head on the look out, she discovered the enemy, and succeeded in leading them to the British fleet; by which, in the course of that and the following day, the Pégase of 74 guns, l’Actionnaire, a 64 armed en flute, and twelve transports, laden with provisions and ammunition, and having on board a considerable number of troops[1], were captured.
Mr. Bowen continued in the Artois until the peace of 1783, when he removed with Captain Macbride into the Druid frigate, on the Irish station. In 1787, we find him serving under the same officer in the Cumberland of 74 guns, stationed as a guard-ship at Plymouth, where he remained till 1789, when he was appointed Inspecting Agent of Transports in the river Thames.
At the commencement of the French revolutionary war, Mr. Bowen, at the particular request of Earl Howe, joined the
- ↑ The Pégase was taken by Sir John Jervis, in the Foudroyant. See Vol. I. p. 15 et seq. Five of the transports were captured by the Artois.
