The Sun.
London, England, 1804-09-14 00:00:00

CAPT. DANCE AND CAPT. WILSON.

The splendid a& ion of Captain bwr•c E has, in
the annals of Great Britain, something like a paral.
lel in the gallant exploit of Commodore ArtrtLoil,
in 1757.

•
In the beginning 4 the year 1757, Captain Wit,.
lox, /who was then at Fort St. George, was ordered
to proceed to England, as Commanding Officer,• with
the East India Ships, then ready to sail.
From the period of theirdeparture nothing mate.
rial happened, until they had got into the latitude
of 35. 4. south, and 6.'30. to the east of the Cape
,of Good Hope, when, op the 9th of March, Capt.
WILSON, in the Supa, supported by the Hon.
Captain WALPOLitt of the Houghioni and Captain
HUTCHINSON, of the Godolphin, the .only .Ships
then in company, had the courage to encounter, and
the good fortune to beat off the Compt de la
Chaise French Ship of the Line, of 7+ guns, with
the Sy/pkyde Frigate, of z 6 guns.
The following is a copy of Captain. Wtt.totes
Letter, giving an account of the engagement,--
(See Be-ation's History of the• War; and other au.
thOrities) :

rr Sufotki March' I 1757, at Sea.

" On the 3;11, in latitude 55. 4. south, and 6,
30. to the eastward of the Cape of Good Hope, in
company with the Houghton, cotntnanded by the
Hon. RICHARD WALPOLE, and the Godolphin,
Captain HUTCHINSON, 61W tWO sail, who gave ua
chase, and: coming up With us in the night, kept on
our weather beattiS till morning. " Being suspicious
of a War,
,we made ready to engage At the
dawn of day we hauled up our courses, took up
our topgallant sails, and stowed our stay-sails.
11 Being Commanding Officer,, I hoisted the broad
pendant, and made. the signal for the kine of battle
a,head, which was presently formed, and. we lay
to to; receive them. As the day. broke we could
perceive the Ships robe French, the:largest, being
a: t wo.(,(ecker, with fourteen ports in the lower tier,
and the other a Frigate of 216 guns._ They bore
doWn upon us, and, before they came. With: ri gun.
ibot, hoisted their coloUrs. The- 74. gun Ship fired
a shot at us, which I immediately returned ; but
both falling short, desisted, firing until we were
,nearer each other, when a. general firing began, an
our kith:. They hauled; .up to the coastward to
bring their broadsides to bear, and began also.
" The attack was short, for as our heath lay. dif.
ferent
.ways, we were soon out of the bearings of
each other's guns. All*our Ships received some
shots, and the great Ship's main.top-sail, being
brought' down, they made sail to the westward ;
on which we wore, and making 'sail after them,
soon came up, tot considerably nearer, and brought
our larboard guns to bear. A warm engagement
ensued far about half an hour, when. the French
Ship ,hoisting her
.maintop-s:,il, they made sail
from us. We irimiediately crowded after them, but
they went fast from us. Being out of gunshot, they
spoke with each other, and soon tacked. There
being little wind, they fell much to leeivard before
they could bring their Ships to, when they set all
their sail, and we hauled up Our courses to receive
them.

41 They came much nearer than before, and a very
smart engagement was maintained on both sides,
until they once mote made sail from us. When
they went out of, the bearings of our guns, we set
all our sail, making a show -of standing. for their
wakes;: but as they continued their course to the
eastward, we shaped, ours to the westward, and lost
sight of each billet in about six hours."
Captain WILSON, like CaPtain DANCI, offered
his enemy battle,. 18 if lie chose--to come down :"
rwken be At come, he attacked him with the same
intrepid spirit,'etigagod' hitt' With' the same-fortime,
nor quitted him until that enemy, in- the Line of
Elide Ship which he elmmanded, together with
his aid, flew from a laden English East Initliaman.
DANCII engaged and chased the French
Flag Ship: Captain WILSON engaged and chased
the opponent of ta.,llritish Flag Ship, on the 3d of
August, ;753*. .
Both Nicer* received the, thanks of the Hon.
the I,ast India Company, and handsome acknow,
le4gments in testimony of each extr.4urdipary set.
it IV.

In 1758, for the better protection of the trade,
Captain WiLsoN was peomoted to the command of
the Pitt, of so guns,. and by a si!ecial commission
entitled, Connuodote and Commander of all Ships
and Vessels in the service of the English East India
Company."
This distinguished chaWier died, and was buried'
at Ayton, Cleveland, in Yorkshire, on the 17th of
June, 1795, aged So.

* The -Compte de Province, reckoned ono of the finest
ships in Monsieur d'Aihe's Fleet, N':is the. ship opposed on
this occasion to the Yrinuutli, carrying the thig ut
Pueoke.