Star.
London, England, 1809-09-20 00:00:00

PROM LAST NIGHT'S GAZATTE.

IN CONTINUATION FROM THE PRECEDING PAGE.

ADMIRALTY-OFFICE, SEPTEMBER 19.

Copy cf .1 Letter from Vice-Admiral Sir John Borlase Warren,
Barr. and R. B. Commander in Chief of his Majesty's Ships
and Vessels on the Coast of North America, to the Hon.
William Wellesley Pole, tlx-..t.4 at Halifax the 14th August,
1809.

Sir—l have the honour to enclose, for thcir Lordships' infor-
mation, the ropy of a letter from Captain Mounsey, who ar-
rived here on the Ist instant, in h Bonne Citoyenne, with la
Furieuse French frigate her prize, having struck to the British
colours, after an action of six hours and fifty minutes, an event
which has sLlcind fresh lustre to his Majesty's arms, and will, I
trust, entitle the Officers ar.d ship's company of la Bonne Ci-
toyenne to their Lordships' favour. I have the honour to be, &c.
(Signed) JOHN B. WARRZN.
His Majesty's Sloop Bonne Citoyenne,
Halifax, August 1, 11309.
Sir—l have the honour to acquaint you, for the
information of my Lords Commissioners of the Ad-
miralty, that on the 18th day of June, having sailed
from Spithead in company with his Majesty's ship
Inflexible, and the Quebec trade, on the 2d of July,
in latitude forty-four degrees north, longitude twenty-
seven degrees west, I had the misfdrtune to lose sight
of the convoy in reconnoitring a strange suspicious ,
sail astern, and by traversing between the parallels of
forty-three and forty-four degrees north, edging to
t'‘e westward in proportion to the distance I supposed
they would sail with such winds, in order to regain
the fleet ; I had the good fortune, on the sth, at three
P. M. in lat. 43 degrees 41 minutes north, and long.
34 west, to fall in with a French frigate in the act of
taking possess on of a large English merchant ship,
which they shortly relinquished on our approach, and
steered to the northward under a press of sail. Find-
ing they did not answer the private signal, I imme-
diately bore up in pursuit, and, after a chace of 18
hours, at twenty-five minutes past nine A. M. on the
Sth, had the satisfaction to lay his Majesty's sloop
alongside within pistol-shot of the enemy, who had
brought to to engage us.
A brisk cannonade with round and grape immedi-
ately commenced, and the combat continued with
unabated fury, gradually closing until sixteen minutes
past four, P. M. when our powder being nearly all
expended I determined to carry her by 'boarding with
all hands, and at the instant of laying her aboard for
'that purpose, they called out they had surrendered,
and struck their colours to his Majesty's sloop. Thus
ended a conflict obstinately maintained for six hours
and fifty minutes, during which the enemy fired away
more than 70 broadsides, whilst his Majesty's sloop
not less sparing, discharged 129 destructive broad-
sides, alternately from the starboard and larboard
sides, as circumstances would permit me to change
ber position with advantage, so as to avoid the neces-
sity of slackening our fire from the guns .being over-
heated, three of which were dismounted and render-
ed useless early in the action.
She proved to be la Furieuse, a French frigate of
the largest class, that escaped from the Saintes on
Ist April, commanded by Capt. Le Marant Ker Da-
niel, pierced for 48 guns, but having only twelve 42-
pound carronades and two long 24-pounders on the
main deck, with six of smaller calibre ; forty soldiers
at small arms, her full proportion of officers, and a
complement of two hundred men, besides the Colonel,
two Lieutenants, and a detachment of the 6fith regi-
ment of the line ; partly loaded with sugar and coffee,
and sailed from Basse Terre the 14th June, bound to
1 rance ; is seven years old, and sails very fast.
After a hard contested action a most arduous duty
still remained to be performed. On taking possession
we found the frigate in a most perilous state, with 14
shot-holes between wind and water, and five feet,
water in her hold. Her topmasts, and all her yards
(except the cross-jack and sprit sail) shot away, and
her lower masts so badly wounded as to render it
almost impossible to prevent them from falling, with
more than seventy men killed and wounded, whilst
his Majesty's sloop was reduced to a mere wreck,
baying all her lower masts badly wounded in several
places, as well as the fore and main topmasts and
mizen topmast shot away, nearly all the standing and
every part of the running rigging, sails, boats, &c.
cot to pieces.. After securing the prisoners (the wea-
ther bc!ng very favourable during the night), by the
exertions of Mr. Sandon, Second Lieutenant, and Mr.
Atwater, the carpenter, several of the most dangerous
shot-holes were stopped, so as to enable them to keep
the ship free ; but all their efforts to save her masts
proved ineffectual, as the main and mizen masts went
overboard the next day, leaving the bare foremast
standing, wounded in three places.
The indefatigable exertions of every officer and
man in the Bonne Citoyenne in fishing and securing
her masts, so as co be able to take the frigate in tow,
and surmounting every other difficulty, merits my
warmest praise and admiration ; and I feel highly
gratified in reporting to their Lordships, that nothing
could exceed the animated zeal and unwearied intre-
.pidity cf - the officers, seamen, and Royal Ma-
rines, whom I had the honour to command, in
a contest with an enemy apparently of so great a su-
periority of force ; and I beg particularly to mention
the able assistance that I received from Mr. Symes
the first, Mr. Sandon the Second Lieutenant, and
Mr. Williamson the Master, which contributed greatly
to the success of the action ; Mr. Scott the Purser, I
Mr. John Black, and Mr. M'Auley, passengers, in
the handsomest manner volunteered their services,
assisted at the guns, and wherever they could make
themselves most useful ; and Mr. Stewart, the Sur-
von; deserves much praise for his humanity and
great attention to our own as well as the wounded
prisoners ; indeed the patience with which all hands
have borne the extreme fatigue andiprivaticm ofbeing
constantly on deck for twenty-five days and nights,
does them infinite credit, and urges me to so long a
detail,

Thus circumstanced, I was induced to make the
best of my way to this port, where I arrived with the
prize on the Ist instant. The Bonne Citoyenne re-
quiring three lower masts, top-masts, &c. to enable
her to proceed in the prosecution of their Lordships
orders. I have the honour herewith to inclose a list
of the killed and wov.nded, and I am happy to say
our loss has been inconceivably small, which I can
attribute only ts the low; c..ss the Bonne Citoyenne's
hull, and being so c 10.52 ttmder the enemy's guns. I
have the honour to be, &c, (Stg^.ed) w. MOUNSEY.
A List of the Killed and Wounded on board his Majesty's Sloop
Bonne Citoyenne, William Mminsey, Esq. Commander, in
the Action with la Furieusetn the Gat July, 18.00.