The Statesman.
London, England, 1809-09-20 00:00:00

•

P

I

1

Fron Me LONDON GAZETTE, Sari. 19.

GENERAL ORDERS.
Hum-Du:acts, Sept. IS, TOO.

It Islas I.llllj..7sty's command, that all 'Officers
belonging to regiments stationed in the ,Island of
Walcheren, shelf immediately join their regi..,
menus ; and they are positively ordered to repair
for that purpose forthwith to Deal, (roil wheuce
the means will de furnished to them of proceeding
to their respecive Corps.
The only exceptions to this General Order are
those Officers 4ho aro absent on a regular certifi-
cate of -ill-health.
By corntiaaof the Right lIOn. the Commander
ki Chief.
HARRY CALVERT, Adjutant-General.
Admiralty Office, Sept. 19.
Copy of a Letter from Vice-Admiral Sir Joha BoriaseWar-
reo, Bart. K. B. to the 11on. W. W. Pule.
Halifax, Aug. 14, 1809.
Siake--I have the honour to incluse, for their
Lordships' information, the copy of a letter from
Captain Mounsey, who arrived here on the Ist
instant, in La Bonne Citoycnae with La Furieuse
French frigate, her prize, having struck to the
British
.colours, after an actiop of six boors and
illy minutes, an event which has added fresh lustre
to his Majesty's arms, and will, I trust, entitle the
*Seers and ship's company of the Bonne Citoy-
cane to their Lordships' favour.
have the honour to be, &c.
(Signed) JOHN B. wiEtal:l4.
Ilia MA jeit ) .6
sloop Ronne Citoyence, Halifax,
Augaq 1. 11009.
St have the honour to acquaint you, fur the
information of my Lords Commissioners of the
Admiralty, that on the 18th day of June, having
sailed .frum Spithead in company with his Ma-
jesty's ship Inflexible, and the Quebec trade, on
the 211 of July, in lat. 44 deg. North, long. 27
deg. West, I had the misfortune to lose sight of
the convoy iu reconnoitring a strange suspicious
sail astern, and by traversing between parallels
of 43 and 44 deg. N•srth, edging to the IVestward
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
r. M. in lat. 43 deg. 41 minutes North, and
long. 21 West, to fall in with a French frigate in
the act of taking. possession of a large English
merchant ship, which they shortly relinquished
on our approach, and steered to the Northward
under a press of sail. Finding they did skit an-
swer the private sigeal, I immediately bore up, in
pursuit, and, after. a chace of eighteen hours, at
twenty-five minutes past nine A. M. on the 61h,
hail the satisfaction to lay his Majesty's sloop
alongside within pistol.shot of the enemy, who
bad brought-to to engage us.
A brisk cannonade trite round and grape im-
mediately commenced, and the combat conti-
nued with unabated fury gradually closing until
sixteen minutes past four, M. when our pow.
der being nearly all expended, I determined to
carry her by boarding with all hands, and at the.
instant of laying her aboard fur 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 house and
Arty minutes, during which the enemy fired away
more than seventy broadsides, whilst his Majes-
ty's sloop, not less sparing, discharged one hun-
dred and twenty-nine destructive broadsides, al-
ternately from the starbord and larboard sides, as,

circumstances would permit me to change her po-
sition with advantage, so us to avoid the necessity
of slackening our fire freas the guns being over.
boated, three of which were disintiunted and reu-
&wed useless early in the action.
She proved to be La Furicusc, a French frigate
of the largest class, that escaped from the Salutes
on the Ist April, comniandcd by Captain Le M 4.
rant Ker Daniel, pierced for 48 guns, but having
only twelve 42-pound eatrohades and two long
21-pounders en the main deck, with six of smaller
calibre ; 401.11 hers at small arms, her full pro-
portion of Officers, and a complement of 2(X)
men, besides the Colonel, two Lieutenants, and a
detachment of the 66th regiment of the ;
partly loaded with sugar and coffee, and sailed
f rum Basso Terre the 14th June, bound to France ;
is seven years old, and sails very fast.
After a hard contested action, a most arduous
duty sill remained to be performed. On taking
posaessioo, we found the frigate in a must peri-
lous state, with 14 shot-holes between wind and

water, and five feet water in her hold ; her top-
masts, and all her yards (except the cros.jack
and spritsail) shot away, and her lower masts so
badly wounded as to render it almost impossible
to prevent them from falling, with mere than 10
men killed and wounded ; whilst his Majesty's
sloop was reduced to a mere wreck, having all her
looter masts badly wounded in several places, as
well as the fore and main topmasts and wizen top-
mast shot away, nearly-all the standiug and every
part of the running rigging, bails, boats, &c. cut
to pieces. After securing the prisoners (the
weather being very favourable during the night),
by the exertions of Mr. Sandom, Second Lieutc.
tenant, 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 iourfeetuJi,
as the main and inizen.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 Citoycone in fi,hing and secur-
ing her masts, so as to bp able to take the frigate
in tow, and surmownting every other difficulty,
merit my warmest prawaand admiration ; and f
feel highly gratified inrporting to their Lord.'
ships, that nothing coulk exceed the animated mat
104 unirtaried intrepidity of the officers, seamen,
encl.royal 1•1411:1C11, whom I hare the honour to
command, in a contest with an enemy apparently
of so great a supetiority of force ; and I beg par-
ticularly tit mention the able assistance that I re.
ceived (rum Mr. Symes, the first, Mr. Sandom,
the secouil Lieutenant, and Mr. Williamson, the
Maiter, which contributed greatly to the success
of the action. Mr. Scott, the Purser, Mr. Juin'
Black, apd Mr. *Auley, passengtral in the