The Washington herald., 1908-07-12
A LONG SEA CHASE.
story Of the Pursuit Of a French
Brig by q British War Vessel.

Brig by British WAR NesNel.
A century ago. three months before
Wellington landed in the peninsula with
British troops and while N1po.eons
power was yet unbrokea there took place
an encounter which. though of small inn
portance internationally deserves TO be
remembered for the extraordinary circum-
stances attending Il ard for the logged
discrimination displayed by both the COM
batants, SAYS the London Globe. The
actors in this story Of the sea we're the
! English vessel Wizard. a brig-sloop Of
sixteen guns. witk a crew Of close upon
100 men. and commanded by Capt. Abel
| Ferris, and the French brig corvette
Requin. also a sixteen-gun ship. but hav-
/ ing a slight advantage over her opponent
In the number OF her crew. IN point Of
tonnage there was practical equality. the
Requin being just over the Wizard just
below 300 tons.
| An hour after midday on the 10th Of
/ May. lS0S. the Wizard. cruising in the
Mediterranean. sighted the Requin in the
northeast. steering southward, and forth
/ With gave chase. The breeze was fresh
/ from the west. ano through the after
noon and night the chase went on. Sleep
was out Of The question for the English
/ crew. who we're kept busily engaged
shifting the ships provisions aft and
using every other means to increase her
| speed. Four hours after midnight. the
wind being light the Wizard got out her
| sweeps 10 aid the sails. tie men en-
! couraged by their nesrness 10 the French
/ h.tk mi &
/ O'Clock the Requin fred her stern guns
and showed French colors a display 10
which the English ship replied I'm kind
Al . the Requin brought d and fred a
/ broadsde The Wizard. nothing lOath,
now ran close up. hove 20. and for an
4 hour and half a standing fight went on.
/ The English guns were trained on the
! French ships hull. while tho Requin, evil
IDENTIFY deSirous Of proceeding on her
/ course. aimed more at her opponents
masts and sPars, and with no small ef-
| feet Then, making sail once more. the
Requin drew away. The Wizard. being
! 10 leeward. lost the wind. but still main
/ tanned the fight until her guns no longer
reached the foe. A. dusk. when twelve
! leagues west Of the island Of Toro. the
sweeps were again piled for two hours.
| and for second time the WIZARDS Greg
were mulcted OF their rest. The British
loss in the encounter was FIVE wounded
and one killed.
At O'Clock on the morning o. the 18TH
the ships were again near enough for the
Wizard to FIRE; but a vigorous use OF the
! sweeps notwithstanding. the distance be
| tween the vessels soon increased 10 a
mile, mile and a half three miles Not
all the efforts OF the captain Of the Wiz
| ard could decrease the intervening space
rsFf
than two miles apart and only seven from
the coast OF Africa. And for the Wizard s
crew there was again no sleep.
On the 18th, half an hour after mid
night the Reuuin. followed by the Wiz
ard tackled II proved a day Of inter.
mittent fog. in which the vessels con-
stantly lost sight Of each other. and the
Requin drew four miles away. The Wiz
ards crew was constantly at the sweeps;
guns were fred 10 call the attention Of
any British ships that might be cruising
of Cape Bon. but to this summons there
was no response. and the fourth night
was spent as wakefully as were the previ-
Gus ones
At 4 o'clock on the morning OF the 18th
Cape Carthage was only four miles OF,
and two miles and a half in front the
Reouin was steering for Tunis Bay.
There. in the neutral harbor below Fort
Goleta, the French brig anchored safely.
and the long chase was at an end. All
that the captain Of the Wizard could do
now was 10 run under the Requins stern,
read her name. and note with satisfaction
the considerable damage done to her hull.
Then st o'clock In the morning he made
sail for Malta for repairs: and presently
the hammocks were piped down, and the
tired crew made up as best II might for
four lost nights Of rest. In a fortnights
time the Wizard was again at sea. and
two months later the Requin was taken
off Corsica. after a chase OF nine hours,
by the British ship Voltage.
In this pursuit OF eighty-eight hours the
vessels ran a distance OF $40 miles. at an
average speed of four knots an hour-aIl
that the almost ipcessant lightnsss OF