César - Joseph Bourayne César - Joseph de Bourayne , later Baron Bourayne , ( 22 February 1768 – 5 November 1817 ) was a French naval officer , famous for his battles against British ships in the Indian Ocean and South China Sea . He was appointed Rear - admiral in 1814 , having been made a Baron in 1811 . A street in Brest bears his name , as does a bay and port of the island of Huahine in French Polynesia . Career . Origins and youth . Born in Brest on 22 February 1768 , Caesar Bourayne was the 5th child of a family of 13 , including two naval officers and two navy commissioners , which earned their mother the nickname " the mother to the seamen ” . In 1781 , at 13 years old , he embarked on the 80 - gun ship of the line Auguste , commanded by the famous captain Louis Antoine de Bougainville . Auguste was part of the fleet of the Comte de Grasse , which operated in the Atlantic against the British during the American Revolutionary War . He participated in the various actions of this campaign including the critical victory at the Battle of the Chesapeake , and the decisive defeat at The Battle of the Saintes . In the 10 years that followed , he continued his training in many engagements in the Caribbean , Africa , Red Sea , Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia . Early career as an officer . In 1791 , Bourayne was commissioned as an officer and served aboard the 38 - gun frigate " Venus " during the scientific expedition of Rosily . In August 1792 he was commissioned as an officer serving on the frigate " Méduse " . By 1793 he had been promoted to lieutenant and served under Charles Linois on the 36 - gun frigate " Atalante " . On 7 May 1794 , while hunting for British merchantmen off the coast of Ireland , " Atalante " and accompanying corvette " Levrette " came across a convoy protected by two British ships of the Line , " Swiftsure " and " St Albans " . The British ships moved to intercept , and though Levrette escaped , " Atalante " was taken after a 48 - hour chase . Bourayne was wounded in the action and taken prisoner . He was paroled in the Bantry Bay area for 19 months before he was returned to France in October 1795 . Borayne went on to serve under Admiral Villaret de Joyeuse in the Irish Sea and Caribbean . In 1800 Bourayne was promoted to Capitaine de frégate , and appointed first officer on " Redoutable " , and later on " Républicain " , before commanding the frigate " Fidèle " from June of that year . On 18 July 1803 he received his promotion to Captaine de vaisseau , on taking command of the recently recaptured 40 - gun frigate " Minerve " , which was now renamed " Canonnière " . As captain . On 14 November 1805 , " Canonnière " sailed from Cherbourg to reinforce Linois at Île de France in the Indian Ocean . When Linois was not to be found there , Bourayne sailed in search of him off the cape of good hope . It was here that he fell in with a fleet of British Indiamen , resulting in the Action of 21 April 1806 . After effecting as much repairs as possible at sea , Bourayne steered for Simon ' s Town , an allied Dutch anchorage . Unknown to him however , it had recently been seized by the English . In a ruse common to marine warfare , the English forts and shipping at the bay flew the Dutch colours , and so Bourayne sent a boat to shore . At this point the forts changed their colours and began to bombard the frigate . The " Canonnière " stood out to sea , escaping major damage , but the lieutenant and men aboard the boat were taken prisoner . Bourayne then set off for Manila , where he could properly repair his ship . He was asked there by the Governor of the Philippines to fetch a large sum of money from Acapulco , across the Pacific ocean in the Viceroyalty of New Spain . This mission was carried out over a six month round trip , and he continued to operate in the Pacific until making a return to the Isle de France in 1808 . In September 1808 , the British 22 - gun frigate " Laurel " arrived off Isle de France , and soon after recaptured a Portuguese ship which had been taken as a prize by the French . Under a flag of truce , the captain of " Laurel " requested a boat to be sent out from Port Louis to retrieve French ladies captured on board the prize . On board the boat went an officer of " Canonnière " , to reconnoitre the capabilities of the English ship . Bourayne was satisfied she was no match for " Canonniere " , and so set out to capture her . This he did , after a notably spirited defence from the smaller frigate . Bourayne continued to cruise the Indian ocean , capturing " Discovery " ( ? ) , before returning to Isle de France in 1809 . The " Canonnière " was found there to be now in such a state of disrepair that she was renamed " Confiance " and sent back to France as a semi - armed merchantman , with Bourayne aboard as a passenger . Very near to her destination however , she was spotted and taken by the 74 - gun " Valiant " , and so Bourayne found himself a captive for the second time . Later years . On 2 May 1811 , while still in captivity , Napoleon awarded him the title Baron of the Empire . In spring 1814 , he was finally released and returned to France . He was now 46 , and his sailing career was over – however he was further promoted to Contre - amiral in 1815 , and made prefect of Brest during the Hundred Days . He died on 5 November 1817 in Brest at the age of 49 .