any commander of any nation! The Ville de Paris,
in the capture of which Captain Saumarez had a distinguished share,
was the largest ship in the French navy: she had been a present from
the city of Paris to Louis XV. and no expense had been spared to
render the gift worthy of the city and of the monarch. Her length was
185 feet 7-1/2 inches, her breadth 53 feet 8-1/2, depth 22 feet 2, and
2347 tons' measurement; and the expense of building her and sending
her to sea is said to have been 156,000_l._ On board her at the time
of capture were found thirty-six chests of money intended for the pay
and subsistence of the men who were to be employed in the expedition
against Jamaica; and she had on board, at the commencement of the
action on the 9th, 1,300 men: in the other captured ships, the whole
train of artillery, the battering cannon and carriages meant for the
expedition, were found.

The loss of men in the British fleet in both actions was very small,
amounting to only two hundred and thirty-seven killed, and seven
hundred and seventy-six wounded; while the loss of the French was
computed to be three thousand slain, and double that number wounded.
In the Ville de Paris alone three hundred were killed.

In the engagement on the 9th of April, the French fleet consisted of
thirty-four sail of the line, and the British of thirty-six; but in
that engagement, two of the enemy's ships having been disabled, their
numerical force was reduced in the battle of the 12th to thirty-two
sail of the line: on the other hand, the French ships were much larger
than the British; and it was calculated by Sir Charles Douglas, that
the broadside of the French fleet exceeded that of the British in
weight by 4396 pounds, and their numerical superiority in men was much
greater.

On the 13th of April, the Comte de Grasse was removed to the
flag-ship; and, some days after, when Captain Saumarez went on board
the Formidable after the action, and several times after their arrival
at Jamaica, the Comte de Grasse acknowledged that the Ville de Paris
suffered very severely from the well-directed fire of the Russell.

Among the instances of heroic submission and perseverance under the
severest suffering, may be recorded the conduct of the captain of the
main-top of the Russell, who having received a shot that carried off
one of his arms, instead of requesting the assistance of his
companions to take him below, insisted that they should continue at