ly performed, and we stood
towards the Frenchmen under a press of sail. The enemy then formed in a
very close line and opened fire on the headmost ships, which was not
returned till they got much closer. What do you think of it? Two
merchantmen and a brig engaging a line-of-battle ship, two frigates, and
two other ships of war--for the rest of the fleet had not yet got up.
The _Royal George_ bore the brunt of the action, for Captain Timins took
his ship as close to the enemy as they would let him, and the _Ganges_
and _Earl Camden_ opened their fire as soon as their guns could take
effect. Before, however, any of the other ships could get into action
the Frenchmen hauled their wind and stood away to the eastward, under
all the sail they could set. On this, at about two p.m., the signal was
made for a general chase, and away went the fleet of merchantmen after
the men-of-war. We pursued them for two hours, when the commodore,
fearing that we might be led too far from the mouth of the straits, made
the signal to tack, and in the evening we anchored ready to pass through
the straits in the morning. We afterwards found that the squadron we
had engaged was that of Admiral Linois, consisting of the _Marengo_, 84
guns, the _Belle Poule_ and _Semillante_, heavy frigates, a corvette of
28 guns, and a Batavian brig of 18 guns. That the Frenchmen either took
some of our big ships for men-of-war, or fancied that some men-of-war
were near at hand and ready to come to our assistance, is very probable,
but that does not detract from the gallantry of the action. The
Patriotic Fund voted swords and plate to Captain Dance and other
officers, and the East India Company presented him with 2,000 guineas
and a piece of plate worth 500, and Captain Timins 1,000 guineas and a
piece of plate, and all the other captains and officers and men rewards
in plate or money, the whole amounting to not less than 50,000. But
they deserved it, sir--they deserved it; and I suspect that Admiral
Linois and his officers must have pulled out the best part of their hair
when they discovered the prize they had lost. Besides the reward I have
mentioned, Commodore Dance was very properly knighted. In its result,"
continued the speaker, "the action was most important."

"But it was scarcely so annoying to the enemy as another in which some
Indiamen were engaged in 1800," observed a military officer, laying down
his knife and fork, and wiping his moustache