nother; and the smartest of them,
herself always improving, gives an example, and a character to the
whole.

In the middle of April 1794, Sir J.B. Warren sailed from Portsmouth in
the _Flora_, with the _Arethusa_, _Concorde_, _Melampus_, and _Nymphe_.
At daylight on the 23rd, he fell in with a French squadron off the Isle
of Bass; the _Engageante_, _Pomone_, and _Resolue_, frigates; and the
_Babet_, 22-gun corvette. The enemy, who were standing to the
north-west, made sail on perceiving the British squadron; the Commodore
in _l'Engageante_ being a-head, then _Resolue_, _Pomone_, and _Babet_.
Soon after, the wind shifted two points, from S.S.W. to south, giving
the British the weather-gage, and preventing the enemy from making their
escape to the land.

Outsailing her consorts, the _Flora_ came up with the enemy at half-past
six; and giving the _Babet_ a passing broadside, stood on and attacked
the _Pomone_. The _Pomone_ was at that time by much the largest frigate
ever built, being only one hundred tons smaller than a 64-gun ship, and
carrying long 24-pounders on her main deck. The _Flora_, being only a
36, with 18-pounders, was a very unequal match for this powerful ship,
which soon cut her sails and rigging to pieces, shot away her
fore-topmast, and left her astern. The _Melampus_, which,
notwithstanding her endeavours to close, was still far to windward on
the _Pomone's_ quarter; now fired on her, but unavoidably at too great a
distance to produce any material effect, though the heavy guns of the
enemy inflicted on her a greater loss than was sustained by any other
ship in the squadron. The _Arethusa_, which had previously cannonaded
the _Babet_, while she was pressing on to overtake the frigates, soon
came up with the _Pomone_, closed her to windward, and engaged her
single-handed, and within pistol-shot, till she struck. The _Flora_, in
the mean time, took possession of the corvette. A short time before the
close of the action, the _Pomone_ took fire, but her crew succeeded in
extinguishing the flames. At half-past nine, the _Arethusa_ shot away
her main and mizen masts, and compelled her to surrender.

As soon as the enemy struck, the Commodore, in the full warmth of his
feelings, wrote to Sir Edward a short and expressive note:--

"MY DEAR PELLEW,--I shall ever hold myself indebted, and under
infinite obligations to you, for the noble and gallant support you
gave me to-day.

"God ble