1808	San Fiorenzo and Piémontaise	21

Mr. Trist to the promotion which he in consequence obtained.

On the 2d of March, in the morning, the British 18-gun brig-sloop Sappho, Captain George Langford, standing to the eastward from off Scarborough, discovered and chased an armed brig, that was steering a course as if with the intention to cut off several merchant vessels to leeward. At 1 h. 30 m. P. M, the Danish brig of war Admiral-Yawl, Captain Jorgen Jorgenson, substituting Danish for English colours, which she had previously hoisted to deceive, discharged her broadside at the Sappho, in return for a shot fired over her by the latter. The Sappho immediately bore down, and brought her antagonist to close action, which was obstinately sustained for half an hour, when the Admiral-Yawl struck her colours.

The Sappho's force was 16 carronades, 32-pounders, and two sixes, with a complement of 120 men and boys ; of whom she had two wounded. The Admiral-Yawl was singularly armed for a brig, her guns being mounted on two decks. On her first deck she had 12 carronades, 18-pounders, and on her second or principal deck, 16 long 6-pounders, total 28 guns ; with a complement of 83 men and boys, of whom the second officer and one seaman were killed. The wounded, if any, do not appear in the gazette-account.

On the 4th of March, at 11 h. 30 m. a.m., the British 18-pounder 36-gun frigate San-Fiorenzo, Captain George Nicholas Hardinge, sailed from Pointe de Galle, Ceylon, on her return to Bombay. On the 6th, at 7 a.m., latitude 7° 32' north, longitude 77° 58' east, the San-Fiorenzo passed, off Cape Comorin, the three East India Company's ships, Charlton, Captain George Wood, Metcalfe, Captain Matthew Isacke, and Devonshire, Captain James Murray, from Bombay bound to Columbo ; and shortly afterwards discovered on her starboard beam, in the north-east, the French 40-gun frigate Piémontaise, Captain Epron, advancing to intercept the Indiamen. The San-Fiorenzo immediately hauled to the wind in-shore, under all sail, and the French frigate, finding herself pursued, changed her course and stood away. The Piémontaise had sailed from the Isle of France on the 30th of the preceding December. Her intended mode of attack upon the Indiamen is represented to have been to board the first with 150 men, and then stand on and cannonade the two others until they surrendered.

At 5 p.m., having previously made the private signal, the San-Fiorenzo hoisted her colours, but the French frigate paid no attention to either. Captain Hardinge now pressed forward in pursuit ; and at 11 h. 40 m. p.m., being still on the larboard-tack, the San-Fiorenzo ranged alongside the Piémontaise and received her broadside. After a ten minutes' action fought within 200 yards, the Piémontaise made sail ahead out of the range of her opponent's shot. The San-Fiorenzo, whose loss,

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