1809	British and French Fleets	98

and the Donegal, while in stays, fired a broadside at the enemy. After this, the British squadron stood off-shore and the action ceased.

The Cæsar had her bowsprit wounded, her fore spring-stay shot away, and her rigging a good deal cut, but had not a man hurt. The Donegal suffered also in her rigging and sails, and had one man killed and six wounded. The Defiance, who bore the brunt of the action, had all her masts badly wounded, her rigging cut to pieces, and two men killed and 25 wounded. Of the French frigates, the ltalienne had six men killed and 17 wounded, the Calypso, 10 killed and 18 wounded, and the Cybèle, eight killed and 16 wounded, total, 24 killed and 51 wounded ; and all three frigates had their hulls much shattered. The loss, if any, that was sustained on shore, does not appear in the French accounts. The three French frigates, having taken the ground nearly at the top of high water, could not be got off, and were consequently wrecked ; but the crews, and probably the stores, were saved.

At sunset Rear-admiral Stopford returned to his station off the Chasseron lighthouse, and observed the squadron of M. Willaumez at anchor in Basque roads. On the next day, the 25th, Captain Beresford and his three ships joining company, the rear-admiral, with his force thus augmented to seven sail of the line and five frigates, resumed the blockade of the port ; in which now lay, in two divisions, a fleet of 10 sail of the line, four frigates, and a 50-gun ship, the Calcutta, armed en flute. On the 26th the Brest squadron weighed and stood for the road of Isle d'Aix. While proceeding thither, the Jean-Bart grounded on the Palles shoal near Isle Madame ; and, although an attempt was made to force her off by a press of sail, the ship became wrecked. The remaining ships of the Brest squadron anchored between the southern extremity of Isle d'Aix and the Boyart shoal, in company with the following squadron

With his nine French line-of-battle ships, M. Willaumez was blockaded by Rear-admiral Stopford, with eight British (the Hero having joined him), until the 7th of March, when the latter was relieved by Admiral Lord Gambier; who had received the first intelligence of the escape of the Brest squadron on the 23d of February, while, with nine sail of the line, on his way to resume the blockade of that port. The admiral then detached

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