1809	Light Squadrons and Single Ships	154

by a hard southerly gale about 12 leagues to the northward of the island of Corfu, discovered a suspicious vessel far distant on the lee bow. All sail was immediately made in pursuit ; but, light and partial winds coming on, the Belle-Poule chased without success the whole day. Captain Brisbane, however, saw that it was the intention of the stranger, which was the French frigate-built store-ship Var, of 22 long 8-pounders and four 24-pounder carronades, with a crew of 200 men, commanded by Captain Paul-François Paulin, to enter the gulf of Velona. The Belle-Poule, accordingly, steered in that direction.

On the 15th, at daybreak, the Var was discovered, moored with cables to the walls of the fortress of Velona, mounting 14 long 18 and 24 pounders ; and, upon an eminence above the ship, and completely commanding the whole anchorage, was another strong fort. A breeze at length favouring her, the Belle-Poule, at 1 p.m. anchored in a position to take or destroy the Var, and at the same time to keep in check the formidable force prepared apparently to defend the French ship. The Belle-Poule immediately opened upon the latter an animated and well directed fire ; and, as the forts made no efforts to protect her, the Var discharged a few random shot, which hurt no one, and then hauled down her colours. Before she could be taken possession of, her officers and the greater part of her crew escaped to the shore. The Var measured 777 tons, and was added to the British navy as a store-ship under the name of Chichester.

At or abut the commencement of the present year the British 18-pounder 32-gun frigate Proserpine, Captain Charles Otter, by the orders of Vice-admiral Thornborough, took her station off the road of Toulon, to watch the movements of the French fleet. The boldness of her approaches at length determined Vice-admiral Ganteaume to detach a force to chase her away. Accordingly, on the 27th of February, the two 40-gun frigates Pénélope, Captain Bernard Dubourdieu, and Pauline, Captain François-Gilles Montfort, weighed and sailed out to execute that service. They in a short time discovered the Proserpine, and the latter, as she was bound, retired before them ; but, no sooner had the two frigates put about to return, than the Proserpine put about also, in chase of several small sail of coasting vessels, running alongshore towards Marseille. Failing in cutting off the convoy, the Proserpine stood off for the night, and in a short time lay nearly becalmed.

The French admiral now formed an excellent plan for surrounding and capturing the British frigate. At 8 p.m. the Pénélope, and Pauline got under way, and were quickly followed by the 40-gun frigate Pomone; also by the two fast-sailing 74-gun ships Ajax and Suffren, Captains Jean-Nicolas Petit and Auguste-François Louvel. The two first-named frigates worked to the westward, under the high land of Cape Sicie, upon short tacks, with variable wind. At abut 1 A. M, on the 28th, the

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