1809	Junon with Rénommée and Consorts	187

and Bernard Vincent, mounting 20 guns each (iron 36-pounder carronades and long 18-pounders), and laden with troops and military stores for Guadaloupe ; with which, on the 15th of the preceding month, they had sailed from Nantes.

The Junon and Observateur immediately made sail in chase, and at 4 p.m. discovered that the strangers were frigates. Soon afterwards, having cleared for action, the British frigate and brig hoisted their colours, and the Junon fired several guns to induce the strangers to show theirs. At 5 p.m., approaching near, the Junon made the private signal : on which the Renommée first, and then her consorts, hoisted Spanish colours, but showed no disposition to bring to. The British frigate, still bearing down, now hoisted the Spanish private signal, a blue pendant at the fore and a ball at the main ; when, almost immediately, the Renommée hoisted a red flag with a white cross at the fore, which was the proper answer to the signal. Thus deceived, the Junon continued to approach the four French frigates ; until, at 5 h. 30 m. p.m., the latter shortened sail and hauled their wind in line of battle on the larboard tack. The Junon immediately shortened sail also ; and, when about a quarter of a mile to windward of the French squadron, the Renommée who was the leading frigate, hauled down the Spanish and hoisted French colours, and poured a destructive broadside into the starboard bow of the British frigate.

Finding, from the state of her rigging, that it was impossible to escape to windward, the Junon ran under the stern of the Renommée and raked her. The Observateur, about the same time, discharged her starboard broadside at the French frigate's bows, but at too great a distance for the brig's carronades to do execution. Meanwhile the Clorinde, the second astern to the Renommée had hauled close to the wind, and now ran nearly foul of the Junon on her starboard side. In this position a spirited cannonade ensued for upwards of 10 minutes, to the apparent disadvantage of the Clorinde; when the Renommée, who, after having been raked by her opponent, had wore to avoid a repetition of the salute, ran foul of the Junon on her larboard side. As if these two French frigates were not sufficient to overpower the single British frigate, the Seine and Loire stationed themselves, one ahead, the other astern, of the Junon ; and the troops on board of each, particularly of the Loire, who lay with her bowsprit over the British frigate's larboard quarter, kept up a most destructive fire of musketry, which nearly cleared the Junon's quarterdeck of both officers and men.

It was at about this time that Captain Shortland had his leg broken by a grape-shot, and was also badly wounded by splinters. The command of the ship, in consequence, devolved upon Lieutenant Samuel Bartlett Deecker. The Clorinde now attempted to board the Junon on the starboard quarter, but was most gallantly repulsed by a few men led on by Lieutenant John

^ back to top ^