Page:Final French Struggles in India and on the Indian Seas.djvu/137

Rh to return from their cruise immediately. But on the 10th, at night, we fell in with H. M.'s ship Trincomali, Captain Rowe, mounting 18 24-pounder carronades, but badly manned. She had been fitted out at Bombay, and had been cruising in the Gulf nine or ten months; her crew very sickly, had lost a number of them by death, and had no fresh supply. I have been told she had only seventy active men on board.

"A partial action took place the next day as they passed each other, and on the 12th, at three P.M., they came within gunshot again, and kept firing at each other till after sunset, but at too great a distance for much damage to be done. Owing to calm and light airs they could not get near each other. A schooner, named the Comet, was in company with the Trincomali, mounting 8 small guns. The captain of the privateer wanted very much to cut her off, but through the bravery and good conduct of her captain all his schemes failed, and she served to engage the Pearl for whom she was more than a match.

"At half-past six o'clock the same evening, a fine breeze springing up, the privateer bore down towards her prize. The Trincomali followed, and at ten P.M. (being moonlight) brought her to action, which con-