Page:George McCall Theal, History of South Africa from 1795 to 1872, Volume 1 (4th ed, 1915).djvu/37

1796] the Monarch and the Sphinx, and had resumed command of the fleet. The Stately, Rattlesnake, and Echo, forming part of the force he had taken with him to India, arrived somewhat later from a cruise off Mauritius. The admiral had purchased a damaged American vessel in Simon's Bay, had repaired her, armed her with sixteen guns, and put her in commission as his Majesty's brig of war Euphrosyne. And on the 21st of July the frigate Moselle arrived. She was proceeding from the Mediterranean to the West Indies when she caught sight of the Dutch fleet steering southward, and Captain Brisbane, her commander, considered it his duty to hasten to the Cape with the intelligence.

The French squadron made a rapid passage. On the 26th of May it nearly succeeded in capturing the Sphinx a little to the eastward of False Cape, and retook a prize that ship was bringing into Simon's Bay. On the 15th of May the English whaler Lord Hawkesbury was captured, a few men were put on board, and the prizemaster was directed to proceed to Mauritius. But eleven days later, as she was close to the coast near Zoetendal's Vlei, an English sailor who was at the helm ran her ashore. All on board got safely to land, and from the prizemaster, who was made a prisoner, it was learned that the admiral commanding the squadron intended to proceed to Mauritius. He might cruise off the coast for a time to pick up prizes, but he was not disposed to wait long for the Dutch fleet, nor did he ever make an effort to form a junction with it.

Admiral Lucas arrived at Grand Canary on the 13th of April. The preceding day he had allowed the Moselle to come almost within gunshot without any attempt to pursue her, and while at anchor here the Jupiter with the transports passed within sight, as did the Tremendous eleven days later, without his trying to capture them. At this place disturbances occurred on board the Dordrecht, Revolutie, and Castor. The cry Oranje boven, weg