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376  the same to his officers and ship’s company; which being received with the most cheering symptoms of satisfaction by all, he took in the studding-sails and cleared for action. The battle commenced with a heavy cannonade on both sides. The third frigate from the van having lost her fore-top-mast, Captain Dixon thought that by directing his attack against her he should secure a general action, supposing that the noble minded Spaniard would never leave a friend in distress; steering therefore for the crippled ship, which was now become the sternmost in the line of battle, the other three frigates tacked in succession, and passed the Lion within musket-shot; but as their line after tacking was by no means a close one, they each received a well-directed broadside from her; the good effect of which was very visible by their standing a considerable time on the same tack.

Captain Dixon still continued to pursue the same ship he had before made his principal object; which sailing nearly as well as the Lion, did much damage to her rigging by her stern chasers. The other three frigates made a second attempt to support her, but not so close as the former, and were each fully repaid by a destructive broadside. At length the Lion closed with the crippled ship, and after a warm action compelled her to strike, and she was taken possession of in the face of her consorts. She proved to be the Santa Dorothea, of 42 guns and 370 men, 52 of whom were either killed or wounded. The others were the Pomona, bearing a Commodore’s broad pendant, the Santa Casilda, and Proserpine, of 42 guns and 350 men each. Seeing the fate of their companion, they made sail and escaped; the disabled state of the Lion preventing her from pursuing them. The manly and spirited conduct of Captain Dixon and those under his command, in and subsequent to the action, reflected on them great honour, and obtained the applause which they so justly merited. The Lion had only 2 men wounded.

Captain Dixon arrived in Aboukir Bay on the 26th of the following month, but found there only a few ships left by Sir Horatio Nelson to guard the coast, that officer having already ably executed the business on which he had visited the shores of Egypt.

In the course of the following year, the Lion captured two