Page:Royal Naval Biography Marshall v1p2.djvu/312

728 “At day-break on the 23d Sept. 1796, the island of Deseada bearing S.E. by S. six or seven leagues, the British 18-gun brig Pelican (mounting sixteen 32-pounder carronades, and two long 6’s), Captain John Clarke Searle, found herself close on the lee-beam of an enemy’s frigate. Not over-desirous of engaging, where the odds were so decidedly against him, Captain Searle made sail to the N.W., and was followed by the frigate; who, having the weather-gage, and sailing remarkably fast in the prevailing fresh breeze, rapidly approached the Pelican. The brig, at this time, had on board only 97 officers and men of her complement; and some of the latter seemed to hesitate about engaging a ship of such evident superiority of force. But Captain Searle calling to their recollection the frequent occasions on which they had distinguished themselves while under his command, and expressing a hope that they would not now sully their well-earned reputation, nor place less confidence in him than they had been accustomed to do, the fine fellows immediately gave three cheers, and declared their resolution, rather to sink with their commander, than forfeit his good opinion.

“Having made all ready, the Pelican, to the great surprise, no doubt, of the Frenchmen in the frigate, shortened sail; and, at 7 o’clock, the latter, having arrived within gun-shot, opened her fire. The brig reserved her’s till her carronades could reach with effect; and then a very brisk fire was kept up till seven minutes before nine; when the frigate, whose crew appeared to be in some confusion, hauled on board her main-tack, and made off to the northward under all possible sail. Nor was the Pelican in a condition for an immediate pursuit, having had every brace and bowline, all the after back-stays, the main-stay, several of the lower shrouds, the top-sail-tyes, and other parts of her rigging shot away; the sails very much torn; and the main-mast, main-top-sail-yard, and fore-yard, a good deal injured. With all this damage, however, the Pelican fortunately had no person killed, and only 1 slightly wounded. Her opponent being left to herself, soon ran out of sight.

“At 10 o’clock, while the Pelican was repairing her damages, the man at the mast-head discovered a large ship on the lee-beam. At 11, having got her rigging and sails in tolerable order, the Pelican gave chace; and at 3, Englishman’s Head, Guadaloupe, bearing S.S.E. a mile and a half, succeeded, after firing several shot, in cutting away the ship’s main-topsail-yard. Upon this, the latter brought to, and proved to be the Alcyon, late a British army-victualler, but then in the possession of the French 32-gun frigate Médée, who had captured her on the 9th, about 100 leagues to windward of Barbadoes. At 4, the Pelican made sail to the southward, with the prize in tow; but, at midnight, owing to a calm and a heavy westerly swell, in which the Alcyon fell on board the Pelican three times, the latter was compelled to cast her off. At day-break the Alcyon was found to have drifted very near to the shore at Anse la Barque; and at about a gun-shot within her, was seen the Médée herself, having a light air from the land, while the Pelican and her prize lay quite becalmed. The Médée’s boats soon regained possession of the Alcyon; and Captain Searle knowing that the Thetis and another French frigate lay at anchor in