Page:Royal Naval Biography Marshall v4p1.djvu/27

 It is proper here to state, that the broad pendant and red ensign were displayed at the suggestion of Lieutenant Edward Lloyd, of the Boadicea, whom Commodore Rowley had left in charge of the signal posts at St. Denis, in order to watch and report the movements of the enemy’s squadron which blockaded Isle Bourbon, after Captain Pym’s unfortunate affair in Port Sud-Est.

“At noon, or shortly afterwards, the Boadicea herself weighed from the bay of St. Paul, and accompanied by the 16-gun sloop Otter, Captain James Tomkinson, and gun-brig Staunch, Lieutenant Benjamin Street, proceeded in chase of the two French frigates. At 2 she rounded Pointe du Galet, having the wind well from the southward; while the Iphigénie and Astrée were under all sail on the starboard tack, with the wind, a common occurrence in the vicinity of Madagascar, fresh from the eastward. The instant she cleared the bay of St. Paul, the Boadicea was descried, and, making her number, became at once recognised by the Africaine. Commodore Rowley, when getting under weigh, had received an intimation from the Lieutenant-Governor of Isle Bourbon, that an English frigate, reported to be the Africaine, had arrived at St. Denis: he therefore knew that the frigate in sight was her. Captain Corbett now returned on board his ship, attended by Major Barry, of the Honourable Company’s service, and Captain Elliott, of the British regulars. At about the same time the frigate received from the shore a lieutenant and 25 soldiers of the 86th regiment, to replace her wounded, most of whom were able seamen.

“The Africaine immediately made sail upon the starboard tack, the same as that on which the French ships were standing. These, at about 3, had descried the Boadicea and her two consorts. The latter Captain Bouvet (of the Iphigénie) knew were the Otter and Staunch; but the Boadicea, on account of the ruse practised by the Africaine in the morning, he took to be the Windham (re-captured East Tndiaman), equipped as a ship of war. By 6 the Otter and Staunch had so dropped astern in the chase, as to be entirely out of sight of the Africaine; and about the same time the Boadicea, being headed by the east wind, took in her studding-sails and braced up. This brought her about eight miles on the Africaine’s lee quarter. At 6-20, the Africaine lost sight of the Boadicea; and in ten minutes more the latter lost sight, in the opposite direction, of the Otter and Staunch. The weathermost French frigate, finding the Africaine approaching fast, bore up to join her consort; and at 7-30 the Africaine was about two miles and a half on their weather quarter, with such a decided superiority in sailing as to keep way with them under topsails and foresail, while they were carrying top-gallant-sails and courses.

