In November 1800 the Honourable Company's ship the Phoenix, when in lat. 20° 15′ South, fell in with a French privateer; she immediately cleared for action, and as they approached within pistol-shot, the Frenchman manned his rigging and prepared to board. The Phoenix, however, gave him no time to carry his plans into execution, for, pouring in only half a broadside, the privateer struck her colours and called loudly for quarter: she proved to be the General Martillac, of 16 guns, two of which were 36-pounders, and 120 men. The conduct of the captain of the Phoenix was deserving of great praise, and we trust he was amply rewarded.

In 1800 the blockade of the city and harbour of Batavia was maintained by a squadron under the command of Captain Henry L. Ball, in the Dædalus, of 32 guns, having with him the Centurion, Braave, and Sybille. An attack on the island of Java was in contemplation at that time, but the state of affairs in India having prevented it, the squadron was employed in cutting off all the trade of the Dutch settlements: it took the arsenal at Onrust, and compelled the Dutch to burn 30 sail of vessels to prevent their falling into our hands. A favourable, negotiation was entered into with the native princes of Java, and by the utmost vigilance the squadron was kept from the contagion of the endemic fever of the island. At length the soldiers of the 12th regiment, breaking into a store at Onrust, and obtaining liquor, the disorder commenced with such destructive violence, that the squadron had scarcely strength to weigh their anchors, and the ships were recalled at the request of the Governor-general, who had undertaken the Mahratta war. It was with great reluctance that Admiral Rainier relinquished this enterprise, on which he had been ordered by the Admiralty.

The cruisers in the East Indies, at this period, were very active and successful. Captain William Hill, of the Orpheus, in the Straits of Banca, captured two Dutch merchant vessels, of 22 guns each, with their cargoes.

Captain Astle, in La Virginie, on her passage to Amboyna, made many similar captures of vessels loaded with supplies for the island of Ternate, and a considerable quantity of specie in dollars.

Captain E. O. Osborn, in the Arrogant, of 74 guns, on the coast of Java, captured a large Dutch merchantman, mounting 28 guns, with a crew of between 200 and 300 men, and a brig of 14 guns and 65 men, and took several other small armed vessels. On the 4th of August Captain Osborn captured L'Uni, French privateer, of 30 guns and 250 men.

In July 1801 the island of Ternate, after a siege and close

blockade of 52 days, was taken possession of by the Honourable Company's forces. A considerable treasure was found there, and our loss on the occasion was too trifling to mention; the enemy suffered severely by famine.

but

The last naval action which we shall record in India before the peace of Amiens is the capture of the French frigate La Chiffone, of 36 guns, by Captain Charles Adam, in the Sibylle, of 44 guns. This action was fought at the Sechelle islands, where the frigate had gone for the purpose of conveying 26 persons from France, who were or had been suspected of plotting against the life of Napoleon. If the French frigate was inferior to La Sibylle in point of size and number of guns, she had the advantages of position, which more than counterbalanced this deficiency. Captain Adam was forced to work his way through a very intricate narrow channel, while he was exposed not only to the fire of his opponent, but also to that of a battery on shore, composed of her forecastle guns, which fired hot shot. Captain Adam, in defiance of every obstacle, steered steadily for his opponent, and after a short action silenced and took her and the battery. The Sibylle had two men killed and one wounded; the Chiffone 20 killed and 30 wounded.

CHAPTER XXI.

Political relations between France and America-The President's speech to Congress-Insolence of the Directory-Extraordinary declaration of the President, and shameful conduct of the American privateers-The Americans increase their land and sea forces-Spain in treaty for the cession of Louisiana to America-President's remarks on the detention of their trade by France-The Carnatic stops and searches an American vessel of war for British seamen-Consequences-Meeting of Congress in 1799-Trade revived between America and St. DomingoDifference of opinion between British and American commissioners on subjects relative to detention of American traders-Action between Constellation and Insurgente-Attempt to set fire to Halifax dockyard-Newfoundland station-Farther disputes between France and America-Action between Constellation and Vengeance-Rear-admiral Pole goes to Newfoundland.

We must now revert to the eventful year 1797. At the opening of the session of Congress in America, on the 16th of May, the President gave a clear and able statement of the differences subsisting between France and that country.

In the course of a speech, remarkable for manliness and perspicuity, he gave us a piece of information which we should not have expected. He says, " that the greater part of the cruisers whose depredations have been most injurious have been built, and some of them partially equipped, in the United States;" and farther, he adds, " that some of our citizens resident abroad have fitted out privateers, and others have voluntarily taken the command of them, and committed spoliations on the commerce of the United States."

This is an important confession, and should convince the enemies of our country, both foreign and domestic, that the acts of justice committed by Great Britain in self-defence, served as a cloak to the most iniquitous practices adopted by Americans themselves against their own country.

The President recommended, and congress decided on, a farther increase of their land and sea forces. It is due to the Government of the United States to observe, that its conduct on this occasion was marked with justice towards foreign powers. The lower orders in America still clung to France; the higher, particularly in the eastern states, to Great Britain. The former obtained the name of Democrats; the latter of Federalists.

In 1798 the ill humour of the Americans, which had begun to subside, was again excited by the unavoidable repetition of the act of searching their ships for our seamen: this act, which nothing but necessity could justify, we have already observed was practised towards their merchantmen as a matter to which they reluctantly submitted; but when a ship of war bearing their flag was subjected to the same indiguity, it became an object of state inquiry, and the cause of national animosity.

Captain Loring, of the Carnatic, of 74 guns, boarded an American vessel of war off the Havannah, for the purpose above related; in consequence of which an order was issued by the American Government to their captains, never on any account to submit to a search when they had the means of resistance, they were never to part with their men unless their ship was taken.

On the meeting of Congress in December 1799, the President in his speech, referring to the political situation of the United States, observed that he had thought he might safely renew a commercial intercourse with the island of St. Domingo; and that in consequence he had taken off the prohibitions, and had found that the persecutions of American citizens, and the practices of privateering by the blacks, had entirely ceased.

He farther observed, that a slight disagreement had unfortunately occurred between the commissioners appointed by both the Governments to examine the claims of British subjects on the United States; but that as a mutual wish existed for an adjustment, he had no doubt they would come to a satisfactory conclusion. These discussions related to the detention of American vessels by British cruisers. The result of his mission to France still remained uncertain. Meanwhile the depredations of the French cruisers in the West Indies were carried to so great an excess, that the President deemed it prudent to assert the honour of his flag, and sent thither Commodore Truxton, in the Constellation, a frigate of 36 guns, 18-pounders, and well manned. The commodore, on the 9th of February, fell in with the Insurgente, a French frigate of the large class, having 44 guns, 18-pounders, and 410 men, commanded by Captain Buroe: an action immediately commenced, and continued with so much spirit on the side of the American, that his enemy was compelled to surrender, with the loss of 29 men killed and as many wounded; the American had one killed and two wounded.

The affair happened off Nevis, and the prize was carried into St. Christopher's. General des Fourneaux, governor of

Guadaloupe, sent a requisition to Commodore Truxton to deliver up his capture; but to this the Commodore very properly replied, that, having hitherto acted by the orders of his Government, he should still continue to do so, and that no threats would induce him to alter his conduct. This act, however, did not produce a war between the two countries. France being sensible that she deserved the chastisement, and not being in a situation to revenge it, attempted to gain by negotiation what she had found unattainable by force.

The Americans were no better satisfied with the conduct of France, after Bonaparte had become Chief Consul, than they were when it was governed by the Directory; and a drawn battle between a French and an American frigate in the West Indies shows the feeling that existed between the two nations. Their partiality to France was on the wane, and they were seriously out of humour with the Chief Consul, whose arbitrary power so shocked their ideas of republican liberty and national independence, that they made remonstrances, through their minister at Paris, on the seizure of some of their merchant vessels, and of their final condemnation in the ports of France, without a shadow of complaint against them for the non-performance of any stipulated agreement or illegal traffic. Little acts of hostility were committed by both parties, but no specific declaration of war took place. France had too much on her hands at the time, and America well knew that a maritime war with that country would endanger, if not destroy, her commerce; both sides were therefore equally adverse to the last appeal. The heartburnings between France and America were occasioned by the rapacity and injustice of the former, who had no solid excuse for their acts of aggression; while on the other hand the Americans could allege nothing against us, except that we took our own seamen wherever we could find them, and this was on our part no more than an act of self-defence; but in the opinion of the Government of America at that time, and of a large majority of the people, particularly in the southern. States, England could never do right, and France could hardly do wrong.

The Americans were constantly in the practice of seducing our seamen to desert; their consuls and agents in foreign ports were accustomed to furnish them with certificates of citizenship. These were sold for a dollar each, and the Earl of St. Vincent said that masters of American ships had been known to carry off soldiers from Gibraltar in their regimentals.

In 1800 Vice-admiral the Honourable William Waldegrave was governor and commander-in-chief in and over the island of Newfoundland this post was held for three years. 2 B

VOL. I.

The