having many wounded from the fleet, Captain Thompson naturally wished to avoid an action with such superior force; but finding the enemy outsailed him, he determined to try the fortune of war. At nine in the morning the French ship had ranged within half gunshot, when the Leander luffed up, brought her broadside to bear, and commenced a vigorous cannonade. The ships continued nearing each other until halfpast 10, keeping up a constant and heavy fire. Captain Thompson was at this time so much disabled in his sails and rigging, that he could not prevent the enemy laying him on board on the larboard bow, where he remained for some time, making many attempts to board the Leander, but was constantly repulsed by the noble conduct of the marines, who, from the poop and the quarter-deck, under the command of a serjeant, kept up such a well-directed fire on the assailants, that they were driven back. The fire from the great guns was all this time continued with the same spirit, and a light breeze, giving the ships way, enabled the Leander to steer clear of her opponent, and soon after, luffing up under his stern, and passing him within 10 yards, she distinctly discharged every gun into him. The water was at this time perfectly smooth, the wind had ceased, the ships were close to each other, and the firing continued until half-past three in the afternoon, when the enemy crossed the Leander's bows, and placed himself on her starboard side, where her guns were nearly all disabled from the wreck which had fallen: this produced a cessation of fire, and the French captain hailed to know if his gallant opponent had surrendered.

The Leander was now totally unmanageable, not a stick standing but the shattered remains of her fore and main masts and the bowsprit, her hull cut to pieces, and her deck covered with the dead and the wounded; the enemy, who had only lost his mizenmast, was taking a position across her stern. In this defenceless situation Captain Thompson consulted his friend, Captain Berry; both agreed that further resistance was useless, if not impracticable, and the colours were struck when the Leander was scarcely able to float.

The ship which had thus, after so severe an action, taken this little 50, was Le Généreux, of 74 guns, having on board 900 men, 100 of whom fell in this action, and 188 were wounded. She was commanded by Monsieur Lejoîlle, chef de division, and was the rear ship in the French line at the battle of the Nile, in which she had but little share. The Leander, out of 343 men, including invalids, had 35 killed, and 57 wounded. The Généreux, leaving her shattered prize at Corfu,

arrived at Trieste. Captain Thompson, whose letter is dated from on board the Lazaretto at that port, was badly wounded: we shall soon see him again in an action equally brilliant, and more successful. On his arrival in England he was tried by a court-martial for the loss of his ship, and acquitted with the highest encomiums that any court could pronounce on the character of an officer; after which he received from his Majesty the honour of knighthood, and the grateful citizens of London presented him with the freedom of their corporation in a gold box.

The despatches with which Captain Berry was charged were of course consigned to the deep; and it was not till the arrival of the Honourable Captain Capel with the duplicates that the British Government had any certain intelligence from the hero

of the Nile.

I have always felt pleasure in rendering justice to the merit of our enemies, whether for valour in action, or humanity to their prisoners. In the present instance I am compelled to speak in harsh terms of the captain of the Généreux for a violation of truth towards a subdued and gallant enemy, and for an egotism and a vain boasting quite unbecoming the character of a brave man. To support these assertions I shall refer my readers to the letter of Citizen Lejoîlle. Had a British officer written such a letter, he would have been overwhelmed by the ridicule and contempt of his profession, if not dismissed the

service.

When Captain Jervis (afterwards Earl of St. Vincent), in the Foudroyant, took the Pegase, the French captain wrote to the minister of the marine, pretending to give an account of the transaction, and having shown the letter to Captain Jervis, asked his opinion: the British captain replied that he saw but one objection, namely, that not one word of it was true." “ Mais (said the Frenchman) il faut se justifier." He accordingly sent the letter, which being false, as had been stated by Captain Jervis, he was very soon after his arrival at Brest publicly and ignominiously dismissed from his ship, and from the navy, by having his sword broken over his head. I leave the application of this anecdote to Monsieur Lejoille and the writers of fabulous reports. For the information of such as are not conversant in naval affairs, I must observe that the Leander mounted 50 guns, viz. 22, 24-pounders on her lower deck, 22, 12-pounders on her main-deck, and eight nine-pounders on her quarter-deck and forecastle; and had on board 343 men when she began the action. The force of the Généreux, independently of the superior size of her timber and her comple

ment of 700 men, was as follows:-On her lower deck 30 36-pounders, equal to 40 English pounds; main deck, 30 18pounders; quarter-deck and forecastle, 18 12-pounders, or 42pound carronades. I have stated the complement of the Généreux at 700 men, though I believe she had on board 200 supernumeraries which escaped from the Timoleon. I am concerned to add that the brave crew of the Leander were illtreated in captivity. The following is the letter of Citizen Lejoille to the Minister of the Marine :

Généreux, Corfu, Sept. 8, 1798.

I have the pleasure to announce to you my arrival at Corfu. I have been here for some days past, having brought in the English ship Leander of 74 guns, which I met near the isles of Goza and Candia, about a league from the shore. This ship had been sent to carry dispatches from Bequiers Road,* where the English had attacked us on the 1st of August. We were at anchor, but in a position certainly not very secure for our squadron; of this bad position they took advantage, and having placed us between two fires, a most dreadful slaughter took place, the ships not being at a greater distance than pistol-shot, and at anchor. From the circumstance of the wind, with relation to the English ships, we should have been superior in the contest, if L'Orient, our admiral's ship, had not blown up in the air, which threw us all into disorder, as to avoid the flames that had already reached Le Tonnant, every vessel was obliged to shift its station. Having, however, placed my ship in a situation favourable to the direction of its cannon, I fought her until three in the morning of the following day to that which, at 10 in the evening, L'Orient blew up.

By a singular accident I missed having a broadside at Captain Darby, who sailed with us in the last war from the Cape of Good Hope to Cadiz. His ship, the Bellerophon, of 74 guns, sailed past me about half-past ten in the evening, having lost her main-mast and mizen-mast. I fired three of our shots at her, which carried away the mast she was hoisting, and struck away one of the lanterns of the poop. I immediately ordered one of my officers to go in pursuit of, and to bring on board of my ship, the captain of this ship; but in half an hour afterward, when I was about to send my boat on board her, the fire from several English ships being directed against me, compelled me rather to think of answering their guns than of taking possession of the other ship; and the slow manner in which the officer whom I had despatched proceeded to execute my orders was the cause of my failing to take possession of this other ship.

As to the Leander, I was obliged to fight her for nearly four hours and three quarters. She carries 74 guns, 24 and 30 pounders on her lower deck, and 12 pounders on her upper. I should have made myself master of her in less than an hour, had we

*Aboukir is meant.

been at close fighting: during the engagement we boarded her, and I should have succeeded in making a prize of her by boarding, if I had had a more active crew.

(Signed)

LEJOILLE, Jun.

Before the account of the capture of the Leander reached England, Captain the Hon. Thomas Bladen Capel arrived at the Admiralty with the duplicates from Rear-admiral Sir Horatio Nelson, and the following was immediately published

in the

LONDON GAZETTE EXTRAORDINARY.

Admiralty Office, Oct. 2, 1798.

The Honourable Captain Capel, of His Majesty's sloop Mutine, arrived this morning with dispatches from Rear-admiral Sir Horatio Nelson, K.B., to Evan Nepean, Esq., secretary of the Admiralty, of which the following are copies :

Vanguard, Mouth of the Nile,
August 7, 1798.

SIR, Herewith I have the honour to transmit you a copy of my letter to the Earl of St. Vincent, together with a line of battle of the English and French squadrons, also a list of killed and wounded. I have the pleasure to inform you, that eight of our ships have already topgallant yards across, and are ready for any service; the others, with the prizes, will soon be ready for sea. In an event of this importance, I have thought it right to send Captain Capel with a copy of my letter (to the commander-in-chief) over land, which I hope their lordships will approve, and beg leave to refer them to Captain Capel, who is a most excellent officer, and fully able to give every information; and I beg leave to recommend him to their lordships' notice.

MY LORD,

I have the honour to be, &c.

HORATIO NELSON.

Vanguard, off the Mouth of the Nile,
August 3, 1798.

Almighty God has blessed His Majesty's arms in the late battle by a great victory over the fleet of the enemy, whom I attacked at sunset on the 1st of August off the mouth of the Nile. The enemy was moored in a strong line of battle for defending the entrance of the bay of Shoals, flanked by numerous gun-boats, four frigates, and a battery of guns and mortars on an island in their van; but nothing could withstand the squadron your lordship did me the honour to place under my command. Their high state of discipline is well known to you, and with the judgment of the captains, together with their valour, and that of the officers and men of every description, it was absolutely irresistible. Could anything from my pen add to the characters of the captains, I would write it with pleasure; but that is impossible.

I have to regret the loss of Captain Westcott, of the Majestic, who was killed early in the action; but the ship continued to be so well fought by her first lieutenant, Mr. Cuthbert, that I have given him an order to command her, till your lordship's pleasure is known.

The ships of the enemy, all but their two rear ships, are nearly dismasted; and those two, with two frigates, I am sorry to say, made their escape, nor was it, I assure you, in my power to prevent them. Captain Hood most handsomely endeavoured to do it, but I had no ship in a condition to support the Zealous, and I was obliged to call her in.

The support and assistance I have received from Captain Berry cannot be sufficiently expressed. I was wounded in the head, and obliged to be carried off the deck, but the service suffered no loss by that event. Captain Berry was fully equal to the important service then going on, and to him I must beg to refer you for every information relative to this victory. He will present you with the flag of the second in command, that of the commander-in-chief being burnt in the L'Orient.

Herewith I transmit you lists of the killed and wounded, and the lines of battle of ourselves and the French.

*With him off Toulon; all the others joined with Trowbridge.