Captain Collier's action with La Flèche-Vice-admiral Rainier occupies the Portuguese settlements-Accounts reach Bombay of the probable renewal of the war-British naval force in India-Arrival of Rearadmiral Linois-Admiral Rainier refuses to deliver up Pondicherry-Linois sails in the night-News of the war reaches India-Linois attacks Bencoolen-Meets with the China fleet off Pulo A'or, and, after a short action, quits them-Munificence of the East India Company— Action of Captain Henry Lambert-Action between Centurion and Marengo Fiorenzo and Psyché-Admiral Rainier returns from India with a rich fleet-Affairs of Ceylon and India-Sir Thomas Trowbridge, in the Blenheim, falls in with Linois, in the Marengo-Short action, undecided.

CAPTAIN G. R. Collier, in the Victor sloop of war, fell in, off the island Diego Garcia, in September, 1801, with a French corvette. The enemy sailed better than the Victor on a wind, but not so well large, and, having disabled the rigging of the Victor, obtained a favourable position and escaped. Captain Collier determined not to quit his foe. Judging that she must be bound to the Mahée islands, he steered for them, and there got sight of her as she lay in a secure and intricate anchorage. The officers of the Victor sounded the channel, under the fire of the French corvette; and Captain Collier, having ascertained the depth of water, warped his ship in under a raking fire, until got so near as to anchor with springs on his cable, when he brought his broadside to bear, and in two hours and a half sank her at her anchors, without having one of his own men killed

he

VOL. II.

B

or wounded. The corvette was called La Flèche, had 172 men and 22 guns; the Victor was a vessel of very inferior force.*

In the month of December the squadron was employed in occupying, or reinforcing, the garrisons of the Portuguese settlements in India, Diu, Goa, and Damaun, in pursuance of orders from Government. A squadron also was despatched from Bengal to take possession of Macao, but the admiral fortunately falling in with it off Prince of Wales's Island, ordered Captain Edward Oliver Osborn, in the Arrogant, to proceed with it to communicate with the supercargoes at Canton, before he landed the troops at Macao. This prudent precaution saved much uneasiness, and perhaps prevented a disturbance between us and the Chinese, who would have seriously resented any affront offered to the Portuguese. This state of things, between us and the latter power, was occasioned by the forcible interference of France with the Government of Lisbon; in consequence of which Madeira was occupied by a British garrison, as we have already seen. On the 29th of February, 1802, the vice-admiral received an account of the signing of the preliminary treaty of peace with France: from that time till the month of December nothing material of a public nature occurred in India. On the 1st of the month the Centurion left Trincomalee for Madras, and, contrary to the usual course of the monsoon, when 80 miles east of that place, she met with a gale, or hurricane, of such extreme violence as to carry her lower masts over the side without a stitch of canvass being set. She soon after arrived safe in Madras roads, where Admiral Rainier embarked on board of her on the 3d of January, 1803.

He had frequently written to be superseded from his command, when the Earl of St. Vincent acquainted him that his local knowledge and experience were so conducive to the public good, that his services could not be dispensed with. Soon after this the vice-admiral sailed in the Centurion for Bombay, where he arrived on the 7th of February, in time to assist in person, with his ship's company, in extinguishing a fire which broke out on the 17th, and burnt down the greater part of the town, leaving only the dock-yard, arsenal, European buildings, and castle, which were preserved by the intrepidity of the admiral

war.

It is melancholy to reflect that this gallant and lamented officer put a period to his existence some years ago, in consequence of a mistake which he made in a signal when in pursuit of an American frigate in the latter part of the His mind was regaining its wonted tranquillity, when an unfortunate passage in a then recent publication roused his feelings to such a pitch of excitement that he could no longer endure the supposed censure of his brother officers. Yet he had frequently distinguished himself in action, and on one occasion, in a personal rencontre with a robber, he shot the man dead, after receiving the contents of his adversary's pistol through the back of his hand.

SHIPS EMPLOYED THERE.

3

and his people. For his conduct on this occasion the admiral received the thanks of the governor and council of Bombay, and was desired to communicate the same to his officers and men.

Captain James G. Vashon, of the Fox frigate, with two other vessels, was employed against the Jygate pirates with great success, which was acknowledged in warm terms by the Government of Bombay. While Admiral Rainier was at Bombay, the accounts from Europe represented the peace to be not quite secure, and that a garrison for Pondicherry would leave France at a certain time. The admiral, in consequence of this intelligence, hastened round to the Coromandel coast, and anchored in Cudalore roads on the 5th of July, when his force consisted of the

These were not all the ships of war on the station. In addition to them there were in the Indian seas, and

on the

passage

Sir A. C. Dickson, Bart.

Intrepid

64 William Hargood.

Romney

50

Sir Home Pophan.

About 11 frigates, and some sloops and smaller vessels.

In New South Wales and on discoveries

It is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to know the exact number of ships on this or any other station. The changes were so frequent and so various as to baffle the most diligent inquiry.

*Went out in 1804.

The admiral had been only one week on the coast, when Admiral Linois, whom my readers will remember at Algeziras in 1801, arrived in the Marengo, of 80 guns, with two or three large frigates. He had sailed from Brest very early in March, and anchored in Pondicherry roads, having on board General de Caen, with a garrison for that place; but the vice-admiral, acting in concert with the government of Madras, would not allow them to land, nor would he deliver up the fortress until farther advices arrived from Europe. Linois affected much indignation at the refusal, producing the sign-manual of the King of Great Britain as his authority to land; and, warning Admiral Rainier of the consequences, he intimated his determination to retire if the place was not immediately given up. While this correspondence was going on, a French corvette appeared in the offing, bringing dispatches for Linois, who, on the following night, left lights upon his buoys, cut his cables, and went to the Mauritius.

Although circumstances would not have justified Admiral Rainier in committing any act of direct hostility against the French, still, as he had prevented their throwing a force of 3,000 men into Pondicherry, under the possibility and even the probability of a speedy renewal of the war, there would not have been a much greater wrong committed if he had commanded the French admiral to come to an anchor with his ships in Pondicherry roads, and, with the British squadron at anchor alongside and around them, there to wait until the arrival of farther orders from England. This would have been a measure of obvious propriety after the prohibition to land, and to the full as justifiable. It was evident, from the King's message to parliament of the 8th of March, that hostilities were about to recommence. This message had reached India in June; the corvette Le Bellier sailed early in April, and brought the intelligence which induced Linois to depart so suddenly from the presence of a force so much superior.

The Count de Dumas, in the "Précis," vol. xi. p. 61, accuses us of bad faith in not restoring the East-India and other colonies: this is no more than we are to expect from French writers, whether of the Napoleon or the Ultra school. An extract from the same volume, p. 189, may convince an unprejudiced reader that the conquest of our Indian possessions was contemplated at the very time the French Government pretended to be most anxious to preserve peace.

The passage is taken from the instructions written in February, 1803, by Bonaparte himself, for General de Caen, and concludes with these remarkable words :

"The mission of the captain-general is, in the first instance,