brig sloop of war, was so earnestly pursuing them; 1811. but at midnight, notwithstanding all her efforts to Sept. keep up, the Barracouta dropped entirely out of sight of her consort. french and phalus. The Bucephalus, now entirely alone, persevered in the chase during the whole of the 9th, 10th, and 11th, and at 6 A. M. on the 12th saw the island of Great Pulo-Laut bearing east-south-east, and her enemy south, distant about four leagues, with the weathergage in his favour. At 9 A. M. the two french frigates bore down, with the apparent intention of embaying the british frigate between Borneo and Paulo-Laut; but the Bucephalus wore and bore up, in order to keep off shore. The Nymphe now signalled the Méduse; and shortly afterwards the two frigates wore, and made all sail in line abreast after the Bucephalus, then within four miles of them, The steering west by north, and soon under an equal press frigates of sail with her pursuers. By noon the Nymphe had chase got ahead of her consort, and was gaining on the fire at Bucephalus, now steering about west by south. At Buce1 P. M. the latter commenced firing her stern-chasers; and shortly afterwards the Nymphe returned the fire with her bow-chasers, yawing occasionally, as she advanced on the british frigate's larboard quarter, to get her foremost maindeck guns to bear. This yawing necessarily checking her progress, the Nymphe dropped a little astern. At 2 h. 30 m. P. M. the Méduse got up on the starboard or lee quarter of the Bucephalus, and, after receiving a few of the latter's shot, yawed also, and fired her broadside. By this time the Nymphe had hauled to-windward, on the larboard quarter of the Bucephalus, out of gun-shot; and, the Méduse dropping also out of gun-shot on the opposite quarter, the british frigate ceased firing. At 4 P. M. two shoals were discovered right ahead of the Bucephalus. Confiding in his skill They and experience, captain Pelly passed between the give shoals, in the hope of decoying both or one of the the french frigates upon them; but they, seeing the pursuit over 1811. danger in time, shortened sail and tacked to the Sept. north-east, and at dark were lost sight of. At daylight on the 13th the island of Arentes bore from the Bucephalus south-south-west; and at 11 A. M. the two french frigates were again seen at a great distance in the north-east, but shortly afterwards wholly disappeared. Da mage, both parties. The Bucephalus had not a man hurt, and sustained &c. to very slight damage in her rigging, sails, masts, or hull. To what extent her shot had injured the Nymphe and Méduse is not known; but it was evident that the rigging and sails of the Nymphe had in some degree suffered. Admitting that these frigates were justified in using the utmost despatch to get away from the Java coast, and from the fleet that was hovering near it, what had they to dread on reaching the coast of Borneo? It is true that commodore Raoul then chased in his turn; but he desisted from pursuit on the first appearance of danger from shoal water, and abandoned a british frigate which, obstinately defended as she undoubtedly would have been, must have ultimately been his prize. Gal of The conduct of captain Pelly on the other hand, lantry was in the highest degree praiseworthy he was captain induced to chase an enemy more than doubly supePelly. rior to himself, in the hope of being able to separate one french frigate from the other, or of falling in with a consort, with whose assistance he might have a fair prospect of conquering the two; and his perseverance in chasing, and success in keeping sight of, two french frigates, during so many days and nights, afforded a decided proof both of his gallantry and his seamanship. Of the Nymphe and Méduse, we have nothing further to state, than that they made their long voyage in safety, and arrived at Brest on the 22d of December. While these two french frigates were meditating an escape from the channel formed by the west end of the small island of Madura, the two british frigates Sir-Francis-Drake and Phaëton lay unconsciously at anchor off the east end, close under the isle of Pon- 1811. dock. They were not, however, lying inactive, as Aug. the following details will show. On the 29th of sir Phaë attack nap. August captain Harris, the senior officer, having cisresolved to attack the fort of Samanap, the capital of Drakethe island, sent the Dasher sloop round the south end and of Pulo 'I Lanjong, to gain an anchorage as near as ton possible to the fort, and in the evening, accompanied Samaby captain Pellew, proceeded with the boats of the two frigates, in two divisions. On the 30th, at daylight, the boats sailed through the channel formed by the east end of Madura and Pulo 'I Lanjong, and by 30 minutes past midnight effected a landing, without discovery, at a pier-head about three miles from the fort. storms the At 1 h. 30 m. A. M. on the 31st, two columns, composed each of 60 bayonets and 20 pikemen, flanked by a 12, 4, and 2 pounder field-piece, having in reserve the marines of the Hussar, began their march, Capt. in the utmost order, towards the fort. Silence among Harris the men was so rigidly observed that, notwithstand- and ing the governor had intimation of the Dasher's carries having weighed and been seen entering the harbour, fort. and that the british boats had been seen standing in for the town, the dutch garrison at the fort did not discover the approach of the storming party, until the outer gate, which had been left open, was passed. The gallantry of the rush at the inner gate prevented the Dutch from securing it, and only allowed time for two or three guns at the south-west bastion to be fired. The assault was as sudden as it was resolute; and by 3 h. 30 m. A. M., after a 10 minutes' feeble struggle with 300 or 400 madura pikemen, who with their chief were made prisoners on the ramparts, the British became masters of the fort of Samanap, a regular fortification, mounting sixteen 6-pounders. On the appearance of daylight, observing french colours flying on a flagstaff at the east end of the town, and perceiving the natives begin to assemble نت 1811. in numbers, captain Harris despatched captain Aug. Pellew, at the head of a column of 100 bayonets and one field-piece, with a flag of truce, to the governor, calling upon him to surrender in 10 minutes, and promising that private property should be respected. To this was received an answer, requiring captain Harris to evacuate the fort; and captain Pellew sent intelligence, by midshipman John William Oldmixon, described as an intelligent young officer, that the dutch force appeared to be about 2000 men, protected by four field-pieces in front, and posted on a bridge, possessing every advantage of situation, the troops of an enemy having to advance along an even and straight road for a quarter of a mile before they could force the bridge. Engages Not at all daunted by this alleged superiority of a body force, captain Harris sent orders to captain Pellew, of the to advance when the first gun was fired from a enemy. column that the former would lead out of the fort, Com pels the rajah to sue for peace. and with which he meant to turn the enemy's left wing. Accordingly, with 70 small-arm, and 20 pikemen, supported by a 4-pounder field-piece, (leaving in the fort, as a reserve, 40 or 50 men,) captain Harris proceeded to put his bold plan into execution, and soon had the satisfaction to observe the dutch governor, whose force, as acknowledged by himself, consisted of 300 muskets, 60 artillerymen, and from 1500 to 2000 pikemen, armed each with a long pike, a pistol, and a crees, draw off two fieldpieces and break his line, in order to oppose the small but resolute column advancing against his left. Both british columns discharged. their vollies nearly at the same time, and, for five minutes, a sharp fire was given and returned; but, as captains Harris and Pellew and their respective parties advanced nearer, the Dutch gave way, and an animated charge by the British left them masters of the field, the colours, and the guns. The governor and the other dutch inhabitants were made prisoners; and captain Harris accepted a flag of truce from the rajah of Samanap, who was present, on condition that none of the 1811. inhabitants of the district should again arm them- Aug. selves against the British. british Madu ra, &c. from the This very gallant exploit was not achieved without Loss on a loss on the part of the latter of three men killed side. and 28 wounded; and the loss on the opposite side, although it could not be ascertained, was known to be severe, including among the killed the commander in chief of the native troops, second in rank to the rajah, and his two sons. This success was followed up by the total overthrow of the french authority in freed Madura and the adjacent isles. The spirited con- the duct of captain Harris, in bringing matters to such a yoke of close, proves that his own element is not that alone French in which a naval officer, possessing zeal, activity, and judgment, may be enabled to distinguish himself. Among the wounded in storming the town of GalSamanap, was lieutenant Roch of the Sir-Francis- of lieut. Drake's marines, who was speared twice by two natives, while resolutely endeavouring to wrest the colours out of the hands of a french officer. During the time that captain Pellew, by the direction of captain Harris, was negotiating with the governor of Madura, lieutenant Roch, with a column of marines, destroyed, in the face of the enemy, a fort at the mouth of the river, which leads, as we suppose, to Samanap, mounting twelve 9-pounders. lantry Roch. In order to intercept the retreat of general Jansens from Cornelis to the eastward, rear-admiral Stopford, on the 31st of August, detached the Nisus, Présidente, and Phoebe frigates, and Hesper sloop, to Cheribon, a seaport about 35 leagues to the eastward of Batavia. On the 3d of September, at dark, Cherithe three frigates anchored off the port; and at daylight on the 4th captain Beaver, having de- ders to spatched captain Warren with a flag of truce to sum- Beaver mon the french commandant of the fort to surrender, weighed with the frigates, and anchored as near the fort as the depth of the water would admit; when, bon Surren captain |