ng the Antelope, the enemy weighed and stood towards her,
and, on coming near, hoisted French colours and seemed prepared to
engage. As soon as the Antelope came within gun-shot, she opened her
fire, when the Frenchman immediately hauled down his colours without
returning a shot. Captain Saumarez now sent his boat with the first
lieutenant to know if she had surrendered; but finding that the boat
did not return, he bore down under her stern, and asked if they had
struck. The answer was in the affirmative, and she was immediately
taken possession of. She proved to be the Belliqueux, of sixty-four
guns and five hundred men.

When the captain came on board the Antelope, and found that he had
surrendered to a ship so much inferior in force, both in men and
weight of metal, his chagrin and mortification knew no bounds. He
exclaimed that he had been deceived, and actually proposed to Captain
Saumarez that he should allow him to return to his ship, and that he
would fight him fairly; to which the English captain replied that he
must keep possession now; that he had obtained it, but he had no
objection to his going back to France and getting another ship of the
same kind to try the fortune of war. He conducted his prize back to
King Road, and returned to Bristol with his French guest to enjoy the
hospitality and hearty welcome of his friends, after an absence of
only eighteen hours!

Matthew de Saumarez, father of Lord de Saumarez, being brought up to
the medical profession, arrived at considerable practice and high
respectability. He was remarkable for his urbanity of manners and
hospitality, particularly to strangers. He married, first, Susannah,
daughter of Thomas Dumaresq, Esq. of Jersey, and by her had Susannah
(an only child), who married Henry Brock, Esq. of Guernsey: his second
wife was Carteret, daughter of James Le Marchant, Esq. of Guernsey,
and by her he had a numerous family, who are brothers and sisters of
the late lord.[2]

[2] See Addenda.

The family of De Sausmarez, a branch of which changed the spelling of
the name to Saumarez about the year 1700, was not only one of the most
ancient and respectable, but the members of it successively held the
highest situations, and were connected with the first families
residing in the island of Guernsey, which has always been
distinguished for its loyalty and patriotism: indeed, it has not only
produced several of our bravest and greatest warriors, but its
inhabit