other till half past ten, under a constant and heavy fire; when the
enemy, taking advantage of the disabled condition of the Leander,
endeavoured to enter on the larboard bow: but the small party of
marines, on the poop and quarter-deck, by a most spirited and
well-directed fire, aided by a furious cannonade, repulsed them with
great slaughter. A light breeze now springing up, enabled Captain
Thompson to disentangle himself; and, soon after, he had the
satisfaction to luff under Le Genereux's stern, and discharge every gun
into that ship, at the distance of only ten yards. The action continued,
within pistol-shot, till half past three in the afternoon; when Le
Genereux, with a light breeze, passed the Leander's bows, and brought
itself on the starboard side, where the guns had been all nearly
disabled by the wreck of the spar, which had fallen on that side. This
necessarily producing a cessation of the Leander's fire, the enemy
hailed, to know if the ship had surrendered. Being now a complete wreck;
the decks covered with killed and wounded; and Captain Thompson himself
badly wounded, without the most distant hope of success; that brave
officer asked Captain Berry, if it appeared that more could be done:
who, agreeing that farther resistance would be in vain, they consented
to submit. Le Genereux had on board nine hundred men; one hundred of
whom were killed, and a hundred and eighty-eight wounded, in the action;
the Leander had thirty-five killed, and fifty-eight wounded. The captain
of Le Genereux, in an official letter of true French gasconade,
describes the Leander as carrying "seventy-four guns, twenty-four, and
thirty pounders on the lower deck, and twelve pounders on the upper!"

Captain Thompson and his officers no sooner arrived on board Le
Genereux, than they were plundered of every article they had possessed,
except the apparel which covered them. On this harsh treatment, they
vainly expostulated with the captain, and reminded him of the different
situation of the French officers made prisoners by Admiral Nelson. He
coolly answered--"I am sorry for it; but, the truth is, that the French
are good at plundering." Captain Berry expressed his wish to have a pair
of pistols returned, and pointed out the man who had stolen them.
Captain Lejoille, Jun. by immediately securing them for himself, proved
the truth, in his own person, of what he had just observed respecting
French expertness at pillage: for, though he tol