. "I was on my passage out
on board the _Exeter_, one of the Indiamen of 1,200 tons, commanded by
Captain Meriton. We had in company the _Bombay Castle, Coutts_, and
_Neptune_, of the same tonnage, besides other ships under the convoy of
the _Belligeux_, of 64 guns, Captain Bulteel. A French squadron of
three large frigates, it appeared, after committing a good deal of
mischief on the coast of Africa, had crossed over to Rio de la Plata to
refit, and had just again put to sea, when, early in the morning, they
made out a part, and some of the lighter ships, probably, of our convoy.
Hoping to pick up some prizes, the Frenchmen stood towards us, and we,
quite ready for the encounter, bore down towards them. No sooner,
however, did the Frenchmen see our big China ships, with their two tiers
of ports and warlike look, than they bore up under a press of sail, and
by signal separated. While the _Belligeux_ steered for the largest of
the French ships, she signalled to the Indiamen I have mentioned to
proceed in chase of the others, we and the _Bombay Castle_ of one of
them, the _Medee_, and the other two of the _Franchise_. We, at the
time, were nearer the _Medee_ than was the _Bombay Castle_, and we also
sailed better. The chase was a long one, but we kept the enemy in
sight, and it was near midnight before we came up with her. The _Bombay
Castle_ was a long way astern, and the frigate might have handled us
very severely, if not knocked us to pieces, before she could have come
up to our assistance. Captain Meriton was not a man to be daunted.
With the decks lighted and all our ports up, he ran alongside the
Frenchman--`Strike, monsieur, to a superior force, to his Britannic
Majesty's ship _Thunderaboo_' he shouted out. `Strike, I say, or--' We
did not know whether the Frenchman would reply with a broadside, which
would have greatly staggered us. Instead of that the Frenchman politely
replied that he yielded to the fortune of war. `Come aboard
immediately,' was the order our bold captain next gave. Not to be
surpassed by the Frenchman, we had a guard ready to assist the captain
up our high side. With the profoundest of bows he delivered his sword,
and he was then asked into the cabin. Immediately we had him safe,
keeping the frigate under our guns, we sent armed boats on board, and
brought away part of her people. When the _Bombay Castle_ came up she
received the remainder, and we then placed a prize crew on board