to increase the
force, and divide the command; and the second squadron was given to Sir
Edward Pellew. On the 21st of October, at daybreak, the _Arethusa_, with
the _Artois_, Captain Nagle; _Diamond_, Sir Sidney Smith; and _Galatea_,
Captain Keats, fell in with the French frigate _Revolutionaire_, eight
or ten miles to the westward of Ushant, the wind being off the land. The
squadron gave chase, and the Commodore took the most weatherly course,
observing, that if the French captain were a seaman, the prize would
fall to himself, for his only chance of escape was to carry a press of
sail to windward. Instead of this, the enemy kept away; and the _Artois_
overtook, and brought her to action. After they had been closely engaged
for forty minutes, the _Diamond_ came up; but Sir Sidney Smith, with
that chivalrous feeling which marked his character, would not allow a
shot to be fired, saying, that Nagle had fought his ship well, and he
would not diminish the credit of his trophy. But when the enemy did not
immediately surrender, he said, that she must not be allowed to do
mischief, and ordered a broadside to be ready. Then, taking out his
watch, he continued, "We'll allow her five minutes: if she do not then
strike, we'll fire into her." He stood with the watch in his hand, and
just before the time expired, the French colours came down.

Captain Nagle was deservedly knighted for his gallantry. The prize,
which had been launched only six months, was 150 tons larger than any
British-built frigate, and superior to any captured one, except the
_Pomone_. She had a furnace for heating shot, which the enemy had used
in the action. She was commissioned by the Commodore's early friend.
Captain Frank Cole, and attached to the squadron. It would have added to
the interest Sir Edward felt when he took possession of this very
beautiful ship, could he have known that she was to close her career in
the navy under his second son, at that time a child. She was taken to
pieces in 1822, at Plymouth, after having been paid off by the Hon.
Captain Fleetwood Pellew, who had commanded her for the preceding four
years.

On the 22d of December, when Sir Edward's squadron was at anchor in
Falmouth, the Channel fleet being at Spithead, and a large outward-bound
convoy waiting for a fair wind at Torbay, an English gentleman, who had
just escaped from L'Orient, arrived at Falmouth in a neutral vessel, and
reported to Mr. Pellew, the collector of the Cu