ng about fifty leagues south-west of Ushant, and
the wind blowing hard from the westward, with thick weather, a sail was
discovered in the north-west. Sail was made in chase, and by four
o'clock the stranger, at first supposed to be a frigate, as she had no
poop, was clearly made out to be a French two-decker.

The enemy's ship, the _Droits de l'Homme_, commanded by Commodore,
_ci-devant_ Baron Lacrosse, was one of those which had proceeded to the
Shannon, after having been blown out of Bantry Bay. She was the
flag-ship of Rear-Admiral Bouvet, but this officer, according to a
frequent practice of French admirals, had embarked in a frigate. General
Humbert, who commanded one of the expeditions to Ireland in 1798, had
taken his passage in her. That morning she had arrived within
twenty-five leagues of Belleisle, and as the weather appeared
threatening, she stood to the southward, fearing to approach nearer to
the shore. Early in the afternoon she saw two large ships at a short
distance to windward, probably the _Revolution_ and _Fraternite_, but
not waiting to ascertain their character, she made sail from them to the
south-east. At half-past three she first discovered on her lee-bow the
two frigates, which had observed her three hours before, and were
steering a course nearly parallel to her own, to cut her off from the
land.

The wind had now increased to a gale, and the sea was fast rising. At
half-past four the enemy carried away her fore and main-topmasts in a
heavy squall. At three-quarters past five the _Indefatigable_ came up
with her, and having shortened sail to close-reefed topsails, poured in
a broadside as she crossed her stern. The enemy returned it from some of
the upper-deck guns, and by showers of musketry from the troops, of whom
there were nearly a thousand on board. So close were the ships, that
some of the _Indefatigable's_ people tore away the enemy's ensign, which
became entangled in the mizen rigging. The _Indefatigable_ then tried to
pass ahead and gain a position on the enemy's bow, but the
line-of-battle ship avoided this, and attempted, but without success, to
lay the frigate on board, actually grazing the _Indefatigable's_
spanker-boom.

The British frigate engaged the line-of-battle ship single-handed for
more than an hour, before her consort, which was several miles astern
when the action commenced, could get up to assist her. At length,
reaching the enemy, the _Amazon_ poured a broadside