the general reprobation of
H.M.'s service."

The _San Fiorenzo_ was again the fortunate frigate which stopped the
career of the enemy. Commanded by Captain George Nicholas Hardinge,
brother of Lord Hardinge, the present Commander-in-Chief--a young
officer of great promise and distinguished courage--she fell in with the
_Piedmontaise_ on the evening of the 6th of March, 1808; and after an
exchange of broadsides that night, and a severe but still undecided
engagement next morning, brought her to close action on the afternoon of
the third day, and took her. The _San Fiorenzo_ commenced action with
only 186 effective men; the _Piedmontaise_, a larger and heavier
frigate, had more than 500, including 200 Lascars. Captain Hardinge was
unfortunately killed on the third day. For some time before the enemy
struck, the first lieutenant was seen exposing himself to the hottest of
the fire; till, disappointed of the death he sought, and dreading to
fall into the hands of the British, he discharged his pistols into his
own body. It is said, that as he did not die immediately, he ordered
some of his people to throw him overboard alive.

The French naval force in the Indian seas was at no time considerable,
for whenever a cruiser was known to be committing depredations, her
career was generally cut short by some of the squadron. It consisted
chiefly of privateers, for which the Isle of France afforded a
convenient rendezvous; and of which some were large enough to capture a
regular Indiaman. The _Emiline_, taken after a two days' chase by the
_Culloden_, had been a British sloop of war: and the _Bellone_, taken by
the _Powerful_ and _Rattlesnake_, was added to the navy as a small-class
frigate, and actually maintained a running fight with the seventy-four.
The resemblance between ships of war and the larger Indiamen more than
once deceived the enemy. The _Union_, a small privateer, mounting only
eight guns, thus ventured to chase, and was taken by the _Culloden_; and
the _Jena_, national corvette, was taken in the same manner by the
_Modeste_ frigate. The _Jena_ was a remarkably fine and fast vessel,
and, as the _Revenant_ privateer, had formerly cruised long and very
successfully. She was commissioned as the _Victor_, to replace a sloop
of war of that name, which in the preceding year had been the scene of
one of the most extraordinary and tragical events on record.

The _Victor_, commanded by Captain George Bell, whose name has be