to proceed to fea in a few days to cover the arrival of the expected reinforcements under Sir Richard Bickerton, and oppofe the enemy's fquadron.

Superb, in Madras Road,
Aug. 16, 1782.

I BEG you will be pleafed to inform their lordships, that, fince clofing my last letter to you, dated the 12th of this month, his majesty's frigate the Medea, captain Gower, arrived and joined me here the 13th, and his majesty's frigate the Coventry this day from Bombay, where he has been compleatly repaired.

The Medea brought in with her a French fhip about 450 tons burthen, laden with provifions and ftores, bound to the Mauritias, but captured by the Sceptre and Medea off the Cape of Good Hope.

Captain Mitchell, of the Coventry, informs me, that on the 12th of this month, off Friars Hood on the island of Ceylon, he fell in with and attacked the Bellona, a French frigate of 40 guns, and, after a fevere engagement of two hours and a half, the Bellona fheered off from the Coventry, and made fail to join the French fleet; and the Coventry had fuffered fo much in her mafts and rigging, as not to be able to come up with her before the joined the French fleet, confifting of 23 fail, which capt. Mitchell faw at anchor in the Battacalo road, and was chafed by two of their line of battle fhips. In the engagement the Coventry had 15 men killed, and 29 wounded; and I hope to be able fo far to repair her damages, as to carry her to fea with me in two or three days. Captain Mitchell fpeaks highly of the courage and good" conduct of the Coventry's officers and men, and I trust their lordfhips will give him his full fhare of me

rit, for having fo gallantly attacked and beaten an enemy's thip fo fuperior in force to his own.

Superb, in Madras Road,
Sept. 30, 1782.

IN my letter of the 12th of laft month, I mentioned my intention to proceed to fea when the fquadron was refitted, for the purpose of covering the arrival of the expected reinforcements under the command of Sir Richard Bickerton, and to oppofe the enemy's fquadron; and accordingly, on the 20th, the fquadron having compleated its provifions, and being in a tolerable condition for fervice, I left the road with the fquadron under my command, and ufed all diligence poflible to get to the fouthward to Trincomalé, being apprehenfive the enemy would endeavour to make themselves mafters of that harbour in the abfence of the fquadron; but the wind blowing strong from the fouthward, I did not arrive with the. fquadron off Trincomalé till the night of the 2d of this month;" and in the morning following I difcovered French colours on the forts, and their fquadron reinforced by the Illuftre, of 74 Guns, the St. Michael, of 64, and the Elizabeth, formerly a Company's thip, of 50 guns, with feveral transports, in all 30 fail, at anchor in the feveral bays there.

On the appearance of his majefty's fquadron on the morning of the 3d, the French iquadron, confifting of 14 line of battle hips, the Elizabeth, three frigates, and a firefhip, got under fail, and, about fix A. M. ftood out of Black Bay to the S. Eastward, the wind blowing itrong at S. W. off the fhore, which placed them to windward of his majesty's fquadron. At ten minutes past fix A. M. I made the fignal for

the

the line of battle a head at two cables length distance, fhortened fail, and edged away from the wind, that the hips to form the van of our line might the more fpecdily get into their stations. At 20 minutes past eight, the enemy's fquadron began to edge down on our line, then formed in good order. From that time till half past eleven A. M. I fteered under topfails in the line E. S. E. with the wind blowing trong at S. W. in order to draw the enemy's fquadron as far as poffible from the port of Trincomalé; they fometimes edging down, fometimes bringing to, and in no regular order,

as if undetermined what to do.

At noon the enemy's fquadron appeared to have an intention to engage. At half past two, P. M. the French line began to fire on ours, and I made the fignal for battle: at five minutes after, the engagement was general from our van to our rear, the two additional fhips of the enemy's line falling furiously on our rearmoft hip the Worcester, were bravely refifted by that fhip and the Monmouth, her fecond a-head, which backed all her fails to affift, her. About the fame time, the van of the enemy's line, to which five of their fhips had crowded, bore down on the Exeter and Ifis, the two headmoft fhips of our line, and by an exerted fire on them, forced the Exeter, much difabled, out of the line; then tacked, keeping their wind, and firing on the Ifis, and other fhips of our van, as they pafied. In the mean time the centers of the two lines were warmly engaged, thip to fhip. At twenty-eight minutes past three, the mizen-maft of the French admiral's fecond aftern was hot or c away, and, at the fame time, his fecond a-head loft her fore and mizen top mafts.

At thirty-five minutes past five

the wind fhifting fuddenly from S. W. to E. S. E. I made the fignal for the fquadron to wear, which was instantly obeyed in good order, the fhips of the enemy's fquadron either wearing or ftaying at the fame time; and the engagement was renewed on the other tack clofe and vigorously on our part. At twenty minutes paft fix the French admiral's mainmaft was fhot away by the board, and foon after his mizen-maft; and about the fame time the Worcester, one of our line of battle fhips, lost her main-top maft. At about feven P. M. the body of the French fquadron hauled their wind to the fouthward, the thips in our rear continuing a fevere fire on them till twenty minutes paft feven, when the engagement ceafed; and the fhips of our fquadron had apparently fuffered fo much, as to be in no condition to pursue them. At about eight P. M. made the night fignal for the line of battle a-head on the larboard tack; but the night being dark, and feveral of the fhips not to be seen, at twelve P. M. I made the fignal for the fquadron to bring to, and lie by on the larboard tack. day-light no part of the enemy's fquadron was in fight; and the Ea gle, Monmouth, Burford, Superb,, and feveral other flips making much water from fhot-holes, fo very low down in the bottom as not to be come at, to be effectually stopped; and the whole having fuffered feverely in their mats and rigging; under thefe circumstances, and Trin comalé being in the enemy's poffef fion, and the other parts of the weft coat of Ceylon unfafe to anchor on at this feafon of the year, when the N. E. winds often blow strong there, I was under the neceffity of steering with the fquadron for this coaft, to get anchoring ground, in order to flop the hot-holes under water; and

At

from

from the difabled ftate of the feveral fhips, I fell in with the land a very few leagues only to windward of this port, on the 8th of this month, and anchored in this road on the oth, and am now clofely employed in repairing the damages the feveral fhips have received.

By the account of the killed and wounded, their lordfhips will obferve, that although we have been fortunate in lofing few of our men, we have fuffered moft feverely in officers. The hon. capt. Lumley, of the fis, a very good officer, and promifing young man; capt. James Watt, of the Sultan, a moft worthy officer, died of his wounds; and capt. Charles Wood, of the Worcefter, a most deferving officer, dangerously wounded, with little hopes of his recovery.

As the change of the monfoon is now near at hand, and the line of battle fhips, in their prefent ftate, cannot remain on this coaft; and as the lateness of the feafon may have induced Sir Richard Bickerton to remain at Bombay, in hopes of joining me there, I am preparing the fhips of the fquadron for fervice, and, fo foon as they are in a condition, I fhall proceed to fea with them, and make the best of my way to Bombay, and there ufe every poffible diligence to get the fquadron in a condition to come early on this coaft.

I have not been able to procure the leaft intelligence of the French fquadron fince the engagement of the 3d of this month, but fuppofe they are re-fitting at Trincomalé.

Inclofed is the account of the killed and wounded in the late engagement; and a lift of the English and French naval force in these feas, as they were on the 3d of this month.

Superb. 4 feamen, killed; lieut. Murray, lieut, Orr of the marines,

lieut. Thompfon, of the 98th regiment, 49 feanen and marines, wounded.

Hero. 1 feaman, killed; 17 fea men and marines, wounded.

Sultan. 4 feamen and marines, killed; capt. Watt (fince dead), lieut. Bartholomew, lieut. Stewart of the 78th regiment, 43 feamen, marines, and 78th regiment, wounded.

Magnanime. 3 feamen and I fepoy, killed; lieut. Stephenson, 16 feamen, wounded.

Monmouth. 3 feamen wounded. Monarca. Capt Robert Clugftone, of the marines, lieut. Barrett of ditto, 4 feamen, marines, 78th and 98th regiments, killed; hon. capt. Maitland of the 78th regi ment, hon. lieut. Sandilands, lieut. Armstrong, 10 feamen, 78th and 98th regiments, wounded.

Burford. 4 feamen and 98th regiment, killed; 38 feamen, marines, 78th and 98th regiments, wounded.

Sceptre. 2 feamen killed; 23 feamen wounded. Eagle. feamen wounded.

8 feamen killed; 14

Exeter. 6 feamen, marines, and 98th regiment, killed; lieut. Atkins, 18 feamen, marines, and 98th regi ment, wounded.

Worcester. Lieut. Edwards of the marines, boatfwain, 4 feamen, killed; capt. Charles Wood (dangeroúfly) 15 feamen, wounded.

Ifis. Hon. capt. Lumley, Mr. Bell, mafter's mate, 5 feamen and marines, killed; 19 feamen and ma rines, wounded.

Total number killed and wounded. Ships Names. Superb Hero Sultan Magnanime

Kill.

Wou.

4

52

Ι

17

4

43

3

17

Monmouth

to put back; the veffel foundered within ten leagues of the port, but the people were all faved, and the captain has fince purchafed the Myrtle tranfport, in which he hopes to have better fuccefs. My letter per Porcupine, which has fince (I learn from capt. S.) been dispatched by another flip, will inform you of every circumstance to the 20th ult. fince that time we have had a veriety of business, and in particular a third engagement with the French, who have taken Trincomalé fince we left our station off Ceylon.

In that action, which happened the 5th inft. no people could ever have a better belly-full of fighting then fell to our fhare: the engagement lafted from eleven in the morn ing till five in the afternoon; the hottest of it was from one till half after two, during which time we had the honour of being engaged by L'Orient, of 74 guns, commodore Suffrein's own fhip, and towards the latter end, by La Severe of 64, whom that commander called to his affiftance, to engage on our bow, when being a fresh fhip, fhe did us confiderable damage; the Sultan, which was a-head of her, and the Superb, the admirals hip next, with the Burford of 74, on our ftern, Hero of 74 behind her, and Worcester of 64 ftill more aftern, fuftained the greatest fhare of this bloody onfet. La Severe of 64, ftruck to us, and L'Heros of 74 to the Sultan; another fhip of 64 guns alfo ftruck her colours to the Worcefter of 64 guns: the two first were going to be taken poffedron of, but feeing our difabled condition, the boats of La Severe, in which thip there was a diftinguishing flag, towed her away. L'Heros of 74, much to their dishonour, when the boats of the Sultan went to take poffeffion, her caprain heeled his hip round

the ftern of capt. Watts's fhip, and bringing all her guns to bear, gave her a whole broadfide rake, by which more men fell than had been killed in all the prior part of the engagement: feventeen fell dead on the lower deck. Our people who faw the tranfaction were not able to do the king's brave fellows justice, as our boats on the boom were all torn to pieces. The fhip which had lowered her colours to the Worces ter, was towed away by L'Orient of 74 guns, who with difficulty got her off.

Great complaints are made against one or two of the fhips for, not exerting themfelves, for though we had eleven fail of the line, feven bore the chief of the engagement, but no enquiry can take place here, the whole coaft is in too much confufion.

⚫After our battle we made the best way here we could, as most of the Thips were fo terribly mauled. The Superb behaved in all moft gallantly. The admiral has loft another captain fighting by his fide. Provifions are fo exceffive fcarce here that there is a talk of our going to Bom-' bay, but as affairs are in fuch a fitu ation, this is far from certain, espccially as we hear Sir Richard Bickerron, with a reinforcement, is on the coaft, which we may mifs of fhould we depart.

The French are at Trincomalé, where the admiral will certainly attack them again the very first oppor tunity; and as the bay is not closed, they may be brought to an action without danger to our fleet.

Rice fells here at a price hardly ever known; our people live en tirely upon the fhips ftores, two veffels with provifions for this fettlement having been loft in coming from Bengal.

The monfoons on

this coaft are most terrible,

We have