reduction in her crew, occasioned by her 40 Chinamen remaining at Canton and a British ship of war pressing 18 of her English seamen, four of the 18-pounder carronades were also removed below. Consequently the ship now mounted but 36 guns, with a crew of only 138 men and boys.

On the 21st of June, at 7 h. 30 m. A.M., in latitude 26° 13' south, longitude 56° 45' east, the Warren-Hastings, steering west by south under a press of sail, with a strong breeze from north-east by east, descried in the south-west quarter a strange ship standing to the south-east under treble-reefed topsails and courses. This was the French 40-gun frigate Piémontaise, Captain Jacques Epron. As this ship was armed somewhat differently from her class, we will here state her force. Her maindeck guns were the customary 28 long 18-pounders ; and on the quarterdeck and forecastle she mounted 10 iron, and two brass, 36-pounder carronades, two long French 8-pounders, and four long English 9-pounders. These had belonged to the British frigate Jason, having been thrown overboard by her when she grounded off Pointe de la Trenche at the capture of the Seine in June, 1798. *

Exclusive of her 46 carriage-guns, the Piémontaise carried swivels and musketoons in her tops and along her gunwales. In other respects, also, this French frigate was equipped in an extraordinary manner. On each fore and main yard-arm was fixed a tripod, calculated to contain a shell weighing 5 cwt. In the event of the ships getting close alongside each other, the shell, having been previously placed on the tripod, was to have its fuse lighted by a man lying out on the yard with a match in his hand : it was then to be thrown from the tripod, and, falling upon the other ships deck, would, from its weight, pass through to the deck below. Here its explosion would scatter destruction all around ; and, in the midst of the confusion, the Frenchmen were to rush on board. These, again, were armed more like assassins than men-of-war's men ; each having, besides the usual boarding weapons, a poniard stuck through the buttonholes of his jacket.

At 9 A.M., having brought the Warren-Hastings to bear well on her weather quarter, the Piémontaise, shaking the reefs out of her topsails, stood towards the former, who still continued upon her course. At 9 h. 30 m., although gaining fast on the Indiaman, the frigate set her topgallantsails and fore and main topmast studding-sails, and at 10 A.M. showed an English blue ensign and pendant. Notwithstanding these friendly demonstrations, the Warren-Hastings suspected the character of her pursuer, hoisted her colours, and made the private signal. Of this the Piémontaise took no notice, but continued rapidly to approach. At 11 A.M. the Indiaman shortened sail, hauled up a

*  See vol. ii., p. 220.

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