Carysfort vs Castor

Notes on Action

On the 29th of May, in latitude 46° 38' north, longitude 9° 40' west, the British 28-gun frigate Carysfort, Captain Francis Laforey, fell in with the French (late British) 32-gun frigate Castor, Captain L'Huillier, having in tow a Dutch merchant brig, in chase of which, five days before, she had parted from M. Nielly's squadron. The brig was cast off, and an action commenced, that lasted, without intermission, one hour and fifteen minutes; at the end of which time the Castor, who had on board her English guns, as specified at H, in the table at p. 91, with four 24-pounder carronades in addition, hauled down the republican colours.

The Carysfort, whose armament was four 18-pounder carronades beyond her establishment at I, in the same table, was very slightly injured in masts, rigging, or hull; and her loss in the action, out of a crew of 180 men and boys (she being 18 men short), amounted to no more than one seaman killed, and three seamen and one marine wounded. The damages of the Castor, on the other hand, were tolerably severe; having had her main topgallantmast shot away, her mainmast badly wounded, and her hull struck in several places. Her loss, out of a crew of 200 men, consisted of 16 officers, seamen, and marines killed, and nine wounded.

This statement shows, that great credit was due to Captain Laforey, his two lieutenants (Richard Worsley and George Sayer), remaining officers, and a very new ship's company, for having captured the Castor. It is also due to the French officers and crew to state, that the latter consisted of men very recently draughted from all the ships of Rear-admiral Nielly's squadron; and who, of course, did not find on board the Castor a rope, or an article of any sort, arranged in the manner to which they had been accustomed