With their captain’s tyrannical conduct, did not shot the guns at all after the second or third broadside.
“At a few minutes before the Africaine hauled down her flag, a breeze began to swell the sails of the Boadicea; and the latter, very soon after daylight, ‘passed within musket-shot of the enemy.’ It was now discovered that the Africaine was a prize to the French frigates, and greatly disabled, while they apparently had suffered but little. At 6 a.m. the Boadicea tacked and stood to-windward of them, to look for the Otter and Staunch, whose very bad sailing was at this time particularly unfortunate. At 6-10, the Africaine’s foremast was seen to fall by the board; at 7, her mizen-mast and main-topmast; and at 8 a.m., her main-mast. Her bowsprit, or the head of it, also, we believe, went; and thus was the Africaine a totally dismasted hulk. * * * * * *
“At 7-30 a.m., the Boadicea discovered the Otter and Staunch to-windward, and at 10 was joined by them. At forty minutes past noon they all bore up, with a fine breeze from the S.S.E., for the two French frigates and the wreck of the Africaine. At 1-30 p.m. the Boadicea hauled up her fore-sail, and came to the wind on the larboard tack. At 3-30 she and her consorts again bore up; and in ten minutes afterwards the Astrée, taking the Iphigénie in tow, abandoned the Africaine and made sail to-windward. At 5 p.m., by which time the Boadicea had arrived close abreast of the Africaine, the latter fired two guns and hauled down the French colours. * * * * * * On the 22d, in the morning. Captain Bouvet, with his two frigates and a prize (the Hon. Company’s cruiser Aurora), anchored in the harbour of Port Louis.”
Lieutenant Tullidge, and about ninety of the Africaine’s surviving officers and crew, including more than forty of the wounded, were removed to the French frigates, and consequently continued in captivity until the reduction of the Isle of France, in Dec. 1810.
On the 23d April, 1811, a court-martial assembled on board the Gladiator, in Portsmouth harbour, to try Lieutenant Tullidge for the loss of the above ship; and having examined into the circumstances attending her capture, agreed, “That H.M. said ship Africaine was captured by a very superior force of the enemy, after an action which was commenced by the order of her deceased commander, the late Captain Robert Corbett, in a very brave and spirited manner; and after he was disabled by the loss of his right leg, by the second broadside of the enemy, was continued by the said Lieutenant Tullidge, in the most gallant and determined
