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HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY. 170

In the year 1782 the Bombay Marhie sustained a great loss
iu the foiHulering at sea of one of its finest ships, having on
board a picked crew, and commanded by one of the best and
most experienced officers in the Service.
In a quaint old work, called " The Oriental Navigator " (2nd
Edition, 1801) there appears a notice of the loss, off Boral)ay,
of the frigate ' Revenge,' in one of the gales that are occasion-
ally experienced just before the first break of the south-west
monsoon. On the 19th of April, 1782, the ' Revenge,' in
company with the 'Royal Adelaide,' sailed for Anjengo, but,
experiencing the full fury of the gale, the latter returned to
Bombay harbour. The ' Revenge,' commanded by Captain
Hardy, described as "an able seaman, and his ship the first in
the Bombay Marine," was not seen after the 20th of April, and
is supposed to have foundered in the terrific gale then blowing,
the 12th of February, the clay following the arrival of the Admiral. Within
twenty-four hours De Sulfrein arrived off tliat port, and, after various mancBuvres,
an indecisive action was fought on tlie 17th, after which Sir Edward Hughes
steered for Trincomalee, and the French Admiral proceeded to Porto Novo, on
the coast, where he landed two thousand men to co-operate witli an army under
command of Tippoo, son of Hyder Ally, wliich soon after effected the reduction
of Cuddalore. Tlie rival fleets soon proceeded to sea again, and, on the 12th of
April, a severe action was fought off Trincomalee, in whicli both fleets suffered
severely, but witli no decisive result. Of the total casualties, one hundred and
thu'ty-seven killed and four hundred and thirty wounded in the British fleet, the
' Superb,' Su* Edward Huglies' flag-ship, lost no less than fifty-nine of the former
and ninety-six of the latter. The loss of the ' Victory' at Trafalgar was only
slightly in excess of this, being fifty-seven killed and one hundred and two
wounded. A third engagement took place off Negapatara on the (irh of July,
and, when victory appeared within the grasp of the British fleet, which sustained
a loss of seventy-seven killed and two hundi-ed and thirty-three wounded, a
sudden shift of wind enabled De Suffrein to eflect his retreat. Undismayed by
his losses, the French Admiral refitted his shattered ships, two of which had
actually struck their colours in the last action, but hoisted them agani upon
De Sutfrein firing into them, and, by tlie 1st of August, had to put to sea again,
and, being joined by reinforcements from Europe, arrived before Trincomalee on
the 25th of August. His great rival did not display equal celerity in refitting his
fleet, and, when he sighted that port on the 2nd of September, having left Madras
on the 20th of August, it was only to find tliat the forts had capitulated two days
before. The French fleet sailed on the following morning, when the British
Admiral, anxious to redeem his laurels, attacked them with resolution, and
darkness alone put an end to a desperate conflict of three hours' duration, in
which the English gained a decided advantage, though with the loss of fifty -one
killed, including two captains, and two hundred and eighty-three wounded. Sir
Edward Hughes now returned to JIadras, and expressed his determination to
proceed to Bombay, notwithstanding the earnest solicitations of the Council, who
appealed to him not to leave the coast defenceless. Captain Ritchie, Superin-
tendent of Indian ^larine Surveys, oflered to conduct tlie fleet to a safe anchorage
at the mouth of the Hooglily during the north-easterly monsoon, the effects of
which on his shattered ships, the Admiral greatly dreaded, but Sir Edward was
deaf to all expostulations, and sailed for Bombay on the 15th of October. That
night a tempest burst over Madras roadstead, and, on the following morning, the
whole neighbouring coast was strewed witli wrecks of several large ships, and over
one hundred small craft. Famine now raged, to which were addeil the horrors of
a pestilence, but the fears of the Madrasees, who daily expected the appearance of
the dreaded Bailly de Suffrein, were allayed by the opportune arrival, on tlie
19th of October, of Sir Richard Bickcrtou with five sail of the line, and four
thousand three hundred European troops.
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