quarter with intent to board, Lieutenant Davis was compelled to ftrike his pendant, his colours having been shot away three times. At this time, too, the three frigates had got within gun-fhot of the Fortune; further refiftance, therefore, would have been rafh and ufelefs. The veffel that engaged the Fortune proved to be the French brig Salamine, and carried 18 guns and 140 men. The Fortune had only 10 guns, four and three pounders, all in bad condition. Lieutenant Davis was badly wounded, and had loft two men killed and four wounded out of a complement of 28 men, including himself and fervant.

The frigates were the Junon, Alcefte, and Courageux, under the command of Admiral Perrè, who ordered the Fortune and gun-boat to be funk. After cruizing on the coaft nine days longer, the squadron proceeded to the weftward. On the 8th of June they fell in with Lord Keith's fleet, which captured the whole fquadron when they had arrived within fight of their deftined port. Lieutenant Davis was thus enabled to rejoin his fhip, the Swiftfure, in the Bay of Naples. The gallantry of his conduct in this affair needs no comment.

THE critical fituation of the French in the Roman ftates, occafioned by the frequent defeats they had lately suffered in Lombardy, the Milanese, and at Mantua, induced Lord Nelfon to fend the Swiftfure to Civita Vecchia, the nearest sea-port to Rome, to fee if any thing could be done to drive the enemy from thence, and aid the Auftrians in their attack on the capital. The Swiftfure was proceeding thither, but an account arriving that the Seahorse frigate had been driven by a gale of wind on the rocks near Leghorn, it was judged expedient firft to proceed thither to her affistance.

On the 10th of August we paffed the mouth of the Tiber, and could plainly perceive the stately dome of the cathedral of St. Peter at Rome. In the evening we spoke the Balloon, Portuguese brig of war; and the day following worked to windward between Point Hercule and the island of Giglio.

On the 13th we anchored in the road of Leghorn, and had the fatisfaction to find the Seahorse fafe in the harbour, having

got off from her perilous fituation with trifling damage. The fame evening the Minotaur arrived also.

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The opportunity of feeing Leghorn, Florence, and even Rome, was now eagerly embraced by me, my kind friend and commander giving me permiffion to make that tour, and in the event of his success at Civita Vecchia, to join him there by the route of Rome. Subsequent circumstances prevented this arrangement taking place, but it gave me an opportunity of enlarging my tour. A friend from the Minotaur was permitted to accompany me by the favour of Captain Louis, and we proceeded from Leghorn, bearing letters and dispatches for the British minifter at Florence.

On the 15th we fet off from Leghorn, proceeding through a level country, part of which was occupied by a forest of low

I shall not particularize the circumstances that took place at Civita Vecchia, as I received only a concife account of them afterwards, which is here related.

When the Swiftfure appeared off that place a French officer of diftinction came off with a flag of truce, but nothing was then decided. At another time when fome Neapolitan veffels, (supposing the place was evacuated by the French), were making towards it, the French armed boats, and gun-boats of a large fize, pushed out to bring them in. But the launch and large boats of the Swiftfure were sent to their affiftance, and foon made the enemy retire, pursuing them with great spirit till under the guns of their own batteries, and nearly capturing them. Lieutenant Eylmer, in the launch, had a narrow escape; a fhot from the enemy's battery, which killed a man who was in the act of taking aim, ftruck the powder-horn from his hand. Captain Hallowell had already entered into a negociation with the enemy, and paved the way for a surrender of the place, when he was recalled to attend the Admiral at Palermo. Afterwards Commodore Troubridge in the Culloden, and Captain Louis in the Minotaur, arrived on the station; and the French perceiving that all hopes of defending themselves against the united powers that attacked them on all fides were at an end, and thinking to obtain better terms from the English than the Auftrians, confented to furrender. Captain Louis proceeded to Rome, and there received the fubmiffion of the enemy, who were marched from thence to Civita Vecchia and embarked in veffels that transported them to France.

It being the feast of preparations were The evening was

oaks, and the same day we arrived at Pifa. the affumption of the bleffed Virgin, great making for the due folemnization of it. fpent by the higher orders at a grand ball at the theatre; from whence, at midnight, they fallied out to join the folemn proceffion to the cathedral, where high mafs was performed with all the pomp imaginable. The streets leading to the cathedral, as well as the pavement of the same, were strewed with myrtle and laurels, which being trod on, fent forth a delightful odour. The fragrant fmoke of the censers, the blaze of torches and lamps which illumined the stately fabric, and the folemn stillness of the midnight hour, formed such a scene of grandeur and delight as impreffed the mind with religious awe.

The next morning we went to view the fite of the late folemnities. The cathedral, which is a noble pile of Gothic building, is fituated in an area furrounded by those other celebrated structures, the baptistry, the cemetery, and leaning tower. The brazen doors of the cathedral are deservedly admired. On them are represented paffages from the Old and New Testament in basso relievo, executed by Bonano Pifano, whose bust is placed near one of the doors. There are also many fine paintings, and handsome monuments, and other sculpture in the aisles and chapels of the cathedral.

The baptiftry is a large circular building furmounted with a handsome cupola. It is built of marble, and is celebrated for a remarkable echo. The cemetery, or, as it is here called,