"On the 20th of October, 1813, the two French 40-gun frigates Iphigénie and Alcmène, Captains Jacques-Léon Emeric and Alexandre Ducrest de Villeneuve, sailed from Cherbourg on a six months' cruise. The two frigates proceeded first off the Western Isles, and then to the coast of Africa ; where they captured two guineamen, laden with elephants' teeth. After taking out the most valuable parts of the cargoes, Captain Emeric burnt the ships. From Africa the Iphigénie and Alcmène sailed to the Canary Isles, in the vicinity of which they took six other prizes. On the 16th of January, at 7 a.m., when cruising off these islands, the two French frigates fell in with the British 74-gun ship Venerable, Captain James Andrew Worth, bearing the flag of Rear-admiral Philip Charles Durham, on his way to take the chief command at the Leeward-Islands, 22-gun ship Cyane, Captain Thomas Forrest, and prize-brig Jason, a French letter-of-marque captured 17 days before, and now, with two guns (having thrown 12 overboard in chase) and 22 men, in charge of Lieutenant Thomas Moffat, belonging to the Venerable.
The two frigates, when first descried, were in the north-east, and the Cyane, the wind then blowing from the east-south-east, was ordered to reconnoitre them. Having shortened sail and hauled to the wind on the starboard tack, the Cyane, at 9 a.m., ascertained that they were enemies, and made a signal to that effect to the Venerable, who immediately went in chase. The chase continued throughout the day, so much to the advantage of the 74, that, at 6 h. 15 m. p.m. the Venerable arrived within hail of the Alcmène, the leewardmost frigate. After having hailed twice in vain, the Venerable opened her guns as they would bear ; when the French frigate immediately put her helm up, and, under all sail, laid the British 74 on board, Captain Villeneuve, as was understood, expecting that his commodore, in compliance with a previous agreement, would second him in the bold attempt. According to another statement, and which has more the air of probability, the object of the Alcmène in bearing up was to cross the 74's bows, and by disabling her bowsprit and foremast, to deprive her of the means of pursuit. Whether Captain Emeric had agreed to co-operate or not, the Iphigénie now hauled sharp up, and left the Alcmène to her fate. A very short struggle decided the business, and before 6 h. 2.5 m. the French colours were hauled down by the British boarders, headed by Captain Worth. The conflict, although short, had been severe, especially to the Alcmène; who, out of a crew of 319 men and boys, lost two petty officers and 30 seamen killed, and 50 officers and men wounded, including her gallant commander. The Venerable's loss consisted of two seamen killed and four wounded.
During the time that had thus elapsed, and the additional time required to shift the prisoners and repair the trifling injury done to the 74's rigging by the frigate's attempt to board, the Cyane and Jason had gone in chase of the Alcmène's fugitive consort. At 10 p.m. the little Jason, having outrun the Cyane in the chase, commenced firing at the Iphigénie with her two guns, both of which Lieutenant Moffat had now got on the brig's larboard side. Such was the slow sailing of the Iphigénie, or the unskilfulness of those that manœuvred her, that at 45 minutes past midnight the Cyane got near enough to open a fire from her bow guns, and received in return a fire from the frigate's stern-chasers, which cut her rigging and sails a good deal. At 4 h. 30 m. a.m. on the 17th the Cyane gallantly fired three broadsides at the French frigate, but soon found the latter too heavy for her and dropped astern. At 5 h. 45 m. a.m. Captain Forrest despatched the brig in search of the admiral, and continued his pursuit of the Iphigénie ; who shortly afterwards hauled close to the wind on the larboard tack, and fired three broadsides at the Cyane, nearly all the shot of which, fortunately for the latter, either went over her masts or between them. At 9 a.m. the Iphigénie bore up and steered south-west, still followed by the Cyane.
The chase thus continued, the latter losing sight occasionally and again recovering it, during the remainder of the 17th, and the whole of the 18th and 19th. In the evening of the latter day the Cyane dropped astern ; but the Venerable was now fast coming up, and, at daylight on the 20th, was within two miles of the French frigate. The Venerable, from whose mast-head the Cyane was now not to be seen, presently opened a fire from her bow guns, and received in return a fire from the stern and quarter guns of the Iphigénie. Having thrown overboard her boats and cut away her anchors without effect, the French frigate, at 8 a.m., discharged her starboard broadside and struck her colours.
Neither the Venerable nor the Iphigénie appears to have suffered any loss from the other's fire : and the Cyane, whose gallantry and perseverance in the chase were so creditable to Captain Forrest, seems also to have escaped without loss. The same good fortune attended the Jason ; who with her two guns (6-pounders probably), gave so good an earnest of what Lieutenant Moffat would have done, had he commanded a vessel that mounted 20. The Iphigénie and Alcmène, being nearly new frigates, were both added to the British navy ; the first under the name of Gloire, the latter under that of Dunira afterwards changed to Immortalité.
From Naval History of Great Britain.
Wonder to know if anybody had any model in scale of any of those ships.
Amicalement
Armand
