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ARETHUSA
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(32) |
5th rate
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Taken in 1759.
Wrecked in 1779. |
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- The French ARETHUSE, captured by THAMES on 18th. May 1759.
- On 12th. October she came through the Needles to Portsmouth at the rate of 14 knots in a violent gale of wind that had carried away her mainmast and her fore and mizzen top-masts off Plymouth. The storm also drove Adm. HAWKE's squadron from off Brest.
- 1759 Capt. Hon. Raby VANE, appointed on 4th. September and employed on the home station where he captured a few French privateers, among them the Revenge (8) with 44 men, taken off Lowestoft in July 1760, and another of six guns taken off Calais on 14th. February 1761. In 1762 he was sent with NIGER and COVENTRY to intercept three French flutes laden with provisions for the West Indies.
- 1761 Robert KEELER, acting commander of ARETHUSA during April and May. He fell in with two French cutters in the the North Sea on the 6th. May. After a chace of three hours he captured one of them, called the QUIMPER, carrying sixteen carriage or swivel guns, and 65 men. As soon as the prisoners were shifted, he pursued her companion, which escaped him in the night.
- 1768 Capt. AMMOND, the ARETHUSA arrived in Hampton Road on 2nd January.
- 1778 Capt. Samuel MARSHALL, on the 17th. June the ARETHUSA and the ALERT cutter, Capt. John FAIRFAX, pursued several ships that had been observing the movements of Channel fleet, then about seven leagues S. W. of the Lizard. At night the ARETHUSA came up with La BELLE POULE and Capt. MARSHALL informed her commander that he had orders to conduct him to the British admiral, the French captain refused to comply so Capt. MARSHALL fired a shot over her, which was returned by a broadside. The action continued for two hours, by this time they were close in to the French coast and la BELLE POULE stood in to a small bay, from where a number of boats came out and towed her to a place of safety. ARETHUSA's main mast fell over the side and she was damaged so badly that it only with difficulty she was able to clear the land. The next morning the VALIANT, Capt. GOWER, and the MONARCH, Capt. Joshua ROWLEY, towed ARETHUSA back to the fleet. ARETHUSA lost eight men killed and thirty-six wounded. French reports say the BELLE POULE had forty killed and fifty-seven wounded.
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