Engagement between his Majesty's Ship Brilliant of 28 Guns, Capt H Blackwood, & the l' Vertue & Regenue, French Frigates, of 38 & 36 Guns, off Santa Cruz, on the Coast of Barbary, the 26th of July 1798

Plate 110. This engraving depicts an action fought between the British Royal Navy sixth-rate ‘Brilliant’ (28 guns), commanded by Captain Henry Blackwood, and the French frigates ‘Régénérée’ (40 guns) and ‘Vertu’ (36 guns) off Tenerife on 26 July 1798. The ‘Brilliant’ was outgunned, but Blackwood ordered the ship to turn suddenly across the bows of the ‘Vertu’, firing a broadside into the French ship’s rigging. This damaged the ‘Virtu’ enough for the ‘Brilliant’ to escape. In the print, Blackwood’s manoeuvre is shown on the left, with the ‘Vertu’ in starboard broadside view and the ‘Brilliant’ shown from the stern in a cloud of gun smoke. The ‘Régénérée’, mistakenly called the ‘Regenue’ in the print’s inscription, is represented on the right.

Inscribed beneath the image with the title, dedication and publication details: ‘Engagement between his Majesty’s Ship BRILLIANT, of 28 Guns, CAPT. H. BLACKWOOD, & the L’VERTUE & REGENUE, French Frigates, of 38 & 36 Guns. / Off Santa Cruz, on the Coast of Barbary, the 26th of July 1798, when after a Severe Action which Lasted from 2 P.M. to ½ Past 12 she Obliged them both to Sheer off. / To Capt. Blackwood, Lieuts. Cambell & F. Truscott, this Plate is respectfully Dedicated by their Oblig’d friends, LAURIE & WHITTLE / Published 21st October 1799 by LAURIE & WHITTLE, No. 53 Fleet Street, London.’

PAG7116 is another impression.