Capture of La Nereide, Dec 21st 1797. Original antique engraving by Sutherland after a painting by Whitcombe. Published in 1816 in Jenkin’s Naval Achievements. Original colour.

Original antique engraving by Sutherland after a painting by Whitcombe.

Published in 1816 in Jenkin’s Naval Achievements.

Original colour.

On 6 June 1780, along with Zodiaque (74 guns), Néréide captured a British privateer, the 10-gun cutter Prince of Wales off Madeira.

Néréidewas part of the fleet ofLamotte-Picquetthat sailed fromBrestand on 2 May 1781 captured 18 ships in a convoy fromSint Eustatius. In 1782, she served in the Caribbean underVaudreuil.

From 1788,Néréideserved off Africa. She then underwent a refit in Rochefort in October 1794.

On 20 December 1797, she was sailing off theIsles of Scillyunder the command of Lieutenant de Vaisseau Chassériau when she encounteredPhoebe. After exchanging broadsides withPhoebefor about an hour and a half,Néréidestruck. She had suffered 20 killed and 55 wounded;Phoebehad suffered three men killed and 10 wounded. Although the French vessel had a larger crew, she had a substantially lighter broadside (12-pdrs versus 18-pdrs) and this proved decisive. She entered into British service as HMSNereide.