|Naval History of Great Britain - Vol III ||Light Squadrons and
Single Ships by the Biter and Boxer gun-brigs, Lieutenants
William Norman and Thomas Gilbert, and the four fire-ships Wasp,
Captain John Edwards, Falcon, Captain Henry Samuel Butt, Comet,
Captain Thomas Leef, and Rosario, Captain James Carthew, with
the cutters and small-craft attending them, entered Dunkerque
roads. At about midnight the Dart and her companions got sight
of the French ships. Soon afterwards one of the latter hailed
the Dart, and asked whence she came. The answer was, " De
Bordeaux." The Frenchman then desired to know what convoy that
was astern, meaning the gun-brigs and fire-ships. The reply was,
" Je ne sais pas." This conversation ended, the Dart continued
to pass on unmolested, until she arrived alongside of the
innermost frigate but one, when that frigate opened upon her a
very heavy fire. This the Dart was enabled to return with 15
double-shotted 32-pounders, discharged in much quicker
repetition than common, owing to the