of Fort Dauphin transferred to Swiftsure and thrown overboard by her crew. Rochambeau then ordered all French ships to carry out such executions; only Willaumez refused, stating that "The officers of the French Navy are not executioners. I will not obey." After 18 months, Willaumez transferred his flag on the frigate Poursuivante, on which he served successively at the Western and Southern stations, and carried out a number of raids against the Haitian revolutionaries. On 27 June 1803, Poursuivante departed Les Cayes, bound for Cap-Haïtien, in the company of the sixteen-gun corvette Mignonne, under Jean Pierre Bargeau. In the early morning of 28 June 1803, Poursuivante spotted a large convoy of about fifty ships, with three ships of the line for escort; they were the 74-gun HMS Hercules, Cumberland and Goliath, which detached and set a course to intercept. At eight, the 74-gun HMS Hercules came in range, hoisted the British flag, prompting Poursuivante to hoist the French colours, and opened fire at nine. After two hours of mutual cannonade, the ships were close to shore and at eleven, the wind fell, favouring the shallower and more manoeuvrable frigate, which quickly came in position to rake Hercule and delivered a devastating broadside at her stern. The damage and confusion on Hercule were such that, probably fearing to run aground, she effectively dropped out of action, allowing Poursuivante to reach the safety of Môle-Saint-Nicolas. Goliath captured Mignonne after a brief chase and the exchange of a few token shots. Poursuivante had ten men killed and fifteen wounded. Her hull had sustained several shots and her rigging was much damaged. As Cap-Haïtien lacked the resources to repair the frigate, Willaumez was authorised to sail her back to France. He then left harbour and sailed around the South of Cuba. A few days later, he spotted a British privateer, which he captured and had to scuttle by fire because his lack of food did not allow him to sail her to Charlestown. A gust of wind having dismasted Poursuivante, Willaumez was forced to make a port call in Baltimore and overhaul his frigate. When ready, he departed the Chesapeake, avoided the British blockade and crossed the Atlantic, reaching Rochefort on 28 May 1804. There, he was intercepted by a British ship of the line, which he battled for thirty minutes before breaking off and finding shelter at Île-d'Aix. Willaumez had been made a