3 , ▁Sch om berg ▁moved ▁to ▁Be aver ' s ▁flags hip , ▁. ▁Captain ▁John ▁E ve le igh ▁then ▁took ▁command ▁of ▁A stra ea . ▁ ▁Ast rea ▁vs . ▁E to ile ▁ ▁In ▁early ▁ 1 8 1 4 ▁Ast rea ▁was ▁in ▁company ▁with ▁, ▁which ▁was ▁under ▁the ▁command ▁of ▁Captain ▁George ▁Charles ▁Mack en zie , ▁who ▁was ▁E ve le igh ' s ▁senior . ▁The ▁two ▁fr ig ates ▁sa iled ▁for ▁the ▁Cape ▁Ver de ▁Islands ; ▁they ▁reached ▁Ma io ▁early ▁on ▁ 2 3 ▁January ▁ 1 8 1 4 . ▁ ▁Off ▁the ▁Cape ▁Ver de ▁Islands ▁they ▁encountered ▁two ▁fr ig ates ▁and ▁two ▁merchant ▁ships , ▁one ▁a ▁brig antine ▁and ▁the ▁other ▁a ▁sch oon er , ▁all ▁at ▁anchor . ▁The ▁French ▁fr ig ates ▁did ▁not ▁respond ▁to ▁the ▁Portuguese ▁and ▁Spanish ▁flags ▁that ▁the ▁British ▁set ▁and ▁instead ▁set ▁sail ▁as ▁the ▁British ▁fr ig ates ▁approached ; ▁the ▁British ▁fr ig ates ▁then ▁purs ued ▁them . ▁Ast rea ▁had ▁problems ▁with ▁her ▁s ails ▁so ▁Cre ole ▁pulled ▁ahead . ▁She ▁ex changed ▁some ▁sh ots ▁and ▁eventually ▁four ▁broad s ides ▁with ▁the ▁re arm ost ▁French ▁fr ig ate , ▁which ▁would ▁turn ▁out ▁to ▁be ▁S ult ane . ▁A stra ea ▁then ▁sa iled ▁between ▁Cre ole ▁and ▁her ▁oppon ent , ▁coming ▁alongside ▁the ▁French ▁fr ig ate . ▁Two ▁broad s ides ▁from ▁Ast