French Brig Entreprenant (1808)

''Entreprenant'' was the third of a sequence of vessels under the same name and with the same captain in the period 1807–1810. She served in the East Indies until the British captured her in 1810 and then had her broken up as unfit for further service.

Career

''Lieutenant de vaisseau'' Pierre Bouvet had a "brig gourable" constructed at Île de France in 1808. This vessel received the name ''Entreprenant'', and was commissioned under Bouvet's command. (Immediately prior, he had commanded the and the naval felucca ''Entreprenant''.)

''Entrerprenant'' was fitted out in March–May 1808 and provisioned with supplies for a six-month cruise.

Bouvet sailed ''Entreprenant'' on 4 October 1808 with despatches for Ormuz. She then cruised off the Malabar coast, taking 19 prizes, with Bouvet having to suppress a mutiny. He returned to Île de France on 16 March 1809.

In May 1809, Bouvet was sent to Manila to investigate the fate of ''Mouche n° 6'', under Lieutenant Ducrest de Villeneuve, which had been sent there a few months before and had not returned. On 28 August, ''Entreprenant'' reached Manila and learned that Borneo had sided for the Allies and interned the crew of ''Mouche n° 6''. Furthermore, the 14-gun was anchored at Cavite. Anchoring his ship offshore under a flag of truce, Bouvet sent a delegation to demand the release of the crew of ''Mouche n° 6'', with orders to return to ''Entreprenant'' as soon as the message was delivered. However, the delegation had still not returned the next morning.

In order to obtain a clear ''casus belli'', Bouvet anchored his ship at the entrance of Manila Bay, but stayed ready to set sail. Soon, ''Antelope'' and shore batteries opened up on ''Entreprenant'', which promptly retreated. Bouvet sailed to Corregidor Island and endeavored to blockade all shipping bound for Manila. After collecting enough prisoners in this way, on 3 September, he released them on parole under promise not to navigate at sea before ''Mouche n° 6'' would be released. Bouvet had them convey his ultimatum that if his conditions were not met the next day, he would attack the coasts of the island. The French crew detained in Manila was promptly released and returned to ''Entreprenant''.

On 20 October, ''Entreprenant'' encountered a British convoy and detected an isolated sail, which she intercepted by 23:00. The ship was the 18-gun Portuguese merchant vessel ''Ovidor''. She surrendered after the first broadside and was brought to Isle de France with a valuable cargo of Chinese goods, and 200,000 Piastres. ''Ovidor'', a 550-tonne ship built in Portugal, was brought into French service as . ''Oviedo Pereira'' (or ''Ovidor'', or ''Ovidor Pereira'', or ''Ovidour''), was returning from Macau with $400,000 in silver, the proceeds of last season's trade.Robert Houghton: ''A Peoples' History 1793 – 1844 from the newspapers: Prize-taking''. Accessed 21 April 2018.
/ref> A newspaper report in England states that ''Ovidor Pereira'' was captured near the mouth of the straits of Malacca.''London Chronicle'', 21 September 1810, Vol. 108, №8076.

In the wake of the Battle of Grand Port, at midnight on 21 August 1810, ''Entreprenant'' was sent, along with Jacques Hamelin's squadron comprising the frigates ''Vénus'', ''Manche'' and ''Astrée'', to support the squadron under Guy-Victor Duperré. ''Entreprenant'' arrived first at the entrance of the harbour, where she encountered , under Captain Henry Lambert, which was limping out of the port; the three frigates sailing behind crushed all hopes for Lambert to escape, and he surrendered. ''Entreprenant'' was sent to search for but did not find her; ''Entreprenant'' did recapture '' Mouche n°23'', taken by the British in June.

Fate

''Entreprenant'' was at the island during the British invasion of Isle de France in November 1810. She was among the spoils of the campaign but rather than take her into the Royal Navy the British broke her up as unfit for further service.

Notes

Citations

References

*Austen, Harold Cholmley Mansfield (1935) ''Sea fights and corsairs of the Indian ocean; being the naval history of Mauritius from 1715 to 1810''. (Port Louis, Mauritius: R.W. Brooks, government printer).
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* Fonds Marine. Campagnes (opérations ; divisions et stations navales ; missions diverses). Inventaire de la sous-série Marine BB4. Tome premier : BB4 210 à 482 (1805–1826

*Jal, August (1848) ''Glossaire nautique:répertoire polyglotte de termes de marine anciens et modernes''. (Firmin-Didot frères).
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Entreprenant (1808)
Brigs of the French Navy
1808 ships