Malartic (1799 Ship)

''Malartic'' (or ''Général Malartic'', or ''General Malartique''), was a French privateer ship, famous for her exploits while under the command of Captain Jean-Marie Dutertre. The British captured her in 1800, ending her brief, but productive privateering career.

Career

''Malartic'' was commissioned in July 1799.

She undertook a cruise from July 1799 to March 1800, capturing the former East Indiaman . She also captured the former East Indiaman ''Thomas'', and in the same cruise, the ships ''Surprise'', ''Joyce'', and ''Lord Hobart''. ''Malartic'' arrived back at Mauritius on 9 March.

On 10 September 1799 ''Général Malartic'' visited the Seychelles to annul the capitulation by raising the French flag.

On 28 November, ''Général Malartic'' captured ''Surprise'' near Madras. ''Surprize''s crew was taken to the Seychelles from where ''Success'', Jean-François Hodoul, master, took them to Mauritius; they arrived on 28 January 1800.

On 6 March (or February) ''Malartique'' captured ''Albion'', Smith, master, at . A few days earlier ''Malartique'' had captured a vessel belonging to the King of Travancore. The privateer put Smith and his crew aboard the captured vessel after Smith had promised to sail to Tranquebar.

On 22 March ''Fataslem'', an English ship that ''Malartic'' had captured on 25 December 1799, arrived at Mauritius. She was carrying a cargo of "calin", pepper, sago, arrack, etc.

In July 1800, ''Malartic'' sailed for a second cruise, capturing the ships ''Frederic North'', ''Amboyna'', ''Alkias'', and ''Malava''. She later captured ''Governor North'' (which is almost surely the same vessel as ''Frederic North'', both being named for Governor Frederick North, who served between 1798 and 1805 as the first British civilian governor of Ceylon), ''Marquis de Wellesley'', and a brig, before returning to Mauritius, where she arrived with her prizes on 21 September 1800.

''Malartic'' captured ''Marquis de Wellesley'' near Visakhapatnam on 10 September. ''Marquis de Wellesley'' arrived at Mauritius on 28 October. She was carrying 200,000 livres of wheat, rice, and the like.

''Malartic''s last capture was ''Mermaid'', Captain Garden, which had been sailing from Calcutta to Rangoon. Dutarte detained her for several days, plundered her, and then permitted her to proceed on her voyage.''Asiatic Annual Review'', "Chronicle for November 1800", pp.46-7.

''Malartic'' encountered and engaged in an action with the American vessel ''Rebecca'', purchased at Calcutta and sailing for Baltimore under the command of Captain John W. Bronaugh. ''Rebecca'', of about 1000 tons burthen was armed with eighteen 9-pounder guns and carried a well-armed crew of 85 men. The engagement lasted about 2 hours and 45 minutes before ''Malartic'', much battered in her masts and sails, eventually took to her sweeps to escape. In the action ''Rebecca'' had no casualties. Newspaper accounts reported that ''Malartic'' had 25 men killed and 16 wounded.

Capture

The East Indiaman captured ''Malartic'' on 10 November 1800 in the Bay of Bengal at , which is about 200 km SSW of Cox's Bazar. ''Phoenix'' was prepared to resist a more formidable opponent. She had her guns double-shotted, and the troops that she was transporting stayed concealed on the poop until ''Malartic'' approached to board. At that point ''Phoenix'' fired a broadside into ''Malartic'', and the troops revealed themselves. Dutertre immediately struck. The only casualty on ''Phoenix'' was a man who suffered a broken leg from the recoil of a carronade. Captain William Moffat of ''Phoenix'' reported that ''Malartic'' had lost two surgeons, the boatswain, and several crew members killed in the action with ''Rebecca''; Moffat did not report any casualties on ''Malartic'' from her encounter with ''Phoenix''.

The British took Dutertre prisoner; he was eventually released under the Treaty of Amiens in 1803. Moffat, master of ''Phoenix'', took ''General Malartic'' with him to Bengal.''Lloyd's List'', №4146.
/ref> He put a prize crew aboard ''Malartic'' and took her crew on board ''Phoenix'' where passengers and the officers of the 88th Regiment of Foot traveling on her stood watch over them.

The Court of Directors of the British East India company awarded Moffat 500 guineas and the officers and crew of ''Phoenix'' £2000 to be divided among them for "their gallant conduct in engaging and capturing the ship ''General Malartic''."''Edinburgh Magazine: Or Literary Miscellany'', Volume 20, p.235.

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Malartic (1799 ship)
1790s ships
Privateer ships of France
Captured ships