The French naval force in the Indian seas was at no time considerable, for whenever a cruiser was known to be committing depredations, her career was generally cut short by some of the squadron. It consisted chiefly of privateers, for which the Isle of France afforded a convenient rendezvous; and of which some were large enough to capture a regular Indiaman. The _Emiline_, taken after a two days' chase by the _Culloden_, had been a British sloop of war: and the _Bellone_, taken by the _Powerful_ and _Rattlesnake_, was added to the navy as a small-class frigate, and actually maintained a running fight with the seventy-four. The resemblance between ships of war and the larger Indiamen more than once deceived the enemy. The _Union_, a small privateer, mounting only eight guns, thus ventured to chase, and was taken by the _Culloden_; and the _Jena_, national corvette, was taken in the same manner by the _Modeste_ frigate. The _Jena_ was a remarkably fine and fast vessel, and, as the _Revenant_ privateer, had formerly cruised long and very successfully. She was commissioned as the _Victor_, to replace a sloop of war of that name, which in the preceding year had been the scene of one of the most extraordinary and tragical events on record. The _Victor_, commanded by Captain George Bell, whose name has been already mentioned in connection with the _Nymphe_ and _Indefatigable_, had taken four brigs in Batavia Road, and was returning to Prince of Wales' Island. On the 15th of April 1807, off Cheribon, she met three Malay prows under Dutch colours, which, on its falling calm, she detained with the armed boats, and brought alongside. The crews of two of them, a hundred and twenty men, were taken on board the _Victor_, and placed under a guard, while the prows were being examined; but the people in the third being refractory, a carronade was fired into her, and some small arms, which they returned by throwing spears and firing pistols. A second gun was therefore fired, some sparks from which reached a quantity of powder which had been taken out of the prows, and blew up the after-part of the ship. The guard ran to extinguish the flames, leaving the prisoners, who instantly seized their arms, with the spears and knives which had been thrown on board, and attacked the crew with all the desperation of their character. The prows were immediately cut adrift, and the crew, under the direction of their officers, proceeded with admirable order and coolness, one part to extinguish the fire, and the rest to defend themselves against the murderous attack. After half an hour's dreadful struggle for life, for the Malays would take no quarter, eighty of them lay dead on the deck, and the rest were driven overboard. The _Victor_ had her first lieutenant and five men killed, and her captain and twenty-five wounded; nine of whom died shortly after.