While cruising Traveling in the Northern Bay of Biscay , the British Royal Navy frigate HMS `` Thames '' , under Captain James Cotes , encountered Hostile_encounter the much larger French frigate `` Uranie '' , under Captain Jean-François Tartu .

Cotes ordered Arranging his crew to make hasty repairs Recovering , intending to resume Process_start the battle Hostile_encounter , but `` Uranie '' 's crew , with their captain dead Death , slipped Motion_directional away while `` Thames '' was unable to manoeuvre .

Outnumbered , Cotes surrendered Surrendering his ship to Allemand , who commended Judgment_communication Cotes on his resistance Defending to the far larger `` Uranie '' .

The frigate was commissioned into the French Navy as `` Tamise '' , and `` Uranie '' was renamed Name_conferral `` Tartu '' in honour of her deceased Death captain .