Diamondback,
I just ran across this little paragragh in James while looking for my historical post for today. You might think it interesting.

"The Sibylle had been a French 40-gun frigate, until captured by the Romney 50, in June, 1794. On being fitted out in the British service, the Sibylle, a fine Toulon-built frigate of 1091 tons, was armed with 44 long 18 and 9 pounders ; but, subsequently, 10 of her 16 nines were exchanged for fourteen 32-pounder carronades. This gave her 28 long 18-pounders on the main deck, and six long nines and fourteen 32-pounder carronades on the quarterdeck and forecastle, total 48 guns ; which was the precise force of the Sibylle on the present occasion. Her net complement, as originally established ; was 297 men and boys ; but the ship, at this time, accidentally had on board a greater number, as we shall presently show.

Frigates, mounting 24-pounders on the main deck, have always been rare. The British possessed none until the three 64s, Indefatigable, Anson, and Magnanime, were reduced ; nor the French until the Pomone was launched. The capture of the latter by the British gave birth to the Endymion ; and, about the time that the Endymion was launched, the Americana set afloat three of the largest and heaviest frigates that the world had ever seen. The second 24-pounder frigate built by the French was, we believe, launched at Rochefort, in the summer of 1795, and she was very appropriately named La Forte. The Pomone was about 1270 tons, and mounted twenty-six 24 pounders on her main deck. The Forte measured 1400 tons, and carried, for which she had ample room, one gun more of a side on her main deck than the Pomone ; making, with 14 long eights and four brass 36-pounder carronades on her quarterdeck and forecastle, a total of 46 guns.

These, we have no doubt, were all the guns which, with e complement of 480 or 500 men, the Forte originally carried. But subsequently, when perhaps Rear-admiral Sercey hoisted his flag on board of her in the beginning of the year 1796, four additional brass 36-pounder carronades were added to her armament ; and, subsequently again, two long English 24-pounders, taken out of some prize probably, were placed in her two maindeck bow-ports ; thus making her guns amount to 52, exclusive of eight 1-pounder swivels mounted along the top of her waist hammock-nettings. After this, it is hoped, not profitless digression, we return to the Sibylle, whom we left hastening towards the Sand-heads, which lie off the mouth of Bengal river, in the hope there to meet this same truly formidable French frigate."