Action of 26 May 1789
The action of 26 May 1789 was a minor naval engagement fought off Algiers, Mediterranean Sea, in which a small Portuguese division, commanded by coronel do mar José de Melo Breyner, spotted an Algerian xebec accompanied by a captured French ship, the Le Désir, of which he was forced to abandon and flee, pursued by the Portuguese brigantine Lebre.
Background
The Strait Squadron was a squadron which almost annually was sent by the Portuguese Navy to patrol the Strait of Gibraltar and the Mediterranean Sea, organized in 1520 by King Manuel I of Portugal, escorting and protecting Portuguese and allied ships in the region from enemies, especially Barbary pirates.On 18 April 1789, the Strait Squadron, commanded by coronel do mar José de Melo Breyner, departed from Lisbon, it was constituted by one ship of the line, two frigates, two brigantines and one cutter. Those were:
| Name | Type | Guns | Commander |
| Nossa Senhora da Conceição | Ship of the line | 90 guns | Capitão de mar e guerra Joaquim José dos Santos, carried coronel do mar José de Melo Breyner |
| Nossa Senhora da Vitória | Frigate | 48 guns | Capitão de mar e guerra Manuel da Cunha Souto Maior |
| Nossa Senhora da Graça | Frigate | 46 guns | Capitão de mar e guerra Paulo José da Silva da Gama |
| Galgo | Brigantine | 20 guns | Capitão-tenente Herculano José de Barros |
| Lebre | Brigantine | 24 guns | Capitão-tenente Daniel Thompson |
| Coroa | Cutter | 20 guns | Capitão-tenente Mateus Pereira de Campos |
In May, or in the beginning of June, a division of the Strait Squadron, constituted by the ship of the line Nossa Senhora da Conceição, of 90 guns, by one of the frigates and by the brigantine Lebre, of 24 guns, went to cross to the vicinity of Algiers.