Oct.

Travers.

attacks

ries at Mari

David Mapleton having also taken possession of the 1813. mole-bead, the convoy, 20 of which were laden with timber for the arsenal at Toulon, were brought out A large without any loss. Before leaving the place, the convoy British blew up all the works; and the ships received no greater injury than a few shot in their hulls and some damaged rigging. It appears that captain Duncan had gained some very material information respecting the strength of D'Anzo by a gallant exploit performed a few nights previously by Gallant lieutenant Travers; who, at the head of a single of lieut. boat's crew, stormed, carried, and destroyed, a tower mounting one gun, and brought off the guard as prisoners.

On the 14th of October, at 1 P. M., the 36-gun Furifrigate Furieuse, running along the coast towards the euse island of Ponza, observed, in the harbour of Mari- battenelo, situated about six miles to the eastward of Civita-Vecchia, a convoy of 19 vessels, protected by nelo. two gun-boats, a fort of two long 24-pounders, and a strong fortified tower and castle. It appearing practicable to cut them out, lieutenants Walter Croker and William Lester, and lieutenants of marines James Whylock and William Davis, gallantly volunteered to storm the fort on the land side, while the frigate anchored before it. This service was promptly executed ; and, after a few broadsides from the Furieuse, the battery was carried, and the guns spiked, by the party on shore.

The french troops retreated to the strong position of the castle and tower overlooking the harbour; a large whence they kept up a constant fire of musketry convoy through loopholes, without the possibility of being dislodged, although the Furieuse weighed and moved in, so that the whole fire of the ship was directed upon it. Nothing could damp the ardour of the party on shore, who, together with lieutenant Lester in the boats, lost not a moment in boarding and cutting the cables of 16 vessels under a most galling fire. Two of the vessels sank at the entrance of the

Boats capture

Boats

Palamos,

1813. harbour, but the remaining 14, deeply laden, were
Nov. brought out. The loss to the British in performing this

service, which was over in three hours, amounted to
two men killed and 10 wounded.

On the 8th of November, at 8 h. 30 m. P. M., the of Re- boats of the 74-gun ship Revenge, captain sir John cut out Gore, under the orders of lieutenant William na per Richards, assisted by lieutenant Thomas Blakiston, from captain of marines John Spurin, and master's mates

and midshipmen Thomas Quelch, William Rolfe,
Henry Fisher, Benjamin Mainwaring, John Harwood,
Valentine Munbee, George Fraser, Robert Maxwell,
Charles M. D. Buchanan, and John P. Davey,
were sent into the harbour of Palamos, to en-
deavour to cut out a french felucca privateer.
At II P. M. lieutenant Richards and his party boarded
and carried the privateer, without having a man
hurt, and by 1 A, M. on the 9th had brought her
alongside the Revenge.

On the 9th captain Ussher sent the boats of the daunt- Undaunted, under the orders of lieutenant Joseph ed and. Robert Hownam, assisted by lieutenant Thomas loupe Hastings and lieutenant of marines Harry Hunt, cut out also the boats of the Guadeloupe brig, under lieu

tenant George Hurst and Mr. Alexander Lewis the Nont: master, into Port-Nouvelle. The batteries were velle. stormed and carried in the most gallant manner, and

two vessels captured and five destroyed, without a
casualty.

On the 26th of November, off Cape Rousse,
island of Corsica, the boats of the british 74-gun ship
Swiftsure, captain Edward Stirling Dickson, under

the orders of lieutenant William Smith, the 4th, were Carry detached in pursuit of the french privateer schooner Magne

. Charlemagne, of eight guns and 93 men, who was
using every exertion by sweeping to effect her
escape. On the approach of the boats, the privateer
made every preparation for resistance, and reserved
her fire till the boats had opened theirs; when the
schooner returned it in the most determined manner

Boats of Un+

from Port

Boats of Swiftsure board and

chase

on shore.

for some minutes, until the boats got close alongside. 1813, The British then boarded the Charlemagne on the bow and quarter and instantly carried her; but not without a serious loss, having had one midshipman Loss on (Joseph Douglas) and four seamen killed, and two casion. lieutenants (Rose Henry Fuller and John Harvey, the latter mortally, one lieutenant of marines, (James Robert Thompson,) one midshipman, (Field,) and 11 seamen wounded.

On the 25th of November, 1812, the two new Aréfrench 40-gun frigates Aréthuse, commodore Pierre- thuse François-Henry-Etienne Bouvet, and Rubis, captain Rubis Louis-François Ollivier, sailed from Nantes on a

Daring cruise. In January these two frigates, accompanied by a portuguese prize-ship, the Serra, steered for the coast of Africa, and on the 27th, when off Tamara, one of the Isles de Los, the Rubis, who was ahead, discovered and chased a brig, which was the british gun-brig Daring, lieutenant William R. Pascoe. The latter, when at a great distance, taking the Rubis for an english frigate, sent his master in a boat to board her. On approaching near, the boat discovered her mistake and endeavoured to make off, but was captured. The Daring was now aware of her perilous situation, and crowded sail for Tamara, followed by the Rubis; whom the lightness of the breeze delayed so much, that the brig succeeded in running on shore and her crew in setting her on fire. The two french frigates, at 6 P. M., At Isle came to an anchor in the road of Isle de Los. Here de Los. captain Bouvet learnt, that Sierra-Leone was the rendezvous of two british frigates and several sloops of war ; that one of the former had recently quitted the coast, and that the remaining frigate, reported to bim as larger and stronger than either of his own, still lay at anchor in the river,

In the course of six days, the french commodore Sail refitted his ships, and supplied them with water and again. provisions for six months. Having also sent to Sierra Leone to exchange the few prisoners in his

Rubis is lost

!

1813, possession, consisting, besides the boat's crew of the
Jan. Daring, of the master and crew of a merchantman

he had taken, captain Bouvet, on the 4th, weighed
and made sail with his two frigates. At 4 P. M. the
Aréthuse, who was ahead, struck on a coral bank,
but, forcing all sail, got off immediately, with nó
greater damage than the loss of her rudder. The
two frigates then reanchored, but, driving in a gale
of wind, were obliged, at 3 A. M. on the 5th, to get
under sail; the Aréthuse contriving a temporary
rudder while her own was repairing.

At daylight, when the gale had abated, the Aréon the thuse found herself lying becalmed within four rocks. leagues north-east of the island of Tamara; and cap

tain Bouvet was surprised to discover his consort
still among the islands, covered with signals, which
the distance precluded him from making out, but
which were judged to be of melancholy presage.
At 8 A. M. the Aréthuse anchored in 12 fathoms. At
11 a. M. the Rubis was observed to fire several guns,
and at noon to have the signal flying, that the pumps
were insufficient to free her. Captain Bouvet im-
mediately sent his longboat with two pumps; but
at 2 A. M. on the 6th the officer returned, with inform-
ation that the Rubis had struck on the rocks, and
that her crew were removing to the portuguese ship.
At daylight, by which time she had repaired and re-
shipped her rudder, the Aréthuse discovered a large
ship to-windward.

This was the british 38-gun
frigate Amelia, captain the honourable Frederick
Paul Irby, from Sierra-Leone.

It was at 3 h. 30 m. P. M. on the 29th of January, joins

that lieutenant Pascoe and a part of his crew joined Amelia the Amelia, then moored off Free-Town, Sierraerra Leone, bringing information, that he had left “ three Leone . french frigates” at anchor in Isle de Los road. The

Amelia began immediately to bend sails and clear for action, and in the evening was joined by the Hawk merchant schooner, with some more of the · Daringos men. · On the morning of the 30th the

Lieut.
Pascoe

Feb.

french fri

.

Amelia's launch-carronade was put on board the 1813, Hawk, and lieutenant Pascoe, having volunteered, was despatched in her to reconnoitre the french ships.

On the 2d of February, at noon, lieutenant Pascoe returned, with intelligence of the names of the two french frigates and their prize; and also of captain Bouvet's intention to proceed immediately to sea, to intercept the british homeward-bound trade. On the 3d, at 8 a. M., the cartel-cutter, Amelia noticed as having been despatched by captain questof Bouvet, arrived with prisoners, including the crew of the Daring's boat; and at 10 h. 30 m. the Amelia, gates. with a debilitated crew, for whose recovery she was about to proceed to England, got under way, and made sail, against a west-south-west wind, for the Isles de Los, in the hope of falling in with some british cruiser that might render the match more equal, and prevent the two french frigates from molesting several merchant vessels that were daily expected at Sierra-Leone.

On the 5th, at 8 A. M., the Amelia got a sight of DiscoIsle de Los; and at 8 P. M., when standing to the vers north-east, and then distant three leagues west- appanorth-west of Tamara, she observed a strange sail rently in the north-east, or right ahead, making night-chor, signals. Supposing this vessel to be one of the french frigates, the Amelia tacked to the westward, the prize. wind now blowing fresh from the north-west. On the 6th, at daylight, the Amelia again tacked to the north-east, and at 9 A. M. spoke the Princess-Charlotte government-schooner from Sierra-Leone, the vessel that had been making signals the preceding night. At 9 h. 30 m. A. M. the french ships were observed in the north-east, at anchor off the north end of Tamara; one, the Aréthuse, considerably to the northward of the other, who appeared to be unloading the prize, but was really removing into the latter her own crew. At 10 A. M. captain Irby despatched the Princess-Charlotte to Sierra-Leone, with directions for any british ship of war that might arrive there

with their