1812. there was a large rock under the ship's bottom, of three fathoms in height: in fact the ground was covered with rocks, and the ship in the midst of them, with the wind at W.S.W. blowing a gale, with small rain and a heavy sea. In this state we remained, with people stationed with axes to the sheet and spare anchors, till daylight, when the man at the deep-sea lead declared the ship to be driving. The spare anchor was directly cut away, and the range taken out; when the ship brought up again, and when the ebb tide made, she took the whole cable service, and rode with the best and small bowers a-head, and the spare anchor broad on the starboard bow. The gale appeared to increase ; the sea was high; and, as it broke sometimes outside the ship, it proved she was in the midst of rocks, and that the cables could not remain long without being cut. The wind at this period was west, and St.-Marie church bore east, and the distance where the ship would have gone to pieces, about one cable's length; the shoalest part of the reef about two cables, lying in a S.Š.E. and N.N.W. direction. The wind now came to W. b. N.; but, to counteract this favourable change, it was a lee tide, and a heavy sea setting right on to the reef, and neither officers nor men thought it possible, in any way, to cast her clear of the reef, and to make sail, more particularly as the yards and topmasts were down. The captain, however, gave orders to sway the fore-yard two-thirds up; and, while that was doing, to get a bawser for a spring to cast the ship by from the starboard quarter to the spare cable; while this was doing, the spare cabie parted, and we had only the sheet anchor at the bows; but, as she did not drive, that was not let go. The main yard was now swayed outside the topmast, two-thirds up the same; as the fore-yard and the spring brought on the small bower cable, people were sent on the yards to stop each yard-arm of the top-sails and courses with four or five spun-yarn stops, tied in a single bow, and to

cast off and make up all the gaskets: the people 1812. were then called down, except one man to each stop, who received very particular orders to be quick in obeying the commands given them, and to be extremely cautious not to let a sail fall, unless that sail was particularly named: if particular attention were not paid to this order, the ship would be lost. The yards were all braced sharp up for casting from the reef, and making sail on the starboard tack. The tacks and sheets, topsail sheets, and main and mizen-stay-sail hal-yards were manned, and the spring brought to the capstan and hove in. The captain now told the people, that they were going to work for life or death; if they were attentive to his orders, and executed them properly, the ship would be saved; if not, the whole of them would be drowned in five minutes. Things being in this state of preparation, a little more of the spring was hove in; the quarter-masters at the wheel and bow received their instructions. The cables were ordered to be cut, which was instantly done; but the heavy sea on the larboard bow would not let her cast that way. The probability of this had happily been foreseen. The spring broke, and her head paid round in towards the reef. The oldest seamen in the ship at that moment thought all lost. The captain, however, gave his orders very distinctly, to put the helm hard a-starboard, to sheet home the fore-topsail,* and haul on board the fore tack, and aft fore-sheet, keep all the other sails fast, square the main and mizen topsail yards, and cross jack-yard, keep the main-yard as it was. The moment the wind came abaft the beam, he ordered the mizen-top-sail to be sheeted home, and then the helm to be put hard a-port-when the wind came nearly aft-haul on board the main-tack, aft main-sheet, sheet home the main-topsail, and brace

* "The yards were all braced up for the starboard tack: consequently, when she cast the other way, the foresail and foretopsail were set as flat a-back as they could be; and they were not altered in bringing her to her course; the way she was managed it was not necessary."

1812. the cross-jack-yard sharp up. When this was done, (the whole of which took only two minutes to perform,) the ship absolutely flew round from the reef, like a thing scared at the frightful spectacle. The quarter-master was ordered to keep her south, and the captain declared aloud, "The ship is safe." The gaff was down, to prevent its holding wind, and the try-sail was bent ready for hoisting, had it been wanted. The main and mizen staysails were also ready, but were not wanted. The fore-top-mast staysail was hoisted before the cables were cut: thus was the ship got round in less than her own length; but, in that short distance, she altered the soundings five fathoms. And now, for the first time, I believe, was seen a ship at sea under reefed courses, and close reefed top-sails, with yards and topmasts struck. The sails all stood remarkably well; and by this novel method, was saved a beautiful ship of the line, and 550 souls. I cannot find any man or officer who ever saw a ship in the state before; yet all seemed surprized that they should never before have thought of it. Indeed it has ever been the prevailing opinion, (perhaps for want of giving the subject proper consideration,) that a ship with yards and topmasts struck was completely disabled from making sail, except with staysails."*

under

sir

Pop

ham.

The british squadron, stationed off the north coast Force of Spain, to cooperate with the loyal Spaniards and guerillas in expelling the French from their country, Home was commanded by captain sir Home Popham of the 74-gun ship Venerable; who had under his orders, among some other vessels whose names do not appear, the 38-gun frigates Surveillante and Rhin, captains sir George Ralph Collier and Charles Malcolm, 18-pounder 32-gun frigate Medusa, captain the honourable Duncombe Pleydell Bouverie, and 10-gun brig-sloop Lyra, captain Robert Bloye.

In the middle of the month of June a small body of french troops held possession of a hill-fort at

*See Naval Chronicle, vol. xxix, p. 21.

to

Lequertio, mounting three 18-pounders, and calcu- 1812. lated to resist infantry, and another body, of about June. 200, was posted in a fortified convent within the Prepatown, the walls of which were impervious to any thing rations less than an 18-pounder. The convent might have drive been destroyed by the ships; but, as the town French would have materially suffered, and as the guns of Lethe Venerable made no visible impression on the quertio fort, it was determined to erect a battery on a hill opposite to the latter, which the enemy considered as quite inaccessible to cannon and in that confidence rested his security.

out of

landed

fort as

gue

Accordingly, on the forenoon of the 20th, a gun Guns was landed, chiefly by the exertions of lieutenant and James Groves of the Venerable, notwithstanding french the sea was breaking with such violence against the saulted rocks at the foot of the hill, that it was doubtful by whether a boat could get near enough for that rillas. purpose. The gun was then hove up a short distance by a movable capstan; but this operation was so tedious, that it was at length dragged to the summit of the hill by 36 pair of bullocks, 400 guerillas, and 100 seanien headed by captain Bouverie. The gun was immediately mounted; and at 4 P. M. fired its first shot. It was afterwards so admirably served, that at sunset a practicable breach was made in the wall of the fort, and the guerillas volunteered to storm it. The first party was repulsed, but the second party gained possession without any considerable loss: several of the french troops escaped on the opposite side and got into the convent. In the course of the evening, the sea abating a little, a landing was made on the island of San-Nicolas, although with some difficulty, by lieutenant Dowell O'Reilly of the Surveillante; a detachment of

marines from that frigate, the Medusa, and Rhin also landed, with a carronade from each ship. Captain Malcolm now took command of the island, and captain sir George Collier of the Venerable's battery on the hill. On the 21st, at daybreak, a 24-pounder

1812. was brought to the east side of the town within 200 July. yards of the convent, and another was in the act of French being landed on San-Nicolas to bombard it in that troops direction, when the french commandant beat a parley der. and surrendered, with the remainder of his troops, amounting to 290.

surren

guns at

meo,

&c.

British The squadron afterwards proceeded along the destroy coast to the westward, and destroyed the batteries at Ber- Bermeo, Plencia, Algorta, Bagona, el Campillo las Queras, and Xebiles. On the 6th of July the Venerable arrived off Castro; and on the 7th the French were driven out of the town by the fire of the squadron. On the 8th a party landed and took possession of the castle of Castro. On the 10th the squadron proceeded off Puerta Galletta, to cooperate in an attack upon it with the spanish troops under general Longa; but, the enemy being Capt. found stronger than the Spaniards had expected, Bloye the attack was abandoned. During the morning, at Ba- captain Bloye landed with a party of marines, and and de-knocked the trunnions off the guns in the Bagona stroys battery he also destroyed one gun mounted on a guns, height.

lands

gona

Attack

taria.

:

On the 18th, early in the morning, one 24-pounder onGue- under lieutenant Groves, and a howitzer under lieutenant Thomas Lewis Lawrence, of the marine artillery, were landed from the Venerable near Guetaria, and mounted on a hill to the westward of the town, under the directions of captain Malcolm ; while captain Bouverie landed a medium 24-pounder and a 12-pounder carronade from the Medusa, and, after many difficulties, mounted these two guns on the top of a hill to the eastward. At noon the Venerable opened her fire and continued it until sunset; when the guns of the enemy opposed to those of the Venerable were silenced, and the Medusa's two guns were got in readiness to open

obliged

British the next morning. During the night, however, intelligence was received of the approach of betreat. tween 2000 and 3000 french troops. In conse

to re