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DETAILS OF THE ACTION.

opponent, the black frigate, and her companions the three brigs, getting under sail; we formed high expectations that the long wished for opportunity was at last arrived.

"The Pallas remained under topsails by the wind to await them; at half past eleven a smart point blank firing commenced on both sides, which was severely felt by the enemy. The maintopsailyard of one of the brigs was cut through, and the frigate lost her aftersails. The batteries on l'Isle d'Aix opened on the Pallas, and a cannonade continued, interrupted on our part only by the necessity we were under to make various tacks to avoid the shoals, till one o'clock, when our endeavour to gain the wind of the enemy and get between him and the batteries proved successful; an effectual distance was now chosen, a few broadsides were poured in, the enemy's fire slackened. I ordered ours to cease, and directed Mr. Sutherland, the master, to run the frigate on board, with intention effectually to prevent her retreat.

"The enemy's side thrust our guns back into the ports, the whole were then discharged, the effect and crash were dreadful; their decks were deserted; three pistol shots were the unequal return.

"With confidence I say that the frigate was lost to France had not the unequal collision tore away our foretopmast, jibboom, fore and maintopsailyards, spritsailyards, bumpkin, cathead, chain plates, forerigging, foresail, and bower anchor, with which last I intended to hook on, but all proved insufficient. She was yet lost to France had not the French admiral, seeing his frigate's foreyard gone, her rigging ruined, and the danger she was in, sent two others to her assistance.

"The Pallas being a wreck, we came out with what sail could be set, and his Majesty's sloop the Kingfisher afterwards took us in tow.

"The officers and ship's company behaved as usual; to the names of Lieutenants Haswell and Mapleton, whom I have mentioned on other occasions, I have to add that of Lieutenant Robins, who had just joined.

"I have the honour to be, &c. &c.
"COCHRANE."

CONSTRUCTION OF KITES.

"Killed. - David Thompson, marine.

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"Wounded.-Mr. Andrews, midshipman, very badly; John Coger, and three other seamen, slightly.

"Edw. Thornborough, Esq., Vice-Admiral of the Blue."

On the 17th, being still ignorant of the name of the frigate we had engaged, we landed some French prisoners under a flag of truce, and thus learned that she was the 40-gun frigate La Minerve. The brigs were ascertained to be the Lynx, Sylphe, and Palinure, each carrying 16 guns.

On the 18th, the Pallas was ordered to Plymouth in charge of a convoy of transports, and arrived on the 27th without any other occurrence worthy of notice.

A device practised by us when, at various times, running close in to the French shore, must not be omitted. A number of printed proclamations, addressed to the French people, had been put on board, with instructions to embrace every opportunity of getting them distributed. The opportunities for this were, of course, few, being chiefly confined to the crews of boats or small fishing craft, who would scarcely have ventured on their distribution, had the proclamation been entrusted to them.

The device resorted to was the construction of small kites, to which a number of proclamations were attached. To the string which held the kite, a match was appended in such a way, that when the kite was flown over the land, the retaining string became burned through, and dispersed the proclamations, which, to the great annoyance of the French government, thus became widely distributed over the country.

CHAP. XII.

MY ENTRANCE INTO PARLIAMENT.

MY ENTRANCE

SEEK

INTO PARLIAMENT. -ENTHUSIASTIC RECEPTION. PROMOTION FOR HASWELL.-CUTTING OUT LE CÆSAR.-GROSS INSTANCE OF PARTIALITY.-CLARET AGAINST SMALL BEER.-STORY OF MR. CROKER.

-MR. CROKER'S REVENGE.. -COMMAND THE IMPERIEUSE.-DRIFT TOWARDS USHANT. JOIN THE SQUADRON IN THE BASQUE ROADS. ANCHOR OFF CORDOVAN.-SUPPLY THE ATALANTE.

ON the termination of the cruise, the Pallas was thoroughly refitted, the interval thus occupied affording me time for relaxation, but nothing occurred worthy of record till, in the July following, the electors of Honiton chose me as their representative in parliament.

The story of this election is worth relating. My former discomfiture at Honiton, and the ten guineas a head paid to those who had voted for me on the previous occasion, will be fresh in the recollection of the reader. A general election being at hand, no time was lost in proceeding to Honiton, where considerable sensation was created by my entrance into the town in a vis-à-vis and six, followed by several carriages and four filled with officers and seamen of the Pallas, who volunteered to accompany me on the occasion.

Our reception by the townspeople was enthusiastic, the more so, perhaps, from the general belief that my

ENTHUSIASTIC RECEPTION.

203

capture of the Spanish galleons-as they were termed - had endowed me with untold wealth; whilst an equally fabulous amount was believed to have resulted from our recent cruise, during which my supporters would have been not a little surprised to learn that neither myself, officers, nor crew, had gained anything but a quantity of wine, which nobody would buy; whilst for the destruction of three French corvettes we never received a shilling!

Aware of my previous objection to bribery, not a word was asked by my partisans, as to the price expected in exchange for their suffrages. It was enough that my former friends had received ten guineas each after my defeat, and it was judged best to leave the cost of success to my discretion.

My return was triumphant, and this effected, it was then plainly asked, what ex post facto consideration was to be expected by those who had supported me in so delicate a manner.

"Not one farthing!" was the reply.

"But, my Lord, you gave ten guineas a head to the minority at the last election, and the majority have been calculating on something handsome on the present occasion."

"No doubt. The former gift was for their disinterested conduct in not taking the bribe of five pounds from the agents of my opponent. For me now to pay them would be a violation of my own previously expressed principles."

Finding nothing could be got from me in the way of money payment for their support, it was put to my

1

204

SEEK PROMOTION FOR HASWELL.

generosity whether I would not, at least, give my constituents a public supper.

66

By all means,” was my reply, "and it will give me great satisfaction to know that so rational a display of patriotism has superseded a system of bribery, which reflects even less credit on the donor than the recipients."

Alas! for the vanity of good intentions. The permission thus given was converted into a public treat; not only for my partisans, but for my opponents, their wives, children, and friends; in short, for the whole town! The result showed itself in a bill for some twelve hundred pounds! which I refused to pay, but was eventually compelled to liquidate, in a way which will form a very curious episode hereafter.

One of my first steps, subsequent to the election, was to apply to the Admiralty for the promotion of my first lieutenant, Haswell, who had so gallantly cut out the Tapageuse from the Bordeaux river; and also for that of poor Parker, whose case has been notified in connection with the Speedy, though it was not till after my becoming a member of the House of Commons that he was promoted after the fashion previously narrated.

It is unnecessary to recapitulate the services of these gallant officers, further than to state briefly, that on the 6th of April, 1806, Lieutenant Haswell, with the boats of the Pallas alone, acting under my orders, cut out the French guardship, La Tapageuse, from the river Garonne, and brought off his prize, in the face of heavy batteries, and despite the endeavours of two vessels of war-each of equal force to the captured corvette.