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BURNING OF THE QUEEN CHARLOTTE.

not having been properly set up, the masts swayed with every roll of the ship to such a degree that it became dangerous to go aloft; the shrouds alternately straining almost to breaking, or hanging in festoons, as the masts jerked from side to side with the roll of the vessel. It was only by going aloft myself together with my brother Archibald, whom Lord Keith had permitted to accompany me, that the men could be induced to furl the mainsail. Fortunately the weather moderated, or the safety of the ship might have been compromised; but by dint of hard work, as far as the ill-health of the crew would allow, we managed, before reaching Mahon, to put the Généreux into tolerable order.

It has been stated that Lord Keith permitted my brother to accompany me in the Généreux. By this unexpected incident both he and myself were, in all probability, saved from a fate which soon afterwards befel most of our gallant shipmates. On our quitting the Queen Charlotte, Lord Keith steered for Leghorn, where he landed, and ordered Captain Todd to reconnoitre the island of Cabrera, then in possession of the French. Whilst on his way, some hay, hastily embarked and placed under the half-deck, became ignited, and the flame communicating with the mainsail set the ship on fire aloft and below. All exertions to save her proved in vain, and though some of the officers and crew escaped, more than three-fourths miserably perished, including Captain Todd, his first lieutenant Bainbridge, three other lieutenants, the captain of marines, surgeon, more than twenty master's mates

ACTION WITH PRIVATEERS OFF CABRITTA POINT. 91

and petty officers, and upwards of 600 marines and

seamen.

On our return from England to Gibraltar I had been associated with poor Bainbridge in an affair which --except as a tribute to his memory would not have been worth mentioning. On the evening of the 21st of September, 1799, we observed from the Queen Charlotte, lying in Gibraltar Bay, the 10-gun cutter Lady Nelson, chased by some gun-vessels and privateers, all of which simultaneously commenced an attack upon her. Lord Keith instantly ordered out boats, Bainbridge taking command of the barge, whilst another of the boats was put under my orders. Lord Keith's intention was, by this prompt aid, to induce the Lady Nelson to make a running fight of it, so as to get within range of the garrison guns; but before the boats could come up she had been captured; Lieutenant Bainbridge, though with sixteen men only, dashed at her, boarded, and retook her, killing several and taking prisoners seven French officers and twenty-seven men; but not without himself receiving a severe sabre cut on the head and several other wounds.

The boat under my command was the cutter with thirteen men. Seeing two privateers which had chiefly been engaged in the attack on the Lady Nelson running for Algesiras, we made at the nearest, and came up with her at dark. On laying the cutter alongside, I jumped on board, but the boat's crew did not follow, this being the only time I ever saw British seamen betray symptoms of hesitation. Regaining the cutter, I upbraided them with the shamefulness of their conduct, for

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the privateer's crew had run below, the helmsman alone being at his post. Their excuse was that there were indications of the privateer's men having there fortified themselves. No reasoning could prevail on them to board. If this boat's crew perished in the Queen Charlotte, their fate is not nationally to be regretted.

On the destruction of the Queen Charlotte Lord Keith hoisted his flag in the Audacious. His lordship was so well satisfied with my conduct of the Généreux as to write home to the Admiralty recommending my promotion, at the same time appointing me to the command of the Speedy, then lying at Port Mahon.

The vessel originally intended for me by Lord Keith was the Bonne Citoyenne, a fine corvette of eighteen guns; but the brother of his lordship's secretary happening at the time to arrive from Gibraltar, where he had been superseded in the command of the sheer hulk, that functionary managed to place his brother in one of the finest sloops then in the service, leaving to me the least efficient craft on the station.

CHAP. V.

CRUISE OF THE SPEEDY.

MY APPOINTMENT TO THE SPEEDY.

MY FIRST PRIZE. CAPITULATION JOIN LORD KEITH AT LEGHORN.

OF GENOA. MORE CAPTURES.
CRUISE ON THE SPANISH COAST. -NEARLY CAUGHT BY A SPANISH
FRIGATE. -HOW SHE WAS EVADED.

OUR CRUISE RENEWED. -WE PROCEED TO MALTA. -FOOLISH FRACAS IN A BALL-ROOM. - A DUEL.

CHASED BY ANOTHER

CAPTURE OF A FRENCH STORE-SHIP. SPANISH FRIGATE. CRUISE OFF BARCELONA. AN ATTEMPT TO ENTRAP US. ATTACK ON THE EL GAMO FRIGATE.

CARRIED BY

BOARDING. TRIFLING LOSS OF THE SPEEDY.- A DEVICE PRACTISED DURING THE ACTION. WE PROCEED WITH OUR PRIZE TO MAHON. POSTPONEMENT OF MY POST RANK.

OFFICIAL DESPATCH.

THE Speedy was little more than a burlesque on a vessel of war, even sixty years ago. She was about the size of an average coasting brig, her burden being 158 tons. She was crowded, rather than manned, with a crew of eighty-four men and six officers, myself included. Her armament consisted of fourteen 4-pounders! a species of gun little larger than a blunderbuss, and formerly known in the service under the name of miñion," an appellation which it certainly merited.

66

Being dissatisfied with her armament, I applied for and obtained a couple of 12-pounders, intending them as bow and stern chasers, but was compelled to return them to the ordnance wharf, there not being room on deck to work them; besides which, the timbers of the little craft were found on trial to be too weak to

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MY APPOINTMENT TO THE SPEEDY.

withstand the concussion of anything heavier than the guns with which she was previously armed.

With her rig I was more fortunate. Having carried away her mainyard, it became necessary to apply for another to the senior officer, who, examining the list of spare spars, ordered the foretopgallant-yard of the Généreux to be hauled out as a mainyard for the Speedy!

The spar was accordingly sent on board and rigged, but even this appearing too large for the vessel, an order was issued to cut off the yard-arms and thus reduce it to its proper dimensions. This order was neutralised by getting down and planing the yard-arms as though they had been cut, an evasion which, with some alteration in the rigging, passed undetected on its being again swayed up; and thus a greater spread of canvas was secured. The fact of the foretopgallant-yard of a second-rate ship being considered too large for the mainyard of my "man-of-war" will give a tolerable idea of her insignificance.

Despite her unformidable character, and the personal discomfort to which all on board were subjected, I was very proud of my little vessel, caring nothing for her want of accommodation, though in this respect her cabin merits passing notice. It had not so much as room for a chair, the floor being entirely occupied by a small table surrounded with lockers, answering the double purpose of storechests and seats. The difficulty was to get seated, the ceiling being only five feet high, so that the object could only be accomplished by rolling on the locker, a movement sometimes attended with