Herdestruction.

1808. and the rest of the squadron, meanwhile, were
Nov. engaging the batteries to-leeward. By her close and

well-directed fire, the Amaranthe soon obliged the
crew of the Cigne to quit their vessel and take to
the shore: immediately on which the boats of the
Amaranthe, Circe, and Stork, led by lieutenant
James Hay, first of the Amaranthe, gallantly boarded
and carried the Cigne, in the face of a heavy fire
from the batteries and troops on the beach.

The prize having bilged, it was impossible to get
her off: the British therefore were obliged to be
contented with destroying her. Captain Brenton,
having again volunteered, proceeded with a party to
destroy the french schooner, then also on shore.
By 9 A. M., after overcoming a resistance that
wounded Mr. Joshua Jones, the master of the Ama.
ranthe, and killed one and wounded three seamen
belonging to the Express, the British set fire to and
burnt the schooner. But for the rash act of lieu-

tenant Crooke, (and yet who, under such circumSevere stances, could refrain ?) the whole of this enterprise british would have been accomplished with a very slight side. loss. As it was, the loss amounted to 12 killed,

31 wounded, and 26 missing; a part of the latter
probably drowned, the remainder prisoners.

The other corvette, the Papillon, appears to have phitrite

reached St.-Pierre unseen by any british ship; and

on the 19th, in the morning, the Amphitrite was discoand of vered, close to Pigeon island, by the british 38-gun main. frigate Ethalion, captain Thomas Cochrane, 18-gun ing fri- ship-sloop Star, captain William Paterson, and

advice-boat Express. The french frigate, being toloupe. windward and ably manouvred, managed to escape

into Fort-Royal bay, after receiving a few ineffectual
shot from the Ethalion and Star. The remaining
french frigate, the Junon, arrived safe at Gaudeloupe.

On the 14th of November, at 8 h. 30 m. A. M., the
british 64-gun ship Polyphemus, captain William
Pryce Cumby, cruising off the city of Santo Domingo,
despatched her boats in chase of the french national
schooner Colibri, of three carriage-guns and 63 men,

Arrival of Am

at Martinique

gates at Guarde

Nov.

of two field-pieces placed in a grove which flanked

commanded by a lieutenant de vaisseau, which was 1808. attempting to enter the road. At 9 h. 20 m. lieutenant Joseph Daly, with the barge, in the face of a Galheavy fire of grape and musketry, boarded and carried lant the schooner. In accomplishing this very gallant duct of service, the barge had one marine killed, and the lieut,

Daly. French, in defending their vessel, had one man killed and five wounded.

On the 1st of August the british_74-gun ship Kent, captain Thomas Rogers, and 16-gun brig-sloop Wizard, captain William

Ferris, running along the coast of Italy from Genoa to Cape Del Melle, discovered a convoy of 10 sail of coasters deeply laden, lying at anchor, under the protection of a gun boat, clase to the beach abreast of the town of Noli. As there appeared a chance, by a prompt attack, of bringiug out the vessels before the enemy had time to collect his force, captain Rogers despatched the boats of the Kent and Wizard, under the orders of Boats lieutenant William Cashman, second of the Kent, ceed assisted by lieutenants James Lindsay and Fairfax tutut Moresby, captain of marines Henry Rea, and lieu-vessels, tenants of marines John Hanlon and Patrick Grant, also of that ship, and lieutenant Alexander Bissett, of the Wizard; which latter vessel, as there was very little wind, was to tow the boats, as well as cover them in their approach to the shore.

By great exertions, the boats were towed by the Wizard close to the vessels, when it was found im- Find possible to bring them out without landing, most of fastenthe vessels being fastened to the shore by ropes from ed to their keels and mast-heads. The boats, therefore, shore. pulled to the beach with great resolution, exposed to the fire of two guns in the bow of the gun-boat,

the beach, of a heavy gun in front of the town, Land and of a continued fire of musketry from the houses. face of But all this was no check to the ardour and in a heavy trepidity of british seamen and marines; who leaped from the boats and rushed

upon

the
enemy,

with a fearless zeal that was not to be resisted.

fire,

the

1808. The

gun

in front of the town was soon taken and Nov. spiked by lieutenants Cashman and Hanlon ; and Defeat the French, who had drawn up a considerable force

of regular troops in the grove to defend the two enemy field-pieces, were dislodged by captain Rea and bring lieutenant Grant, of the marines; who took possession vessels, of the guns and brought them off. In the mean time .

lieutenants Lindsay, Moresby, and Bissett, who had
equally distinguished themselves in driving the
enemy from the beach, were actively employed, first
in taking possession of the gun-boat, which was the
Vigilante, commanded by an enseigne de vaisseau, with
a crew of 45 men, and then in freeing the merchant
vessels from their fasts to the shore. The whole
was soon accomplished, and the party reembarked
under the protection of the Wizard; who, by her
judicious manoeuvres and well-directed fire, contri-
buted very essentially to keep the enemy in check,
both in the advance and in the retreat of the boats.
Notwithstanding the perilous nature of this very gal-
lant enterprise, lieutenant Cashman and his party
accomplished it with so comparatively slight a loss,
as one seaman killed and one mortally wounded.
The French, on the other hand, left many dead

upon the ground.
Impéri Among the british cruisers, appointed to harass
sent to the french army in its movements along the east
aid the coast of Spain, was the 38-gun frigate Impérieuse,

captain lord Cochrane. This description of service,
requiring, along with great boldness and nautical
experience, no slight share of military knowledge,
was peculiarly adapted to the genius of that zealous
and enterprising officer; and never did lord Coch-
rane exert himself more strenuously, more effectu-
ally, or more honourably, than in the aid he afforded
to the cause of the spanish patriots. Of one quality
in lord Cochrane, we, in common with other com-
pilers, have to complain: the brevity of his accounts;
all of which appear to be written more to recom-
mend to notice his gallant companions in arms, than
to blazon his own feats to the world.

euse

patriots.

and de

On the 31st of July the Impérieuse silenced, and 1808. lord Cochrane landed with his marines, under lieu

July. tenant James Rivers Hore of that corps, and took Lord possession of, the castle of Mongal; an important Cochpost completely commanding a pass in the road from takes Barcelona to Gerona, then besieged by the French, and the only post between those towns occupied by stroys the enemy. The spanish militia are represented to Monhave behaved admirably, in carrying an outpost on a gal. neighbouring hill. Lord Cochrane demolished the works, and gave up to the spanish militia the arms of the 71 prisoners made on the occasion.

In the latter part of September, cruising off the coast Deof Languedoc, lord Cochrane landed with a portion tele? of his officers and men, and blew up and completely graphs, demolished the semiphoric telegraphs at Bourdique, La Pinde, Saint-Miguire, Frontignan, Canet, and Foy, together with their telegraph houses, 14 barracks of the gens d'armes or douanes, one battery, and the strong tower upon the lake of Frontignan. The telegraphs being of the utmost consequence to the safety of the numerous convoys that passed along the coast, their destruction was a serious blow to the French, and particularly beneficial to the patriots and those who espoused their cause, by preventing about 2000 troops, intended for the important fortress of Figueras, from advancing into Spain.

Always anxious to do justice to those who embark Officers with him in services of danger, lord Cochrane, in his official letter, attributes the successful result of the attacks, enterprise just recorded to the exertions of Mr. David Mapleton, the first, and Mr. Urry Johnson, the second lieutenant, Mr. George Gilbert, assistantsurgeon, Mr. William Burney,gunner, and messieurs Houston Stewart and George Charles Stovin, midshipmen, of the Impérieuse.

On the 7th of November a body of about 5000 french troops occupied the heights around the bay of Rosas, at the north-eastern extremity of Spain;

VOL. V.

present in these

K

and Meteor can

Rosas.

tacks the

1808. and at noon on the same day, a small detachment
Not. entered the town of Rosas, the inhabitants of which

had fled for protection either to their boats or to the
citadel. At this time the british 74-gun ship Excel-
lent, captain John West, and bomb-ship Meteor,

captain James Collins, lay within point-blank shot of Excel- the town. A well-directed fire from these ships soon

compelled the French precipitately to retire towards

some houses and ruins in the rear of the town, which nonade they occupied as an advanced post. On the 8th, at

noon, observing that the French were hard pressing
a body of Miguelets, captain West made à sortie

from the citadel at the head of 250 of the Excellent's Capt. seamen and marines, but the superior force of the lands French, who endeavoured, with their cavalry, to surand at- round the British, compelled the latter, after being

successful in their object of rescuing the Miguelets, French to retire within the fortress. The seamen and

marines, who, throughout this to them novel engage-
ment, behaved in the bravest manner, had several of
their number wounded, and captain West himself
had his horse shot under him.

On the 15th, at 8 A. M., the French, about 200
strong, with a reserve of 2000, made á most
resolute but unsuccessful assault upon Fort Tri-

nidad, one of the defences of Rosas, and part of Repul- the garrison of which consisted of one officer and

25 privates of the Excellent's marines. In a second upon assault, with increased numbers, two of the outer Trini- gates were broken open; but, by a steady and dad. galling fire of musketry and hand-grenades from the

fort, the French were, a second time, obliged to retire,
leaving their leader, a chief of brigade, and several
other officers and men, dead under the walls. Ex-
pecting a third assault, captain West, by means of a
rope-ladder, threw in a reinforcement of two officers
and 30 marines; of whom one man only was slightly
wounded, although the party had bravely entered
during an incessant fire of musketry from the be-
siegers. On the 20th the French opened a battery

ses an attack