Aug. 1809. surrendered: the killed alone amounted to 24. The result of this enterprise was a defeat to the Russians certainly, but under circumstances that reflected the highest honour upon the character of their navy. For the gallantry he had shown on the occasion, captain Forrest was promoted to post-rank. Lynx and On the 12th of August the british 18-gun shipMon- sloop Lynx, captain John Willoughby Marshall, and key off gun-brig Monkey, lieutenant Thomas Fitzgerald, head. being off Dais head on the danish coast, discovered Dais ture luggers and chased a lugger, and on standing in-shore discovered two others at an anchor. The latter got under way, and, with the one first seen, hoisted danish colours, and reanchored in line within the reef off Dais head. The water being too shoal to admit the Lynx to get within gun-shot of these luggers, captain Marshall, at 4 P. M., detached the Monkey, accompanied by the boats of the Lynx under lieutenant Edward Kelly, to make an attack upon them. Cap- On the approach of the brig, the luggers, the three largest of which mounted four guns and four howdanish itzers and lay with springs on her cable, opened a fire upon her. The Monkey reserved her fire until she had anchored about half gun-shot from them; at which moment, owing to the intricacy of the navigation, the brig took the ground, but was presently got off without damage. The Monkey then opened her fire, and at the second broadside compelled the three luggers to cut their cables and run on shore. The Danes now attempted to scuttle their vessels; but, by the well-directed fire of the 18-pounder carronade mounted in the Lynx's launch, they were prevented from doing so, and the vessels were promptly boarded, and their guns turned upon their retreating crews. The British then proceeded to get the three luggers afloat, and by 5 A. M. on the 13th, brought them all out without the slightest casualty. This was peculiarly fortunate, as a cask of powder was discovered on board the largest lugger, close to the fire-place, where it had been put by the Danes with the evident intention of blowing up the 1909. vessel. Sept. disco vers under a On the 10th of September, in the afternoon, the british gun-brig Diana, of 10 long 6-pounders and 45 men and boys, lieutenant William Kempthorne, standing into the bay of Amarang on the north end of the dutch island of Celebes, discovered the dutch Diana brig of war Zephyr, of 14 long dutch 6-pounders and 45 men and boys, commanded by captain- Zephyr lieutenant Gillet Vander-Veld, lying at anchor fort. close under a fort, with two cables fast to the shore. As the sea-breeze was blowing fresh into the bay, lieutenant Kempthorne did not think it prudent to attack the brig in that position, but resolved to attempt cutting her out at night with the boats, when the wind would probably blow off the land. pares The Diana, accordingly, beat about the bay, dis- Preguised as a merchant brig; and, as soon as it became to cut dark, lieutenant Kempthorne detached the strength her out. brig of his little crew to execute the hazardous service of cutting out the dutch brig of war, keeping close after the boats with the Diana to be ready to give them support. After a fruitless search of two hours, the boats returned without having been able to find the brig. It immediately struck lieutenant Kempthorne Dutch that, as the night was dark and hazy, and the makes land wind blew fresh, the Zephyr had made sail sail in with the intention of sheltering herself under a night. strong fort in the bay of Monado at a short distance to the northward. The Diana immediately hoisted in her boats, and made all sail in that direction. the her an other On the 11th, at daylight, the dutch brig was dis- Diana covered hull-down ahead; but, although the Diana decoys gained fast upon her, the Zephyr got under cover from of the fort, when the british brig was still three miles the off. As the sea-breeze had set in with great violence fort. and there was every appearance of a gale, the dutch captain did not like to anchor on a lee shore. The Zephyr, accordingly, came to the wind and stood out w Sept. 1809. towards the Diana. Lieutenant Kempthorne, with the view of drawing the dutch brig beyond the reach of the fort, now practised every means to retard the Diana's sailing, so as to allow the Zephyr gradually to overtake her. However, when about nine miles from the fort, the dutch brig wore and stood in again; and, deception being no longer available, the Diana wore and stood after her. Brings her to At 4 h. 30 m., just as the Zephyr had got within action. four miles of Monado fort, the land-breeze, which was unusually early, came off, and, taking the brig aback, compelled her to fill on the larboard tack. At the same time the Diana, still feeling the influence of the sea-breeze, came rapidly up, till she got within half gun-shot on her opponent's lee beam, when the british brig also filled on the larboard tack with the land wind. The Diana immediately opened her fire, and the Zephyr returned it. In about 20 minutes, in order to get nearer to the fort, the latter wore round on the starboard tack. The Diana followed the manœuvre, and the two brigs renewed the Repul- engagement on the starboard tack. After the action sesgun- had continued in this way about 40 minutes, the sent to Zephyr who had just had her gaff and main topgalher as- lantmast shot away, encouraged by the appearance boats sist ance and takes her. Mutual loss, &c. of five gun-boats sweeping off to her assistance, ran down within pistol-shot on the weather beam of her opponent. Having shortly afterwards had both maintopsail sheets shot away, the Zephyr dropped nearly alongside of the Diana; whose crew were preparing to board, when, at about 5 h. 40 m. P. M., the dutch brig hauled down her colours. The Diana instantly took her prize in tow; and, wearing, stood towards the gun-boats, who were then sweeping down in line upon her weather beam, and closing fast. After receiving a few shot, however, from the `Diana, the dutch gun-boats put about and left the british brig in undisturbed possession of her prize. Notwithstanding that this action had lasted altogether one hour and 10 minutes, the Diana sustained no damage of the least consequence, and had not a 1809. man of her crew hurt. The Zephyr, on the other Sept. hand, was tolerably cut up in masts and rigging, and had her first lieutenant and four men killed, and seven or eight men wounded. For the judgment, as well as gallantry, he had displayed, from his first descrying this dutch brig to the moment at which he secured her as his prize, lieutenant Kempthorne was promoted to the rank of commander. of lorus On the 17th of October, at daylight, the british Boats 18-gun ship-sloop Hazard, captain Hugh Cameron, Hazard and 18-gun brig-sloop Pelorus, captain Thomas Hus- and Pekisson, cruising off Pointe-à-Pitre, island of Gaude- at Ste.loupe, observed a privateer-schooner moored under Marie. the battery of Sainte-Marie. Captain Cameron immediately despatched the boats, under the orders of lieutenant James Robertson and Edward Flinn, first of each sloop, assisted by midshipmen John S. Brisbane and Hugh Hunter, and William Fergusson boatswain, of the Hazard, and Eleazer Scott, midshipman of the Pelorus, to capture or destroy the privateer; and the ship and brig stood in to cover them. a teer battery Although opposed, as they approached the shore, Board by a heavy fire of grape from the battery until it was french silenced by the ships, and of grape and musketry privafrom the privateer until they were nearly alongside, moored the boats pushed on, and gallantly boarded the vessel; under a the officers and crew of which, a minute or two before, had abandoned her and joined the long line of musketry on the beach. As the privateer, which mounted one long 18-pounder on a traversing carriage and two swivels, was moored to the shore with a chain from the mast-head and from each quarter, lieutenant Robertson found it impracticable to get the vessel off. He and his party then proceeded to burn her; and, although opposed within 10 yards by musketry on the beach and two field-pieces, the British succeeded in blowing up the french privateer. This very gallant enterprise was not performed 1809. without a serious loss; six seamen and marines havDec. ing been killed, and lieutenant Flinn and Mr. Fergusson the Hazard's boatswain, much burnt at the explosion of the vessel, and seven seamen and marines wounded severely and slightly by the enemy's grape and musketry. Boats of The On the 12th of December, while the british 38-gun tis, &c. frigate Thetis, captain George Miller, in company sent to with the 16-gun brig-sloop Pultusk, captain William a cor- Elliott, 10-gun brig-sloop Achates, captain Thomas vette Pinto, gun-brig Attentive, lieutenant Robert Carr, Hayes. and armed schooner Bacchus, lieutenant Charles cut out in the Capt. fort D. Jermy, was cruising off the north-west part of Gaudeloupe, the french 16-gun brig-corvette Nisus, capitaine de frégate Jacques-Gabriel La Netrel, was observed lying at an anchor in the harbour of Hayes, under the protection of a fort. Captain Miller resolved to attempt cutting out this vessel, and for that purpose sent the boats of the Thetis, two sloops, and Bacchus, with the whole of their marines and a detachment of their seamen, under the order of captain Elliott, assisted by lieutenant Nathaniel Belchier, and by lieutenants of marines John Godfrey Ruell and Jervis Cooke. The British landed in the evening without oppotakes a sition, and proceeded, with considerable difficulty, and the through a thick wood and over a high hill, without Nisus any path or guide, till they reached the rear of the vette. fort; which captain Elliott and his party attacked cor and carried in the most gallant manner, forcing the garrison, represented to have amounted to 300 men, to retreat. Leaving lieutenant Belchier to dismantle and destroy the battery, a service he effectually performed, captain Elliott, supported by the squadron, but particularly by the Attentive, who entered a narrow harbour and maintained for upwards of six hours a close and vigorous cannonade, proceeded to attack, and very soon boarded and carried, the corvette. To add to the value of this service, it was executed with so slight a loss as one seaman and |