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vour to cut them out. Lieutenant Have and his little 1811. party, although exposed to a heavy fire of musketry Feb. from the soldiers quartered at the place, succeeded, with the loss of only one man wounded, in capturing three of the vessels, and in destroying the fourth after removing her cargo. They were all merchant trabaccolos, last from Ancona.

of

two fri

under

inson,

Ortona

On the 12th, in the morning, several vessels were Boats discovered at anchor in the harbour of Ortona on osame the same coast; and, as the wind was light, captain gates Whitby despatched the boats of the two frigates, lieut. under the orders of lieutenant James Dickinson, Dickfirst of the Cerberus, assisted by lieutenant George sent Haye and George Cumpston, lieutenant of marines into Peter Mears and master's mates James Gibson and James Rennie, to endeavour to bring out the vessels from the strong position in which they were moored. The harbour of Ortona is formed by a large pier, running out into the sea and connected with a range of hills leading to the town, which stands on the top of the highest, completely commanding the vessels in the harbour and in the road to it.

armed

colo

vessels,

&c.

At 10 A. M., on the near approach of the boats, a Take fire of great guns and small arms was opened from an an armed venetian trabaccolo, not before observed, trabacand from soldiers posted on the beach and hills. cod The british seamen and marines instantly gave three other cheers, and, pushing on, carried all before them. destroy Lieutenant Dickinson, in the gig of the Cerberus, stores, supported by Mr. Rennie in the barge, boarded and almost instantly carried the armed trabaccolo, although she mounted six guns and was full of men. Lieutenant Dickinson then landed, with the marines under lieutenant Mears and the small-arm men under Mr. Rennie; and this party had to climb up the rocks by their hands, with the prospect of falling down a precipice every step they took. At length the strong post was attained; and, while the launches with their carronades kept the soldiers and inhabit

1811. ants in check, Mr. Rennie planted the british colours March, at the very gates of the town. The seamen then secured the vessels in the harbour, which, besides the armed trabaccolo, were 10 in number, and all laden with wheat, oil, hemp, &c.; and the marines and division on shore burnt two large magazines, filled with all sorts of naval and military stores destined for the garrison of Corfu. Having, by 3 P. M., executed the whole of this important service, lieutenant Dickinson and his party got back to their ships with so comparatively slight a loss as four men wounded. We last year left in the harbour of Ancona, a netian franco-venetian squadron, under the orders of the squa- french commodore Dubourdieu; and who, it will be recollected, in his official letter published in the Moniteur, expressed regret that his squadron of five frigates and two 16-gun brigs, should have been attack "avoided" by a british squadron of "three frigates, Lissa. one corvette, and two brigs."* On the evening of

Fran

co-ve

dron

sails

Anco

na to

the 11th of March M. Dubourdieu sailed from Ancona, with, besides his former ship, the Favorite, and the three venetian frigates Corona, Bellona, and Carolina, the two french 40-gun frigates Danaé and Flore, the latter commanded by captain JeanAlexandre Péridier, but the name of the Danaé's we are unable to state. M. Dubourdieu had also with him the venetian 16-gun brig-corvette Mercure, one 10-gun schooner, one 6-gun xebec, and two gunboats, having on board from 400 to 500 troops, under colonel Gifflenga of the italian army, as a garrison for the island of Lissa, as soon as they should succeed in conquering it. Early on the morning of the 13th this franco-venetian squadron, of four 40-gun frigates, two of a smaller class, brig-corvette and Falls in other vessels, arrived off the north point of Lissa, british and there fell in with a british squadron, of three squa- frigates and a 22-gun ship, under the orders of captain William Hoste, the very officer who had † See p. 368.

with

dron.

* See P. 371.

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commanded the squadron, which M. Dubourdieu and 1811. his crews, as formerly mentioned, were so desirous March. to meet. Captain Hoste's three frigates were the Amphion, Cerberus, and Active, already so frequently named; and he had also with him the 22-gun ship Volage, captain Phipps Hornby.

pro

chase.

At 3 A. M., when about a mile from the entrance of Latter Port St.-George, the Active, the weathermost ship ceeds of her squadron, then close hauled on the larboard in tack, with the wind a fine breeze from the northnorth-west, discovered the franco-venetian squadron, lying to to-windward. After making the nightsignal for an enemy, the Active bore up to join her consorts. At 4 A. M. the extremes of Lissa bore from the Amphion, who was then one mile off shore, from west by north to north by east. At daylight the force of M. Dubourdieu's squadron was made out, and the squadron of captain Hoste carried all boursail in chase. At 6 A. M. the franco-venetian dieu squadron began bearing down to the attack in two down divisions; the starboard or weather one consisting attack. of the Favorite, Flore, Bellona, and Mercure, and the larboard or lee one, of the Danaé, Corona, Carolina, and small craft.

M. Du

bears

to the

The british ships immediately formed in line ahead, with, besides the customary red ensign at their respective peaks, union-jacks and ensigns, blue and red, at their foremast heads and at their different stays. Thus nobly decorated, the four ships continued working to-windward to close the enemy. Just before the two squadrons got within. gun-shot, aware of what would be the talismanic Capt. effect, at such a moment, of the name and example Hoste's of his late friend and patron, captain Hoste tele- to his graphed, "REMEMBER NELSON!" The loud "hurrahs!" ships. of the four ships' companies quickly responded to a signal, so admirably calculated to inspire the hearts of both officers and men with all the zeal, all the valour, and all the confidence, necessary to withstand a force of such apparently overwhelming 2 L

VOL. V.

signal

1811. superiority as that which, in the full expectation March, of achieving an easy victory, was now rapidly approaching.

phion

Am- At 9 A. M. the Amphion, then under top and topand gallant sails, on the starboard tack, with the Active, Active Volage, and Cerberus, in close order astern, so close Favor- indeed, that the ships almost touched each other, ite. opened her fire upon the Favorite; who was rather

fire on

ahead of the Danaé, the leading ship of the larboard division. The Amphion and Active kept up so welldirected a fire upon the Favorite, and the line they formed was so close and compact, that M. Dubourdieu was completely frustrated in his gallant attempt to pass between those ships. The Favorite now evinced a disposition to board the Amphion upon the quarter, and the french crew seemed all ready on the forecastle to carry the plan into effect; when, just as the Favorite had approached within a few yards, a brass 5 inch howitzer upon the Amphion's quarterdeck, loaded with 750 musket-balls, was discharged at her larboard bow, and, sweeping the french ship's foreof castle, committed dreadful havoc among the crowd of boarders there assembled. Amidst them was observed, ready to lead on his men to the assault, the french commodore himself; and he, it appears, was among those who fell on the occasion.

Death

french

com

mo

dore.

line

Cerbe

Danaé As the british ships were moving at the rate of and her about three knots an hour, the course of each of the engage franco-venetian columns became more and more rus and oblique or lasking, until the Danaé, Corona, and Volage Carolina, especially the two former, brought their larboard guns to bear upon the Volage and Cerberus; which ships, although unable to cope with three such opponents, returned their fire with spirit. In the mean time, foiled in her endeavours either to board. the Amphion, or to cut the line astern of her, and deterred by the Active's apparent superiority of force from wearing and coming to close action with her, the Favorite stood on engaging the Amphion, with the evident intention of rounding the latter ship's

driven

bows and placing the british squadron between two 1811. fires. At 9 h. 40 m. A. M., being within half a cable's March. length of the shore of Lissa, captain Hoste threw Favorout the signal for his ships to wear together. Just ite is as the latter were in the act of obeying the signal, on the the Favorite made an effort to wear and get to- rocks. leeward of the british line, but had scarcely put her helm up, ere she struck on the rocks in the utmost confusion. This important circumstance of the battle, to produce which had been the object of captain Hoste in standing so long upon the starboard tack, we have endeavoured to illustrate by the following diagram.

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ships

wear

lar.

While the Cerberus was in the act of wearing, British her rudder became choked by a shot. casioned the Volage to get round before her, and on the that ship consequently took the lead on the larboard board tack; on which board, being close to the wind, the tack. four ships fell into a bow and quarter line. Sheltered as she had been in some degree by her leader, the Flore was in much better trim for performing any evolution; and, now that the british line had stood off from the land, captain Péridier found no difficulty

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