1808. boats of both ships were detached, and, upon a prinApril. ciple highly honourable to him, were placed by captain Shipley under the command of captain Pigot; the former merely accompanying the expedition to point out the situation of the vessel. Owing to some cause with which we are unacquainted, the boats returned without effecting their object, or even, we believe, getting within gun-shot of the french brig. A second attempt ended much in the same Send their boats way. Captain Shipley now resolved to head the boats himself; and accordingly, on the 23d, at 9 P. M., eight to cut boats, containing about 150 officers and men, quitfrench ted the Nymphe, in two divisions, for the Tagus. brig in The larboard division consisted of the Nymphe's gig, Tagus. captain Shipley, her large cutter, lieutenant Richard out a the Boats ad vance Standish Haly, launch, lieutenant Thomas Hodgskins, and yawl, master's mate Michael Raven. The starboard division consisted of the Blossom's gig, captain George Pigot, her large cutter, lieutenant John Undrell, launch, lieutenant William Cecil, and the Nymphe's small cutter, master's mate Thomas Hill. The orders were, for the boats to keep in tow of each other until they were discovered by the brig: then to cast off, and pull alongside as fast as possible; the larboard division to board on the larboard, and the starboard division on the opposite, side of the enemy's vessel. As, in the event of success, the Garotta in coming out might not be able, on account of the darkness, to avoid the shoals off the entrance of the river, Mr. Henry Andrews, the master of the Nymphe, with the jollyboat, was directed to station himself on the northern extremity of the South Cachop; and, upon seeing the brig approach, he was to hoist a light by way of beacon. . The british boats entered the Tagus in the order prescribed, and, ascending with the tide, got near to the enough, by the time it became slack water, to see the attack. vessels in the harbour thwart. Wishing to have a good tide to carry out his prize, captain Shipley waited until he saw the vessels swing with the 1808. ebb. Unfortunately for the success of the enter- April. prise, there was a fresh in the river, and the tide in consequence, when the ebb had fairly made, ran at the rate of seven knots an hour. Notwithstanding this unexpected difficulty, the boats got tolerably close to the enemy's vessel before they were discovered. Upon being hailed by the Garotta, who lay within pistol-shot of the guns of Belem castle, and had for her additional protection a floating battery carrying long 24-pounders, the boats of the two divisions cast themselves off and severally made towards her. gig Garotta The gig soon darted out of sight of the other Nymphe boats, and at about 2 h. 30 m. A. M. on the 23d, boards boarded the french brig on the larboard bow. Captain Shipley, having sprung into the Garotta's fore- Death rigging, was in the act of cutting away the boarding- of capt. netting, when he received a musket-ball in his fore- Shipley head and fell dead into the water. The next in command of the gig was Mr. Charles Shipley, the late captain's brother, but not attached to the Nymphe, nor even, we have heard,* belonging to the naval Gig reprofession. His fraternal affection overcoming treats every other consideration, Mr. Shipley ordered the and gig's crew to shove off from the enemy's vessel, and foul of endeavour to pick up their captain. As she dropped other from the brig's side, the gig fell foul of the oars of boats. the large cutter, just as the latter was about to lay herself alongside. The large cutter, thus impeded, drifted upon the launch; and all three boats then fell foul of a large calking stage moored astern of the brig. runs the main Disengaging the cutter as quickly as possible, lieu- Retenant Haly again directed his course towards the ing Garótta; but such was now the rapidity of the tide, boats, that the men, with all their efforts, could not stem it. Having had one seaman killed, and one midshipman stem * He is now the reverend Charles Shipley. not able to 1808. (William Moriarty) and a corporal of marines April, wounded, and seeing no prospect of being supported the tide by the starboard division of the boats under captain aban- Pigot, which, as well as the yawl belonging to the don the larboard division, had seemingly been unable to prise. pull up against the tide, lieutenant Haly abandoned enter the enterprise, and returned on board the Nymphe. At 4 A. M. the boats of each division reached their ship without any additional loss. The body of captain Shipley was afterwards washed on shore, and afforded a clear proof that, had he fallen into the boat instead of into the water, he could not have survived his wound. Yet a contemporary represents this gallant young officer to have been "drowned."* Captain Pigot, fortunately for him, was appointed Promo- by admiral sir Charles Cotton, the commander in capt. chief on the coast of Portugal, to be the late captain Pigot. Shipley's successor on board the Nymphe; and on the 17th of the ensuing September, he was confirmed in his post-rank. tion of Grasshopper Rapid gun under On the 23d of April, in the morning, the Grassand hopper, still commanded by captain Searle, and now attack accompanied by the 14-gun brig Rapid, lieutenant four Henry Baugh, cruising off Faro, on the south coast spanish of Portugal, fell in with and chased two spanish boats vessels, valuably laden from South America, under Faro. the protection of four gun-boats. In a short time the chased vessels all anchored among the shoals, and under the cover of a battery close in with Faro. The Grasshopper and Rapid immediately anchored within range of grape-shot; and, after a very severe action Cap- of two hours and a half, compelled the people on two of shore to desert their guns, two of the gun-boats to them, surrender, and the remaining two to run themselves on shore. ture &c. Also two va The two spanish vessels, the cargo of each of luable which was valued at £30000 sterling, were immechant diately taken possession of. The service, thus gal mer prizes. * Brenton, vol. v. p. 462. lantly performed, was not executed wholly without 1808. loss, the Grasshopper having one seaman killed, her April captain slightly, and three seamen severely wounded, and the Rapid three seamen also wounded severely. Both brigs likewise suffered much in their hulls, masts, sails, and rigging. The loss of the enemy was very great in the two captured gun-boats, amounting to 40 in killed and wounded. Captain Searle, in his official letter, speaks very highly of his first lieutenant, William Cutfield; also of his master, Henry Bell, and purser, Thomas Bastin; the first for having taken the brig into so dangerous a navigation, and the last for having, in the absence of the second lieutenant, commanded the after-guns. Mr. Bastin had, it appears, on a former occasion been severely wounded, and is described as a very deserving officer. chases nure On the 22d of April, at 6 A. M., as the british Gorée ship-sloop Gorée, of 18 long sixes and eight 12- Palipounder carronades, with 120 men and boys, cap- and tain Joseph Spear, was lying at an anchor in Grande- Pilade. Bourg bay, island of Marie-Galante, the two french 16-gun brig-corvettes Palinure, capitaine de frégate Pierre-François Jance, and Pilade, lieutenant de vaisseau Jean-Marie Cocherel, each mounting fourteen 24-pounder carronades and two şixes, with 110 men and boys, then on their way from Martinique to Gaudeloupe, made their appearance in the southeast. Having ascertained that they were enemy's vessels, and hoisted a signal to that effect to the brigsloop Supérieure, of twelve 18-pounder carronades and two long twelves, captain Andrew Hodge, at an anchor a few miles off in the north-west, the Gorée, at 9 A. M., slipped and made sail in chase, with a moderate breeze at east-south-east. gages Confident in their strength, the two brigs waited Enfor the Gorée, and at 10 A. M. the action commenced them within pistol-shot. At the end of an hour's cannon- disade, observing the approach of the Supérieure, and abled. and is April. 1808. of another vessel or two, the Palinure and Pilade bore up and made all sail; leaving the Gorée with her main yard, and fore and main topsail yards, shot away in the slings, all her masts and topmasts badly wounded, and the ship in other respects so disabled that she could not follow them. Owing, however, to the high firing of her two opponents, the Gorée's loss amounted to only one man killed and four wounded. Each french brig had four men killed; the Pilade six, and the Palinure 15, including her captain, wounded: total, eight killed and 21 wounded. With no other sail to set than her foresail and driver, the Gorée now hauled her wind for Marie-Galante, and in about half an hour regained the anchorage she had quitted. Supé rieure By noon the Supérieure, who had weighed at chases 10 h. 15 m. A. M., got within three miles of the two and at- french brigs, then in the west-south-west, steering them. for the Saintes. At about half past noon a running tacks fight commenced between the Pilade and Supérieure, and continued until 3 h. 30 m. P. M., when the latter, being close to the forts at the Saintes, shortened sail and hauled to the wind on the larboard tack; having sustained no loss, and no greater damage than one carronade disabled, and the axle of one of her 12They pounders broken. At 6 P. M. the Palinure and Pilade in the anchored in the Saintes; and, in justice to those brigs Saintes it must be stated, that, when the Supérieure gave anchor Palinure met up the chase, the 12-pounder 32-gun frigate Circe, captain Hugh Pigot, and 18-gun brig-sloop Wolverine, captain Francis Augustus Collier, were within a very few miles of them. On the 3d of October the british 18-gun brigsloop Carnation, (sixteen 32-pounder carronades and and en- two sixes,) captain Charles Mars Gregory, cruising gaged by Car- about 60 leagues to the northward and eastward of nation. Martinique, fell in with the Palinure, still com manded by captain Jance, and then cruising alone. An action ensued; and, at the end of an hour and a |