1808. the Ronco, and the third a smaller vessel than either, May. wore, and steered with the apparent intention of gaining the channel of Zara; out of which port, it seems, they had been despatched the day before, upon the very feasible enterprise of capturing the british frigate, on a supposition that she was too weakly manned to make an effective resistance. Unité enters cult chan nel. As the night was likely to be clear, and the wind a diffi- was moderate, captain Campbell, although the navigation was extremely intricate and unknown to any person on board, determined to follow the three brigs, trusting to the lead and a good look-out. In this way the Unité kept sight of the vessels, until 11 h. 30 m. P. M., when they disappeared. By carrying a press of sail, the Unité, at a few minutes past 3 A. M. on the 1st of June, regained a sight of two of the brigs, distant about two miles on her lee beam. The helm was immediately put up; but the sails were hardly trimmed when the third brig was observed, on the starboard tack, upon the frigate's larboard and weather bow. The Unité immediately Cap hauled to the wind, and, passing the brig within musket-shot to-leeward, gave her the larboard broadside brig. with such effect, that she hauled down her colours without firing a gun. tures one Cap tures an.. While the boats were proceeding to secure this brig, the Unité crowded sail after the remaining other. two, who were making off through one of the passages in the hope to get to sea. The wind falling, and the brigs making use of their sweeps, it was not until 7 A. M. that the Unité got within gun-shot of the sternmost; who, after receiving a few of the frigate's broadsides, fired her broadside, struck her colours, and ran on shore. The wind continuing to decrease, third and the remaining brig having got among a cluster brig escapes of small islands, the Unité shortened sail to attend The to the two that had struck. Of these, the Nettuno, out of a crew of 115 men and boys, had seven men killed, two drowned, and 13 wounded; and the Teulié, out of a similar crew to her consort's, five killed and 16 wounded. The frigate had not a man hurt. These two brigs, as well as the one captured four 1808. weeks before, were transferred to the british navy; May. the Ronco, of 334 tons, under the name of Tuscan, the Nettuno, of 344 tons, under that of Creton, and the Teulié, of 333 tons, under that of Roman. french chor in Rosas On the 12th of May, at 9 h. 50 m. A. M., the british Am18-pounder 32-gun frigate Amphion, captain Wil- attacks liam Hoste, being on her way from the british fleet a off Toulon to the island of Majorca, discovered a frigate frigate lying at an anchor in the bay of Rosas, and at animmediately tacked and stood towards her. This bay of was the Baleine, a french frigate-built ship of about under 800 tons, constructed purposely as an armed store- batteship, and mounting from 26 to 30 guns, with a crew of about 150 men. There were four or five of these ships attached to the Toulon fleet. The Baleine was last from Majorca, and had, we believe, accompanied vice-admiral Ganteaume in his voyage to and from the Adriatic. ries. on At 10 h. 10 m. A. M. the Baleine hoisted french colours, and at 10 h. 30 m., having a spring on her cable, commenced firing at the Amphion; as did also a battery of 16 long 24-pounders to the left of the town of Rosas, a battery of several heavy guns named Fort Bouton, and a low battery of eight 24-pounders Drives at the starboard entrance of the bay. This fire the frigate Amphion returned on different tacks, while working shore. up. At 11 A. M., finding the fire of the british frigate, as she closed, getting too warm, the Baleine slipped her cables, and, with her fore and mizen topsails, staysails, and jib set, ran on shore, close under the protection of Fort Bouton and the battery on the right. batte At 11 h. 30 m. A. M. the Amphion shortened sail, Anand anchored with two springs in seven fathoms, and enand in-shore of the spot on which the Baleine gages had been riding. Having veered to a whole cable, ries. the Amphion commenced a smart fire, within pointblank shot, upon the ship, fort, and batteries. This fire they all returned, and presently cut away the Amphion's jibstay. At about 30 minutes past noon 1808, the latter's starboard quarter hammocks and main May. topmast staysail caught fire by the enemy's hot shot; and at 1 P. M. a small explosion took place in the marine arm-chest, but fortunately injured no one. At 1h. 30 m. the Baleine herself caught fire abaft, and a part of her men began leaping overboard and swimming to the rocks. Believing that the crew were abandoning her, captain Hoste despatched Mr. Charles Bennett, the first lieutenant, in the jollyboat, to strike the ship's colours'; but, no sooner had the lieutenant arrived near the frigate's stern, than the french crew opened upon the boat a heavy fire of round, grape, and musketry. The Amphion instantly threw out the signal of recall, and the jollyboat put back. Regardless of the shower of shot pouring around him, lieutenant Bennett stood up in the stern-sheets; and he and his few hands gave the Makes French three hearty cheers. At 2 h. 20 m. P. M., of the finding that nothing further could be done, and the wind beginning to fall, whereby she might have a difficulty in getting beyond the reach of the batteries, the Amphion cut her cables and springs and made sail out of the bay. sail out bay. Loss, &c. In this spirited little affair, the Amphion received no material damage, and had only one man killed and a few wounded. The loss on board, or the eventual fate, of the french ship we have no means of showing. Her loss must, however, have been serious, to induce her to take the step she did; and that the Baleine had run herself on shore with some effect is clear, because, at 5 P. M., she struck yards and topmasts, and on the third day after the action lay fast aground. It is a little singular that the Amphion had been sent by lord Collingwood to endeavour to capture this very ship at her anchorage at Majorca; but, under an idea that she was a french frigate of the largest class, captain Hoste had been directed to take under his orders the 28-gun frigate Hind, captain Francis William Fane, supposed to be cruising off the spanish coast. On the 23d of June, while the british 22-gun ship Porcupine, captain the honourable Henry Duncan, 1808. was cruising off Civita-Vecchia, a vessel under french July. colours came out of the port, and endeavoured, by Lieut. crossing the Porcupine, to get to the westward; but, Pric failing in the attempt and finding no means of escape stroys a left, the vessel ran herself on shore under two vessel towers mounting two guns each. Captain Duncan two immediately detached the boats of the Porcupine under lieutenant George Price, who effectually destroyed the vessel, without sustaining any loss, although under a very heavy fire. under towers. drives on two On the 9th of July, at daybreak, as the Porcupine Lieut.", lay becalmed off Monte-Circello on the coast of Price Romania, two french gun-boats, with a merchant convoy vessel under convoy, were observed going along- shore shore to the westward. The boats of the Porcupine, and under the orders of lieutenant Price, assisted by gunsecond lieutenant Francis Smith, lieutenant of boats marines James Renwick, midshipmen Barry John Dango. Featherstone, Charles Adam, and John O'Brien Butler, and captain's clerk George Anderson, were immediately despatched in pursuit of the gunvessels. After a pull of eight hours in a hot sun, lieutenant Price and his party drove the merchant vessel on shore, and compelled the two gun-boats, each of which was armed with one long 24-pounder and 30 men, to take shelter under the batteries of PortDango. At this moment, three suspicious vessels being seen coming down from the westward before a fresh breeze, the Porcupine recalled her boats, in order to go in chase; but the former, before they could be cut off, succeeded in getting into the harbour along with the gun-boats. into out a 6-gun On the morning of the 10th, observing that a large Cuts polacre-ship, one of the three vessels which had last entered, lay further out than the others, captain polaDuncan resolved to attempt cutting her out. AC- from cordingly, as soon as it was dark, the Porcupine's under boats, commanded as before, pulled towards the teries. cre the bat .July. men, 1808. harbour; and, although the polacre mounted six long 6-pounders, with a crew of between 20 and 30 and, expecting to be attacked, had moored herself to a beach lined with french soldiers, and lay within pistol-shot of two batteries and a tower, and three gun-boats, lieutenant Price and his men boarded and carried her. The next difficulty was to bring the vessel out. Here, although in consequence of baffling winds it was an hour and 20 minutes before the prize got beyond the range of grape, the British also succeeded. In this very gallant exploit, the Porcupine had none of her men killed; but she had eight wounded, including (severely on the head and right leg) lieutenant Price, also Mr. Butler, midshipman. For his good behaviour in this, and in several similar attacks by the Porcupine's boats, lieutenant Price was promoted to the rank of commander. Lieut. On the 21st the Porcupine drove on shore near Monte-Circello a french polacre ship, which was afstroys terwards completely destroyed by the boats under under a the command of lieutenant Francis Smith; and that tower. without any loss, although the boats were under the fire of a tower, mounting two guns, within pistolshot of the grounded vessel. Smith de vessels Porcupine chases lacre ship] into Plano sa. On the 8th of August the Porcupine chased another polacre ship into a harbour of the island of a po- Planosa, near Elba, which was defended by a tower and a battery. In the evening captain Duncan sent the Porcupine's two cutters and jollyboat, under the orders of lieutenant Francis Smith, accompanied by lieutenant of marines James Renwick, master's mates Henry Parry and Edward Barry, midshipman George Dawkins Lane, and captain's clerk George Anderson, to endeavour to bring out or destroy the vessel. The boats went into the harbour with muffled oars, and boarded the vessel without loss or difficulty. The ship was now found to be moored within 30 Smith yards of a battery mounting six or eight guns, which ycuts immediately opened upon the boats a heavy fire of round and grape. To this was soon added the Lieut. gallant her out. |