leagues, the British 12-pounder 36-gun frigate Topaze, Captain Anselm John Griffiths, standing close hauled on the starboard tack with a light breeze from the south-south-east, in company with the 18-gun ship-sloop Kingfisher, Captain Ewell Tritton, discovered, and immediately bore up for, two strange frigates in the east-north-east. These were the French 40-gun frigates, Danaé and Flore. At 6 h. 40 m. A. M., mistaking, we suppose, the Kingfisher for a larger vessel than she was, the two frigates made all sail north by east. At 10 A. M. they were hull down from the Topaze in the east-north-east, and the Kingfisher was in the south-west between four and five miles off, under all sail in light airs, trying her utmost to close. At 11 A. M. the two frigates made sundry signals, and tacked off shore a little to the southward of Pargos. The Topaze then stood within three miles of the strangers, tacked, and hove to; the Kingfisher at this time eight or nine miles astern, still under all sail, and sweeping. The Danaé and Flore then wore and stood in shore again, Anti-Paxo at noon bearing from the Topaze west-northwest distant four or five miles.

At 20 minutes past noon the Topaze, with the wind now from north-north-west, wore and again made all sail after the two strangers, evidently frigates mounting from 44 to 48 guns each. At 1 P. M. the Danaé and Flore, who were now to windward, passed within hail of each other, and tacked off the main land. At 2 h. 10 m. P. M. they hoisted French colours, and one of them a broad pendant. In five minutes more the Topaze hoisted her colours and fired a shot at the headmost ship, which the latter returned; and the two frigates exchanged broadsides while passing on opposite tacks. The Topaze then stood on and engaged the sternmost frigate in a similar manner; and at 3 P. M. tacked from the main. The headmost French frigate at the same moment tacked off Paxo, and was presently followed in the manœuvre by her consort. At 3 h. 30 m. P. M. the Topaze and her two opponents engaged in crossing each other, the same as before; the Kingfisher at the distance of six or seven miles, and to leeward. At 4 h. 30 m. the Topaze and the two French frigates again commenced firing on opposite tacks, and continued engaging, at the distance of about a mile and a quarter, until nearly 5 P. M., when the Danaé and Flore tacked off Paxo out of gun-shot, and stood up the passage to Corfu under all sail; leaving to a single British frigate, with 12-pounders only, the credit of having obliged them to do so.

Shortly afterwards the Topaze bore up and closed the Kingfisher; without, as it appears, having sustained any loss in her action with her two very forbearing opponents, although one French 18-pound shot had gone through the gig, launch, yawl, and the quarterdeck bulwark. Our researches have not enabled us to give the names of the captains of these two French frigates; not, at least, with that degree of certainty which is requisite in a

case circumstanced like the present. At all events it is evident, that Captain Griffiths, in chasing and attacking two such opponents, evinced a considerable share of gallantry.

On the 31st of May the Topaze, cruising off the coast of Albania, observed nine vessels lying at anchor in the road of Demata, situated behind the reef of rocks under the fortress of St.-Maura. Finding that the ship could not with safety approach near enough to capture or destroy them, Captain Griffiths despatched upon that service the boats of the Topaze, under the orders of the first lieutenant, Charles Hammond (whose right hand was nearly useless from a previous wound in cutting out vessels), assisted by the acting master George Garson, Lieutenants of marines Edward Smith Mercer and William Halsted, and master's mates Henry Packhurst Taylor and Robert Bisset Fenwick.

Being obliged to row along outside the reef, and having then to round it, the boats were necessarily exposed, within a musketshot distance, to the galling fire of the enemy's whole force. Notwithstanding this formidable opposition, Lieutenant Hammond and his party gallantly pushed on; and, with so comparatively slight a loss as one marine killed and one seaman slightly wounded, boarded and brought out the whole nine vessels; among which were, one xebec of eight carriage guns and six swivels, with a crew of 55 men, one cutter of four, and one felucca of three guns, and two gun-boats of one gun each. After this act of gallantry performed by Lieutenant Hammond, and the severe wounds which his former services had cost him, we regret to find, by a reference to his name in the list, that he still bears the rank he did 20 years ago.

On the 13th of June, at 8 A. M., Cape Bon bearing south-west distant seven miles, the British 38-gun frigate Pomone, Captain Robert Barrie, captured, after a short chase, the Neapolitan privateer Lucien-Charles, a new bombard, mounting one long 12, and two long 6 pounders, with a crew of 53 men, commanded, of all things, by a French adjutant-general, and no less a man than the Chevalier Charles-Lucien Prevost de Boissi; who could also add, to his title of privateer's-man, that of" officier de la légion d'honneur."

On the 24th of June Rear-admiral Martin, with the 80-gun ship Canopus, Captain Charles Inglis, 74-gun_ships Spartiate and Warrior, Captains Sir Francis Laforey, Bart., and John William Spranger, 22-gun ship Cyane, Captain Thomas Staines, and 18-gun brig-sloop Espoir, Captain Robert Mitford, with a numerous flotilla of British and Sicilian gun-boats, and a fleet of transports with troops, anchored to the northward of the islands of Ischia and Procida, in readiness to make an attack upon them. In the course of the evening, the rear-admiral detached the Cyane and Espoir, with 12 gun-boats, to take a station to the southward of those islands, for the purpose of pre

venting any reinforcements or supplies being thrown into them from the main.

On the 25th, at 8 A. M., when lying at anchor two miles south by east of the island of Procida, in company with the gun-boats, the Cyane and Espoir discovered a French frigate, a corvette, and several gun-boats, coming out of Pozzuoli bay. The British vessels, by signal from the Cyane, immediately got under way, and, having a light air from the north-east, stood to meet the enemy's vessels; with what chance of success, had one party been as daring as the other, some account of the force on each side will best explain. The Cyane mounted on her main deck 22 carronades, 32-pounders, and on her quarterdeck and forecastle eight carronades, 18-pounders, and two long sixes, total 32 guns; with a complement, if all were on board, of 175 men and boys. The Espoir mounted the usual armament of her class, 16 carronades, 32-pounders, and two sixes, with 120 men and boys. The French frigate Cérès appears to have been of the same class as the Franco-Venetian frigate Carrère, captured in 1801,* and consequently carried 18-pounders: her total number of guns was at least 42, some accounts say 44, and her complement was about 350 men. The corvette was the Fama, mounting 28 or 30 guns, including 24 long 8, or, according to some accounts, long 12 pounders, with a crew of 260 men. The gun-boats on each side were armed much in the same manner; each with a long 18 or 24 pounder.

At 8 h. 30 m. the Cyane and her consorts fired several broadsides at the French frigate and her consorts; which fire the latter returned, and then stood in for the land. At 9 h. 40 m. A. M. the firing ceased; and, on account of the distance at which it had been maintained, with no great effect on either side: the Cyane, however, had her main topgallant yard and some stays shot away. The British ship and brig continued all day cruising between Procida and the main, and at 9 P. M. reanchored off the island. On the same evening Procida surrendered without opposition; as had Ischia in the morning, except a castle on the south-east point of the island, which made a demonstration of resistance, and did not capitulate till some days afterwards. On the night of the 25th, receiving intelligence that a flotilla of gunboats was on its way from Gaeta to the bay of Naples, Rearadmiral Martin detached in that direction the few Sicilian gunboats remaining with him.

On the 26th, at 6 h. 25 m. A. M., the Cyane, Espoir, and the British and Sicilian gun-boats in their company, having shortly before weighed, began engaging the French gun-boats, just as they were rounding the point of Baia. By his prompt and vigorous attack upon the gun-boats and batteries, Captain Staines checked the progress of the flotilla, and enabled the

* See vol. iii., p. 96.

British and Sicilian gun-boats to bring their opponents to close action; whereby, before 10 A. M., 18 French gun-boats were taken and four destroyed. In this smart affair, the Cyane received 23 shot in the hull, had her masts, yards, rigging, and sails a good deal cut, and lost one seaman and one boy killed, one master's mate (David Jones) mortally, and six seamen slightly wounded. The Espoir appears to have escaped without any loss whatever.

On the same afternoon, observing a flag of truce on a battery near Point Messino, Captain Staines detached the boats to the spot; and, after spiking four 36-pounders on the battery and destroying the carriages, the boats took off 15 deserters. At 7 P. M. the Cyane and Espoir, accompanied by 23 Sicilian gunboats, stood into Pozzuoli bay, where the Cérès, Fama, and 12 gun-boats, were lying at anchor. Captain Staines continued working and sounding off the town of Pozzuoli; and at 8 A. M. on the 27th the Cyane found herself becalmed so near to the shore, that a battery of four guns opened upon her. At 10 A. M., the fire becoming troublesome, Captain Staines embarked in one of the gun-boats, and, leading them to the attack, soon silenced the battery. He then landed with a party of men, spiked four 36-pounders, destroyed the carriages, hove a 10 inch mortar into the sea, and returned to his ship without a casualty.

At 5. P. M., finding that the Cyane and Espoir lay becalmed in the offing, and considering the gun-boats in the bight of the bay was no obstacle, the French commodore weighed and put to sea with the Cérès, Fama, and 20 gun-boats, bound to Naples. At 5 h. 42 m. the Cyane made the Espoir's signal to prepare for battle and make all possible sail. At 6 h. 23 m. P. M. the Sicilian gun-boats began annoying the rear of the French gun-boats. At 6 h. 50 m., finding that the Espoir and Sicilian gun-boats were now too far astern to be of much service, and observing that the French frigate was nearly a mile and a half astern of the corvette, and about the same distance from the French gun-boats, the Cyane manned her sweeps and stood towards the Cérès, then not more than three miles from the mole of Naples.

At 7 h. 20 m. P. M. the Cyane succeeded in getting alongside of the French frigate, within half pistol-shot distance, and commenced the action with her. The Cérès, assisted occasionally by the corvette, the gun-boats, and the batteries of Naples, within gun-shot of which she had by this time arrived, returned the Cyane's fire. At 7 h. 30 m. the Cérès was observed to get a reinforcement of men from Naples. Notwithstanding this, at 7h. 45 m., the frigate hauled down her colours, but rehoisted them on getting a second reinforcement of men. At 8 h. 25 m. P. M. the fire of the Cérès slackened considerably. In two or three minutes more the frigate discontinued firing her maindeck guns; and at 8 h. 30 m. ceased firing altogether. But, as the Cyane,

besides having expended all her powder, was at this time approaching fast towards the mole-head of Naples, then scarcely a mile and a half distant, Mr. Joseph Miller, the master, upon whom, for the reasons that will shortly appear, the command had devolved, found himself unable to take advantage of the enemy's confusion.

This being the case, the Cyane hauled off, with all her sails completely riddled by the enemy's grape and langridge, her standing and running rigging cut to pieces, her fore and mizen masts badly wounded, 45 round shot in and through her sides, her chain-plates, and several port-timbers destroyed, and four guns disabled from the drawing of the ring-bolts; also with a loss of one seaman and one marine killed, her captain and first lieutenant, James Hall (both dangerously), second and only remaining lieutenant (John Ferrier), one midshipman (John Taylor), 11 seamen, four marines, and one boy wounded. The Espoir, who had some share in the latter part of this engagement, sent the gun-boats to the assistance of her crippled consort, and they towed her out of the bay. On account of her greatly disabled state, the Cyane was immediately sent to England to be refitted.

The wound of Captain Staines was indeed a severe one. He lost his left arm out of the socket at the shoulder, and was also wounded in the side. Lieutenant Hall's wounds were in the thigh and arms; and it gratifies us to observe that, in a few months after the very gallant service in which he had been engaged, he was promoted to the rank of commander. Of the proceedings of the Cyane altogether, in the vicinity of Procida, they are such as do honour to every officer and man who was on board of her; and, certainly, nobler behaviour than that which Captain Staines displayed on the occasion, we have never had to

record.

On the 28th of July, in the morning, the British 74-gun ship Excellent, Captain John West, being at an anchor off Triest, discovered an enemy's convoy standing along the northern shore towards that port. With the view of cutting off the vessels, Captain West got under way, and took up a position between them and their destined port. Seeing this, the convoy took shelter in Duin, a port four leagues to the north-west of Triest. Having in company with him the 18-gun ship-sloop Acorn, Captain Robert Clephane, and 16-gun brig-sloop Bustard, Captain John Duff Markland, Captain West deemed it practicable to get possession of this convoy; and accordingly, at 10 P. M., Captain Clephane, with the two sloops, and all the boats of the Excellent, under the orders of her first lieutenant, Mr. John Harper, was detached to perform the service.

About midnight the boats covered by the Acorn and Bustard, who from her light draught of water led in, pushed through a heavy fire into the harbour; and, while Captain Robert Cummins,