Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

The capture of Guadaloupe, to be noticed hereafter, released Lieutenant Deecker and the other surviving officers and crew of the late Junon, that had been landed from the Loire and Seine; and on the 19th and 20th days of February, a court-martial was held upon them for the loss of their ship. In addition to a sentence of the most honourable acquittal, the court strongly recommended the Junon's late commanding officer for promotion. The recommendation, we are happy to say, was attended to; and on the 17th of the ensuing April, Lieutenant Deecker was rewarded with the commission of a commander. The late second and third lieutenants of the Junon, George Vernon Jackson and Henry Conn, had been taken on board the Renommée, of which ship and her consort we will now give some account.

After parting from the Loire and Seine on the evening of the 15th of December, off the north point of Guadaloupe, the Renommée and Clorinde bent their course back to Europe. On the 16th of January, in latitude 48° 50' north, longitude (from Greenwich) 12° 9' west, M. Roquebert was fallen in with by, as it appears to us, the British 38-gun frigate Virginie, Captain Edward Brace; who watched the Renommée and Clorinde during the day and until night concealed them from view: nor did the two French frigates evince any intention of molesting her. Thus avoiding by flight, even from an inferior force, all chance of being carried to a wrong destination, Commodore Roquebert, on the 23d, anchored in the road of Brest.

We formerly mentioned that, on the 12th of November, 1808, the French 40-gun frigate Vénus, Commodore Jacques-FelixEmmanuel Hamelin, sailed from Cherbourg for the East Indies. Some time previously, but exactly when we are uncertain, the 40-gun frigate Manche, Captain François - Désiré Breton, escaped from the same port, bound to the same distant station. Upon a similar destination sailed from the port of Nantes, the 40-gun frigate Bellone, Captain Victor-Guy Duperré; also from Flushing the 40-gun frigate Caroline; of whose captain's name we are uncertain, but we believe he died before, or very soon after, the frigate arrived at the Isle of France.

All four French frigates were at sea for the first time; and, by an extraordinary piece of good fortune, all reached their destination in safety. So intent, indeed, were the respective captains upon their voyage to a station which had already enriched three or four of their number, that, on their passage out, these frigates, we are certain, did not capture, and, we believe, did not chase or molest, a single British cruiser. In fact, when news reached England, that so many French frigates were still in the Indian seas committing depredations upon eastern commerce, no one appeared to know how or when they got there. We will now endeavour to give an account of their more important proceedings, after they reached their appointed cruising ground.

On the 2d of May a small fleet of homeward-bound Indiamen

quitted the Sand-heads of Bengal river, under the protection of the 18-gun ship-sloop Victor, Captain Edward Stopford. On the night of the 24th, in dark and squally weather, the Victor parted company; and on the 30th, after two ships had quitted the convoy from stress of weather, the following Indiamen remained in company: Streatham, Captain and senior officer John Dale, Europe, Captain William Gelston, and Lord Keith, Captain Peter Campbell. The Streatham and Europe were ships of 820 tons, and each mounted 20 medium 18-pounders on the main deck, and 10 carronades of the same caliber upon the quarterdeck, total 30 guns. The Streatham had a crew of 137 men, 60 of which were British and other European seamen, and the remainder, except four invalid soldiers, Chinese and Lascars; and the Europe, 72 British and other European seamen, and 56 Lascars, total 128. On board of each ship were also a few passengers. The Lord-Keith was a ship of 600 tons, armed with 10 or 12 guns, and a crew of from 30 to 40 men.

On the 31st, at 5h. 30 m. A. M., latitude 9° 15' north, longitude 90° 30′ east, as the Streatham, Europe, and Lord-Keith, were steering south-south-east on the starboard tack, with the wind from south-west by south, a strange ship was seen about seven miles off in the south by west, standing to the north-west. The stranger was the French 40-gun frigate Caroline, now commanded by Lieutenant de vaisseau Jean-Baptiste-Henri Feretier. This frigate mounted upon the quarterdeck and forecastle, eight iron 36-pounder carronades and 10 long 8-pounders; making her total number of guns 46, exclusive of 20 swivels carrying a one-pound ball, distributed along her gunwales and in her tops. Her crew consisted of 330 men and boys, all Europeans; besides, we believe, 50 or 60 troops taken on board at the Isle of France. The Caroline had sailed from Port-Louis in the month of February, bound on a cruise in the bay of Bengal. In the beginning of April the frigate arrived off the Sand-heads, cruised there about three weeks, capturing only one or two small vessels; and then, about three days before the India fleet sailed from the spot, steered for Carnicobar island to get a supply of water. While the Caroline was at these islands, the American ship Silenus, which had sailed from the Sand-heads under the protection, from pirates, of the Victor and her convoy, arrived there, and acquainted the French captain with the force, names, lading, and probable route of the Indiamen. Thus supplied with information, the Caroline made sail; and, in the course of a few days, M. Feretier was fortunate enough to find that, although the American captain had betrayed his protectors, he had not

deceived him.

When first seen, the Caroline was taken for the Victor, but her size soon pointed out that she was a frigate. At a few minutes past 6 A. M., having previously made the private signal and got no answer, the Streatham made the signal to form the

VOL. V.

line; which was soon done, the Lord-Keith leading, followed by the Streatham and Europe; but the two latter were at too great a distance apart. At 6 h. 30 m. A. M., having arrived abreast of the weather quarter of the Europe, the Caroline hoisted her colours and opened a fire upon that ship; which the Europe quickly returned. Between these two unequal antagonists, the action was maintained for nearly half an hour; at the end of which time the Indiamen had all her carronades and two of her maindeck guns dismounted, her foretopsail yard cut in two, foremast badly wounded, rigging and sails cut to pieces, hull struck in several places, and two of her best men killed and one Lascar wounded. Having thus completely disabled the Europe, the Caroline ranged ahead, and, bearing up athwart the bows of her defenceless opponent, raked her. Captain Feretier then stood towards the lee quarter of the Streatham; who had shortened sail to support the Europe, but had not been able to bring a gun to bear upon the French frigate.

At 7 A. M. the Caroline commenced action with the Streatham; and these two ships continued engaging until a few minutes before 8 A. M.: by which time the Caroline had reduced this antagonist to as disabled a state as her first, and had killed three, and wounded two, of the English sailors on board. Finding that all his carronades on the engaged side were dismounted, and that no inducements or threats could keep the Portuguese and Lascars to the maindeck guns, Captain Dale ordered the colours of the Streatham to be hauled down. The Caroline then wore from the latter, gave a broadside in passing to the Lord-Keith, who, as well as the Europe, had fired occasionally at her while engaging the Streatham, and brought to on the larboard quarter of the Europe; with whom she recommenced the action. After firing a short time in return, the Europe made sail to close the Streatham, and at 8 h. 20 m. A. M. learnt that she had struck. Finding this to be the case, and that the Lord-Keith was well to windward, standing with all sail to the southward, Captain Gelston put before the wind. As soon as she had secured. the Streatham the Caroline made sail in chase of the Europe; and at 10 A. M. the latter was obliged also to strike. The Lord-Keith effected her escape, and arrived safe in England.

The loss on board the Caroline, according to the statement of her captain, amounted to only one killed, the ship's master, and M. Feretier and one or two men slightly wounded. The conduct of the French officers, towards the passengers and crews of the captured Indiamen, was, we are happy to be enabled to state, particularly kind and attentive. On account chiefly of the leaky state of the Europe, it took M. Feretier three days to refit his prizes: and, before the former ship could be made seaworthy, all her guns were obliged to be thrown overboard. The Caroline and her two richly laden prizes then set sail, and on the 22d of July anchored in the bay of St.-Paul, Isle Bourbon. While

here, Captains Dale and Gelston addressed a joint letter of thanks to M. Feretier, for his good treatment of them and of his prisoners in general. To this letter M. Feretier returned a suitable reply; but in the reply, short as it is, he finds an opportunity of paying a compliment to the national character of his country. * Extrêmement sensible aux remercîmens que vous me faites, je suis aussi extrêmement content que l'évènement vous ait prouvé que, si le François sçait vaincre, il sçait aussi ce qu'il doit d'égards à de braves ennemis."

Some credit was undoubtedly due to the captain of the Caroline for his bold advance upon the three Indiamen, as well as for the skilful manner in which he attacked them. Had the Streatham, instead of only hauling up her foresail to wait for the Europe to close, tacked, and placed the French frigate between two fires, the Caroline would at all events have purchased her victory at a dearer rate. But having been allowed to conquer his opponents in detail, M. Feretier came out of the contest with almost entire impunity; and, on every consideration, the French Lieutenant, who had thus ably filled a captain's post, deserved the reward bestowed upon him by General Decaen, the Governor at the Isle of France; which was a commission as capitaine de frégate. Nor must we omit to do justice to the two merchant captains, who certainly defended their ill-armed and worse manned ships as long as was practicable; one of them, as we have seen, not surrendering his vessel until she was reduced to a sinking state.

On the 14th of August the British 18-gun ship-sloop Otter, Captain Nisbet Josiah Willoughby, cruising off Cape Brabant, Isle of France, discovered a brig and two fore-and-aft vessels at anchor under the protection of the batteries of Rivière-Noire The brig had recently arrived from France with a cargo. One of the smaller vessels was a merchant lugger, and the other a gun-boat attached to the French squadron on the station. Thinking it practicable, notwithstanding the immense strength of the batteries, to cut out these vessels by a coup de main, Captain Willoughby resolved to make the attempt that same night. In the mean time, to prevent suspicion, the Otter bore away for Bourbon until dark; then hauled up and worked back to the vicinity of Rivière-Noire. At 11 h. 30 m. P. M., when close enough in, Captain Willoughby pushed off in his gig, accompanied by Lieutenant John Burns in the launch, and midshipman William Weiss in the jollyboat. The plan was, for the gig, supported by the two remaining boats, to carry the gun-vessel; the launch was then to secure the brig, and the jollyboat the lugger.

Favoured by the darkness, the three boats got into the harbour unperceived; and having from the same cause, and the silence of the enemy, missed the gun-boat, the boats pulled alongside and captured the lugger. Having secured this vessel, Captain Willoughby detached the launch and jollyboat to board the brig,

and then proceeded with the gig in search of the gun-boat. Lieutenant Burns soon got alongside the brig, and found a body. of soldiers drawn up on board to defend her. In the face of a heavy fire of musketry from these, the British boarded, and after a smart struggle on her decks, carried the vessel. The cable was then cut by one of the seamen left in the launch for that purpose; but not till he had been wounded in the head by the mate of the brig, and had killed him with a blow of his axe. Captain Willoughby having in the mean time approached so near to the innermost battery as to be hailed by one of the sentries, the alarm became general, and the batteries opened their fire.

Owing to her being firmly moored on the shore, and having her yards and topmasts down, there was no possibility of getting off the brig. Finding this to be the case, Captain Willoughby gave orders to take out the prisoners, all of whom had been secured in the hold, and burn the vessel. As, however, the prisoners, many of whom were wounded, could not in the emergency of the moment be removed, the brig was abandoned; and the three boats, taking the lugger in tow, carried her out, under a heavy fire from the batteries on both sides of the river. To enable them to distinguish their object in the dark, the Frenchmen on shore kept coutinually throwing up false fires of a superior description, which illuminated the whole river.

Under all these circumstances, it was rather surprising that no greater loss was sustained by Captain Willoughby and his party, than one man killed in the launch by a 24-pound shot which took his head off, and another wounded with the loss of his arm by a grape-shot; particularly as the lugger was much cut up in her rigging. The principal advantage derived from this attack was the evidence it afforded, of the feasibility of cutting out a vessel even from a place so strongly protected by nature and art as Rivière-Noire. And, had the gun-boat been found when the boats first entered, there cannot be a doubt that she would have shared the fate of the lugger. On clearing the entrance of the river, the lugger and the boats were met by the Otter's cutter, under Lieutenant Thomas Lamb Polden Laugharne; who on witnessing the heavy firing, had, with a commendable zeal, pushed off to render all the assistance in his power.

The harbour or bay of St.-Paul at Isle Bourbon having long been the rendezvous of French cruizers on the Indian station, and, in particular, having, as has just appeared, afforded shelter to the Caroline and her two valuable prizes, Commodore Josias Rowley, of the 64-gun ship Raisonable, the commanding officer of the British force cruising off the isles of France and Bourbon, concerted with Lieutenant-colonel Henry S. Keating, commanding the troops at the adjacent small island of Rodriguez recently taken possession of by the British, a plan for carrying, first, the batteries that defended, and then the shipping within, the road of St. Paul.

« AnteriorContinuar »