himself the hearts of those into whose temporary custody he had fallen.

After the destruction of the Favorite, the 200 survivors of her late crew retired to Lissa: in which port lay two prizes to the Active, in charge of two of her midshipmen, James Lew and Robert Kingston. These enterprising young men, assisted by come privateer's men, actually summoned the 200 French seamen and troops to surrender. As a contrast to this very gallant behaviour, a Sicilian privateer-brig, of 14 guns, commanded by Clemento Fama, lying in the port, hauled down her colours to a one-gun Venetian schooner: and that in the face of the British squadron. This was "Fama" indeed! The Active's two midshipmen, with the true Gordon spirit, went on board and took charge of the brig, beat off the schooner, and prevented her from destroying the British and Sicilian vessels in the bay.

On the 15th Captain Hoste sent a letter by a flag of truce to Captain Péridier of the Flore, at anchor in the road of Lessina, demanding restitution of the frigate in the same state as when she struck to the Amphion. This letter was replied to by the captain of the Danaé; who, in consequence of the wounds of M. Péridier, had assumed the command of the Franco-Venetian squadron. He declared that the Flore did not strike her colours, but had them shot away, and requested Captain Hoste, if he had any thing further to say, to address himself to the French government. This letter was neither signed nor dated; and Captain Hoste sent it back, repeating his demand to have the Flore restored to him. Thus ended the business. The Danaé, Flore, and Carolina remained at Lessina about a week, and then proceeded to Ragusa.

The Corona was a remarkably fine frigate, built early in the preceding year at Venice, and became added to the 38-gun class of the British navy by the name of Dædalus. The Bellona, a ship of 692 tons, was purchased for a troop-ship, and named Dover. Each of the four captains present at the Lissa action received a medal: and the first lieutenants of the ships, David Dunn of the Amphion, James Dickinson of the Cerberus, William Henderson of the Active, and William Wolrige of the Volage, were each promoted to the rank of commander.

If only to add another to the many proofs which the world has witnessed, that the boldest heart in deeds of arms is generally the most alive to the softer impulses of humanity we subjoin an extract from a letter of condolence addressed by Captain Hoste to a near relative of John Robert Spearman, one of the two young midshipmen killed on board the Amphion. "It is impossible I can describe to you the exemplary conduct of the poor lad I am now writing to you about. If it is any consolation to his friends to learn how he behaved, tell them that, even in those days when all strove to emulate, he distinguished himself amongst his shipmates in the post where honour or danger was

in view. And, I assure you, not only am I deprived of a most excellent youngster, and one whom I dearly esteemed, but his country, as far as his youth may speak for him, has lost one of its brightest hopes: indeed, he is deeply lamented by all."

On or about the 25th of March the two french 40-gun frigates Amélie and Adrienne, accompanied by the 20-gun store-ship Dromadaire, laden with 15,000 shot and shells of various sizes, and 90 tons of gunpowder, escaped out of Toulon, bound to the island of Corfu. On the 26th, Admiral Sir Charles Cotton detached the 74-gun ship Ajax, Captain Robert Waller Otway, and the 18-pounder 36-gun frigate Unité, Captain Edwin Henry Chamberlayne, to the eastward in pursuit. On arriving off Corsica, Captain Otway sent the Unité round Cape Corse, and with the Ajax pushed through the straits of Bonifacio.

On the 30th, when off the isle of Elba, the Unité fell in with and was chased by the three French ships; who, on hauling off from her, steered for the Piombino passage, and were left working through it. On the same evening the Ajax joined company, and the two British ships proceeded in chase under all sail. On the 31st, at daylight, Captain Otway discovered the objects of his pursuit to windward. Owing to the short distance they were from the land, the Amelie and Adrienne effected their escape into Porto-Ferrajo; but the Dromadaire was overtaken and captured. She was a fine ship of 800 tons, and had a complement of 150 men, commanded by a lieutenant de vaisseau. The two French frigates afterwards got into Genoa; and thence reached Toulon in the succeeding July, as already mentioned.*

In the latter part of the month of April the two armed storeships Giraffe and Nourrice, each mounting from 20 to 30 guns, the first with 140, the other with 160 men, having in their company a merchant ship, also armed, and laden, as they also were, with ship-timber for the dock-yard at Toulon, lay at anchor in the bay of Sagone, island of Corsica, under the protection of a battery, mounting four guns and one mortar, and of a martello tower above the battery, mounting one gun. On the 30th, in the evening, the British 38-gun frigate Pomone, Captain Robert Barrie, the frigate Unité, and the 18-gun brig-sloop Scout, Captain Alexander Renton Sharpe, arrived off the coast, with the intention of attacking these ships. The French Commodore well imagining what was meditated against his ships, moored them within a stone's throw of the battery, each with two cables on shore, so as to present their broadsides to the narrow entrance of the bay. As an additional defence, the Nourrice landed her quarterdeck guns; and about 200 regular troops, along with her marines and those of the Giraffe, were posted on the neighbouring heights.

All these preparations were seen from the British ships on the

* See p. 329.

morning of the 1st of May, and only rendered those on board of them the more anxious to commence operations. Notwithstanding the strong position of the three French ships, the crews of the two British frigates and brig came forward in the most noble manner, and volunteered their services to land, or, as it was quite calm, to attack the enemy by boats. Neither of these methods being considered practicable, Captain Barrie resolved, as soon as a breeze sprang up, to make the attack by the ships. Finding, by 5h. 30m. P. M., that the calm still continued, and fearing that any longer delay would enable the French to increase their force, the Pomone, Unité, and Scout, in the most animated manner, were towed by their respective companies, in the face of a heavy raking fire, into a position within range of grape; when, at 6 P. M. the British ships opened their broadsides. The mutual cannonade lasted, without any intermission, until 7h. 30 m. P. M.; when the Giraffe, bearing a commodore's pendant, and then the Nourrice, was observed to be on fire. Afterwards the brands from the Nourrice set fire to the merchantman, and in 10 minutes all three ships were completely in a blaze. The Pomone and her consorts now quickly towed themselves out of danger from the explosions; the first of which, that of the Giraffe, took place at 8 h. 50 m. P. M., and that of the Nourrice a few minutes afterwards. Some of the timbers of the latter, falling on the tower, entirely demolished it, and the sparks set fire to the battery below, which also exploded.

The object of the attack having thus completely succeeded, the three British vessels stood out to sea, to repair their damages; which, except as to the Pomone, who, having had to choose her station, became of course exposed to the brunt of the action, were not very material. The Pomone had two seamen killed, and 10 seamen (four dangerously), seven marines (one dangerously), and two boys wounded; the Unité, one midshipman (Richard Goodridge), one seaman, and one marine slightly wounded; and the Scout, her first lieutenant (William Neame), severely, and her boatswain (James Stewart) and one seaman slightly wounded; total, on board the three British ships, two killed and 25 wounded. The loss on the part of the French could not be ascertained, but, in all probability, was very severe.

On the 4th of May, at 10 A. M., the British 38-gun frigates Belle-Poule, Captain James Brisbane, and Alceste, Captain Murray Maxwell, being off the coast of Istria, discovered and chased a French man-of-war brig, of 18 guns, which shortly afterwards hauled into the small harbour of Parenza. Having received intelligence that a vessel of that description was expected at Ragusa, with supplies for the French frigates Danaé and Flore, which had escaped from Captain Hoste off Lissa, Captain Brisbane resolved to attempt the capture or destruction of the French brig. Although there was only 15 feet of water in the harbour, and therefore no passage for the frigates, it was

ascertained that the brig could be cannonaded with effect where she was then lying. Accordingly the Belle-Poule, followed closely by the Alceste, stood in within a cable's length of the rocks at the entrance of the harbour, and opened an animated fire, as well upon the brig as upon a battery under which she lay; and, after an hour's cannonade, compelled the brig to haul on shore under the town, out of gun-shot. In this attack the two frigates had been frequently hulled, but sustained no other damage than could be immediately repaired, and no greater loss than the Belle-Poule one, and the Alceste two, seamen slightly wounded.

All further efforts on the part of the ships being useless, the Belle-Poule and Alceste, after the close of the day, anchored about five miles from the shore; and Captain Brisbane determined to take possession of an island that lay in the mouth of the harbour, and was within musket-shot of the town. Accordingly at 11 P. M., the boats of the two frigates, containing 200 seamen and the whole of the marines (about 100 in number), under the orders of the Belle-Poule's senior Lieutenant John M'Curdy, assisted by Lieutenants Richard Ball Boardman, Edward A. Chartres, and Alexander Morrison, and midshipmen, Hamilton Blair, Charles Matthew Chapman, Edward Finlay, Henry Maxwell, John Hall, and Arthur Grose, of the BellePoule, and Lieutenants John Collman Hickman and Richard Lloyd, Mr. Howard Moore the master, and Messieurs James Adair, Charles Croker, and Thomas Redding, midshipmen, of the Alceste, proceeded and took quiet possession of the island. By 5 A. M. on the 5th, with incessant labour, and the most extraordinary exertions, a defence was thrown up, and a battery of four pieces, two howitzers and two 9-pounders, mounted on a commanding position. A field-piece was also placed at some distance on the left, to divide the attention of the enemy; who, aware of the operations of the British, had been busily employed during the night in planting guns in various parts of the harbour. Soon after 5 A. M. the French opened a cross fire from four different positions which was immediately returned; and the mutual cannonade continued, with great vigour, during five hours. At the end of that time, the French brig being cut to pieces and sunk, and of course the object of making the attack accomplished, the British re-embarked with their guns and ammunition; after having sustained a loss of four men, the gunner and one seaman of the Belle-Poule, and two marines of the Alceste, killed, and one man slightly wounded; making the total loss to the British on the occasion four killed and four wounded.

On the 26th of May, at daybreak, the British 18-gun brigsloop Alacrity (sixteen 32-pounder carronades and two sixes), Captain Nesbit Palmer, cruising off Cape St.-André, island of Corsica, with the wind a moderate breeze from the eastward,

discovered about six miles to leeward, and immediately chased, a large man-of-war brig, which proved to be the French brigcorvette Abeille, of 24-pounder carronades, commanded by acting Lieutenant de vaisseau Ange-René-Armand De Mackau. Observing that the vessel approaching was a brig, Lieutenant De Mackau knew at once the extent of her force; and accordingly shortened sail, hoisted his colours, and fired a gun of defiance. By manoeuvring skilfully, the Abeille managed to pour into the Alacrity one or two raking fires. The French brig now tried for the weathergage, and having obtained it, passed and engaged her opponent on the opposite tack; then bore up, and running close under the Alacrity's stern, raked her. The Abeille afterwards hauled up on the same (the larboard) tack as the Alacrity, and engaged her to leeward, keeping just upon the British brig's quarter; so that, while her own guns were playing havoc upon the decks of her antagonist, the Alacrity had scarcely a gun which she could bring to bear. In a vessel whose tiller works on deck, the quarter is much more decidedly the "point of impunity," than in a vessel whose tiller works below. For instance, in the Alacrity and brigs of her class, the space between the aftermost port and the stern is upwards of 11 feet, to allow room for the sweep of the tiller, consequently, the whole of the space, one ninth part of the length of the deck, is without a gun.

The damaged state of the Alacrity's rigging soon obliged her to drop astern, and thereby afforded her the opportunity of bestowing a few shot in return for the many she had received; but the Abeille quickly freed herself from the effect of those by ranging ahead, and placing herself upon the Alacrity's starboard bow. The latter, feeling sensibly the ill effects of this diagonal fire, threw all back, and endeavoured to pass astern of her antagonist; but the Abeille saw the well-meant manœuvre, and at once frustrated it by bearing up. The two brigs continued thus engaged, side by side, for a few minutes longer; when the Alacrity, having had her sails and rigging cut to pieces, fell off, with her stern completely exposed to the Abeille's broadside. In this defenceless state the British brig remained, until, having had all her officers killed or driven from the deck but the boatswain, she was compelled to haul down her colours. This took place about three quarters of an hour after the commencement of the action.

The Alacrity, out of a crew on board of 100 men and boys, including 13 of the latter, had her first and only lieutenant (Thomas Gwynne Rees) and four seamen killed, her captain (slightly), master (David Laing), one and her only master's mate (Mr. Warren, mortally), surgeon (William Turner, slightly, while dressing the wounded), boatswain (severely), and eight seamen and marines wounded. Lieutenant De Mackau, in his letter, as given in the Moniteur, enumerates 15 killed and 20