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well merited, received from his late majesty the ho- 1804. nour of knighthood. Among the sums of money Feb. voted to sir Nathaniel were 5000l. by the Bombay Insurance Society; and the answer of thanks returned by the commodore contains the following passage: "Placed, by the adventitious circumstances of seniority of service and absence of convoy, in the chief command of the fleet intrusted to my care, it has been my good fortune to have been enabled, by the firmness of those by whom I was supported, to perform my trust not only with fidelity, but without loss to my employers. Public opinion and public rewards have already far outrun my deserts; and I cannot but be sensible that the liberal spirit of my generous countrymen has measured what they are pleased to term their grateful sense of my conduct, rather by the particular utility of the exploit, than by any individual merit I can claim." Here is an instance of modesty and candour, as exemplary as it is rare; and which sheds an additional lustre upon the character of sir Nathaniel Dance.

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On the 19th of February the british 14-gun brig- Lieut. sloop Drake, under the temporary command of ston at lieutenant William King of the Centaur, while Trinité. cruising off the port of Trinité on the north side of the island of Martinique, discovered in the harbour, taking in cargoes in defiance of the blockade, two american brigs and a schooner, moored within pistolshot of a fort mounting three french 24-pounders. Being determined to make an attempt to cut out these vessels, lieutenant King despatched the boats of the Drake, under the orders of lieutenant William

our defenders by sea and land, it is expedient to raise by the patriotism of the community at large, a suitable fund for their comfort and relief-for the purpose of assuaging the anguish of their wounds, or palliating in some degree the more weighty misfortune of the loss of limbs of alleviating the distresses of the widow and orphan-of smoothing the brow of sorrow for the fall of dearest relatives, the props of unhappy indigence or helpless ageand of granting pecuniary rewards, or honourable badges of distinction, for successful exertions of valour or merit."

1804. Cumpston, assisted by Mr. William Robson, the Feb. master, upon that service. The three american vessels were gallantly boarded and taken possession of, in the face of a heavy fire from the fort, and from two field-pieces; but, having no wind, lieutenant Cumpston and his party could only succeed in bringing out the schooner, which was accomplished without loss.

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King at

On the night of the 24th lieutenant King himself, Trinité. with 21 seamen and nine marines, landed and spiked the guns at the fort and the two field-pieces, with the loss of one seaman killed, and lieutenant Cumpston and one seaman slightly wounded.

March.

Lieut.

On the night of the 4th of March the barge and pinnace of the 74-gun ship Blenheim, captain WilFurber liam Ferris, having on board 50 officers and men at St.- under the orders of lieutenant Thomas Furber, made Pierre. a most gallant but unsuccessful attempt to cut out

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the french national schooner Curieuse, lying chainmoored close under a fort at the town of St.-Pierre. The schooner had made very formidable preparations, having rigged out her sweeps on each side, traced her boarding-nettings to her lower mast-heads, and there fastened them in the securest manner. Notwithstanding all this, and a heavy fire of great guns and musketry, as well from the schooner herself, as from a party of soldiers drawn up on the beach, from the neighbouring forts, and from an armed sloop and several smaller vessels, lieutenant Furber and those under him gallantly boarded and carried the Curieuse; but, no sooner were her cables cut, than the schooner, held fast by the chain, swang round and grounded upon the beach. The severe loss now sustained obliged lieutenant Furber to desist from any further attempts; and the two boats got back to the Blenheim, with one seaman and two marines killed, five officers, (names not reported,) 11 seamen, and three marines wounded, and three seamen missing.

On the morning of the 13th of March the british Seron, 18-pounder 36-gun frigate Emerald, captain James

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O'Brien, observed a french privateer-schooner, on 1804. account of inability to work up to St.-Pierre's, run March. in and anchor close under a battery at Seron, just within the Pearl rock at the western extremity of Martinique. As the frigate herself, being considerably to-leeward, was unable to reach the spot in time, captain O'Brien despatched the armed sloop Fort-Diamond, with lieutenant Thomas Forrest and 30 volunteers, to attempt the service; and, in order to take off the attention of the battery from the movements of the sloop, he sent in a different direction the frigate's boats, joined by two from the 44gun ship Pandour, which had just hove in sight.

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Having reached the anchorage, lieutenant Forrest Capdashed in, and laid the french schooner on board the crew of which, amounting to about 60 whites samand blacks, after discharging her broadside and a volley of musketry, fled over the side to the shore. By the force with which the Fort-Diamond struck the schooner, the chain, by which the latter had fastened herself to the shore, was broke, and about 20 feet of it remained hanging at her bows. The prize proved to be the privateer Mosambique, armed with ten 18-pounder carronades, commanded by captain Vallentes, and fitted for a three months' cruise. This very gallant exploit was performed with so trifling a loss, as one master's mate (Mr. Hall) and one seaman wounded.

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On the 14th of March, in the morning, the british Drake brig-sloop Drake, still commanded by lieutenant GandeWilliam King, cruising off Englishman's Head, island loupe. of Gaudeloupe, fell in with a french privateerschooner, and a large ship in company apparently her prize, but was unable to overtake either until the ship ran herself on shore near the batteries at the Hayes. The Drake now endeavoured to cut off the schooner; but, having had her main topmast shot away and her rigging much damaged, was unable to effect her object. About this time another ship hove in sight in the offing, and appeared to be

1804. steering as if also with the intention to run on shore. March. Despatching two boats, under the orders of Mr. Rob

Penguin at

son the master, to watch the first ship, now observed to be again afloat, with directions to attack her should she endeavour to escape, lieutenant King made sail after and recaptured the ship in the offing, an english merchantman, valuably laden.

The Drake's two boats, meanwhile, pulled in towards the ship in-shore, the crew of which, except one man who had not time to effect his escape, abandoned her as the former approached. Possession of the ship, which had 18 guns mounted and was very large, was thus easily obtained; but in half an hour she blew up, killing one master's mate, three seamen, and one marine, mortally wounding Mr. Robson, who expired a few hours afterwards, and badly wounding several of the small party belonging to the two boats. In all cases, where a vessel is abandoned in this way, treachery should be suspected, and the magazine be quickly examined. There can be little doubt that the fellow, who was behind his comrades, had laid the train which produced the fatal explosion.

On the 17th of March the british 16-gun brigSénégal sloop Penguin, captain George Morris, cruising off Sénégal bar, chased and drove upon it the french privateer-schooner Renommée of 12 long 6-pounders and 87 men, belonging to Sénégal. Owing to the continuance of the surf, no opportunity occurred of making an attempt to destroy her until the morning of the 24th. At this time the Renommée had shifted her position, from the efforts apparently of two armed schooners, which, since the preceding evening, had dropped down to the mouth of the river, and now lay within 200 yards of her.

Standing as close in as the shoalness of the water would admit, the Penguin opened a fire upon the three vessels; but, although shot were exchanged for an hour and a half, the brig could not get near enough to force the two schooners to retire up the

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March.

river. At 10 P. M., therefore, captain Morris de- 1804. spatched the jollyboat, under the command of lieutenant Charles Williams, with directions to endeavour to destroy the grounded schooner; a service which was executed in the ablest manner before 1 A. M. on the 25th, and that without any loss on the part of the British.

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On the 23d of March the british 18-gun ship-sloop Osprey Osprey, captain George Younghusband, cruising on Egypthe Windward-island station, discovered in the tienne. south-west quarter, and immediately chased, the french frigate-built privateer Egyptienne, of 36 guns, captain Placiard, with three merchant ships under her convoy. As soon as the Osprey had arrived within hail, the Egyptienne hoisted her colours, and fired her broadside. This was instantly returned, and the two ships continued in close action for one hour and 20 minutes; at the end of which time the Egyptienne ceased firing, and began to make off, and her convoy to separate on different courses. To the regret of the british officers and crew, it was soon found that the french ship, even with her topsails on the cap, outsailed their vessel. The Osprey, however, continued the chase until the Egyptienne disappeared in the dark.

The force of the Osprey consisted of 16 carronades, 32-pounders, with a complement of 120 men and boys: that of the Egyptienne was 36 guns, french 12 and 6 pounders, with a crew on board of 248 men. The one ship measured 386,* and the other, which was formerly the national frigate Railleuse, since given or sold to some merchants at Bordeaux, 857 tons. The Osprey sustained a loss of one man killed and 16 wounded, and was a good deal damaged in her sails and rigging. The loss on board the Egyptienne, as afterwards ascertained, amounted, out of a crew of 248 men and boys, to eight men killed and 19 wounded; and the ship her

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