master's mates Henry William de Chair and William Plant; midshipmen James Dunderdale and Henry Lancaster, and captain's clerk John Oliver French. Topaze: Lieutenants Charles Hammond, James Dunn, William Rawlins, and David Lord Balgonie (Ville-de-Paris); lieutenant of marines William Halsted, master's mate Alexander Boyter, carpenter Thomas Canty, and midshipmen Joseph Hume, Hungerford Luthill, and Harry Nicholas. Volontaire: Lieutenants Dalhousie Tait, Samuel Sison, and Honourable J. A. Maude (Ville-de-Paris); lieutenants of marines William Burton and Duncan Campbell, master's mates John Bannatyne and Thomas Randall, midshipmen Richard Stephen Harness, Henry John Leeke, and John Armstead (Ville-de-Paris); and carpenter William Middleton. Scout: Lieutenants John Tarrant and Honourable William Waldegrave, and midshipman John Davy; the two latter from the Ville-de-Paris. Tuscan Lieutenant Pasco Dunn, master's mates John M'Dougall and Charles Gray (both from Ville-deParis), and midshipman John Stiddy. The names of the officers in the Philomel's boats do not appear in the Gazette.

Every suitable arrangement having previously been made, the boats, commanded by Lieutenant John Tailour, first of the Tigre, pushed off, with characteristic ardour, to execute the business assigned them. As if apprehensive that an attack would be made upon him, M. Bertaud-la-Bretèche had made every preparation to meet and repel it. The Lamproie was enclosed in boarding-nettings, and a gun-boat, or armed launch, advanced ahead of her, to give notice of the enemy's approach: the bombards and xebec, and the batteries on shore, were also on the alert. The boats approached, the alarm-gun fired; and, rending the air with their cheers, the British seamen and marines stretched out, each division of boats taking its allotted part.

The Lamproie was boarded at all points, and, notwithstanding a very spirited resistance, was carried in a few minutes. The Victoire, Grondeur, Normande, and a felucca armed with musketry, defended with equal gallantry, shared the same fate. All this was effected in the face of a heavy fire from the castle of Rosas, Fort Trinidad, and several other batteries,' and of repeated volleys of musketry from troops assembled on the beach. Notwithstanding that the force opposed to the British was double what they had reason to expect, such was their alacrity in subduing it, that, at the opening of day on the 1st of Novem

1 See p. 344.

ber, every French vessel of the 11 was either burnt at her moorings, or brought off by the aid of a light air of wind from the land.

The loss sustained by the British was severe, but not more so than might have been expected from the opposition they experienced. It amounted to one lieutenant (Tait), one master's mate (Caldwell), 10 seamen, one sergeant and two privates of marines killed, two lieutenants (Tailour and Forster), one midshipman (Syer), seven seamen, one private of marines severely, and three lieutenants (Stuart, Maude, and Begbie), one master's mate (Webster), two midshipmen (Brady and Armstead), 28 seamen, five privates of marines slightly wounded; total, 15 killed and 55 wounded. The loss on the part of the French has not been recorded: but, from the obstinacy of their resistance, it must have been extremely severe. While in the act of boarding the French commodore's ship, Lieutenant Tailour received a most distressing wound by a pike on the side of his head, near the temple, but, stanching the blood by means of a knotted handkerchief, was again among the foremost in the fight. Had he not possessed sufficient presence of mind immediately to apply this ready species of tourniquet, the thrust would have proved mortal. Lieutenant Tailour, as the lists inform us, obtained the just reward of his gallantry, in being immediately promoted to the rank of commander.

In the month of October in this year, the islands of Zante, Cephalonia, and their dependencies, surrendered, without opposition, to a combined naval and military force under the respective commands of Captain John William Spranger of the British 74-gun ship Warrior, and of Brigadier-general John Oswald. The island of Cerigo surrendered, upon similar terms, to Captain Jahleel Brenton of the British 38-gun frigate Spartan, and a division of troops under the command of Major Charles William Clarke, of the 35th regiment; as did also the island of Ithaca to the brig-sloop Philomel, Captain George Crawley, and a small detachment of troops under Captain Church of the army. By these vigorous measures, the inhabitants of these islands were liberated from the oppression of the French, and the septinsular republic was declared to be restored.

VOL. IV.

2 G

APPENDIX.

No. 1.-See p. 59.

By the Honourable William Cornwallis,

Admiral of the White,

Commander-in-chief,
&c. &c. &c.

Channel Fleet.

Your Lordship is hereby required and directed, in the ship you command, to proceed across the Bay of Biscay, with all expedition, to join Vice-Admiral Sir Robert Calder, who was stationed (before the action) to look out for the enemy from thirty to forty leagues west of Cape Finisterre. Your Lordship will be very careful to obtain intelligence of the Enemy's squadrons, if either of them should have put to sea from Rochfort or Ferrol, and to give the earliest information, where you may from circumstances believe them to be bound: And if you should fall in with a squadron of the Enemy's ships, continue, if possible, in sight, until you can ascertain their route, and then push on before them to make it known to me, or the officer commanding on that station, to which they seem to point their course.

Your Lordship is to follow Vice-Admiral Sir Robert Calder's orders if you fall in with him; otherwise you are to return and join me off Ushant, when the water on board the ship you command gets low.

Inclosed is a direction from the Vice-Admiral for any of his Majesty's ships which may be sent to look for him.

To the Right Honourable

Lord William Fitz Roy,
Captain of his Majesty's Ship Eolus.

Given on board the Ville-de-Paris,
off Ushant, 29th July, 1805,

WILLIAM CORNWALLIS.

*(Copy.)

No. 1.-continued.

Prince of Wales, 25th July, 1805,

at noon.

I shall part company with you this day, and make the best of my way to the rendezvous off Cape Finisterre, with the hope of falling in with Lord Nelson; if upon not finding his Lordship there in a short time after my arrival, I shall then proceed in search of the combined Squadrons supposed to be gone for Ferrol.

To Captain Boyles,
Windsor Castle.

ROBERT CALDER.

(Secret.)

My Lord,

No. 2. See P. 59.

Ville-de-Paris, off Ushant, 29th July, 1805.

In addition to the Orders given you this morning, I now send you, having this moment received it by the Nile, Vice-Admiral Sir Robert Calder's Rendezvous, No. 52,1 on which he intends to cruise for a few days, and afterwards to leave the Dragon there for a week.

Your Lordship will therefore proceed, taking charge of the inclosed despatch for the Vice-admiral: but on your not falling in with, or getting any information of him, or intelligence of the enemy, you are, at the expiration of seven days, to rejoin me, after looking out for him.