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diff --git a/old/63405-0.txt b/old/63405-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index ca39d35..0000000 --- a/old/63405-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,5840 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Personal Narrative of Events, From 1799 to -1815, by William Stanhope Lovell - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: Personal Narrative of Events, From 1799 to 1815 - -Author: William Stanhope Lovell - -Release Date: October 8, 2020 [EBook #63405] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PERSONAL NARRATIVE OF *** - - - - -Produced by Paul Clark and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - - - - - - - - - Transcriber's Note: - - Every effort has been made to replicate this text as faithfully as - possible, including inconsistent hyphenation and discrepancies in - numbers of guns. Some errors in the table of contents and chapter - summaries have been corrected. Some other changes have been made. - They are listed at the end of the text. - - Italic text has been marked with _underscores_. - - - - - PERSONAL NARRATIVE - OF EVENTS, - - FROM 1799 TO 1815, - - _WITH ANECDOTES_. - - - BY THE LATE - - VICE-ADM^{L.} W^{M.} STANHOPE LOVELL, R.N., K.H. - - SECOND EDITION. - - - London: - WM. ALLEN & CO., 13, WATERLOO PLACE, W. - - 1879. - - - - - WITHERBY AND CO., PRINTERS, - 74, CORNHILL; NEWMAN’S COURT, CORNHILL; AND 325A, HIGH HOLBORN, W.C. - - - - -_To_ Rear-Admiral Sir ROBERT BARRIE, C.B., K.C.H. - - -MY DEAR SIR ROBERT, - -In dedicating the following pages to you, under whose command I had the -honour of serving in the Chesapeake, &c., I do it with the greatest -respect, esteem, and admiration of your conduct. - -I must ever consider you as one of those officers upon whom the country -may safely rely in the hour of peril, and in whose hands it may entrust -its honour in the day of battle. Like the celebrated Bayard of old, -your career has obtained for you a character, “_sans peur et sans -reproche_.” - - Your faithful friend, - - THE AUTHOR. - - - - -_CONTENTS._ - - - CHAPTER I. PAGE - - First Trip to Sea--Shipmates--Admiral Sir John Borlase Warren, - Bart, K.B. 1 - - - CHAPTER II. - - Channel Cruising--Boat Expeditions--Anecdote of a Gallant - Mid--Ditto of Two Dandy Guardsmen--Expedition to Ferrol--Sir - James Pulteney, Sir Edward Pellew and the Donkey--The Unlucky - Cruise 7 - - - CHAPTER III. - - Cruise off Cadiz--Proceed up the Mediterranean to Egypt after a - French Squadron under Rear-Admiral Ganteaume, 1801 16 - - - CHAPTER IV. - - From the Peace of Amiens (1802) until the Commencement of the - Second Gallic War--Gambling 26 - - - CHAPTER V. - - From the Commencement of Second Gallic War until the Battle of - Trafalgar, 1805; with Anecdotes 30 - - - CHAPTER VI. - - The Battle of Trafalgar, and Extracts from the Log of His - Majesty’s Ship _Neptune_, on the 21st, 22nd, and 23rd - October, 1805 43 - - - CHAPTER VII. - - Joined the _Melpomene_--Sent up the Mediterranean--Tremendous - Weather, with Thunder, Lightning, and Water-spouts--Ship - loses her Rudder and Main-topmast--Proceed to Malta 57 - - - CHAPTER VIII. - - Siege of Gaeta by the French--Boat Affairs--My Capture--Leghorn 62 - - - CHAPTER IX. - - Malta--Dreadful Accident by the Explosion of a Magazine in the - Town, on the Bermola side--Nearly get into a Scrape about - Breaking Quarantine--Kind Answer of the gallant Admiral Sir - Sidney Smith to the Complaint--Rejoin the _Melpomene_--Mutiny - in Fribourg’s Regiment--Cruise in the Adriatic 73 - - - CHAPTER X. - - North American Station, from 1808 to - 1811--Bermuda--Anecdote--Death of Captain Conn 87 - - - CHAPTER XI. - - Lisbon--Trip to the Army of Lord Wellington--Montemor Novo, - O’Rodondo, Villa Vicosa, Elvas, Fort le Lippe 101 - - - CHAPTER XII. - - Lisbon, Cintra, Mafra, etc., 1811, 1812--Second Trip to the - Army--Taking of Badajoz 113 - - - CHAPTER XIII. - - Cadiz, Minorca, Majorca, Alicant, Carthagena, Algiers, Oran, - Altea Bay--Drive a French Privateer on Shore near Denia 124 - - - CHAPTER XIV. - - Siege of the Col de Balaguer--A Reconnoitering Party--Raising - of the Siege of Tarragona--Lieutenant-General Sir John and - Lady Murray--Rear-Admiral Benjamin Hallowell--Viscount - and Viscountess Mahon--Palermo, Veniros; Upset in a - Boat--Valencia--Holland 136 - - - CHAPTER XV. - - 1814--Sent to Bermuda--Operations in the Chesapeake--The - River Patuxent--Expedition to Washington--Town of - Rappahannock--River Rappahannock--Commodore Robert Barrie, - etc. 150 - - - CHAPTER XVI. - - Operations in South Carolina--Capture of Cumberland Island - and the Fort of Point-à-Petre--An Affair with the American - Riflemen in the Woods--An Abattis--Anecdotes of the 2nd West - India Regiment--A Rattlesnake--Capture of the Town of St. - Mary’s--Destruction of the Forts and Barracks--Nassau, New - Providence--Compliment to the Royal Marines--Return Home 173 - - - - -A PERSONAL NARRATIVE OF EVENTS. - - - - -CHAPTER I. - - First trip to sea--Shipmates--Admiral Sir John Borlase Warren, - Bart, K.B. - - -My father[A] and uncle both served their king and country in the -American war of independence; the former was with Lord Cornwallis’s -army when it surrendered at York to the American forces under the -command of General Washington (he was at that time an officer in the -6th Regiment of Foot); and the latter in the 4th Dragoons. Both were -magistrates for the county of Buckinghamshire, and served the office of -high sheriff for the same. - -When scarcely ten years old, I joined H.M. ship _Renown_ (74) in -Torbay, bearing the flag (blue at the mizen) of one of the most -amiable men in the service, Sir John Borlase Warren, Bt, K.B., who had -commanded a squadron of dashing frigates during all the early part of -the war, and had taken and destroyed several French ships, and finished -his glorious flying squad career by capturing most of those, which, -under the command of Monsieur Bompart, had been sent with troops to -assist the Irish during the rebellion of 1798, thereby saving the blood -of thousands in Ireland, if not Ireland itself. A better or braver -officer than the late Admiral Sir J. B. Warren never lived; he was that -perfect model of a gentleman that every one might take as a pattern. I -had the melancholy honour of following him to his grave, and wept over -it tears of unfeigned sorrow. - -But to commence my peregrinations. I still recollect the delight that -a letter from my father gave me when at school, informing me I was -to leave Latin and Greek, which classical knowledge was all blown -overboard and forgotten the first gale of wind at sea; and after -spending a short time at Little Missenden Abbey (which then belonged -to my father) with my mother and two sisters,[B] I proceeded to -Portsmouth, thence to find a passage to join the before-mentioned ship -in Torbay. - -I bore the parting with my kind, dear, excellent mother and sisters -pretty well, because my father accompanied me to Portsmouth to see me -safely launched into a new world; but when he took leave, I thought -my heart would burst with grief. Time, however, reconciles us to -everything, and the gaiety and thoughtlessness of youth, added to the -cocked hat, dirk, spy-glass, etc., of a nautical fit out, assisted -wonderfully to dry my tears, and, in a manner, reconciled me to a new -scene of life. - -Captain Pickmore, who at that period commanded the _Royal William_, at -Spithead, very kindly sent me on board the _Montague_ (74) with all my -baggage, in the admiral’s tender, to join my ship to the westward. The -first night on board was not the most pleasant; the noises unusual to a -novice--sleeping in a hammock for the first time--its tarry smell--the -wet cables for a bed carpet, and a somersault or two from my lubberly -manner of getting into it, made me draw comparisons between sleeping on -beds of down ashore, and my new abode, by no means very favourable to -the latter. - -The second day after quitting Portsmouth brought us to Torbay, where -the channel fleet of thirty-six sail of the line, under Lord Bridport, -was lying at anchor. I was soon transferred to my own ship, and -introduced to my new messmates. - -We lived in the gun-room on the lower deck, and in fine weather -had daylight, which was better in many respects than the old -midshipmen’s berths in the cockpit. Amongst the youngsters were some -within a year or two as young as myself; nice boys, full of fun -and mischief, who soon initiated me in the sea pranks of “sawing -your bed-posts,”--cutting you down head and foot; “reefing your -bed-clothes,”--making them up into hard balls which, if properly done, -will take one unpractised in the art a good half-hour or more to -undo. It used to be a great annoyance to come off deck after a first -or middle watch (from eight at night to twelve, or from twelve to -four in the morning), perhaps quite wet through, thinking, on being -relieved, what a nice sleep you would have, to find, on going to your -hammock, all your sheets and blankets made up into hard balls, and a -good half-hour’s work in the dark to undo them, particularly when tired -and sleepy. During your labour to effect this, you had the pleasure of -hearing the mischievous fellows that had a hand in doing it, laughing -in their hammocks, and offering their condolences by saying what a -shame it was to play such tricks when you were absent on deck, keeping -your watch, and recommending you to lick them all round, if you were -able, or at all events to retaliate the first opportunity. - -Blowing the grampus (sluicing you with water), and many other tricks -used to be resorted to occasionally. Taking it all in good part, from -the persuasion that it was the customary initiation to a sea life, my -torments were few, for when the art of tormenting ceases to irritate, -it loses the effect intended, and it generally ends by your shipmates -saying, “Well, you are a good-natured fellow, and shall not be annoyed -any more.” - -I must do my brother mids the justice to say that a more kind-hearted -set was not to be met with. We had few or no real quarrels the four -years we sailed together, and, whenever spare time permitted, our -evenings were spent in the amusements afforded by the old games of -cribbage, loo, draughts and able wackets, which is a kind of forfeit -played with cards, where each player is subject, for every mistake, -to one or more blows with a knotted handkerchief on the palm of the -hand. Many of them have paid the debt of nature, but some have risen -to high rank and honours, most deservedly, in the service. We were -all kept tight at work, and had at least four hours of sky-parlour -(being sent to the main-topmast-head), when our watch was over, for -every delinquency. I recollect one of my messmates was a lazy fellow, -and shocking bad relief (the Hon. Henry Dawson); he always kept the -unfortunate mid he had to relieve at least half-an-hour beyond his time -on deck, until his patience was exhausted, forcing him to the unwelcome -alternative of making a complaint to the lieutenant of the watch, who -sent down to bring his relief on deck. It frequently happened that an -old quarter-master, named Ned Cowen, was employed on this errand; he -was a complete character, and as he had sailed round the world with the -celebrated Captain Cook, and was a great favourite with us mids, we -used to get him into our berth, give the old fellow a glass or two of -grog, and make him relate his adventures. - -Whenever old Ned presented himself at the Honble. H. Dawson’s hammock, -he signified the purport of his visit with this summons--“Come, -Mr. Dawson, past one bell (the half-hour after the watch has been -called), turn out, show a leg, or I am ordered to bring you up on the -quarter-deck, hammock and all; take my advice, bring a good, thick -greatcoat with you; it is a wet night, and the masthead waiting for -you--the old story, you know.” The delinquent’s tale of “overslept -myself, sir,” was quite worn out--it occurred too often; therefore -nothing was left but to mount up to the masthead, and there enjoy the -refreshing breezes, fine showers, and exhilarating air of sky-parlour, -to awaken him from his balmy slumbers. - -The ship was in fine order and a perfect man-of-war, well manned and -officered. The lieutenants were good seamen, knew and did their duty -promptly, and managed the ship well. - -Of the first lieutenants, two, after being promoted, found a watery -grave--poor Hawes, in the _Moucheron_, brig of 16 guns, which foundered -in a heavy gale with all his crew; and the gallant Burke shared a -similar fate in the _Seagull_, of 18 guns. - - - - -CHAPTER II. - - Channel cruising--Boat expeditions--Anecdote of a gallant - mid--Ditto of two dandy Guardsmen--Expedition to Ferrol--Sir James - Pulteney, Sir Edward Pellew and the donkey--The unlucky cruise. - - -Our first cruise was with the channel fleet off Brest, and to me, a -boy of ten years old, it appeared a great feat, blocking up a superior -French one in their own harbour, and offering them battle daily, -without their daring to come out of port. - -The winter’s cruise of 1799 and spring of 1800 was very stormy; nothing -but heavy gales from S.W. to N.W. to N.E. and E., which blew us nearly -at one time within sight of Ireland. - -We had various commanders-in-chief, to each of whom the sailors had -given a peculiar nick-name. The Honble. Admiral William Cornwallis was -styled “Billy Blue,” from his flag (blue at the main), and hoisting, -the moment we dropped anchor from the S.W. gales in Torbay, a blue -Peter--a hint for every person to remain on board, ready to sail again -the moment the wind came round sufficiently to the northward to enable -the fleet to proceed down channel to resume the blockade of Brest; Lord -Bridport--“Lord Bread-bags” (Jack’s pun upon his lordship’s name); -Admiral Sir Allan Gardner--“Old Junk,” because he was a tough old -fellow, and kept the ships so long at sea upon salt junk; and Lord St. -Vincent--“Sour Crout,” from his stern deportment. The latter had no -sooner joined than he detached us with the _Defence_ (74), _Fisgard_, -and _Beaulieu_ frigates, under our orders, into the Bay of Biscay, to -annoy the coast of France. - -Our first attempt was at the Penmarks, where we succeeded in cutting -out several French _chasse-marées_, and other craft, laden with brandy, -wine, and provisions for the fleet in Brest harbour. The boats were -commanded by the gallant Lieutenants Burke and John Thompson, of the -_Renown_. This service was performed with little loss. Our next attempt -was on some armed vessels in the river Quimper, coast of Brittany, but -the boats did not succeed in finding the vessels: they, suspecting a -visit, had moved higher up the river, whither it was not prudent to -follow them. The crews were, therefore, landed, and having succeeded in -destroying a fort at the entrance of the river, they returned on board -without loss. - -The third attempt was at Noirmoutier, near the mouth of the river -Loire, in La Vendée--a tide harbour. Success at first crowned our -exertions; the boats of the squadron, again under Lieutenants Burke, -had already burnt three vessels, mounting from 12, 18, to 24 guns, with -some small craft, and were thinking of returning, when the ebbing of -the tide, which the gallant assailants, carried away by their ardour, -had failed to perceive, left all the boats high and dry, exposed to -the fire of the French batteries. However, Lieutenants Burke and -Thompson, with a part of the men, dragged a large fishing boat and -our barge through the mud, and got safe back to the ships, leaving -the remainder of the boats, with 76 of our best men and some officers -prisoners, besides a few killed and wounded. A poor messmate of mine, a -midshipman, named Jago, who was afterwards killed in the Mediterranean -on another cutting-out affair, in remembrance of this transaction, -called out on that occasion to some of his men who seemed disposed to -hang back, “Come, my lads, stick by me now, as you stuck by me in the -mud at Noirmoutier.” - -In consequence of this untoward affair, we sailed for Portsmouth to -refit. Previous to sailing, the ship was paid. I was stationed on the -starboard gangway to keep off the boats, but leaning too far over -the side, fell overboard, and got a good ducking, but fortunately -escaped breaking my head against a boat that was alongside by falling -between her and the ship. Luckily the people in the boat picked me up -immediately, for at that time I could not swim. - -After the ship had refitted, and obtained a draft of seamen and -marines, and new boats in lieu of those we had lost on the coast of -France, we joined the fleet again off Brest, under the command of Earl -St. Vincent. - -In August our admiral was detached with a strong squadron to take the -naval command of the expedition, under General Sir James Pulteney, -against Ferrol. - -I recollect, on this expedition, two dandy young guardsmen came on -board for a passage, and, being too late for dinner in the ward-room, a -nice beefsteak and bottle of port wine was given them at a side table. -After contemplating it a little while, with a supercilious turn of the -mouth and nose, one of them made the sage remark, that “he thought -they might be able to rough it pretty well with such fare every day in -a campaign; but, really, common port wine, beefsteaks, and potatoes, -was not fit food for guardsmen.” I’ll answer for it long before their -regiment returned from Egypt they were very glad to get much worse -fare, and if either of them lived to serve with the noble Wellington in -the Peninsula, their pride of stomach must have had many a fall. - -The results of the unfortunate expedition to Ferrol are too well known -to need further record; the gallant army, to a man, regretted that -their evil genius placed them under the command of such a general, and -we, of the navy, lamented our ill-luck that prevented us from taking -the beautiful Spanish fleet that lay at anchor in the harbour. - -It was reported--and, I believe, with truth--that at the very time our -troops were being re-embarked, the Spanish governor had even sent out -an officer with the keys of the fortress in his hands, and an offer of -terms to surrender; but he, seeing how matters stood, returned back -to his general, rejoicing, and informed him that the British army was -in full retreat, and part were already on board. The Spaniards had -laid a strong boom across the harbour, flanked by two very powerful -batteries--one on each side of the entrance. - -Sir James Pulteney promised to take the one on the left, or larboard -hand, while the boats, filled with sailors and marines, were to storm -the other at the same time. - -Seven sail of the line were prepared for action, with springs on -their cables, and a spare one out of the gun-room stern port, bent -to the sheet anchor, ready for bringing up head and stern; in short, -everything was in a forward state for the attack, and the _London_ (98 -guns) was to break the boom, and the rest of the ships to follow in -line of battle. - -All hearts beat with joyful expectation, when, to our utmost -surprise and indignation, a signal was made from the shore that the -commander-in-chief of the land forces had given up the idea of attack, -and boats were to be sent immediately to embark the troops. - -The gallant Sir Edward Pellew, who commanded the _Impétueux_ (74), was -ready to burst with rage when he found the object of the expedition -given up, at a time when it was almost within our grasp, and without -making one serious effort to obtain it. It was reported in the squadron -that he embarked an ass, and used to go up to it, and take off his hat, -and say, “How do you do, Sir James? I hope nothing troubled you in your -sleep last night in the way of unpleasant dreams, or that the nightmare -did not disturb your rest.” - -After this sad affair we sailed for Vigo Bay, where our appearance -with so large a force put the inhabitants in bodily fear. When we were -standing into the bay a large French ship (privateer) was observed to -haul under the citadel. At night the boats of the squadron, commanded -by the daring Lieutenant Burke, were sent to bring her out, which they -most gallantly accomplished, after a severe and desperate struggle. She -was called _La Guêpe_, of 18 long nine-pounders, with 244 men, sails -bent, and perfectly ready for sea, and was going to look after our -homeward-bound West Indiamen, and intended to have sailed the evening -of the day of our arrival. - -She had her boarding nettings up, and everything ready for a stout -resistance. On the approach of the boats the privateer and the forts -opened a heavy fire of round and grape, but they, nothing daunted, gave -three hearty cheers, dashed on, and, after a most gallant defence, she -was boarded and brought out. Lieutenant Burke was severely wounded by a -pike through both thighs, and the French captain, who most heroically -fought his ship to the last moment, died of his wounds an hour after -she was taken. He asked (poor fellow!) if he had done all he could -to defend his ship; being answered in the affirmative, and justly -complimented on his gallant conduct, he gave a faint smile, and expired. - -During the time we lay at anchor here we were in the habit of sending -a boat to haul the seine on the Bayonne islands, and we were generally -pretty successful. Amongst other fish, we frequently caught the -torpedo[C], which gave me a practical lesson of its electric powers. - -On the 6th of September a tremendous heavy gale came on from the -southward and westward, in which several vessels belonging to our -convoy drifted from their anchors, and went on shore. The _Stag_, -frigate, of 32 guns, Captain Winthrop, was wrecked upon Point Subudo. -However, we fortunately saved the crew; but the men of some transports -and merchant vessels that went on shore in other parts of the bay fell -into the hands of the Spaniards. Not being able to get the _Stag_ -off, she was burnt the same evening. The moment the wind and weather -permitted we sailed with the expedition from Vigo Bay, and, having seen -them safe off the coast, the admiral, according to orders, gave up his -charge to Captain Sir Alexander Cochrane, and proceeded off the Western -Islands in search of some Spanish galleons, said to be coming home in a -Portuguese convoy. - -We had with us four sail-of-the-line, and three frigates. - -During our cruise we fell in thrice with a large French ship -(privateer), but her legs were too nimble for us. One day, when we had -all sail set, and were carrying every stitch of canvass we could crowd -in chase, with a fine breeze, and nearing her fast, our unlucky genius, -which had attended us all this cruise, from the sprite that said “Bo!” -to old Pulteney at Ferrol, still haunted us up to the present time. We -carried away our foretop-mast, and she again escaped. - -The _Renown_ being by far the best sailing ship of the squadron, the -others stood no chance with the privateer, who very quietly hauled up -her courses, and no doubt enjoyed the fun of looking at us _hors de -combat_. - -Two days after we fell in with two Portuguese convoys from the Brazils, -bound to Lisbon. One we spoke; the others were boarded by the frigates -to windward. The Portuguese captains of the men-of-war pledged their -word of honour that no Spanish ships were under their protection. We, -like geese, trusted to it, or rather, the frigates did. Will it be -believed that in the above convoy were the five Spanish treasure-ships -we were looking for, which arrived a few days after safe at Lisbon! And -when they passed under the stern of the _Cynthia_, British sloop-of-war -that was lying there, they hauled down their Portuguese colours, -hoisted the Spanish, and fired a royal--and, no doubt, joyful--salute; -and well they might. They had in the five vessels ten millions of -specie, besides valuable cargoes. - -We afterwards heard that this business caused a very angry communication -from our Government to that of Portugal; but they, like true -diplomatists, threw the whole blame from themselves on the weakest -party, by denying any knowledge of the transaction, dismissed and -imprisoned the captains of their men-of-war for a short time, who on -being released went to Spain, and were there promoted to rank and -honours. - -After this _finale_ of our unlucky cruise, we returned to Plymouth -to refit, and get provisions and water. While there orders came -to complete our stores of all kinds for foreign service. Captain -Thomas Eyles left the ship, and Captain John Chambers White took -the command--a strict, good, and excellent officer, who has filled -a high situation at Woolwich Dockyard since the peace, and is now a -Rear-Admiral of the White. We were all delighted with the idea of -getting away from the heavy winter gales and monotonous cruising of the -channel fleet. - -A word upon channel cruising. I defy any person at the present day, -except the old officers, to know the constant anxiety of the captains -and officers of the channel fleet, sailing in two or three lines in -heavy gales and thick weather. It required great attention in the -lieutenants of the watch, a most strict and careful look-out to prevent -accidents, and to have their wits always about them, ready to act at -a minute’s warning. By the good discipline kept up, the look-out was -perfect, and, to the _very great credit_ of the officers of the watch, -_scarce an accident_ occurred during the long, tiresome, and harassing -blockade of Brest, comprising a period of more than twenty years. - - - - -CHAPTER III. - - Cruise off Cadiz--Proceed up the Mediterranean to Egypt after a - French squadron under Rear-Admiral Ganteaume, 1801. - - -In November, 1800, we sailed for Gibraltar. I was much pleased to see -the celebrated rock, so well defended by the gallant Elliot in 1782, -and to read, on the spot, Colonel Drinkwater’s most amusing history of -that famous siege. - -As late as the year 1801, the greater part of the garrison was still -covered with shot and broken shells, thrown by the Spaniards at that -period. They have since been collected, and sold to be melted down for -various purposes, some probably to be again converted into missiles of -destruction. - -We cruised off Cadiz in company with the _Dragon_, _Hector_, and -_Gibraltar_, of 74 guns each, until the spring of 1801, detaining the -Danish and Swedish vessels, when a French squadron of eight sail of -the line (some frigates, and a store ship), having made their escape -from Brest, at a time the channel fleet was blown off, passed us in the -night, and pushed up the Mediterranean for Toulon, to embark troops for -Egypt, to strengthen their force there. - -The _Mercury_ (28), Captain Rogers, and the _Incendiary_ (fire-ship), -joined us in the morning, and informed us they had been chased by -them. Although we had only four sail of the line, no time was lost in -proceeding after them; first touching at Gibraltar for provisions, -then running over to Marjarine Bay, on the coast of Barbary, for -water, and from thence to Port Mahon, to see if chance would send us -a reinforcement. There we found the _Alexander_ (74), Captain Sir -Alexander Ball, the _Généreux_ (80), not half-manned, and the _Harlaem_ -(64), _en flute_; however, they made a show of strength, and to sea we -went in search of the French squadron, under Rear-Admiral Ganteaume, -and steered for Toulon. Ill fortune attended us; for in a heavy gale, -the _Généreux_ rolled away all her top-masts, and sprung a leak, which -caused us to put back to Minorca, with our crippled ships, from which -place the above-named ship was never again in a state to accompany us. - -The moment the rest of the squadron was ready for sea, our persevering -admiral again sailed, and although with one ship less, he ventured -to reconnoitre Toulon, where we found the French had also put back -damaged, and were apparently employed in refitting. We, therefore, -shaped our course for Minorca. On our way thither, to complete our -water and provisions, we chased a Spanish convoy into Cadeque, a small -port near the entrance of the Bay of Rosas; but the admiral did not -think, under existing circumstances, it was worth while risking the -loss of lives to attack them, having the prospect of an action with a -superior French force in view; we, therefore, returned to Port Mahon -to get ready to proceed after the enemy’s fleet in Toulon. - -During our stay, we heard that we were to be joined at Malta by His -Majesty’s ship _Athénienne_ (64), which was not even coppered, and -had only half her complement of men. Having put the ships into as -good a state as circumstances would admit, we proceeded to Malta, and -there picked up the 64 gun-ship, which completed our ill-conditioned -squadron, viz., five good ships of the line, one 64, _en flute_, and -another 64, half-manned, and with no copper on her bottom. - -With these ships we went to look for Admiral Ganteaume; and off the -island of Maretimo, we fell in with the _Salamine_ brig, of 16 guns, -which gave us information that the day before she had been chased by -the French squadron, and that by shaping our course to south-east, -we should probably see them next morning. What joy ran through the -different ships! but, alas! owing to the ill-sailing of our squadron, -all our hopes were frustrated. We did, indeed, get sight of them -the following day at dawn, far to windward, and by a shift of wind, -shortly after brought them right a-head, so that although there were -no light airs, by sun-set we could see more than halfway down their -courses; yet most of our ships, with the exception of the _Hector_ and -_Dragon_, were very far astern, some hull down. Still, however, we -hoped with three good ships of the line to bring their rear to action -in the night, and so retard them, that the next day our bad sailing -ships might pick up any birds we had winged, while we stood on after -the others; but bad fortune attended us, our only frigate, the old -_Mercury_, of 28 guns, sailed so heavily as to be unable to keep them -in view. At ten at night, foggy, hazy weather came on, we lost sight -of our game, and the next morning the horizon was so obscured that the -enemy was no longer to be seen. - -What was to be done? We knew Alexandria, or some part of the coast -of Egypt, was their destination, and thither we steered. Ganteaume -guessed we should follow him thither, and, like a cunning old fox, -taking advantage of the hazy night, soon after dark hauled his wind -on the starboard tack, and doubled round us; therefore, at daylight, -in consequence of the very thick state of the atmosphere preventing -our seeing him, we preceded him to the coast of Egypt, while he shaped -his course for Cape Derne Head, and tried to land his troops a little -to the westward of Alexandria; but the few that attempted it were -soon murdered by the Arabs, and he, not feeling himself quite at his -ease for fear of our again meeting him, returned back to Toulon to -refit. After taking in water and provisions, he once more proceeded to -the coast of Egypt, and although he did not land his men, picked up -His Majesty’s ship _Swiftsure_ (74), Captain Ben. Hallowell, who was -obliged to surrender, after a gallant defence, and took his prize safe -into the harbour of Toulon. - -In the meantime we kept on our course for Alexandria, and at the end -of March arrived off there, and joined the fleet of Lord Keith. Here -a sad and heavy affliction awaited our amiable admiral. The first -news was, that our gallant army had landed on the 8th, and that his -brave, handsome, and only son, who belonged to the Coldstream Guards, -had been killed on landing. He bore his loss with the resignation of a -Christian, but with the feelings of a father. - -Having remained off Alexandria for a few weeks, Lord Keith detached -us in search of our old friend Ganteaume, but first of all taking -away one of our best ships, the _Hector_ (74), and giving us in lieu -the _Stately_ (64), _en flute_, a Turkish 64, and a corvette. During -our stay the captain pacha, and other Turkish admirals, came on -board on a visit of condolence to our admiral. I recollect he was a -very fine-looking man, with a long black beard, and brought his pipe -and coffee-cup bearers with him. The mouth of the pipe was set with -diamonds, and so were his coffee-cups. Old Tombrook, the captain of the -Turkish 64, that sailed with us, was introduced to the admiral, and the -captain pacha said that if he did not behave well, Sir John had only -to write a note to him, and his head should be taken off immediately -on his return to the Turkish fleet; or if the admiral preferred it, he -would send an executioner on purpose to decapitate Captain Tombrook, -and lay his head at Sir John B. Warren’s feet. - -We left Alexandria the beginning of May, and sailed for Coron, in the -Morea, to procure wood, water, and fresh provisions, of which we stood -very much in need, the scurvy having begun to make its appearance from -our long continuance at sea upon bad salt and other food of the worst -quality. The bread was full of maggots and weevils, the flour musty, -and swarming with insects, the water so putrid, thick and stinking, -that often have I held my nose with my hand while I drank it strained -through my pocket handkerchief; and we were so short of this necessary -article, that our consumption was limited to two pints a day for all -purposes. Provisions, at the time I am speaking of, were not like those -supplied now-a-days from Her Majesty’s stores; everything then was done -by an infamous job contract; government paid through thick and thin -for everything, and we poor devils had to suffer in consequence of the -neglect of those persons under government winking at the nefarious jobs -of contractors, and no doubt they had weighty reasons for so doing. - -I recollect, in a mid’s berth, we used to ask what such-and-such a -county was famous for. Suffolk, in our black book, was put down as -famous for supplying the navy with rotten and bad cheese. Burgoo was -served out with treacle for breakfast, instead of nice wholesome cocoa -and sugar; and will it be believed, that until the peace of 1802, -French merchants had a contract for supplying the British Navy with -French brandy, while our West Indian merchants knew not what to do with -their rum and cocoa! At last John Bull awoke from his dream, and it -struck him that soldiers and sailors liked rum just as well as brandy, -and that by giving them cocoa for breakfast it would not only assist -the West Indian merchants, but give general satisfaction throughout the -fleet. - -I take this opportunity of mentioning the night-blindness which seized -several of our ship’s company after dark. It came on immediately it -began to grow dusk. First we thought it was sham, in order to skulk -from their watches, but we soon found it was not the case. The men were -first attacked off Egypt, and it was supposed it was occasioned by the -heavy dews. I have since been informed that it frequently occurs in -tropical climates. - -We remained at Coron ten days, getting supplies; but gained no -intelligence of the French squadron, though the Turkish corvette had -been despatched for that purpose, to make enquiries at the different -out-ports. On her return, we sailed for Malta, where the Christian -slaves, on board the two Turkish men-of-war, were liberated on our -arrival, to the great joy of the Maltese. Having refitted, we proceeded -to Port Mahon, and from thence to cruise off Toulon. On our passage, -we had most severe thunder and lightning, which struck the _Dragon_ -and ourselves, indeed, all the squadron more or less; the former’s -main-mast was injured, and our mizen-top-gallant-mast was dashed to -atoms, the top-mast shaken into laths, the mizen-mast set on fire, -and the few tin and iron pots and pans, we mids had in the gun-room, -were every one perforated in the same manner, as if a musket-ball had -been fired through them. The lightning then providentially took a -direction out of one of the gun-room ports, and escaped; several men -on board both ships were much scorched, and one man in the _Dragon_ -killed. If the _Renown_ had been one of the old 74’s, whose mizen-mast -stepped in the after magazine, she must have been blown up; but, -fortunately, her’s stepped in the gun-room. We stood on for the Gulf -of Lyons, and looked into Toulon, and there saw the French ships lying -with their prize, the _Swiftsure_, some of the ships stripped, one -with her main-mast out, and no chance of their putting to sea again -for some time. We, therefore, proceeded to the Island of Elba, and -on our way fell in with two French frigates, and chased them into -Leghorn; the _Stately_ (64), _en flute_, got pretty near them, but -they slipped through her fingers. One named the _Success_, of 32 guns, -formerly British, captured by the French squadron, under Rear-Admiral -Ganteaume, on his passage from Brest to Toulon, a few months before, -was afterwards taken by the _Minerve_ (36), Captain Cockburn, and -_Phœnix_ (32), Captain Halstead, and they drove the _Bravoure_ (44) on -shore near Leghorn, and destroyed her. We then went to endeavour to -relieve the garrison of Porto Ferajo, which was closely besieged by the -French, and a sortie was agreed upon by the garrison. The intention was -to turn the enemy’s works, and destroy his batteries, and a party of -sailors and marines were landed to assist at the attack; but the troops -from Porto Ferajo, being all foreigners, in our pay, composed of Swiss -and Germans, did not know us nor we them. All parties met in the dark, -and hearing these people talk French, our men fired upon them, and they -upon us. The sortie never reached its destination--Johnny Crapaud was -not to be caught napping--our expedition partly failed in its object; -Captain Long, of His Majesty’s brig _Vincego_, was killed. “_Sauve -qui peut_” was the order of the day, and a pell-mell retreat to the -boats became necessary. Followed by the French, several were killed, -wounded, and taken prisoners, and some shot in the water, trying to -swim off to the boats. A few days after, the following ludicrous song -appeared on board, to the tune of “Vinegar Hill”:-- - - “Pray were you at Elba races? - Were you there in the morning? - Some were picking of grapes,[D] - Some were drinking of wine, - And some were running away, - And singing out, ‘Oh! rare Elba races.’” - -We then returned to Minorca to get more troops; but shortly after our -arrival, a French man-of-war brig, from Toulon, came into the roads, -with despatches, to inform us the preliminary treaty of peace had been -signed at Amiens. - -While we remained at Minorca, we lost our captain of marines (Burns), -a very worthy man. His death was singular. A vessel, a few weeks after -the arrival of the French brig, came from England, confirming the -news from France, with an order to cease hostilities; also bringing -letters and papers. It was one in the morning when the news came. Poor -Burns got up quite well, and sat laughing and talking, and hearing the -news from old England, and saying what he should do when he got upon -half-pay; called for a glass of cold water, which he drank off, and -laid down in his cot again; the cramp seized him in his stomach, and in -five minutes he was a corpse. He was much beloved in the ship, full of -humour, and a kind-hearted pleasant man. He was buried with military -honours at Port Mahon, all the officers of the ship, and many of the -squadron, attending his funeral. - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - - From the Peace of Amiens (1802) until the commencement of the - second Gallic War--Gambling. - - -I fortunately remained in the Mediterranean during the whole of the -short peace, which helped on my mid’s time, in the _Renown_ (74), with -Captain John C. White[E], a smart officer. Our worthy and amiable -admiral struck his flag at Minorca, and returned to England, from -whence he was shortly sent, at the request of the Emperor of Russia, -to St. Petersburgh, as ambassador, and gave universal satisfaction. -Indeed, he was fully capable of wielding the sword, using the pen, or -managing the weighty matters of a court. - -From Minorca we sailed for Malta--at which place we remained nine -months, without ever going out of it. - -The harbour was crowded with men-of-war, and the garrison with troops, -returned from Egypt. I heard of a great deal of gambling taking -place--some duels in consequence, and suicides. Of all vices, gambling -is the worst, for you not only risk your own ruin, but that of your -family also; and a man of honour and principle stands no chance with -black-legs. A person possessed of affluence ought not to gamble, -because he cannot want another’s money, and a poor man that does so, -and plays for a large amount, must be a swindler, knowing that if he -loses he has not the means to pay; he generally, therefore, gives leg -bail for the amount. - -Our time passed rather heavily during this long sojourn in one place. -We used, however, to go occasionally in a boat to St. Paul’s Bay, and -have a ride to Florean to see the catacombs, and to Cività Vecchia to -view the handsome church of St. Paul. - -A malignant fever broke out in several of the ships, owing, probably, -to the great heat of the weather, when many died: it was something like -the yellow fever, and came on in August and September. - -Shortly after this we embarked two companies of artillery, under a -Captain McDonald, and Lieutenants Dougal, Campbell, and Carmichael, -with orders to proceed to Gibraltar, and thence home. Owing to heavy -westerly winds, we had a six weeks’ passage, and found on our arrival -that a most serious disturbance had taken place amongst the troops -in the garrison, which ended in one of the regiments being packed -off to the West Indies. Various causes were assigned for the mutiny, -and amongst others, a too sudden change from a very relaxed state of -discipline to the opposite extreme. - -After remaining here a few days, though we had expected to sail the -moment the wind came to the eastward for England, the arrival of -despatches from thence stopped our proceeding. - -Napoleon’s plans, by the wisdom and foresight of the Ministry, were -seen through, and orders arrived for the detention of all the ships -of the line (at all serviceable) then in the Mediterranean, instead -of sending them to England. This created a partial murmur amongst the -different crews; but the firmness and strict discipline of our captain -and officers kept our ship’s company perfectly quiet. The crew of the -_Gibraltar_, however, broke out, and two of the unfortunate men were -hanged afterwards in Orestana Bay, Sardinia. - -We sailed from the Rock in September, 1802, for Orestana Bay, in -company with the _Dragon_ (74) and _Gibraltar_ (80), and there joined -Rear-Admiral Sir R. Bickerton’s squadron. On our way an accident -occurred, which very nearly sent us back to the Rock a cripple. In the -act of wearing, we ran on board of the old _Gibraltar_. Fortunately, it -was fine weather, as we took her nearly amidships, carried away part -of our cutwater and jib-boom, but did her no damage. It was our fault. -The signal was made to wear together. We were to windward. The _Renown_ -answered her helm in a moment. Not so the old _Gibraltar_, she took -longer time, and before she could get out of our way we were on board -of her. - -Our time (nearly nine weeks) passed dull enough at this anchorage. -Occasionally we went shooting and fishing. Fish, however, were -scarce--although, had we taken the right method, more perhaps might -have been caught. Plenty of those beautiful large mussels, whose shells -are nearly two feet long, were to be found quite at the head of the -bay in the shallows; also mullet and rock fish; and on the different -shores various kinds of plover, and other wild fowl. But small shot was -so scarce in the squadron, that the feathered tribe were not so much -diminished as they might have been. I recollect one of the lieutenants, -named Jane (now a captain), used to employ me to roll slugs between -pieces of wood to convert them into a kind of round-shot, for which -service he generally took me with him on his shooting excursions. -The inhabitants of these parts are a wild race of beings, and mostly -clothed in black sheep skins, the wool outside. - -We left Sardinia in November, and proceeded to Malta for the winter, -and on the 18th of May, 1803, put to sea with the squadron, under Sir -R. Bickerton, Bart., to cruise off Naples, matters having assumed an -hostile appearance at home. - -After sailing through the Faro of Messina, when passing near the -island of Stromboli, its volcano broke out in a most beautiful -eruption, which lasted for several months. We had the good fortune -to be becalmed pretty near it for a whole night, which gave us a -magnificent illumination, and at intervals a cloud of fireworks, thrown -from its crater into the air, sent forth a brilliant light. Having -been off deck in my watch, and my quarter and station bills not being -correct and kept in good order, I had four hours of sky-parlour on the -main-royal-cross-trees, which enabled me to have a fine view of the -burning mountain, and of its river of fire, which appeared to run from -its crater into the sea. - - - - -CHAPTER V. - - From the commencement of second Gallic War until the Battle of - Trafalgar, 1805; with Anecdotes. - - -Whilst off Naples official notice reached us of the declaration of war -against France, and we proceeded immediately off Toulon, where, in the -course of a short time, Lord Nelson arrived in a frigate, and took the -command of the fleet in the Mediterranean. His lordship’s flagship (the -_Victory_) joined us in a few weeks, having on her passage out captured -a French frigate, and some merchant vessels. We continued to cruise -in the Gulf of Lyons from June, 1803, until the 24th of July, 1804, -without ever going into any port to refit. It is true that occasionally -the whole fleet ran from the heavy gales of the Gulf of Lyons, and -took shelter in various outlandish places in Sardinia, where we could -get wood and water, such as at Agincourt Sound--amongst the Magdalen -islands--in the Straits of Bonifacio (a most beautiful anchorage, -sheltered from all winds); but the shores and country around are the -picture of desolation--no town--no trees of any size--rocks upon rocks, -and the stunted bushes of the wild myrtle and arbutus merely sufficient -for the purposes of fuel. There was a small village seven or eight -miles off, at one of the Magdalen islands, where some few got their -linen washed, but most of us in the fleet were put to our shifts to get -that necessary comfort (clean linen) accomplished. - -These long cruises used to put our wits sadly to the test for -an appearance of a bit of white linen above our black cravats, -particularly when we had to answer the signal for a midshipman on board -the flagship. - -Soap was almost--indeed, I might say, quite--as scarce an article as -clean shirts and stockings. It was a common thing in those days of real -hard service to turn shirts and stockings inside out, and make them do -a little more duty. Sometimes we used to search the clothes-bag to see -“if one good turn deserved another.” These expedients, added to reefed -stockings, made us appear sufficiently dandified to go and answer the -signal. Borrowing those articles that had been washed on shore--if such -a thing was left amongst one of us--was quite out of the question, for -we knew the day of repayment was very far off. - -The island of Sardinia affords several good anchorages for fleets and -squadrons in particular winds: Orestana Bay, St. Peter, St. Antonio, -Cagliari, from the south-west to the south side, and Terra Nova Bay -on the north-east; besides many others for single or few ships. Porto -Conti, for instance, on the north-west part of the island, is a very -safe one. Our noble and gallant chief used to manage to get us fresh -beef twice a week--that is to say, so many live bullocks were embarked -on board each ship, and we killed them as we wanted them--by which -means, with the assistance of oranges that were procured occasionally, -few cases of scurvy occurred in the fleet, notwithstanding our long -stay at sea. But as for articles of luxury--tea, potatoes, soap, and -other sea stores for our messes--we had none. - -The inhabitants of Sardinia were as wild as their country; the -mountaineers and lowlanders generally were engaged in a kind of petty -war with each other. Both parties always went armed, and murders -frequently took place. At one of the anchorages in the straits, another -mid and myself were attending a watering party--one of these fellows -rode down with a bag of cheese, made of goat’s or sheep’s milk, for -sale; he was armed with a long gun and pistols, and we had no firearms -with us. Some dispute in the bargaining, for the want of understanding -each other’s language, arose; the Sard, very coolly mounted his horse, -and taking up his cheeses, rode off a short distance, and fired at -us; the ball passed through the sleeve of the mate’s coat, and near -my head; he then galloped off, reloaded his gun, rode up, and gave us -another shot, but luckily without injury. - -A midshipman of the _Victory_ was killed by these fellows a short time -afterwards in consequence of some dispute about the hiring of a horse -that had been brought down by these wild folks to the beach. The poor -mid, anxious for a ride, gave the rascal a dollar, mounted the horse, -and rode backwards and forwards for an hour on or near the beach. -The Sardinian wanted his horse, the other thought he had not had his -dollar’s worth of riding, and a warm dispute ensuing, the Sard most -deliberately shot at him with his gun, and broke his arm, so close -up that it was necessary to take it out of the socket. He bore the -operation well, poor fellow, but a fever afterwards came on, which -carried him off. Lord Nelson tried to get satisfaction, but in a wild -country like this, without law or justice, it was found impossible. -The offender made his escape to the mountains, and nothing further was -heard of him. - -Shooting parties occasionally took place, but, not having dogs, the -sportsmen were seldom rewarded. Although some kinds of game were -numerous, and flocks of blue pigeons, to the amount of thousands -together, were seen, few were brought on board, for no person dared -follow them far for fear of the wind changing, when we knew the fleet -would sail immediately to regain our station. Previous to the Spanish -war we were sent by his lordship, in the _Renown_, to the Bay of Rosas, -in Catalonia, to procure bullocks and oranges for the fleet, where we -remained long enough to have our clothes washed--a luxury we stood much -in need of. - -Our long cruise of near fourteen months off Toulon, amidst nothing but -gales of wind, and heavy storms of most terrific thunder and lightning, -met with no reward in the shape of prize-money. - -One man-of-war schooner, of 12 guns, called the _Renard_, and -half-a-dozen small French vessels, were the only captures made by -the fleet during the above period; these, with the exception of -the schooner, not being worth sending into port, were destroyed. A -lieutenant of the _Renown_, and myself, went to Malta in the _Renard_, -and shortly after rejoined our ship off Toulon, in the _Narcissus_ -frigate. - -One of the marine officers had a monkey on board, who used to amuse us -with his gambols; but was rather fond of biting, for which he received -occasionally a beating from us youngsters. This brought on a coolness -between his master and us, and led at last to open war. - -A cabal was formed to get Jacko a licking from his own master, by -letting him loose from his chain in the marine officer’s cabin, that he -might do some mischief; and the time chosen was when his best clothes -were put out ready for him to dine with the captain. - -We knew F. was invited that day, because we had seen the captain’s -steward ask him, and his own servant go into the marine officer’s berth -(he had one in the gun-room, on the lower-deck, where we messed), and -lay out his best coat, epaulet, white trousers, etc.; and after making -all other preparations necessary for the toilet, leave the cabin, lock -the door, put the key in his pocket, and go away. - -Now was the time for action. A mid of the name of O., the leader of -all mischief, undertook to get into the cabin through the lower-deck -port, by going on deck, then into the mizen chains, and from thence by -a rope’s end made fast under his arms. We let him down through the port -on the lower-deck into the cabin, and he untied the monkey. This being -done, we returned into the gun-room, and peeped through the key-hole -and cracks to see Jacko’s manœuvres. - -After jumping about and chattering to himself for some little time, he -commenced operations. Unfortunately for his owner, he found a bottle -of ink, which he let fall, and it broke in pieces, splashing the ink -on the deck. The monkey was now in his glory; he seized upon the new -red coat and epaulet, and began mopping up the wet, then chattering -to himself, jumping about and appearing to feel quite delighted with -his performance, particularly when he saw the marks of his hands and -feet, stained with black, upon the red uniform. Not contented with his -exploits on the coat, he lugged down the pair of smart inexpressibles, -that looked so temptingly white, hanging over the chair, and finished -the housemaid’s work by wiping up the remainder of the ink with them. -This feat having been done, we thought we had seen enough, and went -most innocently to give information to the lieutenant of Marines, and -his servant, that Jacko was loose in the cabin, and, we were afraid, -was after some mischief, for we heard something break, and by peeping -through the key-hole, saw he had his master’s coat on the deck, and -dragging it about. - -Down ran the poor marine officer, calling his servant to bring the -key. The moment the door was opened, the first glance showed the -havoc committed on the dinner dress. Jacko, perceiving his frolic was -over, retreated into his cage, from whence he was dragged to get a -good beating. The poor servant was scolded because the monkey had got -loose, who very truly said it was tied up safe when he left the cabin. -The officer swore, stamped, and raved like a madman. His dress was so -completely messed for the day, he could not dine with the captain; -and we innocent young rascals stood looking very demure, and condoling -with him on his misfortune, all the time laughing in our sleeves at the -trick we had played. We had paid off the master and monkey, who between -the two had got us sent to the mast-head occasionally for being saucy -to the marine officer, because we did not like being bitten, without -licking Jacko for it. - -A reward was offered to find out who let it loose, that F. might make -the person or persons pay the damage; but it was never found out, and -on the earliest opportunity the monkey was sent out of the ship, on -board a merchant vessel we fell in with, bound to Malta, his master -having had quite enough of monkey tricks. - -A ship of the line, the _Kent_ (74), Captain Pulteney Malcolm, having -been kept in the Bay of Naples to attend the royal family there, in -case of their being obliged to go to Palermo, to avoid falling into the -hands of the French, the _Renown_ was sent to relieve her. The _Kent_ -was ordered home in consequence of being leaky, and very much out of -repair. Captain J. C. White wishing to return home, exchanged into the -_Kent_ with Captain Pulteney Malcolm; he took several of the midshipmen -with him, and myself amongst the number. We remained ten days at -Naples, which were employed by the captain in seeing everything worth -observation, and he was so kind as to take another youngster and myself -with him. - -After the above period, we left Naples for the Bay of Salerno, at which -place we embarked a large supply of cattle and vegetables for our -fleet off Toulon. On joining them, we found our ship very weak, and -her timbers, from the looseness of several bolts, working very much, -and causing her to make a good deal of water,--in fine weather from -six to eight inches per hour, and in bad weather two feet, which kept -increasing to nearly four,--until our arrival in England. - -After having given the bullocks to the ships, we proceeded to -Gibraltar, and from thence to Cadiz, where we took on board a million -and sixty thousand dollars. We anchored near a handsome French -seventy-four and frigate; the former, called _L’Aigle_, the name of the -other I forget. Whenever we passed near them, some of their crew would -abuse us; we told them to come outside, and see how soon we would take -the change out of them; but they stood too much in awe of a British -seventy-four, although we had such a tempting cargo to urge them to the -risk. - -At this period, four of our frigates, under Sir Graham Moore, were -cruising off Cape St. Vincent to intercept the four Spanish frigates, -loaded with treasure, expected home. We spoke our ships off there, and -a few days afterwards they fell in with the Spaniards, took three, and -the unfortunate fourth blew up in the action with all her crew. - -I always did think, and my opinion has never changed, that it was a -cruel thing to send only four frigates to detain four others, when -by increasing the force by two or three line-of-battle ships, this -might have been effected without loss of blood, or honour to the -Spaniards. If it was necessary to detain these vessels and treasure -from political motives, in order to make the king of Spain declare his -equivocal conduct, it would have been humane to have sent such a force -as would have put resistance out of the question; for what man, who was -not a traitor, could yield without fighting (and with such a valuable -cargo on board), to a force, in all appearance, not greater than his -own. It was an untoward event. After a long passage, we at length -arrived at Spithead, the ship in a very leaky, weak state. Having -landed the money, we left Portsmouth the end of October for Chatham, at -which place the ship was paid off. - -Our old parson was a “rum” subject; after trying all other mess places, -he got old Pipes, the boatswain, to take him into his. They agreed -very well for a little time; but one unfortunate day, the evil genius -of poor old Fritz prevailed, for Pipes coming down rather unexpectedly -to his cabin in the fore cock-pit to get a glass of grog, having got -wet when the hands were turned up reefing topsails, he found the -parson helping himself rather too freely out of his liquor-case. This -was a crime Mr. Boatswain could not put up with. A breach immediately -ensued, and an instant dismissal from his berth took place, with the -exclamation of, “The parson is such a black; I cannot allow him to mess -with me any longer.” After this occurrence, the captain interfered, and -he again messed in his proper place with the officers in the wardroom. -And I recollect one Sunday morning before church-time, the old fellow -came into our berth, and with his hand to his stomach, began: “Oh! -my dear fellow, I feel so poorly, I do not know what to do, or how -I shall get through the service.” “What is the matter, Mr. F.?” I -enquired. “Oh! I feel such a pain.” I knew what he wanted, so I went to -the locker, took out the rum bottle, and gave a good boatswain’s glass -of grog (three parts spirits, and one water). He told me I had saved -his life, and that now he could preach very well. “Come, sir,” said I, -“take a north-wester to wash the other down,” which he did. The service -commenced soon after, and he performed it admirably. - -He was a clever, facetious, and kind-hearted person; and I believe it -was money matters that drove him, poor man! to the bottle; he died -sometime after on shore. He used to tell us boys: “My dear fellows, do -as I say, and not as I do.” - -Not having been in England for four years, and my brother being -encamped on Coxheath, I got permission, previous to the ship being paid -off, to go and see him. Nothing would serve me but a ride on horseback. -I was dressed out very smart in white visibles--not invisibles, as -the ladies call them--although it appears the fashion of the day to -show they wear trousers, _whose scientific, Oriental name, by-the-bye, -is fatimas_. To the young ladies I have a pretty little anecdote to -relate. I knew a very gallant officer who fell deeply in love with a -lady merely from handing her into a carriage. The moment she put her -pretty feet upon the carriage steps he was pierced by Cupid’s arrows. -He dreamed of them all night; thought of them when he awoke in the -morning; he could not drive them from his imagination during the day. -The pretty feet again appeared before his fancy when asleep the next -night, and the third day found him prostrate before them, acknowledging -their beauty, and supplicating that he might call them his own. He was -accepted. Were this not an “olla”--which means in Spanish something of -all sorts--I should not have ventured to have written the above. - -To return to my ride. As I said before, I was in full dress, with -cocked hat, long coat, and side-arms, that I might appear in camp in a -becoming manner. The landlord at the inn told me he knew sailors liked -to ride fast, and promised to give me a quiet blood mare he had in -his stables, who would show me the way. She was shortly equipped, and -brought out. Upon her back I mounted; but scarcely were we out of the -town of Chatham when off she started at full speed, and ran away with -me along the turnpike road, to the amusement of some of his Majesty’s -liege subjects, and to the terror and dismay of others--up hill, down -dale, splashing myself, and every person I met, with mud, for the roads -were wet, and it began to pour with rain. The ladies and gentlemen in -their carriages as I passed them stared at me with astonishment. Having -got to a place, called Kit’s Cot Hill, I ran on board of a man riding -upon a donkey, with two sacks of flour, knocking him, donkey and cargo, -head over heels; but my steed being pretty nearly blown, I at length -stopped her. - -The miller was, fortunately, not hurt, but came up in a great passion -to attack me. Luckily just at the moment some soldiers, who belonged to -the same regiment as my brother, were passing by: they took my part, -and, a parley ensuing, I explained how the untoward event had happened, -and it ended in a laugh. Not far from this was a small inn, where I put -up my flyaway, having had enough riding for one day, hired a gig, and -at last got safe to the regiment without any broken bones. - -Shortly after this the ship was paid off, and I joined the _Barfleur_ -(98), having had six weeks’ leave to see my friends and relate the -wonders of my four years’ voyage in foreign parts. - -Throughout the four months I passed in the _Barfleur_ we were attached -to the channel fleet. - -In May, 1805, I removed to the _Neptune_ (98 guns), Captain T. F. -Fremantle, a clever, brave, and smart officer, who sent me home to -pass my examination at Somerset House, in August, which I did, before -old Captain Sir Alexander Snap Hammond, whose character for turning -mids back frightened me not a little. The one examined before me not -having been sent, as from Oxford or Cambridge, to rusticate in green -fields and sylvan groves, but condemned to study six months longer in -a mid’s berth on the briny element in order to finish his nautical -education, and eat peas-pudding, burgoo and molasses, salt-junk, -lobscouse, sea-pie, and study Hamilton Moore. However, the passing -captains, seeing I was alarmed on first entering, civilly desired me to -be seated a few minutes and take courage. Having waited a short time, -and got rather better of some odd qualms and palpitations which the -unfortunate candidate turned back before me had created, I was ordered -to find the time of high-water at Plymouth, work an azimuth amplitude, -double altitude, bearings and distances, &c., which being performed, -I was desired to stand up, and consider myself on the quarter-deck -of a man-of-war at Spithead--“unmoor”--“get underway”--“stand out to -sea”--“make and shorten sail”--“reef”--“return into port”--“unrig the -foremast and bowsprit, and rig them again.” I got into a scrape after -reefing for not overhauling the reef tackles when hoisting the sails. -However, they passed me, and desired me to come again the next day -to receive my passing certificate. I made the captains the best bow -I could, and, without staying to look behind me, bolted out of the -room, and was surrounded in a moment by other poor fellows, who were -anxiously waiting their turn to be called in for examination, who asked -what questions had been put to me, and the answers I made, &c. - -This important event over, I spent a few days of September with my -friends; then repaired to Plymouth, and was ordered a passage to join -the _Neptune_ (98), off Cadiz, in the _Belleisle_ (74), one of the very -last ships that sailed to join the fleet of Lord Nelson. - -We had a very quick run out, and ten days before the ever-memorable and -glorious 21st of October, 1805, I rejoined my ship. - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - - The Battle of Trafalgar, and extracts from the log of His Majesty’s - Ship _Neptune_, on the 21st, 22nd, and 23rd October, 1805. - - -FEELINGS OF A CREW GOING INTO ACTION. BY LIEUT. H. GASCOIGNE, R.M. - -_Extracted from a Poem called “Fame.”_ - - “The man who pants not for his country’s fame - Is lost to virtue and the sense of shame; - For here the common parent of us all, - Bears every claim of those whom dear we call-- - Our father, mother, brother, sister, wife, - Religion, friendship--all that’s good in life, - The whole united in the single name - Of country! ever our support must claim. - Poor is the soul who could outlive the day - When honour called him, and he shunn’d the fray; - Poor is the man who yet could wish to live - When to his country death would glory give! - Pardon, O God! thou righteous Judge of all, - If willing we obey our country’s call, - Though ill-prepared; for Thou didst plant these laws, - And to Thy mercy we submit our cause! - Full expectation gives the mind to wait, - And moments lengthen in the hands of fate.” - - -I shall never forget the 18th, 19th, 20th, and 21st of October, 1805. -Signs of a movement in the combined fleets of France and Spain in Cadiz -were made by signal on the 18th by the inshore squadron, and on the -19th the enemy came out of port. The wind was light and the day rather -hazy, so that the body of our fleet never perceived them. Sunday we -had a fresh breeze, when some of the headmost ships saw the enemy in -shore, but they were too close under the land to be attacked. All -hearts towards evening beat with joyful anxiety for the next day, which -we hoped would crown our anxious blockade labours with a successful -battle. When night closed in, the rockets and blue lights, with signal -guns, informed us the inshore squadron still kept sight of our foes, -and, like good and watchful dogs, our ships continued to send forth -occasionally a growling cannon to keep us on the alert, and to cheer us -with the hope of a glorious day on the morrow. - -And the morrow came; and with it the sun rose, which, as it ascended -from its bed of ocean, looked hazy and watery, as if it smiled in tears -on many brave hearts which fate had decreed should never see it set. It -was my morning watch; I was midshipman of the forecastle, and at the -first dawn of day a forest of strange masts was seen to leeward. I ran -aft and informed the officer of the watch. The captain was on deck in a -moment, and ere it was well light, the signals were flying through the -fleet to bear up and form the order of sailing in two columns. - -The wind had moderated considerably in the night, but still our fleet, -which consisted of twenty-seven sail of the line, four frigates, a -schooner, and cutter, was much scattered. Our ship had been previously -prepared for battle, so that with the exception of stowing hammocks, -slinging the lower yards, stoppering the topsail-sheets, and other -minor matters, little remained to be done. All sail was set, and the -different ships tried to form the line in two divisions, but the -lightness of the wind, and the distance of the sternmost from the van, -prevented anything like speed in the manœuvre; in short, the line never -was properly formed, for the brave and gallant chiefs of each division -were too eager to get into battle to wait for this. The old _Neptune_, -which never was a good sailer, took it into her head to sail better -that morning than I ever remember to have seen her do before. About -ten o’clock we got close to the _Victory_, and Captain Fremantle had -intended to pass her and break the enemy’s line, but poor Lord Nelson -himself hailed us from the stern-walk of the _Victory_, and said, -“_Neptune_, take in your studding-sails and drop astern; I shall break -the line myself.” A signal was then made for the _Téméraire_ (98) to -take her station between us and the _Victory_, which consequently made -us the third ship in the van of his lordship’s column. - -At this period the enemy were forming their double line in the shape -of a crescent. It was a beautiful sight when their line was completed: -their broadsides turned towards us, showing their iron teeth, and now -and then trying the range of a shot to ascertain the distance, that -they might, the moment we came within point blank (about six hundred -yards), open their fire upon our van ships--no doubt with the hope of -dismasting some of our leading vessels before they could close and -break their line. Some of them were painted like ourselves--with double -yellow sides; some with a broad single red or yellow streak; others all -black; and the noble _Santissima Trinidada_ (138), with four distinct -lines of red, with a white ribbon between them, made her seem to be a -superb man-of-war, which indeed she was. Her appearance was imposing; -her head splendidly ornamented with a colossal group of figures, -painted white, representing the Holy Trinity, from which she took her -name. This magnificent ship was destined to be our opponent. She was -lying-to under topsails, top-gallant sails, royals, jib, and spanker; -her courses were hauled up; and her lofty, towering sails looked -beautiful, peering through the smoke, as she awaited the onset. The -flags of France and Spain, both handsome, chequered the line, waving -defiance to that of Britain. - -Then, in our fleet, union-jacks and ensigns were made fast to the fore -and fore-topmast-stays, as well as to the mizen-rigging, besides one at -the peak, in order that we might not mistake each other in the smoke, -and to show the enemy our determination to conquer. Towards eleven, -our two lines were better formed, but still there existed long gaps -in Vice-Admiral Collingwood’s division. Lord Nelson’s van was strong: -three three-deckers (_Victory_, _Téméraire_, and _Neptune_), and four -seventy-four’s, their jib-booms nearly over the others’ taffrails, -the bands playing “God save the King,” “Rule Britannia,” and “Britons -strike home;” the crews stationed on the forecastle of the different -ships, cheering the ship ahead of them when the enemy began to fire, -sent those feelings to our hearts that ensured us victory. About ten -minutes before twelve, our antagonists opened their fire upon the -_Royal Sovereign_ (110), Vice-Admiral Collingwood, who most nobly, and -unsupported for at least ten minutes, led his division into action, -steering for the _Santa Anna_ (112), which was painted all black, -bearing the flag of Admiral Gravina, during which time all the enemy’s -line that could possibly bring a gun to bear were firing at her. She -was the admiration of the whole fleet. - -To show the great and master mind of Nelson, who was thinking of -everything even in the momentous hour of battle, when most minds would -have been totally absorbed in other matters, it was remarked by him -that the enemy had the iron hoops round their masts painted black; -orders were issued by signal to whitewash those of his fleet, that -in the event of all the ensigns being shot away, his ships might be -distinguished by their white masts and hoops. - -In order to convey a more accurate notion of the commencement and of -the ensuing events of this glorious day, I shall introduce an extract -from the log-book of His Majesty’s Ship _Neptune_ (98 guns):-- - - “A.M., moderate and fine weather; at daylight discovered 39 strange - ships to leeward. At 6, answered the signal from the _Victory_, - Lord Nelson’s flag-ship, No. 76, to form the order of sailing - in two lines; bore up and made all sail, the fleet consisting - of twenty-seven ships of the line, four frigates, a cutter, and - schooner, in company; cleared ship for action. At 11, answered the - general telegraph signal, ‘England expects every man will do his - duty’; Captain Fremantle inspected the different decks, and made - known the above signal, which was received with cheers. At 11.30, - the signal to break the enemy’s line, and engage to leeward. - - “At 12, the _Royal Sovereign_ (110), Vice-Admiral Collingwood, - most nobly broke the enemy’s line, and engaged the Spanish Admiral - Gravina, whose flag was flying in the _Santa Anna_ (112), cutting - off the 19th ship from their rear; the French and Spanish fleet, of - 33 sail of the line, 4 frigates, and 2 brigs, lying-to for us to - leeward, with their heads to the northward. - - “At 12.15, the _Victory_ (100), Vice-Admiral Lord Nelson, followed - by the _Téméraire_ (98), Captain Eliab Hervey, and _Neptune_ (98), - Captain Fremantle, broke the line of the enemy by the French - Commander-in-Chief’s ship, Admiral Villeneuve, in the _Bucentaure_ - (84), and _Santissima Trinidada_ (138), of four decks, bearing the - flag of Rear-Admiral Don Cisneros Baltazar, the eleventh ship from - the van. - - “At 12.25, three of the enemy’s ships of the line opened their fire - upon us, raking us fore and aft. At 12.35, we broke their line, - passed between, and opened our broadside and raked them on both - sides. At 12.47, we engaged a two-deck ship, with a flag at her - mizen. At 1.30, entirely dismasted her, she struck her colours; but - before that, the _Leviathan_ (74), also opened her broadside upon - her, we passed on (first giving her three hearty cheers), and bore - down and attacked the _Santissima Trinidada_, a Spanish four-decker - of 140 guns, with a flag at her mizen; raked her as we passed - under her stern; and at 1.50 opened our fire on her starboard - quarter. At 2.40, shot away her main and mizen masts; at 2.50, her - foremast; at 3, she cried for quarter, and hailed us to say they - had surrendered; she then stuck English colours to the stump of - her mainmast; gave her three cheers. At this time the _Leviathan_ - and _Conqueror_ (74’s), on our starboard quarter, firing on some - of the enemy’s ships. Our standing and running rigging much - cut; foretop-gallant and royal-yard shot away; the foremast and - foretop-mast very badly wounded; three shot in the main-mast; one - cheek of the mizen mast shot away, and wounded in other places; - foreyard nearly shot in two, and ship pulled in several places; - sent down men to get up more shot, having nearly fired away all - that was on deck. - - “When the smoke cleared away, observed the _Victory_, _Royal - Sovereign_, and _Téméraire_ warmly engaged, and the six van ships - of the enemy who had not been engaged had tacked, and were bearing - down to attack us. At 3.30, opened our fire on them, assisted by - the _Leviathan_ and _Conqueror_; observed one of them to have all - her masts shot away by our united fire; the rest then hauled their - wind (we learned afterwards it was Rear-Admiral Dumanoir), and - making off to the southward, and we not in a condition to follow - them, our sails being nearly shot from the yards, and, in addition - to other defects, not a brace or bowline left. Turned the hands - up to knot and splice, and bend new sails. At 5, observed 18 sail - of the enemy making off, viz., 13 sail of the line, 3 frigates, - and 2 brigs, leaving to us 20 ships of the line, 2 of which were - first-rates, viz., _Santissima Trinidada_ and _Santa Anna_. At - 5.15, a French ship of the line, _L’Achille_, blew up with nearly - all her crew. Observed the _Victory_ with her mizen-mast and - all her topmasts shot away; the _Royal Sovereign_ with only her - foremast standing; unable to see the condition of the rest of the - fleet. At 6, we hailed the _Ajax_ (74), and told her to go and - take possession of a French ship of the line dismasted; saw the - _Prince_ (98) take the _Santissima Trinidada_ (138) in tow, which - had struck to us. Found we had 10 men killed, and 35 wounded, 4 of - whom shortly after died of their wounds. - - “At midnight, having repaired what damages we could, made sail. - At 4 in the morning of the 22nd, we were spoke by the _Pickle_ - schooner, who told us it was Admiral Collingwood’s orders. We took - some ship in tow. At daylight, observed Admiral C.’s flag in the - _Euryalus_ frigate, with the _Royal Sovereign_ in tow, who made our - signal to take her in tow, which we did. - - “At daylight, it blew a fresh gale from the S.S.W.; the ships very - much scattered; all the prizes dismasted and drifting about, most - of them having been cast off from the ships that had them in tow; - and the French 84-gun ship, _Rédoutable_, while in tow of the - British _Swiftsure_, foundered with nearly all her unfortunate - crew. At daylight of the 23rd, we picked up four of her people - floating upon a piece of her wreck. Came on board of us, as - prisoner from the _Mars_ (74), Admiral Villeneuve, the French - commander-in-chief. - - “In this battle we lost the brave Vice-Admiral Viscount Nelson, who - was killed on board the _Victory_ by a musket-ball from the maintop - of the French 84-gun ship, _Rédoutable_. The news of the death of - this lamented hero threw a damp over our victory, which we were - not prepared for. At noon on the 23rd, the signal was made that - the remnant of the enemy’s fleet was coming out of Cadiz to try - and pick up some of the dismasted ships and prizes; cast off the - _Royal Sovereign_, and bore up with the rest of the ships that were - able, and formed the line of battle to leeward of our dismasted - ships and prizes for their protection; on seeing which, the enemy - returned into port without accomplishing his object, but losing - another ship, the _El Rayo_ (100), for his pains!” - -Thus ended this noble fight, the consequences of which were felt from -one end of Europe to the other, indeed, I may say, in all parts of the -world; and, surely, for such a day’s work, the country ought to have -voted a medal, not only to the admirals and captains, but (as was the -case at Waterloo) to every officer, seaman, and marine, in the fleet. - -The loss of the _Neptune_ in this action, considering what she did, was -comparatively small; but the ship was admirably managed by her gallant -captain, who was ably supported by a clever scientific first lieutenant -(the present Captain George Acklom), who justly merited every praise -for his coolness and abilities on that memorable day. - -During the time we were going into action, and being raked by the -enemy, the whole of the crew, with the exception of the officers, -were made to lie flat on the deck, to secure them from the raking -shots, some of which came in at the bows and went out at the stern. -Had it not been for the above precaution, many lives must have been -sacrificed. My quarters were the five midship-guns on each side of the -main-deck. I was sent on board the _Santissima Trinidada_, a few days -after the action, to assist in getting out the wounded men, previous -to destroying her. She was a magnificent ship, and ought now to be in -Portsmouth harbour. Her top-sides, it is true, were perfectly riddled -by our beautiful firing, and she had, if I recollect right, 550 killed -and wounded; but from the lower part of the sills of the lower-deck -ports to the water’s edge, few shot of consequence had hurt her between -wind and water, and those were all plugged up. She was built of cedar, -and would have lasted for ages, a glorious trophy of the battle; but -“sink, burn, and destroy,” was the order of the day, and after a -great deal of trouble, scuttling her in many places, hauling up her -lower-deck ports,--that when she rolled the heavy sea might fill her -decks,--she did at last go unwillingly to the bottom. - -I have now by me a gilt dirk that I brought away from her, it belonged -to the Spanish admiral’s son, Don Baltazar Cisneros; I would not part -with it for its weight in gold. Of all our hard-earned prizes, only -four got safe to Gibraltar; viz., _San Ildefonso_ (74), _San Juan -Nepomuceno_ (74), _Bahama_ (74), and the old English _Swiftsure_ (74), -the rest were either sunk or burnt. Nothing being talked of now but -horizontal firing, it is to be hoped we shall fire as well and with the -same precision and effect next war, as the British fleet did on this -memorable day. - -The establishment of the school for naval gunnery on board the -_Excellent_ at Portsmouth, placed as it is under the superintendence of -Sir Thomas Hastings, and other scientific officers, will, in my humble -opinion however some persons may affect to despise teaching seamen the -science of naval gunnery, be of general benefit to the service. One of -the originators of it, the gallant Captain Sir John Pechell, Bart., -C.B., K.C.B., deserves great credit, and the thanks of the service -for the interest, zeal, and attention he has paid to it; as also does -Captain George Smith, who invented the moveable target, now used on -board our men-of-war, and several other ingenious and clever inventions -of his have been before the public. He has lately invented paddle-box -life boats for steam ships. - - -_List of the English Fleet, under Lord Nelson, on the 21st October, -1805-27 sail of the line, 4 frigates, 1 cutter, 1 schooner._ - - -LORD NELSON’S DIVISION. - - Guns. Killed. Wounded. - - _Victory_ 100 { Vice-Admiral Viscount Nelson } 51 75 - { Captain T. M. Hardy } - _Téméraire_ 98 Eliab Harvey 47 76 - _Neptune_ 98 T. F. Fremantle 10 35 - _Conqueror_ 74 Israel Pellew 3 9 - _Leviathan_ 74 H. W. Bayntum 4 22 - _Ajax_ 74 Lieut. J. Pilfold 0 9 - _Orion_ 74 Edward Codrington 1 23 - _Agamemnon_ 64 Sir Edward Berry 2 7 - _Minotaur_ 74 C. J. M. Mansfield 3 22 - _Spartiate_ 74 Sir F. Laforey, Bart. 3 20 - _Britannia_ 100 { Rear-Admiral the Earl Northesk } 10 42 - { Captain Charles Bullen } - _Africa_ 64 Henry Digby 18 44 - --- --- - Total 154 383 - --- --- - - -VICE-ADMIRAL COLLINGWOOD’S DIVISION. - - Guns. Killed. Wounded. - - _Royal Sovereign_ 100 { Vice-Admiral Collingwood } 47 94 - { Captain Rotherham } - _Mars_ 74 G. Duff (killed) 29 69 - _Belleisle_ 74 W. Hargood 33 93 - _Tonnant_ 80 C. Tyler 26 50 - _Bellerophon_ 74 J. Cook (killed) 27 133 - _Colossus_ 74 J. N. Morris 40 160 - _Achille_ 74 Richard King 13 59 - _Polyphemus_ 74 R. Redmill 2 4 - _Revenge_ 74 R. Moorson 28 51 - _Defiance_ 74 P. C. Durham 17 53 - _Swiftsure_ 74 W. G. Rutherford 9 7 - _Defence_ 74 G. Hope 7 29 - _Thunderer_ 74 Lieut. Stockham 4 16 - _Prince_ 98 R. Grindall 0 0 - _Dreadnought_ 98 John Conn 7 26 - --- --- - Total 263 794 - --- ---- - Grand Total 417 1177 - --- ---- - - -FRIGATES. - - Guns. - _Euryalus_ 36 Hon. H. Blackwood. - _Sirius_ 36 William Prowse. - _Phœbe_ 36 Hon. T. B. Capel. - _Naiad_ 36 T. Dundas. - _Pickle_ (schooner) 12 Lieut. J. R. Lapenotiere. - _Entreprenant_ (cutter) 12 Lieut. R. B. Young. - - * * * * * - - -_List of the French and Spanish combined fleets in action, off Cape -Trafalgar, near Cadiz, 21st October, 1805--33 sail of the line, 3 -frigates, 3 brigs._ - - No. Guns. - 1. _San Ildefonso_ 74 Taken. (Spanish.) - 2. _San Juan Nepomuceno_ 74 Do. (Do.) - 3. _Bahama_ 74 Do. (Do.) - 4. _Swiftsure_ 74 Do. (French.) - (The above four ships arrived safe at Gibraltar.) - 5. _Monarca_ 74 Taken and wrecked. (Spanish.) - 6. _Fougueux_ 74 Do., do., and all her crew. - (French.) - 7. _Indomptable_ 84 Do., do. (Do.) - 8. _Bucentaure_ 74 Taken and wrecked, and most of - her crew. (French.) - 9. _San Francisco de Asis_ 74 Taken and wrecked. (Spanish.) - 10. _El Rayo_ 100 Do. (Do.) - 11. _Neptuno_ 84 Do. and destroyed. (Do.) - 12. _Argonaut_ 74 Driven on shore, but got off again. - (French.) - 13. _Berwick_ 74 Taken and wrecked. (Do.) - 14. _L’Aigle_ 74 Do., do. (Do.) - 15. _L’Achille_ 74 Blew up in action, with most of - her crew. (French.) - 16. _Intrépide_ 74 Taken, and burnt after the action. - (French.) - 17. _San Augustin_ 74 Do., do. (Spanish.) - 18. _Santissima Trinidada_ 140 Taken by the _Neptune_; sunk after - the action by the _Prince_ and - _Neptune_, in consequence of - orders to destroy her. (Spanish.) - 19. _Rédoutable_ 84 Taken, and foundered with all her - crew except four. (French.) - 20. _Argonauta_ 80 Taken and destroyed. (Spanish.) - 21. _Santa Anna_ 112 Taken, but got into Cadiz - dismasted. (Spanish.) - 22. _Algesiras_ 74 Taken, but escaped in the gale - into Cadiz. (French.) - 23. _Pluton_ 74 Do., do. (Do.) - 24. _San Juste_ 74 Do., but got into Cadiz with her - foremast only standing. - (Spanish.) - 25. _San Leandro_ 64 Taken--got into Cadiz. (Do.) - 26. _Le Neptune_ 84 Escaped. (French.) - 27. _Le Héros_ 74 Escaped--lost topmasts. (French.) - 28. _Principe di Asturias_ 112 Lost all her masts--escaped - into Cadiz. (Spanish.) - 29. _Montanez_ 74 Escaped. (Spanish.) - 30. _Formidable_* 84 Do. (French.) - 31. _Mont Blanc_* 74 Do. (Do.) - 32. _Scipion_* 74 Escaped. (French.) - 33. _Duguay Trouin_* 74 Do. (Do.) - -(The four ships marked thus (*) were taken a few days after the action -by Sir Richard Strachan’s squadron.) - - -_Names and Rank of French and Spanish Flag Officers in the battle._ - - Admiral Villeneuve, Commander-in-Chief--taken. (French.) - - Rear-Admiral Magon--killed. (French.) - - Rear-Admiral Dumanoir--escaped; taken afterwards by Sir Richard - Strachan. (French.) - - Admiral Gravina--escaped. (Spanish.) - - Vice-Admiral Alava--taken in _Santa Anna_ (112). (Spanish.) - - Rear-Admiral Cisneros--taken in _Santissima Trinidada_(140). (Spanish.) - -The loss of the combined fleet was twenty ships of the line, one -admiral killed, and three taken; the total killed, wounded, and taken -prisoners, was near 16,000 men and officers. In concluding the account -of the Battle of Trafalgar, I think I shall be excused for copying into -this _olla_ two beautiful extracts from unknown authors. The first -lines on the particular circumstance of each of the different powers -having a ship of the line, called the _Neptune_, in the battle:-- - - “Three different powers to rule the main, - Assumed old Neptune’s name; - One from Gallia, one from Spain, - And one from England came. - - “The British _Neptune_, as of yore, - Proved master of the day; - The Spanish _Neptune_ is no more,[F] - The French one ran away.” - - -LORD NELSON’S DEATH AND TRIUMPH. - -_From the Sheffield Paper, 1805._ - - “Intelligence of a most glorious event, accompanied with tidings - of an awful calamity (like the angels of mercy and affliction - travelling together), has arrived on our shores, and awakened the - public mind from the agony of despondence to a tumult of mingled - emotions, sorrow and joy, mourning and triumph. - - “On the 21st of October, 1805, while the cowardly and incapable - Austrian, General Mack, was surrendering himself and army into the - hands of Bonaparte, the noble and lamented Lord Nelson, once more, - and for the last time, fought and conquered the united foes of his - country; but he fell in the meridian of victory, and in one moment - became immortal in both worlds. - - “His career of services had been long; but it was only in the last - war that he burst upon the eye of the public as a luminary of the - first magnitude. At the battle of Aboukir, he rose like the sun in - the east, and like the sun too, after a summer’s day of glory, he - set in the west, at the battle of Trafalgar, leaving the ocean in a - blaze as he went down,[G] and in darkness when he descended. - - “In ages to come, when the stranger who visits our island shall - enquire for the monument of Nelson, the answer will be, ‘Behold his - country which he has saved.’” - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - - Join the _Melpomene_ (38)--Sent up the Mediterranean--Tremendous - weather, with thunder, lightning, and water-spouts--Ship loses her - rudder and main-topmast--Proceed to Malta. - - -Ten days after the action, I was appointed acting lieutenant of the -_Melpomene_ (38), Captain Peter Parker. The weather having moderated, -we sailed in company with the _Orion_ (74), Captain Codrington: -_Endymion_ (44), and _Weazle_ brig, (18); to look into Toulon, and -scour the Mediterranean, in search of a squadron of French frigates. We -parted from the fleet on the 8th of November, 1805, with every prospect -of a most delightful cruise, and the chance of picking up some prizes; -but a few days after leaving Gibraltar, our golden hopes were dashed to -nought, and we were sent a wreck, without a rudder, to Malta. - -The weather continued moderate until the 11th, when we captured a small -Spanish settee, laden with stores of little value, and took her in tow, -for the purpose of conveying her to the commodore, but a heavy squall -coming on, we destroyed her. - -On the 12th, we saw the island of Majorca, and finding the main-yard -sprung, we lowered it down, and fished it. On the 13th, owing to the -violence of the gale and heavy sea, we bore up, with the _Weazle_ -brig in company, to take shelter under Majorca; at this time the ship -was labouring very hard, in consequence of a heavy cross swell. On the -14th, none of the squadron were in sight; the morning of the 15th, -about nine o’clock, a most tremendous squall came on, accompanied with -thunder, lightning, rain, and sleet, which obliged us to clew up all -our sails; shortly afterwards the main-mast was struck by lightning, -the fluid exploded by the pumps, and knocked myself and a seaman down; -the sensation I felt was that of a severe electric shock, shaking -every bone in my body, but, thank God! it did me no further injury; -the seaman, poor fellow! was a good deal burnt, but he afterwards -recovered. On examining the mainmast, we found it splintered in many -places, particularly about the hoops, and in the wake of the trusses, -where copper had been nailed on. - -The next day we stood towards Barcelona, in the hopes of rejoining the -_Orion_, but between nine and ten in the morning of the 17th, the sea -rose all round us, angry, black, threatening clouds, accompanied with -water-spouts, and heavy flashes of lightning, gave us warning that -a tempest of no common kind was approaching; several land birds of -various descriptions, blown from land not in sight, settled on the deck -and rigging, in hopes of shelter from the pitiless storm; a woodcock -tried to rest upon the capstern on the quarter-deck; a hoopoe, linnets, -greenfinches, and other small birds, also endeavoured, poor things! to -find shelter, but when the first burst of the tempest came on, they -were blown to leeward, and probably perished. In the midst of all this -we had to fire guns at the water-spouts to break them, furl the sails, -and prepare for another gale. At eleven a heavy sea pooped us, stove -in the dead lights, and filled the captain’s cabin with water; the -wind increased to a perfect hurricane, and at one, the lightning again -struck the ship and hurt the main-topmast and the main-mast. At two -the storm stay-sails were blown to atoms, and the ship became entirely -unmanageable; whole seas, at times, rolled over her, one of which, -breaking on the quarter, struck the rudder, and the rudder-head gave -way, it was immediately chocked, and the ship was then steered by the -rudder pennants. Between three and four, the main-topmast was blown -over the side, the rudder-chains gave way, and we found the main-mast -sprung a few feet above the quarter-deck. The whole of the night, the -rudder, having nothing to confine it, thumped about a great deal, and -made us fear it would shake the stern-post. In the morning of the 18th, -the ship fortunately took a heavy plunge, and the rudder unshipped -itself from the stern and sank. The sea at this period was most heavy -and breaking; it stove the quarter boats, and caused the ship to -strain so much that it was necessary to keep the pumps constantly -going. Towards noon of the 18th we veered a cable astern with hawsers, -etc., and struck the mizen-topmast to try and wear ship, but found it -impossible, for the moment we got the ship four or five points from the -wind, she flew to again. On the 19th, the weather began to moderate, -but still there was a heavy sea; yet, notwithstanding the ship laboured -a great deal, we commenced making a Pakenham’s jury rudder out of a -spare maintopmast-jibboom, and other spars. - -Towards evening we saw the Columbretes, small rocky uninhabited -islands, near Ivica, on the lee bow, distant four or five leagues; -finding ourselves drifting bodily down on them, we made all sail on the -foremast, in the hopes of getting the ship on the other tack, veered -away a cable astern, and with hawsers bowsed it over to windward; but -the heavy swell,--the moment we got way upon the ship, and she was a -few points from the wind, striking her abaft the beam,--made her fly to -the wind again. We therefore furled our sails, and let go an anchor in -60 fathoms, with a spring on the cable, which for a time brought us up; -but soon after midnight, during my watch, there came on a heavy squall -with thunder, lightning and rain, the ship drove, when we cut the cable -and set new storm stay-sails and fore-sail; she evidently would not -weather the rocks, but when pretty near them, it pleased Providence to -send us a shift of wind in another severe squall, which enabled us to -clear them. On the morning of the 20th the weather became moderate, -and towards evening, having completed our jury-rudder, we succeeded in -shipping it, and found to our great joy it answered with a little care -very well. The 21st we had a steady breeze from the S.W., which enabled -us to shape our course for Malta. It was necessary to keep a sharp look -out upon our rudder guys and braces, for the constant friction against -the ship’s sides, soon chafed the woulding. On the 22nd, at night, -it again blew very heavy, our starboard fore channel was very badly -started, and we found the fore-yard sprung; however the ship steered -very well, going before the gale at the rate of ten and eleven knots -per hour. On the 26th we arrived at Malta, and moored safely from the -gales in La Valette harbour. The defects of the ship were as follows: a -rudder, main-mast, two top-masts, both lower yards, maintop-sail-yard, -the starboard fore channel had to be secured, and general caulking was -wanted. In short, the ship was strained all to pieces. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - - Siege of Gaeta by the French--Boat affairs--My capture--Leghorn. - - -After the repairs were made good, which took nearly two months, we -sailed for Messina, and found there some transports waiting for a -convoy to take a reinforcement of troops, with General Sherbrooke, to -Egypt. - -The service being most pressing, we took them under convoy, and after -a passage of three weeks, made the low sandy coast to the westward of -Alexandria, on which were growing a few date or palm trees, planted in -a cluster. We got off the port on the following day, where we no sooner -discovered the British squadron, under Capt. Benjamin Hallowell, in the -_Tigre_ (80), all snug, than we hove to; and putting the general and -his staff on board one of the transports, started back to Messina. The -_Tigre_ fired guns and made the signal of recall, which the captain, -much to our satisfaction, would not notice, for we had no particular -relish to exchange the chance of a good cruise, for the burning sands -of Egypt, to fire at Turks behind sand banks and stone walls. - -This, however, very nearly got Captain Peter Parker into a serious -scrape; for the gallant old Ben. was most wroth, and nothing saved him -from a court martial but his being a great friend of Lord Collingwood. - -On our return to Sicily we went from Messina to Palermo, and from -thence to succour the fortress of Gaeta, near Terracina, besieged by -Marshal Massena, with 30,000 men. We ran in and engaged a battery -and a French man-of-war brig near Mola. The battery was thrown up in -Cicero’s Garden. Night, and a very heavy thunder storm coming on, which -blew dead on shore, obliged us to haul off and get an offing; the brig -taking advantage of the darkness, cut her cable, and got safe into -Naples. - -A few days afterwards, I went with some other officers on shore, to -be introduced to the Prince of Hesse Philippsthal, who commanded the -fortress, and to look round the works and observe the French lines. It -appearing to our captain that we could flank the enemy’s works to the -N.W. of the peninsula, with the ship, in the afternoon, we stood in -and fired a few broadsides, which put them to confusion, however the -wind failing obliged us to haul off. A day or two afterwards the wind -changing and permitting us to do the same thing, again we stood in, but -the French had got something prepared for us this time, in the shape -of a good masked battery, which was so well directed that every shot -hit us, and we were glad to get off with the loss of three men badly -wounded; one poor fellow lost both his legs, another his right leg, and -the third was severely wounded by a splinter. We took the hint and did -not go there any more. Shortly after this, Rear-Admiral Sir Sidney -Smith came and assumed the command of the squadron, he used to send the -launches, armed with a carronade, every dark night to flank the French -camp on the Terracina side, with orders the moment the gun was fired to -pull either to starboard or port, in order to avoid the enemy’s shot. -Our being low on the water prevented them seeing us, so that they could -only fire at the flashes of our guns. Some shot occasionally passed -over us, but the greater part went either to the right or left. One -of the Sicilian gun-boats was sunk one night, and some of the oars -knocked out of the men’s hands, but by attending to the orders of the -gallant admiral we generally escaped. Our other orders from him were -not to go within musket shot, and directly the moon began to appear, -to disperse and return on board. One night we killed a French general -named Vaubois, who had come down to the beach with some field pieces to -return our fire. - -We went hence to Palermo and landed our wounded men, when we proceeded -off Naples with a spy, dispatches, and proclamations, from King -Ferdinand the VII., to his beloved subjects, calling upon them to -rise and make a diversion to raise the siege of Gaeta; but they were -too wise to follow his advice, having neither leaders, spirit, nor -enterprise for such dangerous work. To get the above gentleman with his -dispatches, proclamations, &c., on shore, being a service of danger, -with the prospect at least of a dungeon for the remainder of the war, -should they even escape hanging, volunteers were necessary; myself and -a fine gig’s crew and a sergeant of marines, offered our services, -and engaged not to return without performing the service if it were -possible. - -We were all well armed and left the ship in the gig, with the spy, -soon after dark, at the entrance of the Bay of Naples; the oars were -well muffled and greased to prevent them from making a noise. We -first rowed under the land towards Baia and Pansilippo; the night was -favourable, being very dark, and rather inclined to be stormy, with -an occasional flash of sheet lightning, which latter we could have -dispensed with; however, on we pulled, taking care not to feather the -oars, and to row as easy as possible, that we might make no splashing -in the water. At last we got to what I thought a favourable place, and -we pulled in, when just as the boat was touching the shore a whole host -of fishermen bawled out and gave the alarm. The alarm fires were lit -along the shore in a minute, and we were instantly challenged; off we -shoved the boat and told the Italian to say we were fishermen looking -for our companions. While he was talking the wind being off the land, -soon blew us out of hearing and musket shot, when we again rowed along -shore nearer Naples, and tried to land upon the rocks, not far from -Castle del Ovo; here again, however, the fellows were upon the _qui -vive_, and we again shoved off, when I determined to put a good face -upon the matter, and after passing the castle to land right under the -houses. They not expecting us there, we succeeded, and our friend the -spy, with his dispatches and proclamations, went at once into the -city, and I then shoved off and got safe back to the ship by a little -after midnight; the captain was quite happy to see us safe returned, -having so well accomplished our object. Having seen the alarm fires and -signals from the ship, he was very anxious on our account. - -The spy being a clever fellow, managed his business well, and in a -fortnight after returned safe to Palermo with answers. Nothing was -done, for King Joe and his police kept too sharp a look out, to allow -his Sicilian Majesty’s corps of lazzaroni to make, or attempt to make, -any disturbance. - -On our way off Cività Vecchia, near Mount Circello, in company with -the _Juno_ (32), we fell in with two French settees, who were steering -along shore towards Mola; one we sunk with our two guns, and the -other we took; both were laden with charcoal for the forges of the -French army before Gaeta; the _Juno_ went thither with our prize, -and we continued off the above place in the hope of falling in with -a French squadron, but in this we were anticipated by the _Sirius_ -(36), who fell in with them, took a corvette, and dispersed the rest. -From thence we proceeded off Leghorn, and on the 18th of May, 1806, at -noon, I was sent, with seven men, armed with merely four cutlasses, -two muskets, and having only eight ball cartridges, after a French -row-boat, with orders also to attack a convoy close in shore under the -town of Leghorn. This adventure having nearly cost me my life, I shall -enter more fully into it. All hands were upon deck, ready to carry any -orders given into execution; a French row-boat passed close to the -ship, armed with musketoons and muskets, and having a crew of sixteen -men. The ship had French colours flying at the time, trying to entice -out the enemy’s convoy in shore, and therefore Captain Parker would -not permit a musket to be fired to bring-to the small vessel passing -near us. The wind was light, and the row-galley had no sooner got out -of musket shot astern, than they out sweeps and began to pull away, -suspecting, notwithstanding our French flag, that we were an English -frigate. At this time our distance from Leghorn might be about seven -or eight miles. A large polacre ship was seen to leeward, which was -taken for an enemy; we bore up and made all sail after her, when I -was called off the forecastle, and ordered to jump into the starboard -cutter and go after the aforesaid galley; so much was I hurried that -permission was not even allowed me to run below to my cabin, in the -gun-room, to get my sword and pistols, but, obeying orders, let the -consequences be what they might, having always been drilled into me, -away I went, rather sulkily I confess, and when lowered down in the -quarter-boat, I found that instead of the proper boat’s crew, any men -that happened to be nearest, had been ordered into her; amongst others, -an Italian, a native of Leghorn, who for some crime had been severely -punished three days before. Just as we were shoving off I discovered -there were neither muskets, pistols, nor swords in the boat; after -some little delay, two muskets, and four cutlasses, with two cartouch -boxes, were given us. With this equipment, I ordered the boat tackles -to be unhooked, and away we pulled, but guess my astonishment, when -upon opening the cartouch boxes, I found the gunner’s mate had given me -the wrong ones, for one contained five, and the other only three ball -cartridges. In about ten minutes after leaving the ship, the gig was -sent to join me, with orders to attack the convoy, and take as many -as possible. I therefore ordered the gig to go and attack a merchant -vessel, which I pointed out, while I went after the row-galley. A -short time brought us within musket shot; at this period the ship was -four or five miles off to leeward, and we about the same distance from -the shore. The few musket balls I had, were soon expended; observing, -however, that whenever I took up the musket and pointed it the -Frenchmen bobbed down, we pulled alongside and boarded her, and for a -few minutes we had the vessel in possession, when a gun fired from the -shore unfortunately drew my attention. The Italian whom I brought with -me thinking it a good opportunity for revenge, joined the Frenchmen, -and excited them to rise, and they being more than double our numbers, -soon overpowered us--stabbed one of my men, threw two overboard, laid -me sprawling by a blow on the head and a cut in my right hand. In -half-an-hour I was safely landed in the lazaretto at Leghorn. I must do -the enemy the justice to say, that the moment they had recaptured their -vessel, they picked up the two men thrown overboard. - -We remained in the lazaretto three weeks, a surgeon coming occasionally -to see the wounded man and myself, and give us some plasters. We not -being touchable on account of our quarantine, old Sangrado brought -a long slender white stick, with which he used to feel the seaman’s -wound,--a stab in the left side,--and my hand; however we did not -trouble the old fellow long, for low diet and good constitutions soon -healed flesh wounds. - -At the expiration of three weeks, we were considered free from any -possibility of our having the plague; a guard of French soldiers -was therefore sent down to the door of the lazaretto, and we were -committed to their charge and marched to the sound of an old brass -drum to the fortress at Leghorn, where I had the option, either to -sign a parole not to attempt to quit it, or be locked up in a prison. -Of two evils always choose the least,--escape was impossible, for the -castle or citadel was built upon a small islet joined to the town by a -draw-bridge; a strong guard was constantly mounted there, and at sunset -the bridge was hauled up, and the sea surrounded the place on all -sides, while sentinels were posted at every angle. I therefore was glad -to have permission from ten in the morning until six in the evening -to walk round the fortress to breathe fresh air, with a young Russian -mid who was taken with me. After that period we were locked up in the -prison of the fortress until the next morning, when we were again let -out to enjoy fresh air. - -For prisoners, we were treated very well. I was allowed tenpence a -day to live upon, which, with occasional presents received from kind, -friendly people in the town, we managed very well. For the first few -nights our beds were rather too full of light and heavy cavalry; but -by adopting the plan of lying down in them a good half-hour before -going to sleep, and then throwing off the clothes, and setting to work -with a good will, in the course of a week most of the bugs and fleas -were got rid of, and we enjoyed tolerable rest. - -At this period Leghorn was placed in a happy state of suspense, between -being in actual possession of the French and under the government of -the Queen of Etruria. The former held all the fortifications, as an -army of observation, while the latter was acknowledged for a short time -longer, because it suited the views of the French emperor, and we were -permitted to have a kind of acting consul there, who was a most worthy, -excellent man--the Rev. J. Hall--whose kindness I shall never forget. -He had a very delightful family. What became of them after the French -took the entire possession of the country I never knew. Some American -merchants also (particularly a Mr. Purviance) showed me every attention -when I was let out of prison. I tried, through the Rev. J. Hall, to -get myself and boat’s crew liberated, claiming the protection of the -Etrurian Government, they not being actually at war with England, and -professing neutrality, but I soon found it was useless, for they dare -do nothing to displease the French. However, most luckily for me, a -friend of Joseph Bonaparte’s, who was at that time King of Naples, -had been captured in a French corvette, _La Bergère_, and he sent out -a flag of truce to Admiral Sir Sidney Smith, offering me in exchange -for his friend, who was at Malta, which our admiral agreed to. At the -expiration of six weeks I was, to my great joy, liberated, and took -up my quarters in the town, where I remained more than a fortnight, -visited Pisa, and Monte Negro, and amused myself about the town, until -an opportunity offered of my getting to Palermo. - -Luckily, a Danish merchant brig was at this time ready for sailing, and -I took my passage on board her, for, just when I was going to embark, -an order came from King Joseph for me to be sent to him at Naples. -My passport was signed and given me, and my bill of health from the -quarantine office was likewise in my possession; the wind being fair, -the brig was getting under. Had I been differently situated with regard -to money and clothes, I would have risked placing myself in the hands -of King Joseph, for the delight of travelling, even as a prisoner, by -land to Naples, for the novelty of the thing; but my thread-bare coat, -empty pockets, and tattered garments decided me to get on board the -Dane as fast as possible, and run the risk of being taken out “_vi et -armis_,” rather than go in such a shabby plight to Naples. Our acting -consul hurried me off, telling me the police were after me. I was -immediately put into a boat, and got safe on board, with two of my -men, and the young Russian, who, by-the-bye, afterwards turned out to -be a Frenchman, sent into our service by Bonaparte, through Russian -influence, with some of their own youngsters, and passed off on our -Government as a Russian. All that I can say is, that he was a clever, -smart lad. I met him in Paris in 1818 (Lieutenant de Vaisseau), when -he laughed at the trick that had been played, and told me several more -Russian midshipmen in our service were young Frenchmen. This was done -by some of the Emperor Alexander’s official servants, when it was the -policy of Russia after the fatal battle of Austerlitz, in December, -1805, to endeavour to please Napoleon. Very probably the Russian agent -received a douceur for the transaction, and as for humbugging John -Bull, and taking advantage of his good-nature, this, added to a breach -of faith and confidence, was of little consequence when compared with -other matters.[H] - -I must confess that, until the time we were safe under sail, which was -more than an hour after we got on board, my eye watched every boat with -anxiety, expecting to see some French soldiers sent to take me out; -nor was I quite satisfied of my safety until we had sailed through the -Piombino Passage, which we did before dark, when I began to think I -might whistle with safety, being well “out of the wood,” and in the -probable track of some of our cruisers. - -After a pleasant passage of five days, we arrived safe at Palermo, -and from thence I proceeded in a transport for Malta to look for the -_Melpomene_. - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - - Malta--Dreadful accident by the Explosion of a Magazine in the - town, on the Bermola side--Nearly get into a scrape about breaking - quarantine--Kind answer of the gallant Admiral Sir Sidney Smith - to the complaint--Rejoin the _Melpomene_--Mutiny in Fribourg’s - regiment--Cruise in the Adriatic. - - -On my arrival at Malta I learnt that the ship was on a cruise, and -that she had lost, a short time after I was taken, our gallant first -lieutenant, Andrew Thompson, who was killed, with most of his boat’s -crew, in boarding,--in the middle of the day, with the barge alone,--a -French armed settee, with six long nine-pounders, off Leghorn; but the -few survivors--Lieutenant Gascoigne, R.M.; Mr. W. Butler, mid; and a -noble fellow, a sergeant of marines, named Milligan, with eight seamen, -all that remained out of twenty-five men--gallantly hooked on the boat, -and carried the vessel, driving some of her crew overboard, and causing -the rest to beg for quarter. - -At the prize agent’s I found my chest of clothes, which had been left -behind to be forwarded to England, it not being expected I should -rejoin the ship. This was a great and unexpected comfort. The delight -of a nice new coat, linen, &c., after my poor ragged dress was a -treat, which, fully to enjoy, a person should be placed in a similar -situation. - -I was sent on board the _Madras_ (guard-ship) to wait for a passage to -join the _Melpomene_, when, in August, a dreadful accident happened. -I was awakened out of sleep about six in the morning by a tremendous -noise, and the bursting of shells. I jumped out of bed, and ran upon -deck, thinking we were in action, when a shell fell upon the wharf -to which the ship was secured, burst, and killed the gunner of the -_Madras_. An immense cloud of black smoke and dust was hovering in the -air, and cries, shrieks, and groans were heard in every direction: a -magazine in the centre of the town of Bermola, nearly opposite the -dockyard, in which many live shells had been placed by the French -during the siege in 1800, had exploded. A party of artillerymen had -been sent to take out the fuses, and by some unfortunate accident -one shell had gone off, for one or two explosions were heard before -the magazine blew up. How the event happened of course not a soul -employed was left to tell, and, in addition to a sergeant’s party of -artillerymen, nearly 300 of the inhabitants were killed or seriously -injured; part of two streets were thrown down, and many more houses -were severely shaken. - -A short time after this shocking event, a transport was directed to -sail for Palermo, and a passage thither was ordered for me to look for -my ship. Outside of Malta harbour we were boarded by a boat, bringing -a lieutenant and some men from a vessel in quarantine to join their -ship also at Palermo. The wind, which had been fair, suddenly changed, -and the weather appearing unsettled, the master prudently bore up, -and returned into harbour. I thought it very hard to be placed in -quarantine, because we had taken the above officer and men out from the -lazaretto, therefore the moment the ship dropt anchor, without waiting -for the pratique boat to come alongside, I got into a shore boat, and -landed in the town of Valette. - -Fortunately, as soon as I had landed, the captain of the _Madras_ -met me, and instantly sent me back to the transport, saying, if the -quarantine officer found me out, I should be sent to prison. The next -morning the wind came fair, and we put to sea. Just when we had got -clear of the harbour--the pratique office having gained intelligence of -my visit to the shore--a boat was sent after the ship to take me out, -and place me in the lazaretto; but the wind freshening, we left her -astern, and proceeded on our voyage to Palermo, where I expected that -nothing more would have been thought of the matter. - -From thence I went on board the _Thunderer_ (74), for a passage to -Naples, where I was taken very ill with a kind of cholera morbus, which -in a few hours reduced me very much, but a good constitution enabled me -soon to recover from its attack, although it left me very weak for some -time. - -On our arrival off Naples we found cruising at the entrance of the bay -the gallant Admiral Sir Sidney Smith, who sent for me on board the -_Pompée_ (80), and said, “What is this you have been doing? You are -a very pretty fellow! This morning a brig came from Malta, bringing a -formal complaint against you from the governor for breaking quarantine, -and requesting me to send you back there to be tried; but,” added he, -in the kindest manner, “never mind, I have answered them, and told them -they, not you, were to blame, for had they done their duty you could -never have got on shore, and it was entirely owing to their neglect -that you transgressed the quarantine laws.” That answer settled the -matter, and I never heard anything more of the affair, although, after -joining the _Melpomene_, which I did in the course of a few days, the -ship was sent to Malta to refit. - -I was quite delighted to get back to my old ship, and be under the -command of her dashing gallant young captain, who, had he not been -killed afterwards in America, would have now been one of the best -officers in the service. Shortly after our arrival at Malta, in -September, a most serious mutiny broke out in a foreign regiment in -our service, quartered at Fort Recazzoli, called “Fribourg’s,” or -the Greek Light Infantry. It was composed of Germans, Swiss, French, -Greeks, Istrians, Dalmations, and Albanians. Most of the officers were -Germans, and the discipline of the regiment did not suit the ideas of -these mercenaries; added to which, some of the Albanians and Dalmatians -had been most shamefully cajoled by emissaries, under false promises, -into our service. In those countries a kind of clanship prevails, and -some of the heads of those clans were told, that if they would enter, -with their followers, into this regiment, they would receive the rank -of captain. These wild chiefs, thinking it a great thing to be made -captain at once in the British service, embarked with their followers, -and came to Malta, where, instead of being placed in the situation they -expected, they were put into the ranks, and one or two of them made -a sergeant or corporal. This, with other causes, created a general -disgust, and a secret plan was formed by these wild tribes to rush -into the officers’ mess-room, while at dinner, and murder every one of -them indiscriminately. Suspecting, however, that their plan had been -discovered, they did not wait for dinner time, but about two or three -o’clock in the afternoon, rose upon the few officers that were in the -fort at the time, killed a captain, the adjutant, and quarter-master, -wounded the colonel and major, whose lives were saved by the Germans, -and hauling up the drawbridge, demanded terms, which were that the -regiment should be disbanded, and themselves sent back to their own -country. - -In the fort at this time was a gallant young officer of artillery, -Lieutenant Fead, with a few of his men, one or two of whom refusing, -like good soldiers, to quit their post without orders from their own -officer, the mutineers killed them, making Lieutenant Fead prisoner, -obliging him to point the guns and mortars towards the town of La -Valette. - -Fort Recazzoli is a strong isolated fortress on the left hand side of -Malta harbour as you come in from the sea, and in which was a large -magazine of gunpowder. The mutineers held out several days, and -threatened to fire upon the town of La Valette if their terms were not -immediately agreed to. One day indeed they did fire a few shells, but -Lieutenant Fead purposely gave the mortars so much elevation, that the -shells dropped quite clear of the town. Things had remained in this -state for two or three days, with all the garrison at Malta and the -seamen and marines of the few ships in harbour on the alert, boats -rowing guard, the batteries manned, and a cordon of troops drawn round -the fort; when, on the afternoon of the second day a grand tiraillade -was heard within it, the Germans and Swiss, with the few artillerymen -who had taken no part in the mutiny, and had been disarmed by the -others, watching an opportunity, made a rush, destroyed the guard at -the drawbridge, let it down, and sallied forth out of the fortress, -bringing with them one or two wounded officers and forty-five of the -principal malcontents; the remainder hauled up the drawbridge and held -out for several days, again demanding terms, and threatening to blow up -the magazine if they were not complied with. - -The mutineers being now reduced to a few, early in the morning, we -stormed the place with scaling ladders, when part of the 44th Regiment -and some sailors got possession of most of the fort; but the mutineers -had not been idle, they had built up a kind of high breast-work of -large loose stones before the magazine, within which they retreated, -and kept up a brisk fire of musketry--a ball from which grazed my hat -and stuck in the wall near me. They used occasionally, from behind -this breast-work, to demand a parley and terms, always ending with -the threat of blowing up the magazine, with themselves, in which -were several hundred barrels of gunpowder. General Valette, who -commanded the garrison, very properly refused to listen to any but an -unconditional surrender--things having gone too far. - -We stationed our men under the bomb proofs, it being the general -opinion of the engineer officers that when the magazine did blow up -the greatest explosion would be towards the sea, where the wall of the -magazine was weakest, and that under the bomb proof the men would be -comparatively safe; and as these desperate fellows had declared, that -if when St. John’s clock should strike the hour of nine in the evening, -their terms, free pardon and safe conduct back to their own country, -were not complied with, they would set fire to the train and blow -themselves and the fortress up, we awaited the event with much anxiety. -A strong suspicion existing that they had undermined the garrison, and -had made a passage out for themselves at the back of it, I was sent to -row guard to intercept any attempt they might make to escape by water. -At about nine, off went the train, and a most awful explosion took -place; the whole sea wall was blown to atoms, and the shock like that -of an earthquake was felt far and near, some fish in the harbour made -a spring out of the water, which showed they also were sensible of the -vibration. Three of the 44th Regiment who were posted sentinels were -killed by the falling stones, and a few more were hurt. I immediately -pulled on shore and had communication with the fort, and then went -and made my report to the senior naval officer. These desperate -wretches, at first, were considered to have perished, but, about a week -afterwards they were brought in, nearly starved to death, having been -unable to make their escape from the island. They were immediately -tried by a court martial and hanged. - -To return to those forty-five mutineers dragged out of the fortress by -the sortie. They were also brought before a military tribunal; fifteen -of them were condemned to be hanged, and most of the remainder to be -shot. The execution was most terribly mismanaged: it presented, indeed, -a shocking spectacle. But I will say no more upon the subject, further -than to the last moment these poor wretches continued to vent their -abuse on the English, and the men sentenced to be hanged endeavoured to -keep up the spirits of those that were about to be shot--even when the -ropes were round their necks they called to them, saying, “What are you -crying for? It is we that ought to bewail our fate of being hanged like -dogs instead of being shot like men.” - -I recollect seeing a Catholic priest very busy on the scaffold, wishing -to persuade the criminals to kiss the crucifix before they were -launched into eternity, but they kicked him off, and spat in his face, -telling him he was no better than themselves. - -In November we sailed on a cruise off Corfu, and from thence up the -Adriatic, where we spent a very stormy winter, blockading Venice, -anchoring occasionally at Trieste, and under Cape Salvatore, the -islands of Lissa, Sansego, and various other places. The N.E. winds in -winter blow most furiously from the Istrian and Dalmatian mountains, -and, if caught by these winds on the Italian coast, a ship is placed in -a most critical situation; a heavy, short sea rises with the wind, and -you are obliged to carry a press of canvas to prevent being driven on a -lee shore. - -A Russian squadron of seven sail of the line, besides frigates and -transports, with troops on board, arrived from Naples early in the -spring of 1807, and anchored off Trieste, the Emperor of Russia having -withdrawn his alliance from us, professing neutrality, in consequence -of the great success of the French army under Napoleon in Austria, -&c. The Russian admiral, Greig, very politely sent to Captain Pat. -Campbell, of the _Unité_, the senior officer in the Adriatic, to say -that he intended to send a ship of the line with the transports to -land the troops they had on board at Venice, we being off the port -blockading it, in company with the _Unité_. Captain P. Campbell replied -that two British frigates would never suffer one Russian seventy-four, -with her convoy, to break the blockade, and therefore requested, if -that was the admiral’s intention, he would take his whole force, which -would prevent any collision between us. - -Admiral Greig very properly did so, and saw his convoy enter safely the -port of Venice. - -During the nine months we cruised in this sea we took and destroyed -a great many of the enemy’s small vessels; but our prize concerns -were unfortunately entrusted to agents, who became insolvent, and -our hard-earned money was in consequence lost. I shall in the sequel -suggest a plan for the management of prize-money, in the event of our -again being engaged in war, it having fallen to my lot to lose every -penny by the breaking of four agents in different parts of the world, -into whose hands we entrusted the management of our prize affairs. - -These honest people have an easy way of getting rid of money committed -to their charge. A ship brings captured vessels into harbour; on board -comes Mr. A., B., C, or D., with a smirking face and soft tongue, -making low bows, hoping he may have the honour,--being an accredited -agent under a bond for £20,000,--to transact the affairs of H.M. -ship! Officers generally being strangers in the port, and having -orders frequently to proceed to sea again in forty-eight hours, after -completing water and provisions, have no time to look after or make -inquiries about _stability_ of prize agents, and therefore trust the -concerns to the first that comes. The moment a ship is fitted out she -goes to sea on another cruise--probably for three or four months; -the prizes in the meanwhile are sold by the agent. Now, what does -he generally do with the money? Why! speculates with it on his own -account. If the scheme answers, he puts the amount of his speculation -into his own pocket--we, whose the money ought to be, never getting any -part of it. If it fails, the prize agent breaks, and off he starts, -paying perhaps not a shilling in the pound. Oh! but then you have got -his bond for £20,000! What matters this amongst a whole fleet, when he -runs away with perhaps more than £100,000 of their money! - -I am not putting an extreme case--this did happen more than once--and -it would astonish the public if the whole system of prize-plundering -agents that was carried on last war could be laid open. They would, -indeed, wonder men could be so easily led to trust persons with large -sums of money without knowing more about them. My reply is, necessity -obliges them. - -Now, the remedy I propose is this. Let the Government, in the event of -another war, take the prize agency into their own hands, and deduct an -eighth or a quarter to cover all expenses, and, whenever ships leave a -station, let the money be sent to England. Government would have the -use of it; the officers and ships’ companies would be sure to receive -the remainder; and it would be much better to give up an eighth or a -quarter to Government to make sure of the rest than to lose, as has -happened in many cases, every sixpence of our hard-earned reward. - -But to return to our cruise. One morning watch, during the time we were -washing decks, and when the after-skylight gratings were off, a strange -sail was seen from the topmast-head. Without thinking of such things as -hatchways, back I ran from the fore part of the quarter-deck to hail -the maintop-masthead, and to ask the man looking out what she looked -like, when, just as I had placed my speaking-trumpet to my mouth, head -over heels down the after-hatchway I fell, bang into the gun-room. -Fortunately, I came off with only a severe bruise, and the spraining of -my right ankle, which laid me up for three weeks. - -The vessel proved to be an enemy’s small coaster, called a “trabaculo,” -the rig of which is merely two large lug-sails, with a boom at the foot -of them, with a jib, and sometimes a stay-sail and top-sail, to be set -flying when going before the wind. She was in ballast, from Chiozza, -bound to Ancona for a cargo. On searching the prisoners for letters and -papers, we found concealed in their waistbands and linings of their -clothes seven hundred and sixty-eight gold Venetian zechins, besides -some dollars, which we took the liberty of extracting. They belonged -to a rich Venetian merchant, and he had sent the money on board, under -the charge of the master of the vessel, to purchase her cargo. On -our chasing him, seeing no means of escape, he distributed the money -amongst the men to sew in their dresses. - -When we first captured him, finding the vessel without anything in her, -Captain Parker was on the eve of letting her go, when the prying eyes -of a young mid made the discovery of the concealed money, which we took -from them, and then allowed the vessel, with her crew, to return to her -own port, she not being worth the trouble of sending to Malta. - -Some prizes in a gale of wind having been driven on shore near Pesaro, -on the coast of Italy, a flag of truce came off to offer an exchange -of prisoners, to which we gladly acceded. I was sent thither, with -two boats, to bring back our seamen and petty officers. The French, -seeing us coming, got the men down on the pier, to have them ready. -Several officers of that nation, who were standing there, came bowing -and scraping to the stairs of the landing-place, making a great number -of fine speeches, and offering me refreshments of all kinds, if I would -do them the honour to walk up into the town, which I gladly accepted, -hoping to rest my boats’ crews and stretch my legs for half-an-hour on -shore, after blockading their ports for six months. - -Just when I was stepping out of the boat I observed they held a -consultation. Afterwards one of the officers came up to me, and said -that he was very sorry, but orders had just arrived for them on no -account to suffer me to come out of my boat. Now this was utterly -false, no one having come near them, for I kept my eye upon them the -whole time. “It was very unfortunate--they were quite in despair -about it,” holding up their hands, shrugging up their shoulders, -and making wry faces all the time; “they wished so much to show me -civility--refreshments were already laid out at their lodgings--but -what could they do?--they were so sorry--but orders must be obeyed.” -So, taking off their cocked hats, they wished me adieu. I returned the -salute, thanked them for the trouble they had taken in getting a repast -ready for me, which the authorities would not permit me to enjoy; then -off we shoved the boats, and, after a long pull, got back to the ship -with our exchanged shipmates, much amused with the French offer of -refreshments, which it was never intended I should partake of. - -We continued in the Adriatic until the end of September, 1807, when -we proceeded to Trieste to embark Lord Pembroke and suite, and carry -them to England. They had come from Vienna. Amongst his lordship’s -suite were Sir William A’Court, the present Lord Heytesbury, and a Mr. -Hammond. They were all pleasant, gentlemanly men, and although bred in -Courts, where little else than cold-heartedness and deceit are learned, -they in a short time won the esteem of us unsophisticated sailors. - -After a stormy passage of nearly six weeks, we anchored at Spithead, -when I found myself appointed lieutenant of H.M. Ship _Swiftsure_ -(74), bearing the flag of my much-esteemed friend and admiral, Sir -John Borlase Warren, who had been appointed commander-in-chief on the -Halifax station. - -After an absence from England of three years, the ship being on the -point of sailing, I could only get one day’s sight of home, when I set -off to join my new ship at Plymouth, and the end of November sailed -for the North American station to relieve Admiral Berkeley, where we -remained three years and a half. - - - - -CHAPTER X. - - North American station, from 1808 to 1811--Bermuda--Anecdote--Death - of Captain Conn. - - -We had a long passage out, running far to the southward, and crossing -the tropic of Cancer before we hauled to the westward for the islands -of Bermuda. In a squall we carried away the fore-yard, which, being a -bad stick, went in three pieces. However, we soon made another, which -answered our purposes remarkably well, and at the end of six weeks we -arrived in Murray’s anchorage. - -These islands consist of a group of three hundred and sixty-five, which -the Bermudians tell you is the reason there are three hundred and -sixty-five days in the year. They are very picturesque, and covered -chiefly with sweet-smelling cedar trees, of whose timber several fine -18-gun sloops-of-war and small schooners have been built. - -Had the Bermudians been permitted to follow their own plan, no doubt -these would have been very safe vessels: but our Navy Board took out a -_patent for making coffins_, and sent them out plans and dimensions, -from which they were by no means to deviate. The consequence was, -such a tribe of little tubs, in the shape of two and three-masted -schooners, were built, that it was absolutely throwing money away -to construct them. Several of them, indeed, did founder, with all -their crews. The ship-sloops were certainly better--I may say, with -truth, they were favourites--very good sea boats, and in every respect -excellent vessels. - -Besides cedar trees, these islands produce arrow-root of the best -quality, tobacco, Indian corn, &c., but not in sufficient quantities -for their own consumption: they, therefore, import flour and other -articles of food from the United States, and other places. Abundance of -fish is taken, such as grouper--which is a fine, firm fish of the rock -species, frequently weighing several pounds--chub, porgay, and various -other kinds; and in the spring of the year a spermaceti whale fishery -is carried on, this species frequenting those seas at that period. - -The scenery of these islands is very pretty. Everything here is in -miniature--little hills, valleys, and lakes; whilst blue and red birds, -flitting about under a brilliant sun, give the whole the appearance -of fairy land. The heat in summer is very oppressive, and the heavy -tempests of wind, or, to use the native expression, “the blow,” -accompanied with frightful storms of thunder and lightning, are most -terrific. In winter the gales generally commence from the S.S.W. to -S.W., and then fly round to the N.W. at once in a most severe squall. - -The approach to the Bermudas, amongst coral rocks and breakers, -is attended with great danger, unless you are quite sure of your -reckoning. Before the great improvements in navigation, many an -unfortunate vessel was wrecked on them. - -The whole chain of these islands is formed like the coral banks in the -south seas; there are no real springs of fresh water, and most of the -inhabitants get this necessary article from tanks attached to their -houses to catch the rain, and when these are dry they go to wells dug -in different parts of the sea coast, through which the salt water -filters, and becomes tolerably sweet. From these the men-of-war, too, -generally get their supply, which has the effect of Cheltenham water, -and saves the trouble of applying to the doctor. - -With regard to society, much depends upon the military and naval -commanders-in-chief, the regiments, and king’s ships. Some of the -Bermudian families are highly respectable. - -Much merriment was afforded one evening at a party, to which a naval -captain, who is now dead, was invited. He had come in from a long -cruise, and had been paying his addresses to a certain young lady -living on one of the islands; but the tongue of slander had been busy -against him during his absence, and on his making a proposal she -refused him. This came to the ears of the lady of the house, who, -wishing to quiz the poor man, and to be very facetious, forgetting that -her husband had but one eye, and was not very handsome otherwise, began -her attack thus: “So, Captain ----, I hear Miss ---- has refused you,” -and went on very cruelly to torment the poor man, in his distress, -as ladies _can_ do sometimes when they wish to be _mischievous_. He -bore it all for a long time with great patience and forbearance; being -goaded at length beyond endurance, he rose from his chair and said, -“Mrs. ----, when such an old, ugly fellow as your husband, with but one -eye, can get a pretty young woman like yourself for a wife, I ought -never to despair.” And out he walked, the tables fairly turned on -the facetious dame. Having mentioned the word “slander” in the above -anecdote, I am induced to add another story by way of advice to young -ladies. - -Whenever your friend--and many young ladies have a confidential -one--abuses or throws out hints to the prejudice of your absent lover, -listen to her with caution. The following little tale will point out -the necessity of not relying entirely upon the recommendation of bosom -friends in love affairs, for it is an old saying that all advantages -in love, war, law, and elections are considered fair. Two young ladies -from twenty-three to twenty-five years of age, who lived in a large -town in the north, were first cousins, and dear confidential friends; -the one, a widow, had soft, pretty, languishing, blue eyes, that said, -“pray do love me;” the other, a spinster, had black, sparkling eyes, -that said, “you shall love me.” The former had an offer of marriage -from a widower, who had a son about fifteen years of age, whom he -wished to put into a profession previous to his marriage, but wanted -some ready money to do so. He, therefore, proposed that the fair -widow should advance him the money necessary to enable him to do it. -She, very properly, consulted her friends; some gave one opinion, -some another. She hesitated between love and money--she called in her -cousin, Miss Black-eyes, who strongly advised her by no means to part -with her cash. She still hesitated, asked other advice--sent for her -cousin again--went so far as to purchase her wedding dress and make -preparations for furnishing a house. In the meanwhile Miss Black-eyes -had had frequent communications with the gentleman, and also with -her cousin. At last, she got some friends to back her opinion, and, -finally, the match was broken off. But the same day the spinster gave -the money to the gentleman, who had a license ready--off they went to -the next parish and were married. Therefore, I say, be very cautious in -adopting any opinion where the least chance of a clash of interest is -likely to exist, particularly in _love_ affairs. - -Our cruises in winter, during the time we were on this station, were -generally to the southward. Sometimes we ran down to the island of -Porto Rico, the Mona passage, and off Anegada, with the hope of -picking up some of the French vessels from Martinique or Guadaloupe; -but the whole time we remained here, nearly four years, only one ship -letter-of-marque, a schooner, and brig, fell into our hands. - -In our summer cruises, we, on one occasion, went to Madeira; another -time to Fayal, one of the western isles, and when there, paid our -respects to the nuns in the convents, and bought some of their pretty -wreaths for ladies’ hair, beautifully made of parrots’ feathers, in -imitation of myrtle. When first we went to the bars of the convent, -the abbess sent some of the elder sisters to offer flowers for -sale, but these finding no market, she changed her set, and the next -time some pretty, interesting young nuns offered their goods, which -we immediately bought from such fair hands. If the old harpy of an -abbess went away for a minute they used to smile, talk, and give us -their hands to kiss through the grates; and their handsome dark eyes -seemed to say, “Oh! that these bars were removed, that I might get out -of this horrid prison, to which I am consigned by sordid parents to -make way for some male branch of the family.” Several of these young -ladies, we were informed, had been expatriated from Portugal, from that -motive. A short time after we left Fayal, one young nun did make her -escape with a captain in the navy, who very honourably married her; -but her poor friend, who tried to accompany her, met with a serious -accident, falling down and breaking her leg, when getting out of the -convent window. She was taken back to her cell, where, it was said, she -underwent purgatory upon earth. - -When on the North American station I met with a severe hurt, while -making sail in chase, which laid me up for a considerable period. A -rope having got loose, struck me on the face, broke my jaw, and knocked -out five of my teeth. - -In winter, the ships used to rendezvous at Bermuda; during summer at -Halifax, Nova Scotia. At the latter place we used to enjoy pleasant -society, amongst very kind-hearted and friendly people, whose pretty -daughters made sad havoc with the hearts of both the army and navy. - -After one of our long summer cruises I got leave of absence for ten -days, and travelled with a friend, an officer of the Royal Engineers, -in his gig, across the country to Annapolis Royal; the scenery did not -strike me as being particularly interesting. I saw a great deal of -barren, dreary, uncultivated land, that wanted the hand of man to clear -it, and make it “bring forth its fruit in due season.” - -Driving along the road we frequently started coveys of spruce -partridges. I used occasionally, when time permitted, to get a shot -at them. These birds do not, like our partridges, take to the fields, -but on rising from the ground always fly into fir trees; they are very -stupid, and once in a tree will allow you to shoot them all, provided -you begin with the lowest and proceed upwards. - -I recollect at one place where we breakfasted after leaving Windsor, a -large brown bear and two cubs had been caught during the night in a pit -fall; the old one was shot in the pit, and the young ones kept alive, -probably to be sent to England. - -The native Mic Mac Indians are a poor race, those, at least, that I saw -in Halifax and its neighbourhood. They are confined to a few families. -They used to come to the town in their slight bark canoes, bringing -game, and skins of the silver and black fox, and boxes made of the bark -of the birch tree, ornamented with the small quills of the porcupine, -dyed of various colours. I have often been in their wigwams, and always -found the people civil. Some of the young squaws were passable, but -the old women frightful. These wigwams are easily built: half a dozen -poles placed triangularly and covered with the bark of the birch tree, -is the general plan; the fire is in the middle of the hut, the smoke -finding its way out at the top, and by the door-way. These habitations -appear warm, and the inmates healthy. When travelling, the women -carry their babies in a kind of basket, strapped to their back, which -resembles the lower part of a fiddle-case, peeping out of which their -little smoked faces have a curious appearance. After disposing of their -wares, these people generally get drunk and fight, the men beating -the squaws, who, in their turn, belabour the men. It not unfrequently -happens that those who return by water contrive to upset their canoes, -when they lose all the articles they have bought; it is, however, very -rare that any of the crew are drowned. Fish of various sorts are most -abundant, and the market very good. The harbour of Halifax is safe, but -sometimes difficult to make, on account of the thick fogs, which in -particular winds,--those from south-east to south-west,--hang about the -coast. - -A very provoking circumstance occurred to one of the lieutenants, -who was a Welchman, and a married man, during a cruise, caused by a -nanny-goat eating his letters that he had just received from England, -previous to his having read them. - -A schooner joined us at sea from Bermuda, bringing the mail and letters -from there and Halifax, Nova Scotia. We all felt very anxious about -news, for it was nearly ten months since we had heard from “sweet -home;” in consequence of our being out cruising, and going from place -to place, they had missed us. - -The weather was squally when the above vessel joined us with the -letters, and by the time her boat had reached us, and they were -delivered to their owners, it was necessary to turn the hands up to -reef the topsails. Poor M----, for fear his letters should get wet in -his pocket, for it began to rain as well as blow, left them for safety -on the rudder-head in the wardroom, and went on deck to his station. No -sooner was the evolution performed than down he ran below, thinking, -poor fellow! to have a nice, quiet reading of his two letters from his -wife, giving an account of a new bit of mischief that had been added to -his establishment during his absence, for he had left his wife near her -confinement, previous to his leaving England. Now, only imagine M----’s -rage, vexation, and consternation, on beholding Mrs. Taffy, the Welch -goat, mounted on the rudder-head, very quietly eating up the letters. -One was quite gone, and a very small corner of the other sticking out -of the goat’s mouth, which she was endeavouring to masticate with all -possible dispatch. “Nanny” was seized by the throat in a moment, and -measures adopted to make her disgorge the precious writing, but all in -vain, for she had taken such good care to bite them in small pieces, -in order that they might the more easily be swallowed, and readily -digested, that not a fragment larger than a crown piece was recovered, -and he had to wait eight long months more, before he got others to tell -him the contents of those, and give him information about his family. - -This was a trial of temper. We commiserated, sympathised, and found -fault with him for not putting them in his pocket, writing-desk, or -any safer place than where he had left them; in short, he had all -Job’s comforters, but was obliged to have recourse to Dame Patience, -hoping that some other vessel might soon come from home and bring him -others. Eight long months elapsed ere he received information from -England--making in the whole nearly eighteen months--a vexatious period -at any time, but still more so in his case. The goat had been used to -run in and out of the ward-room, for she was a great pet, and generally -after dinner had some biscuit and a little wine or grog given to her, -which she was very fond of. After the unfortunate affair of the letters -she was banished for a month. After that period it was forgotten, and -she came in for her biscuit and grog as usual. - -On one of our spring cruises, in May, 1810, we lost our captain (John -Conn), who, in a fit of derangement, jumped overboard out of his stern -cabin, and was drowned. He was a thorough seaman, and very much beloved -by us all. He served in Lord Rodney’s fleet in the action of the 12th -of April, 1782, and commanded the _Dreadnought_ (98), at the battle -of Trafalgar. He was mate of the _Ramilies_ (74), Rear-Admiral Thomas -Graves, when she was lost in that dreadful gale, which proved fatal -to the _Ville de Paris_ (110), _Glorieux_ (74), _Centaur_ (74), and -various other men-of-war, transports, and merchant ships, in the gulf -stream, not far from the latitude of Bermuda, when returning to England -in August of that year with the prizes taken by Lord Rodney. - -He gave me a piece of advice respecting the coast of America which I -shall never forget, and as it is of that sort which all seamen liable -to be sent on the North American station ought to be acquainted with, -I shall mention it here. “Never lay your ship to at night in a gale -of wind to the S.S.W. on the coast of America on the larboard tack, -for the wind generally flies round at once to the N.W. with a heavy -squall, and takes the ship flat back.” It was this, and lying-to under -a main-sail, which caused the loss of the _Ramilies_ at that period. He -often gave me an account of that misfortune. It was as follows:--“We -were on the larboard tack, with a reefed main-sail set. The gale -commenced from S.E., and gradually came round to the S.S.W., blowing -extremely hard. When in the middle watch of the night of the 16th of -October, 1782, the wind flew round in a most tremendous squall to the -N.W., taking the ship aback, and throwing her nearly on her beam ends. -We tried to brace the main-yard round, but, finding it impossible, we -cut the foot rope of the main-sail, which was quite a new one, with -the hope of splitting it, but it was bound so tight against the mast -and rigging that we could not effect this. The ship at this time had -great stern-way upon her; the sea, breaking over her poop, stove in -the dead-lights and windows, and filled the ward-room and admiral’s -cabin with water, and before anything could be done the main-mast, -mizen-mast, and foretop-mast went over the side; the stern-post was -much shaken, and the ship, nearly a new one, sprung a dangerous leak. -At daylight the whole convoy was scattered; many of the vessels -dismasted--some had foundered--and the sea was covered with wreck; -the wind blowing a hurricane. By dint of perseverance, having thrown -overboard most of her guns and heavy stores, we succeeded in keeping -the ship afloat until the 22nd, when, finding she would not float much -longer, we took advantage of a lull of wind, and saved the crew on -board a few of the merchant ships that had continued by her.” - -Captain J. Conn also mentioned that had the orders of Rear-Admiral -Graves been attended to the ship would probably not have been lost. The -admiral came out of his cabin in the middle watch, and, after looking -about him and making his remarks to the officer on deck, said, “It -looks black under the lee bow, and I see some flashes of lightning. -Should the clouds appear to near you, immediately haul up the main-sail -and wear ship.” Unfortunately the admiral went into his cabin without -sending for the captain, who slept in the ward-room. The moment the -admiral had gone in, the officer of the watch ran down to Captain S. -M., and mentioned the directions he had received. The captain replied, -“It is my positive order you do no such thing without first coming to -acquaint me.” The lieutenant of the watch had scarcely got on deck when -he saw that a most violent squall, with shift of wind, was about to -take place. Down he ran to acquaint his captain, according to orders, -but before he could get again upon the deck to give the necessary -directions the mischief had been done: she was taken aback, lost her -masts, and was finally abandoned and burnt--all owing to adhering too -closely to etiquette. The captain very properly was never employed -afterwards. - -From Bermuda we sailed to Halifax, where, one afternoon, a man fell -from the main-top, and striking first against the main-rigging, then -against the spare topsail-yard in the chains, dropped into the sea. -Being on deck, I ran to the gangway, and, seeing no time was to be -lost, jumped overboard, and, fortunately, getting hold of the man -just as he was sinking, I kept him up until a boat was sent to our -assistance. His fall having been broken by the main-rigging, previous -to his striking the topsail-yard, was probably the cause of his life -being saved. - -After remaining in port some time, orders arrived from England for the -7th Fusiliers, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Blakeney, to proceed to -join the army of Lord Wellington. We embarked the headquarters and four -hundred men of this fine regiment. The remainder were sent out in other -men-of-war, and, after a passage of three weeks, were landed at Lisbon. -The officers were a most pleasant, gentlemanly set of men; but out of -the whole of those whom we took thither only the gallant Sir Edward -Blakeney (now a Major-General) and another are alive. - -After returning to Halifax nothing of interest occurred on the station -for the remainder of our time, except that Captain Charles Austen, a -very amiable man and excellent officer, who had been placed in command -of the _Swiftsure_ in lieu of Captain Conn, who was drowned, was -appointed to the _Cleopatra_, Captain Lloyd joining the former ship in -his stead. - -We returned to England in the spring of the year 1811, and the ship was -paid off at Chatham. - -After a month at home, I took a passage in the _Port Mahon_, brig, of -18 guns, to Lisbon, and on the 11th of June arrived in the Tagus, and -was placed on the Admiralty list for promotion. - - - - -CHAPTER XI. - - Lisbon--Trip to the Army of Lord Wellington--Montemor Novo, - O’Rodondo, Villa Vicosa, Elvas, Fort le Lippe. - - -I was appointed to a ship in the Tagus by the commander-in-chief, -Admiral Sir G. Berkeley, whose amiable family treated me with great -kindness and attention. - -Having but little to do, I passed much time in examining the -beautifully situated, but dirty town of Lisbon. If it were not for the -scavenger dogs which prowl about and take “pot luck,” the streets would -be impassable from filth. Having a brother[I] in the 14th Dragoons, -with the army of Lord Wellington, whom I had not seen for more than -seven years, and a remount of horses arriving from England for the -regiment, amongst which was one for my brother, I thought it a very -good opportunity of going to see him. - -The admiral having been so obliging as to grant me a month’s leave of -absence, on the 19th of July, I accordingly left Lisbon, placing on the -horse a pair of saddle bags, blanket, great coat, sword and pistols, -together with some hams and brandy, which I was told would be very -acceptable in camp. - -After a short ride, I embarked in a Portuguese passage boat, with a -motley group of persons. A sail of three hours brought me safe to Aldea -Galega, a small town on the southern bank of the Tagus. - -I was now about to travel in a strange country. Unable to speak the -language, and having no servant to take care of my horse, the troops -having gone forward the previous day, I began to fear I should be -placed in some difficulty. Before me was a march of five or six -days,--during which my steed would require that care a groom only -could bestow,--I determined, however, to push on and trust to fortune, -and my Portuguese vocabulary. Looking about the miserable town of -Aldea Galega for mules, I was lucky enough to meet with a dismounted -dragoon, belonging to the 14th, going to Lisbon, who informed me that -the detachment of his regiment, which I ought to have accompanied, had -marched from Galega only the day before, and that by my making all -haste, I most likely should overtake them in less than forty-eight -hours. I pressed this man into my service, went to a commissary, got -two mules, on one of which I put my baggage, mounting the soldier, with -three days’ rations for myself and cattle, on the other. In the evening -we left this town for a place called Pegoeus, twenty miles distant, -and after a most disagreeable ride through a long stunted wood, with a -heavy sandy soil, in which the horse and mules sank half-way up their -knees at every step, a little before midnight reached Pegoeus, a most -wretched place, consisting of three miserable dirty hovels, very much -resembling cow-houses, into one of which we entered, in order to rest -the horse and mules. Sitting down upon my baggage, I loaded my pistols, -as the house was full of ill-looking Portuguese and Spanish muleteers -and peasantry, nearly all armed, and half drunk, and making a great -noise. Some people I was informed had been robbed a few hours before of -everything, near this very place. Although very much tired, sleeping -was out of the question; I was therefore glad when daylight arrived. -While my cattle were being saddled, I was fain to undress by the -road-side, and shake off some score of fleas that were scampering over -me in all directions: then mounting my horse, a cool ride of five hours -brought me to a small village called Vendas Novas, where I remained a -short time to get something to eat, and rest the animals. Here we were -fortunate enough to get tea and eggs for breakfast, and I heard to my -great joy, that the detachment was only three hours’ march ahead of me. -At half-past nine we left this place, and after riding sixteen miles -in the heat of the day, almost broiled, reached a tolerably good town -called Montemor Novo, built on a hill. At this place are the remains of -a Moorish castle. - -I joined the troops going to the army under the Hon. Major Butler, with -whom I took up my quarters, and the next day sent the dragoon back -with the mules. On the following morning at five we marched for a town -called Arryoles, where we arrived at ten. - -Most of the Portuguese villages and towns in the Alemtejo are dull -and uninteresting, at least they appeared so to me. The next morning -early, we moved to a small clean town called Vemeiro, only eight miles -distant, which, losing our way, we did not reach until noon. I found it -very pleasant marching with the troops, not but that it was distressing -to put the inhabitants to so much trouble and inconvenience turning -them out of their rooms to quarter officers and soldiers in them. It is -but justice however to say that the British officers and men generally -conducted themselves with so much propriety, forbearance, and good -feeling towards the natives of the different towns where they were -billeted, that mutual regrets frequently took place at parting. God -forbid, old England ever should be the scene of warfare. Contending -armies are one of the greatest scourges with which Divine providence -can afflict a nation. Even your allies cannot avoid bringing with -them desolation for a time, by destroying crops of all kinds, to -prevent their falling into the hands of the enemy. In short, ruin and -devastation follow in the train of an army, whether friend or foe. - -Being near the town of Usagree, in Estramadura, with a brigade of -dragoons, I remember seeing whole fields of wheat, &c., cut down -and given as green food to the horses of our army. The French being -expected almost immediately to occupy the position we were then in, -the commanding officer very properly thought it better to secure the -grain for ourselves than leave it to fall into the hands of the enemy. -A poor old Spaniard came up to the gallant colonel, the late Sir Felton -Harvey, and, shaking his grey locks, implored him to spare his only -field, which was to preserve himself and family from starving, and -which he beheld our troops cutting to feed their horses. The reply was -that we were his friends; that we were obliged to take the corn, since -our horses must not starve; that, if they did not eat it, those of the -French, his mortal enemies, would. The colonel concluded by giving the -poor man an order on the commissary to pay him in dollars equal to -what had been taken away. I give this anecdote for the edification of -such of my countrymen as are apt, through ignorance, let us hope, to -malign the conduct of our soldiers in the Peninsula, and who grudge -the officers and men of both army and navy their hard-earned half-pay -or pension, a return surely not more than sufficient for averting the -horrors of war from the hearths of their fellow subjects. - -The constant state of alarm and anxiety that the whole of Spain and -Portugal suffered while the contending armies were hovering about -was extreme. As long as the British troops occupied their towns and -villages, the poor inhabitants knew they had nothing to fear; but the -moment the French came, plunder and destruction were the order of the -day, and in very many cases, outrages were committed through mere -wantonness: houses unroofed, the sides of others stove in, and the -furniture destroyed. Our soldiers were the “lion and the lamb”; those -of the French, to use Voltaire’s expression, the “tiger and the monkey.” - -I was informed at Villa Vicosa, by a genteel Portuguese family, of the -continual fear they lived in, and they related to me the following -circumstance:--One night the alarm was given that the French were -advancing into the town, nearly every person having gone to bed. -Immediately all the church bells began tolling to give warning; -everyone, even the sick, arose, these latter were put into cars, each -person taking what things he could carry with him--one a bed, another -articles of clothing, chairs, tables, or whatever else might be useful -in their hiding places. After they had gone a short distance, it was -found to be only a false alarm. An enemy’s foraging party had been -seen during the evening in the neighbourhood, but had, fortunately for -them, taken another direction. At this period our troops were in the -north of Portugal, and the French having a strong garrison in Badajoz, -used to send out occasionally a marauding party, which caused the above -consternation! - -We left Vemiero on the 23rd July, and arrived at Estramoy the same day. -It is rather a large inland town, and once had been a garrison, the -works of the fortifications remained, but the guns had been removed, -the city being commanded by an eminence at the back of it still -higher than the hill on which it is built. Unlike most other towns in -Portugal, it is tolerably clean. On the following morning we marched -from hence to a pretty neat little village called O’Rodondo, where we -arrived at ten, and I had the pleasure of once more meeting my brother, -who had just recovered from a sabre cut in his face, received at the -battles of Fuentes d’Onor, which knocked out two of his teeth and split -his tongue. - -Since we had parted in the year 1804 on the peaceful shores of England, -what trials and scenes had we both gone through and witnessed. He had -been on the expedition under Sir Samuel Achmuty, at the taking of Monte -Video, in South America; in four general actions; the two bloody days -of Talavera in 1809; the battle of the Coa, Busaco, Fuentes d’Onor, -where he was wounded, besides several warm affairs and skirmishes; and -since then he was in the battles of Llerena, Salamanca, Vittoria, -Pyrenees, Orthes, Toulouse, and numerous outpost affairs. - -He has lately been sent with Lord William Russell as one of the -Lieut.-Colonels employed by our Government as military reporters -when Don Pedro returned to Portugal, the events of which period he -has published in his “rough leaves.” He at present commands the -15th Hussars, and is with his regiment at Madras, having sailed -from Gravesend, with the headquarters of his regiment, on board the -_Herefordshire_, East Indiaman, on the 4th of June, 1839. - -I, too, had been tried in fire at Trafalgar, and on various boat -expeditions, etc., and had been wounded, and taken prisoner. - -We remained at O’Rodondo three days, during which time I rode with my -brother to various places in the neighbourhood. On the 28th of July, -the regiment moved to Villa Vicosa, where we found some fine infantry -regiments preparing for a march to the northward to invest Ciudad -Rodrigo. - -I liked Villa Vicosa much better than any other town I had yet seen -in Portugal, the inhabitants were very civil, and I was introduced to -several families, and did hope we should remain here for some days; the -country round about it was pleasant, and a park full of deer, belonging -to the Prince Regent, used to furnish us occasionally with venison. -Those officers who had a regency certificate had permission to shoot in -it. - -Operations against Ciudad Rodrigo having been determined upon, we only -remained here three days, during which time I visited Elvas, Borba, -Alandroal, and other places. From Elvas, I had a very good view of -Badajoz, with the river Guadiana, and the surrounding flat country. -The town and fortifications of Elvas are well worth seeing, they are -on a large scale, and built on a high hill. This being one of the -principal frontier towns of Portugal, great pains had been taken by -Count Le Lippe[J] to render the works as strong as possible. After he -had completed the fortifications, he found it necessary to erect a -strong fortress or castle, on a high hill, which commanded the best -part of them, and which is considered so strong, that it is supposed to -be impregnable; it is named after himself. Report says that a garrison -of 15,000 men in Elvas, and 1200 in Fort Le Lippe, with plenty of -provisions, would keep those places in defiance of any numbers that -might be brought against them. - -There is at Elvas a very large, fine, and curious aqueduct, differing -from any I had yet seen: it has three tiers of arches, raised one above -the other, and of great height. - -The French army having made a movement to the northward, orders arrived -in the evening for the 14th Dragoons to march at daylight the next -morning for Estramoy, where they halted for the night. Next day they -moved forward to Frontiera, and from thence to O’Crato, where are the -remains of an old Moorish castle. We left this town on the morning of -the 5th of August, and on our arrival at the miserable village of -Gafete, my leave of absence having expired, I was obliged, to my great -sorrow, to return to Lisbon. So, bidding my brother and friends of the -regiment adieu, I struck off for Abrantes, thirty miles distant. - -Colonel Hervey very kindly sent a dragoon to escort me thither, the -road being rendered dangerous by marauding parties of the natives. I -was now mounted upon a nice little French horse. He had belonged to the -French 1st Hussars, and had been taken from the enemy in a charge by my -brother’s troop. I reached Abrantes by five in the evening, and, having -got a tolerable billet and something to eat, was glad to go to rest. - -At ten the next morning I quitted Abrantes alone, the soldier having -gone back to his regiment, which was ordered to cover the siege of -Ciudad Rodrigo. - -I had still eighty-four miles to ride to Lisbon, which was not very -pleasant to do alone at that period, considering the excited state and -wretched poverty of the country. - -At sunset I arrived at Santarem, thirty-six miles from Abrantes. This -latter is a large, dirty town, standing upon a hill that commands the -country around it. The river Tagus runs at its foot, over which is a -bridge of boats that can be removed at pleasure. The French marshal, -Junot, derived his title from this city. - -At Santarem I picked up an English soldier, who undertook the care of -my horse. This is a large town. Part of it is built on a high hill: the -remainder standing in a valley. - -When here last year the French committed great devastation, unroofing -some of the houses, and staving in the sides of others, besides -plundering and destroying whatever they could lay their hands on. - -My billet had been unroofed, and part of its sides were torn down. -I found a mattrass spread on the floor, but without the necessary -accompaniment of clothes. The fleas, as is usual in such places, -were exceedingly troublesome; but, having ridden all day under a hot -sun, sleep soon overcame this annoyance, and I remained unconscious -of their attacks till seven the next morning, when I arose, and, -after taking a refreshing swim in the Tagus in order to get rid of my -lively bed-fellows, ate my breakfast, and then rode to Villa Franca, -twenty-four miles. The heat of the weather being very great, and my -horse loaded with my saddle bags, it was impossible for me to go faster -than a walk, so that it was evening before I reached that place. - -In the course of the day I passed through several small villages that -the French had nearly destroyed. The inhabitants were beginning to -return and put the remains of their houses in order. - -At Villa Franca I got a tolerably good dinner, but was almost talked -to death by the landlady, an Irishwoman, at whose house I had put up, -and who inquired the news of the army--what they were about--whither -going--where such a regiment was, &c., &c., forgetting that I was tired -and wanted rest. - -Early next morning I left for Lisbon, and, after a ride of six hours, -passing by part of the lines of Torres Vedras, at which men were still -working, I reached that city. - -I had ridden, for the first time in my life, more than five hundred -miles, and nearly the whole of it in the sun during the hottest part -of the day, in the months of July and August, without its doing me the -least harm, and never feeling over fatigued. - - - - -CHAPTER XII. - - Lisbon, Cintra, Mafra, etc., 1811, 1812--Second trip to the - Army--Taking of Badajoz. - - -I spent the remainder of the year in the Tagus, making, when duty -permitted, excursions up that river to some of the small islands, near -Alhandra, where we used to find snipe, quail, and other wild fowl. -Sometimes we landed on the south side of the Tagus, to shoot red-legged -partridges and woodcocks, which we occasionally met with near the -Prince’s Quinta. But the most delightful place for snipe and wild fowl -was Loares, on the road towards Torres Vedras: the swamps being there -alive with various kinds of them, and amongst others, bittern, kites, -hawks, and I have seen, now and then, an osprey. - -In March, 1812, I made a very pleasant excursion to Cintra, Mafra, and -Colares, with the present Lord By----, and some other officers of the -_Barfleur_. On our road, we went to see the palace of Calous, where, in -some of the rooms are, very well painted, the whole of the adventures -of Don Quixote. - -Cintra, fifteen miles distant from Lisbon, is situated on the -north-east side of the rock. It is certainly one of the most romantic -places I have seen, and commands an extensive and beautiful view of -the country and of the sea. The buildings most worthy of observation -are: first, the Penia convent, rising from the rock of Lisbon; it is -about three hundred and twenty years’ old, and is tenanted by three -monks. From hence is a fine prospect, comprising Cape Espichel, -Peniche, and the Burling islands. Another convent, called the Cork, -from its being lined with that wood, built also on the rock, and having -fifteen monks for its inmates, next attracts attention. This was -founded about three hundred years ago. Beyond, on an extreme point of -the rock, are the ruins of a Moorish castle, mosque, prison, and baths: -the latter supposed by some to be of Roman origin. The Marquess of -Marialva’s palace, where the convention was signed, is very fine, and -pleasantly situated. - -Rising amongst rocks, and embosomed in orange, lemon, and pomegranate -trees, Penia Verde must not pass unnoticed. Its original possessor, Don -Juan de Castro, who died A. D. 1723, and whose remains, at his request, -were interred in a particular spot in the garden, discovered much of -the interior of Brazil: besides being of great use to the Government -in several important matters. On his return to Lisbon he petitioned -for a pension, which being most ungratefully refused, he so willed his -property and possessions as to prevent them in any way benefiting his -country, which had turned a deaf ear to his claims for compensation -for the services he had rendered her. This fact our guide adduced -as a reason for the grounds being found in their wild and neglected -condition. - -The king’s palace, an old gloomy edifice, did not much take my fancy. -What most struck me there was a shower-bath, lined with white marble, -or, perhaps, pantiles, and which, on turning a pipe, throws the water -in all directions. It not unfrequently happened that visitors were -taught a practical lesson of its powers. It used to be a joke to get -them to step into the bath room, the machinery was put in motion, and -they underwent a good drenching as the reward of their curiosity. - -The prince’s palace of Romalyan I thought pretty, and its situation, -looking towards Lisbon and the sea, quite delightful. The Marquis of -Marialva has other gardens than those adjoining his palace, which we -went to see, on account of the figures they contain; amongst them -are shoemakers, and an old woman spinning, all as large as life; by -touching some wires they are set in motion and immediately begin their -work. - -We one day rode to the village of Colares, prettily situated near the -sea, and famous for its wine, which is so excellent that I am surprised -it is not more frequently met with in England; it is something in -flavour between claret and burgundy. - -In the garden of a Signor Tomazine, at the above place, is a mineral -spring, but I am ignorant of its qualities. Would not this afford -a capital speculation to an M.D. Let me advise one to analyse the -spring, rent it--write a pamphlet upon its good qualities--recommend -it strongly for the cure of all kinds of complaints, particularly -consumptions and pulmonary affections. The fine beautiful air of -Cintra, and its romantic scenery he could always call in to his aid as -a good and faithful ally in all extreme cases; and when he occasionally -failed, he might say the case was desperate, and the patient’s time -was come. With the assistance above mentioned, he would be sure to -effect some cures, and make his fortune; steam vessels would bring him -patients and friends to attend them, some of the latter would probably -in time fall sick, and, therefore, he might justly calculate upon -getting a few of them also on his books as patients. I hope, should any -medical gentleman take this hint, he will remember me gratefully in his -will, for depend upon it, the speculation will answer much better than -many of the railroads. - -Before leaving Cintra, on our return to Lisbon, we made an excursion -to Mafra to see an eminent building, containing, besides a convent and -church, a palace for the king, and another for the queen. I believe -that, with the exception of the Escurial in Spain, this is the largest -pile of building in Europe. I was told that in one quadrangle alone, -the French, previous to the convention, had quartered 15,000 men. From -the roof is a fine view of the country for many miles. There is also a -topada, or park, of some extent, belonging to it. From the church rises -a dome, something like that of St. Paul’s in London. There are likewise -two steeples. The interior, which contains some good paintings, and -several pieces of sculpture in alto-relief, on scriptural subjects, is -well worth inspection. These were executed at Rome, and showed the -hand of a great master. There are also statues of all the saints, in -white marble. Its six organs are considered very fine, and according -to the padres, the Mafra ring of bells is the best in the world. This -palace, at the time we saw it, was the depôt for the formation of the -Portuguese army. - -I have not dwelt much on Lisbon, a city so generally known, that to -notice its public buildings, aqueduct, etc., would be superfluous in a -narrative like the present. We had a few slight shocks of an earthquake -during the time I was there, which created a little alarm, and caused -all the church bells to be set ringing for the people to come to mass. - -On the 16th of March I had permission to accompany my brother to his -regiment, which was then at Olivença, in Spain, covering the siege -of Badajoz. Our route to the army was the same as before, through -the Alemtejo to Elvas; we crossed the river Guadiana by the ford of -Xerumaha to Olivença, in Estramadura, where the regiment remained until -the 4th of April. - -Marshal Soult having advanced towards Badajoz to try and raise the -siege, the cavalry, both heavy and light, were sent forward as far as -Villaloa, Almandralajo, and Villa Franca, to oppose him; some brigades -of infantry occupying Albuera on nearly the same spot where Lord -Beresford fought the battle. - -I remained behind to see the siege, and pay a visit to my old friends -of the 7th Fusiliers, with a Captain Daniel Capel, of the 14th. On the -5th of April I went with them to look at the breaching batteries, and -to visit an old acquaintance, who had been wounded the day before by -a musket-ball through the side, while doing duty as an engineer in the -trenches. Poor fellow! he was afterwards killed on the Pyrenees by -lightning; he belonged to the 37th Regiment. I spent a very pleasant -day with the Fusiliers, but it was doomed alas! to be the last with -several of my gallant friends, and amongst others, poor Saint Pol, who -the next night was mortally wounded at the storming of the large breach. - -On my return, late in the evening, to my quarters at Olivença, what -with the haze in my head, occasioned by wine, the foggy state of the -evening, the smoke from the fire of the different batteries, the -captain of dragoons and myself lost each other, and our way. By mistake -my horse, who had been taken from the enemy, took the wrong road, and -instead of going to the left, towards a ford that we had to cross at -some distance in rear of the camp, he chose to take me to the foot of -the bridge leading to Badajoz, where the enemy had a cavalry picket; -fortunately for me, we had a strong covering party of the 43rd Regiment -lying down on the ground. Being unable to give the countersign, these -were going to shoot me for a French officer. They seized my steed, and -knocked me off his back with the butt end of a musket. I was dragged on -the ground back to the camp, where I had to encounter the jokes of my -friends, softened it is true by sincere congratulations on my escape. -My horse, whose head had been turned from Badajoz, got loose, and -managed to find his way back to Olivença, where I was _lucky_ enough -to find him the next day; for sometimes lost horses were borrowed -to carry baggage, commissary stores, or other articles, and they -undergoing various metamorphoses, such as cropping the ears and tails, -with other little changes in their appearances, the lawful owners could -with great difficulty recognise their own steeds. - -These slight-of-hand tricks used occasionally to be played; and with -an army consisting of so many thousand troops, composed of various -nations, and covering a vast extent of country, it was not a very easy -matter to trace a lost animal, whether horse, mule, or donkey. - -On the evening of the 6th, Badajoz was stormed and taken. _No other -troops in the world_ could have carried a citadel so strong, and so -manfully defended; they behaved most _nobly_, in spite of death and -destruction, which were dealt around with _no sparing hand_. - -Our army was indeed a gallant band of warriors, such as we shall never -see again; such as the world probably will never again produce. - -Having rejoined the 14th Dragoons at Valverde, I proceeded with them -to the several towns of Almendrab, Santa Martha, Villalva, Villa -Franca, Fuente de Meastro, Rebeiro, and nearly to Usagre. Marshal Soult -pushed forward his cavalry, and some outpost skirmishing took place. -Near Villa Franca, the 12th, 14th, and 16th Light Dragoons, with six -regiments of heavy horse, having joined and drawn up, we expected a -general cavalry action. It passed over, however, with some skirmishing -in front with a numerous body of the enemy’s dragoons, who manœuvred -to cover the retreat of their army. - -I recollect one of Soult’s scouts, a Spaniard, being taken by a patrol -of the 14th Dragoons. This fellow was observed stealing, under cover of -night, in the direction of our pickets, when he was seized and brought -in. Being threatened with instant death unless he gave up his despatch, -he fell on his knees and implored for mercy, directing the officer -to cut the third leather button from his coat, when he would find -what he demanded. On taking off the button, a tiny slip of paper was -discovered, on which was written these words, “Hold out: I am coming.” -I saw this _morceau_; it was short and to the purpose. It had been sent -by the marshal to the governor of Badajoz. - -My leave of absence having expired, I was obliged to return towards -Lisbon. I had been all day with my brother on the advanced picket, -looking at our videttes and those of the French, near Usagre, when, -having laid down in my clothes to get a little rest, orders arrived to -again advance. No engagement, however, being expected, I was advised to -remain where I was for the night, and to set out in the morning on my -route for the Tagus. - -Next day, whilst quietly retracing my steps thither, a brilliant -cavalry affair took place near the above-named town and Llerena, when -the French were completely routed, and many prisoners made. I was sorry -I had not remained to witness the rencontre, but consoled myself with -the reflection that I had probably been saved a broken head, where I -should have gained neither credit nor thanks. - -The second day after leaving the army I reached Badajoz, and went over -the defences of that city, which bore strongly the marks of recent -strife. Not the least affecting evidence of mortal affray were the -bodies of several of my gallant countrymen floating in the ditch, -and which people were employed in removing in order to their being -buried. The more I examined the works, the greater my astonishment -at the bravery and perseverance of our troops. By one unacquainted -with military tactics, time alone would have been pronounced capable -of effecting the ruin before him. He could never have conceived it -possible that walls so apparently impregnable would have yielded to the -force of a besieging army. But for the escalade, indeed, failure had -been inevitable where success was now complete, insured as it had been -by immense sacrifice of life. - -My road from Badajoz lay through Olivença, where I crossed the river -Guadiana to Xerumaha, and proceeded thence to Villa Vicosa and San -Miguel de Mechada, where I fell in with some French prisoners marching, -under a strong escort, to Lisbon. They had formed part of a division, -under General Girard, when he was surprised and routed by the gallant -Sir Rowland Hill near Miranda. - -The fifth day brought me to Evora, where, announcing to the inhabitants -glad tidings of victory, I got an excellent billet at the house of a -padre, who gave me the best dinner and bed I had had for some time. - -Evora, the capital of the Alemtejo, is a fine old town, and has still -visible the remains of a Roman wall. Here, too, is the aqueduct, built -by the General Sertorius, which is in tolerable repair after the lapse -of so many ages. This place is fortified, and contains an episcopal -palace. - -Time pressing, I set forward the next morning, my friend, the priest, -having obtained an order from the Juis de Fori for a muleteer to attend -me, and convey my baggage on a mule. The fellow turned rather sulky, -so much so that I was obliged to drive him on with my pistol to Vendas -Novas, where, after a hot ride of thirty-six miles, I had to sit up all -night to guard my baggage and prevent the rascal running away, such I -had been informed being his intention the moment I had gone to bed. The -window of my room looking into the street, I told my friend that if he -attempted to escape I would shoot him on the spot. This had the desired -effect, and next morning I proceeded, still driving the Spaniard on -before me, to that dirty place, Pegoeus, where, falling in with a party -of English soldiers, I gave him in charge to them. - -The following day I arrived, after a ride of five hours, at Aldea -Galega, where, dismissing my muleteer, who made many humble apologies -for his behaviour, I embarked in the ferry-boat, and crossed over to -Lisbon. The fellow, it appeared, was fearful of being again pressed at -Aldea Galega into the service of the commissaries to carry stores or -provisions to the army. - -Captain Hood Linze, of H.M.S. _Ocean_ (98), being obliged to invalid on -account of a severe wound from the stab of a madman, I was, on the 11th -June, 1812, appointed acting commander of H.M.S. _Brune_. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII. - - Cadiz, Minorca, Majorca, Alicant, Carthagena, Algiers, Oran, Altea - Bay--Drive a French Privateer on shore near Denia. - - -On the 13th of June I sailed in H.M. Ship _Brune_ for Cadiz, at that -time besieged by Marshal Soult. I waited on Admiral Legg, and our -ambassador (Sir Henry Willesley), and delivered my despatches, and, -after remaining there two days, proceeded to Gibraltar and Minorca, -where I was placed under the orders of Rear-Admiral Benjamin Hallowell, -who, on the 4th July, sent me to Palma Bay, Majorca, to collect -Spanish troops, and embark them on board transports and the _Brune_. -After making two or three trips between the two above-named islands, -I embarked Major-General Whittingham’s brigade of Spanish troops, who -were not a bad-looking body of men. - -I dined occasionally with his Excellency the Governor-General of the -Balearic islands, the Marquis de Coupigny, who was a very pleasant, -gentlemanly person, and at whose table I met several of the Spanish -_noblesse_, who had taken refuge at Palma during the troubles on the -continent. - -I observed that smoking was not uncommon with the Spanish ladies. -Whence this custom originated it is perhaps difficult to determine, -unless, indeed, the habit of using tobacco--to which the other sex -are immoderately addicted--has gradually, from social motives, been -adopted by the fair; for we can hardly suppose that a practice so -generally reprobated by them should at once be resorted to by ladies -as a recreation, or even solace. The compliment, if such it be, ought -to be duly appreciated by their husbands. But what will not woman do -or suffer to conduce to the comfort or to mitigate the care of him she -loves! - -In Spain are to be seen beautiful women in every rank of life, with -very fine eyes, pretty feet and hands. They generally carry a fan--a -most useful auxiliary whilst conversing; indeed, they would be hardly -able to talk without one. Their dress is calculated to set off a good -figure and fine features to great advantage. - -After embarking the brigade of General Whittingham, we proceeded -to Alicant. The castle and fortress of this place make a figure -in history, particularly during the war of succession, and bring -to remembrance the brave and chivalric conduct of the Earl of -Peterborough. The anchorage in the bay is good, and, with a long scope -of cable, ships may ride out a heavy gale with the wind in, for the -under-tow is so great that you ride with little strain on the cables. - -After the battle of Salamanca, Soult, thinking his situation before -Cadiz insecure, raised the siege, and retired into the interior; but -it being doubtful whether he might not make a dash at Carthagena, -Rear-Admiral Sir Sidney Smith proceeded thither from Gibraltar in -the _Tremendous_ (74), to communicate with the general commanding our -army at Alicant and Rear-Admiral Hallowell on the subject. I was, -therefore, sent thither with two Spanish regiments, embarked on board -transports, to be ready to act in case of necessity, but with orders on -no account to land the troops, unless the place was threatened, as a -bad periodical yellow fever was raging in the town with great violence. -The gallant admiral (Sir Sidney Smith), however, would take me on -shore to show me the best places to plant cannon and take up position -in case of attack. After this, we must go to the hospital to inquire -into the nature of the fever, &c. Every now and then he gave me a pinch -of snuff, telling me not to swallow my saliva, and there would be no -danger of catching the disease. In the course of a week I was attacked -by fever, but, being in the outer roadstead, the fresh air probably -prevented its attaining that malignancy it had reached in the town, but -it was some weeks before I perfectly recovered. - -The _Tremendous_ (74), with the admiral, sailed the day after our visit -to the city to join the fleet off Toulon. Several other men-of-war -arrived in the course of a few days with more troops from headquarters. -Whether Soult was deterred by the sickness prevailing in the place, or -had heard of the reinforcements, he passed on his route, and we all -returned to Alicant. - -Shortly after, I was sent to Altea Bay, to lie there and protect any -transports that might arrive to procure water. - -During my stay there the French sent a detachment of three hundred -infantry and a squadron of cavalry from Denia to forage and levy -contributions. Having only my own ship’s company--which altogether, men -and boys, amounted to only one hundred and forty--it was impossible -for me to land and fight them, but by making a show with our boats, -and firing a few shots, we dislodged them from the town, and prevented -their plundering it or getting any contributions from the inhabitants. -They succeeded, however, in our neighbourhood, and in the course of a -couple of days collected a quantity of forage, &c., and retired upon -Denia. - -Within one day’s march of Altea was a Spanish division of troops, -to whom I immediately sent the moment intelligence of the enemy’s -intention of paying us a visit reached me. - -The officer I dispatched got to them the same evening, and returned -back the following morning, three hours before the arrival of -the enemy. The Spaniards, with their usual alertness, sent two -regiments--about twelve hundred men--_exactly five days_ after the -French had retired. - -On the 8th of December, 1812, a convoy of transports were placed under -my orders to proceed to Oran, on the coast of Barbary, to procure corn -and bullocks for the army and navy, but heavy gales from the S.W. -obliged us to run into the bay of Algiers, where we remained about a -fortnight. - -Our consul, Mr. MacDonald, was extremely civil, and occasionally I -slept at his country house, a few miles out of the town; but being -unaccustomed to the noise of the jackals that came nightly to the very -walls of his yard in search of food, I was frequently disturbed by them. - -The Dey of Algiers ordered us a daily supply of fresh provisions and -vegetables. On my departure I proffered my services to take whatever -his Highness might have to send to his servant, the Bey of Oran. He -thanked me, through our consul, and requested me to take a stone -coffin for the Bey’s son, which I delivered safe. The Dey was so much -indisposed during my stay that I was unable to obtain an audience. We -had a great deal of saluting--twenty-one guns on anchoring--twenty-one -guns on landing; three guns whenever he sent off his present of fresh -meat and vegetables, which latter was considered in the light of three -salaams. - -After a passage of two days from Algiers, we reached the fine, safe bay -of Marsalquiver, three miles from the town of Oran, where all ships -anchor in winter, it being nearly land-locked. - -No time was lost in having an interview with the Bey, who was civil; -but I had a long discussion previously with his guards, who refused me -admittance to his presence unless I took off my boots, and employed -menaces to enforce their demands. However, finding me obstinate, and -our vice-consul, who was a Spaniard, telling them I had come from -Algiers with a present from his Highness the Dey, they permitted me to -pass, and I never was troubled afterwards. - -The Bey was a venerable-looking man, of about sixty-five years of age, -thin, and of middle stature, with a fine, long, white beard, hard -features, but a scowl upon his countenance that showed he could, when -he thought proper, play the tiger. - -He promised the supplies I requested in ten days, said he wished to be -on the best terms with the English, and thanked me for bringing the -stone coffin for his son’s tomb; gave me coffee without sugar, and -a pipe to smoke, and appeared much amused with my awkward manner of -sitting cross-legged like a Turk. - -He was surrounded by his principal officers, in full dress, with -silver-gilt swords and pistols in their girdles. - -The admiral or captain of the port was a handsome, mild, gentlemanly -person. The old Bey, the morning of my arrival, had been administering -summary justice, for on my going into the market-place I saw three -ill-looking Moors hanging by the neck. It is not the fashion in Barbary -to place caps over the criminals’ faces before they are executed. Upon -inquiring what those three wretches had been doing, the vice-consul -gave me the following account:--“A Moorish merchant, with a special -passport from the Bey, had permission to travel into the interior to -traffic, when he and his party were waylaid on the mountains, robbed, -and all, except one, murdered. The person who escaped immediately -informed the proper authorities, who reported it to the Bey. A body -of troops was instantly sent to the mountains, who arrested all the -chiefs of the tribes, and brought them before his Highness. He, looking -at them sternly, said, ‘On such a day a merchant from my city, with my -passport, was murdered and robbed on the mountains. If in three days -from this time you do not bring before me the whole of the offenders, -your own heads shall answer for it. Begone!’ In less than forty-eight -hours eleven fellows were brought in, and led directly to the palace. -The Bey demanded who committed the murder. Three men were pointed out. -They did not deny it. ‘Very well,’ said the Bey, ‘take these men, and -instantly hang them up in the market-place.’ Three others, who had -been most active in plundering, had their right hands cut off, and the -remaining five received each from three to five hundred bastinadoes on -the soles of their feet.” The third evening, at sunset, the murderers -were cut down and buried. - -They have a very expeditious way of staunching the blood after -amputation. The stumps of the arms are plunged into a kind of boiling -pitch, which has the effect of searing the arteries. Over this is -placed a dressing and bladder, when the sufferers are turned out. - -I used to go occasionally, with our vice-consul and some of my -own officers, out shooting. We always found the people tolerably -civil--except the boys, who used to abuse and spit at us, calling us, -amongst other names, Christian dogs. Now and then we got a shove and a -sly stone. - -Coming home one evening from an excursion to a small lake, about -sixteen miles distant, where we had been for the purpose of shooting -flamingos, &c., we got into a serious scrape, owing to a young -commissary having taken his servant, a Portuguese boy, with him, who -did not understand managing a horse. - -We had ridden fast across the country from the lake to get back before -the gates of Oran were shut, which they always were at sunset, when, -just as we were entering the town and trotting on, we met a party of -Turkish and Moorish boys, who tried to frighten our horses by throwing -up their loose garments in the animals’ faces, and making a great -noise. All our horses stood this, except the one on which the servant -boy was mounted, which reared up, and, dashing forward, knocked down -with his fore feet one of the young Turks who had been most forward -in the mischief. His head was a good deal cut, and bled profusely. -We should have said he was very justly served. Not so the Moors and -Kabiles. A hue and cry was instantly raised, and we were followed by a -mob, demanding the life of the poor Portuguese for having, he being a -Christian, drawn the blood of a true follower of the prophet. Pushing -on to the vice-consul’s, we jumped off our horses, shoved in the young -Portuguese, and locked and barricaded the doors. The Moors and Kabiles -surrounded the house, making a great clamour, insisting that the -servant should be immediately given up and put to death. Nothing but -their fear of the English prevented them breaking into the place. We -hoisted our colours on the flagstaff at the consul’s house, when it was -considered a fortress, and respected accordingly. - -In a city like Oran, where each man is a spy on his neighbour, the news -was fortunately not long in reaching the ears of the Bey, who, on the -first intimation of the danger that threatened the consul’s residence, -sent down a party of troops, with the captain of the port, to restore -order, and act as circumstances might require. Some management was -necessary to get the captain of the port into the house, as also to -keep out the Moors, who, had they laid hold of the boy, would certainly -have murdered him. - -We at length succeeded, and then explained that, returning from -shooting, we had ridden full trot into the town in order to get home -before the gates were closed at sunset, clearly showing that but for -the boys frightening our horses no harm could possibly have happened. -He said that he did not in the least doubt the truth of our story, but -should the boy die,--accidents not being provided against in their -code of laws,--nothing short of the death of the Portuguese lad would -appease the populace, since blood, and Turkish blood, too, had been -spilt. - -I proposed putting on my uniform and attending the vice-consul and -captain of the port to the palace, which was done. Passing through the -crowd was not very agreeable, but, under the protection of a guard, we -reached our destination in safety. - -The old Bey laid down the Moorish law with great clearness, arguing the -point calmly, and evidently with a friendly feeling towards us. - -He had been making enquiries, he said, and had found our account of -the transaction to be quite correct; that he knew the Turkish boy was -a great rascal, and though he had been rightly served, it would be -difficult to pacify the Moors, especially since the offender was not an -Englishman. “True,” I replied; “but he is a subject of our ally, and -under my protection, and nothing but extreme necessity shall compel me -to give him up.” “Keep him out of sight,” replied his Highness, “and -never again let eyes be cast on him in this place, or I will not be -answerable for his life. Come here to-morrow.” - -We returned to the consul’s, and the captain of the port dispersed -the mob, assuring them the Bey would take care that justice was done. -With the morning’s dawn again came our clamorous foes; but having in -the meantime had communication, through our friend the captain of the -port, with the boy’s parents, we had learned there was no fear of the -young Turk dying, who, though he had received a severe cut and some -bruises, was doing well. A hint, too, was given us that a few dollars -would assist to heal the wound and soften the rigour of justice. We -went early next morning to the palace, when the Bey informed us of what -we already knew, that the boy would not die from the injuries he had -sustained. Then entering into conversation, “Consider,” said he, “if a -like event had happened to you in a town in England? You knew it was -wrong to ride fast near a populous town.” We pleaded our apprehensions -of being locked out all night. “You ought to have come home sooner -then; but to return to my first question. If in your own country such -an accident had happened, what would be the consequence?” I replied -that we should have had to pay the doctor’s bill, and in the case of -a poor person to give something extra to the parents for the loss of -time in nursing him. “Very well, then, you shall do the same here; but, -take my advice, never ride fast through a large town again, and smuggle -your Portuguese off to the ships for fear of accident;” which I did -the earliest opportunity. The Bey then said, “Who furnished you with -horses?” The vice-consul informed him. “What! my slave? they were mine, -and the fellow had let them to you without my leave; he has been the -cause of the whole. Here,”--clapping his hands, that an officer might -come,--“go directly and give my groom five hundred bastinadoes for -letting out my horses without asking my permission.” Making our bows -we retired, when just outside the door we met Achmet the groom in the -hands of two fierce looking Moorish officers of justice, taking him to -the market-place to undergo his punishment. He fell on his knees, and -implored us to ask his master to pardon him. We stopped the officers -of vengeance, and after a little solicitation, the Bey listened to our -request, and the man was pardoned, who, when he met us, wanted to kiss -our feet for saving him from being bastinadoed. I believe the fellow -was a rogue, who intended to pocket the money, thinking his master -would not find him out. Thus ended the affair, the commissary paying -sixty Spanish dollars to the mother of the young vagabond. - -Having embarked our supplies for the army, we returned to Alicant with -the convoy, and the 21st of January, 1813, proceeded to Gibraltar to -refit, where we remained three weeks, and then rejoined Rear-Admiral -Hallowell, who sent us to our old station in Altea Bay,[K] and from -thence to cruize off Denia, near which place we drove a French felucca -privateer on shore, mounting two brass nine-pounders and swivels, with -small arms, and bilged her. Our next destination was another trip to -Oran, on the coast of Barbary, with four transports, for cattle and -corn. We had a capital run there and back with our live cargo. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV. - - Siege of the Col de Balaguer--A Reconnoitering Party--Raising - of the Siege of Tarragona--Lieutenant-General Sir John and Lady - Murray--Rear-Admiral Benjamin Hallowell--Viscount and Viscountess - Mahon--Palermo, Veniros; upset in a boat--Valencia--Holland. - - -Towards the end of May, 1813, embarking 300 men of the 67th Regiment, -under Colonel Prevost, an officer who had distinguished himself at the -battle of Barrosa, we sailed with the expedition from Alicant to lay -siege to the castle of the Col de Balaguer and the city of Tarragona. -The land forces, under the command of Lieut.-General Sir John Murray, -consisted of about 20,000 men, but, unfortunately, not more than 5000 -were British and Germans, the rest being Spaniards and Sicilians. The -naval part was under the orders of that intelligent and indefatigable -officer, Rear-Admiral Benjamin Hallowell. - -On the 3rd of June, when off the castle of the Col de Balaguer, the -whole of the 67th Regiment, with Rolle’s and Dillon’s, and a company of -artillery, making together about 900 men, were ordered to invest it. -The navy was placed under the command of the gallant Captain Charles -Adams, of the _Invincible_ (74), by whose great exertions the troops, -guns, and stores were soon landed, and who personally superintended -every difficult and dangerous undertaking during the siege. Captain -Carroll, of the _Volcano_, was landed to assist troops, and a more -intrepid and excellent officer could not have been selected. - -The fortress was situated on a high hill, in a most difficult pass, -through which winds the main road from Tortosa to Tarragona. It was -armed with twelve heavy pieces, two ten-inch mortars, two howitzers, -and had a garrison of more than a hundred men. Its elevated position, -and surrounding heights, difficult of access, required the greatest -labour to drag up the guns and mortars necessary to establish our -batteries. No time, however, was to be lost; Marshal Suchet, with -10,000 men, being in full march from the neighbourhood of Valencia to -relieve it, and succour Tarragona. - -After a siege of five days the place surrendered. I had the pleasure of -assisting, with a party of seamen, to form the mortar battery, which -was no sooner opened than the shells were thrown with such precision -by the artillery that an expense magazine was blown up in the castle, -which, just as our breaching battery was about to open, capitulated. -An artilleryman and myself had a most providential escape. Being very -busy placing sand bags on the battery, on the morning of the 8th, just -before day-break, down came three of the enemy’s shells. I ordered the -working party to get behind the sand bags, and lie flat on their faces -to avoid the splinters. One shell from an howitzer exploded behind us; -two ten-inch followed, one fell about a couple of yards in front of me -and the artilleryman, which made us both jump to get out of its way, -when down came the second on the other side of us. The man called out -very coolly--“I’ll be d---- if we are not done now!” After falling on -the ground both fuses went out, and, much to our satisfaction, the -shells, of course, did not explode. - -Captain Stodart, of the _Strombolo_, a brave officer, was employed to -form the breaching battery, and Lieutenants Corbyn and P----, of H.M.S. -_Invincible_, worked like slaves with their party to drag the heavy -guns up hills, or what in England would be called mountains, by tackles -and purchases. - -The commander of the French fort was perfectly astonished to see the -places the guns had been dragged up in so short a time; and Suchet, who -calculated upon its holding out ten days, was in a great rage when he -heard it had been taken in five. I have his address to his corps upon -the subject by me now, in which he informs his army “that a military -commission will sit upon the conduct of the commander of the fortress -of Balaguer.” - -We had done our part, and were looking for intelligence from our army -before Tarragona with anxiety, as we could at night see the shells in -the air, and hear the firing on both sides. - -Colonel Prevost, and Captain Charles Adam, of the _Invincible_, -thinking it advisable to make a reconnaissance towards Tortosa to -gain intelligence of the advance of the French marshal (for the -information we got from the Spaniards was so vague that we could place -no dependence upon it), on the morning of the 9th of June they, -in company with Lieutenant-Colonel Hamilton, Captain Arabin (Royal -Artillery), Captain Du Cane, of the 20th Light Dragoons, with four of -his men and myself, started from the castle we had taken, at three in -the morning, all well mounted, to try and get a peep into Tortosa, -about twenty miles from Balaguer, and where it was reported Suchet was -to arrive in the course of the day. - -After a pleasant ride of about sixteen miles, and as we had just got -a glimpse of Tortosa, on reaching the summit of a hill we all at once -entered a serpentine road, surrounded by high banks and ravines, which -completely prevented our seeing beyond a short distance. Jogging on -quietly, we met an old Spanish woman thumping two mules past us as hard -as she could, calling out, “Los Franceses, los Franceses,” but not a -word more could we get out of the _signora_. We, therefore, rode on -to the next turn of the road, when, just at the corner, plump we came -upon the advance guard of the French army, a regiment of cuirassiers. -They for a moment stopped their horses, being as much surprised to see -us as we were to meet them. With one glance they saw who we were--out -came their carbines and swords--pop, pop, and a charge, which knocked -over one of our dragoons, and “_sauve qui peut_,” or the devil take the -hindmost, became the order of the day. Away we scampered--they after -us, with a regular view halloa, and a flourish of French fashionable -words, but not of the most select phraseology. Reader, if you wish -to know them, I refer you to the scene of Madame Rambouillet and -the Novice in Sterne’s “Sentimental Journey.” After a capital gallop -of four miles, we regularly beat them, with the loss of only one of -our party, who in the charge was knocked head over heels and taken -prisoner. Luckily for us we had left a corporal’s guard of the 20th -Light Dragoons about four miles in our rear upon a steep eminence, -which commanded a good view of part of the road. The corporal, seeing -how matters stood, and that we were coming back a deuced deal faster -than we went, with a French regiment of cavalry after us, very cleverly -came trotting up, and showed himself at the top of the hill with his -men. The enemy, thinking we had a strong body of cavalry there, pulled -up their horses and gave over the chase. - -Our ride had not been for nothing--we had had a good gallop, and found -out where our neighbours were, who towards evening drove in our picket -of dragoons, and established themselves not far from us. - -News was immediately sent to Lieutenant-General Sir John Murray, -who was before Tarragona, of the arrival of the French army in our -neighbourhood. - -Our situation was strong, and having the castle, which commanded the -road, neither cannon nor cavalry could pass from Tortosa. Marshal -Suchet came the next day and had a peep at the fortress, sent some -light troops across the mountains to feel us, and halted his army a few -miles off. - -Lieutenant-General Sir John Murray, as I said before, had nearly -20,000 men, but, unfortunately for him, only 5000 were British and -Germans--the rest Spaniards and Sicilians, on whom he could place no -dependence in the hour of need--otherwise no general ever had a better -opportunity of beating a divided army. - -We had stopped Suchet, with his 10,000 men, from advancing on the -Valencia side by the capture of the castle of Col de Balaguer: -therefore he would only have had to cope with the Barcelona corps of -8000, and the Lerida of 2000 men, so that, after leaving a sufficient -number of men to carry on the siege for a day or two, which the -rear-admiral even offered to do with the sailors and marines alone, he -might have beaten the enemy in detail. I am speaking, supposing he had -had 16,000 or 20,000 British or German soldiers; but really with such a -set, strong in point of numbers, but wanting the vigour and bottom of -English troops, it certainly would have been running a great risk, and -he had not the nerve to attempt it. - -Great blame was attached to the general for embarking in such a hurry, -and leaving his guns and stores behind. The gallant, clever naval chief -felt it most severely, fearing lest any blame should be attached to -him for not taking on board the stores and artillery: he, therefore, -remonstrated very warmly upon the subject, but it was in vain. - -The whole may be summed up in a few words. Marshal Suchet retired to -Tortosa--the Lerida corps back to their old quarters--the Barcelona -retrograded also--the Anglo-Spanish and Sicilian army embarked in a -hurry--we blew up the castle of Balaguer that had been taken--the -French garrison of Tarragona sallied forth, took all our battering -train and stores, which we had been collecting, at a great expense, for -months before, into the town, and played checkmate with the guns that -had taken Badajos, for it was the same train. In short, all the troops -ran away from each other the same day. - -No sooner was the army embarked than the commander of the forces, -learning that the French corps had retired, requested they might be -re-landed the next day, which was complied with, but it was then too -late--we had lost our battering guns and stores, and nothing could be -done. - -Lieutenant-General Lord William Bentinck arrived shortly afterwards, -the troops were again embarked, and I was ordered to proceed to Alicant -and take on board Sir John and Lady Murray, and convey them to Palermo, -he being appointed to the command of the forces there. - -I found the Honourable Lady John Murray a most agreeable, clever, -sensible, pleasant woman, and Lieutenant-General Sir John Murray a -very amiable man in private life, and although much condemned at the -time for not fighting Marshal Suchet and taking Tarragona, yet neither -those who had the command of the army previous to him, nor General Lord -William Bentinck, who took the command of the troops from Sir John -Murray, gained more laurels or succeeded much better than he did. - -To move and manage a Spanish army in those days was next to an -impossibility. They were too proud to be taught, and too ignorant and -obstinate to do anything of themselves. - -Having landed my passengers at Palermo, I embarked three hundred of the -44th Regiment to join the army of Lord William Bentinck on the coast -of Catalonia. I met at the above city Viscount and Viscountess Mahon, -with their two children, fine boys of ten and eleven years’ old. His -lordship wished to go to Minorca, and, as we had orders to touch there, -I had much pleasure in giving them a passage. - -On our arrival at Port Mahon we were placed under quarantine, which -prevented my landing Lord and Lady Mahon and family. The accommodation -being not suited to ladies at the lazaretto, I was delighted when my -amiable passengers made up their minds to remain on board. - -Having received orders to proceed to the coast of Catalonia with the -troops, we sailed at the end of August for the mouth of the river -Ebro, but, not finding the expedition there, we shaped our course for -Tarragona, and on the 4th of September joined the admiral, who directed -me to land the 44th Regiment at Villa Nova. The town of Villa Nova and -the village of Veneros nearly join. There is an open roadstead for -ships, and the winds from the S.E. to S.W. throw in a heavy swell upon -the bar and beach. The holding ground is good, and numerous vessels -during many parts of the year arrive for the purpose of shipping wine, -which is either rafted off or taken on board in the country boats. -The wine is most excellent, and of different kinds, both white and -red. The latter is so good, and so much resembles port, that when I -was there ten ships and brigs were lying in the roads taking it in, -to be landed at Oporto, and converted into port wine for the English -market. I was informed that there were annually sent from this place -to Portugal ten thousand pipes. Another very pleasant wine there was, -“Alba Flora,” besides sweet wines of various kinds, one of which had -the sparkling qualities of champagne. - -It had been blowing strong from the southward previous to our arrival, -and the swell had not gone down. - -Between the ships and the landing-place was a bar, on which the sea -broke with great violence, and which boats had to pass. Those belonging -to the country being well calculated for going through the breakers, -and whose crews were acquainted with the place, dashed through the surf -extremely well. - -I thought that by following them in my shell of a gig, and waiting for -a smooth, after three successive waves had broken upon the bar, I might -get safe also; but I was soon taught a different lesson--the sea was -more nimble than the gig, and although the men pulled to the utmost -to go faster than the breakers, yet they beat us hollow, and taking -the boat up on one of their white tops, spun us over in a moment. -Fortunately we had not far to swim, and as soon as the waves had beaten -us over the bar we got into quite smooth water, when, sticking to the -boat and oars, we soon reached the shore, though not without a precious -good ducking. We had, unfortunately, the viscountess’s poor abigail in -the boat, who never before had had such a swim in salt water, so it was -something new to her, and gave her an opportunity of adding a paragraph -to her letter when she wrote home, describing her foreign travels by -sea, land, and _under the water_. She was nearly drowned, poor thing! -but keeping her on her back we swam with her ashore. She was carried to -a Spanish house, wrapped up in blankets, where a few drops of comfort -in the shape of brandy, and some hours’ repose, made her as lively as a -lark again. - -By the way of drying myself, and getting the salt water out of me, I -mounted a mule, and rode to Villa Franca, the head-quarters of our -army, distant about thirteen miles, to see some old military friends. - -The country around was very pretty, and we had a fine view of the -celebrated Mount Serrat, rising from a plain in numerous mountains and -spires,[L] with convents upon them; but the whole of that part of the -country was forbidden ground, being occupied by the French army. On my -return in the evening I visited my water-nymph, and was happy to find -her quite recovered from the severe morning’s ducking. I offered to -take her off again with me in the gig, which she, like a wise woman, -declined; being a novice in the art of swimming, and not liking the -first lesson I gave her, she preferred returning to the ship next day -in a country boat. The day having turned out fine, the swell towards -evening had somewhat gone down, though it was still so great that I was -nearly swamped going back to the ship. - -On taking leave of the gallant Rear-Admiral Benjamin Hallowell next -day, he gave me a letter of thanks, and did me the honour to say he was -sorry to part with me; the regrets were mutual, for it was a pleasure -to be under the command of an officer of his abilities and experience. -He has not many months ago paid the debt of nature, full of years and -honours, beloved and respected by all who knew him, and generally -regretted by the service. He was one of those - - “Who take them for all in all, - We ne’er (I fear), shall see their like again.” - -Such men as Lords Howe, Duncan, St. Vincent, Nelson, Saumarez, Keats, -Hallowell, &c., are not mushrooms of a day’s growth, but the experience -of a long and hazardous service in all parts of the world had braced -their nerves and trained their minds to the task, which they performed -with such _credit_ to themselves and _honour and glory to their -country_. - -On the 8th September we sailed from this anchorage for Tarragona, which -place the French had evacuated, having first destroyed most of the guns -and blown up part of the fortifications. Everything looked miserable -and wretched in the extreme. Many of the houses were knocked to pieces, -and the poor inhabitants, returning back to view the birthplaces of -themselves and ancestors, found them reduced to a heap of ruins. I rode -with my agreeable passengers to Reus, the second largest town in the -province of Catalonia, where we dined after the Spanish fashion upon -olla podrida, and other messes, stuffed full of garlic and bad oil. -After walking about the town, and looking at a handsome church, the -windows of which were of stained glass, we returned on board and sailed -for Valencia. The peasantry of this province and of Catalonia are as -fine a race of men as I ever saw in any country--tall, strong, and well -made. - -On the 15th September we anchored off the Grao de Valencia, and the -next morning communicated with our consul according to orders, and -landed Viscount and Viscountess Mahon and family, who took up their -abode with Mr. Tupper, our representative, who was very civil and -polite, and showed us the lions of the city. The cathedral was very -fine, from the top of which we had a most magnificent view of a very -fertile valley, producing rice, maize, flax, and other grain, besides -almond and vine trees, the latter covered with beautiful purple and -white grapes. - -A small river runs past Valencia, over which are two tolerably fine -stone bridges. We had a view also of the lake of Albufera, from which -the French marshal, Suchet, derives his dukedom. - -Valencia is one of the best towns I have seen in Spain, and the road -from the grao, or beach, is extremely pretty, having trees planted -on each side, to afford shelter from the sun. Neat little thatched -cottages, scattered here and there, put me for a short time in mind of -England. - -After dinner at the consul’s, which was served up in the Spanish -style, we went to the opera, and sat in a box with some pretty Spanish -ladies, friends of Mr. Tupper. The opera was in honour of the Marquis -of Wellington. It represented the Spaniards driving the Moors out of -Spain; afterwards we had a fandango, and the whole concluded with a -farce, the subject taken from Gil Blas, where he entertains at supper -the sycophant. - -Having re-embarked Viscount and Viscountess Mahon, I sailed for Altea -Bay to complete our water. Altea has an export trade of almonds and -raisins; several vessels during the summer and autumn months call there -for a cargo. The anchorage is good, and sheltered from most winds, -except those from south-east by east to south-south-west, which seldom -blow direct on shore. I rode out several heavy gales there in the -frigate I commanded, by giving her nearly two cables. - -From this place we proceeded to Alicant, where we landed some stores -for the garrison; and after showing the Viscount and his amiable lady -the celebrated castle, we went to Gibraltar, where we unfortunately -found the yellow fever raging to that degree amongst the inhabitants, -that all intercourse was forbidden. The garrison was encamped on Europe -Point, for the benefit of more air. - -On the 5th October we sailed for England, touching at Lisbon on our -way, and after a stormy passage of three weeks anchored in Plymouth -Sound, from which place we were sent to the Motherbank to perform three -weeks’ quarantine. On the 20th of November we moved to Spithead, where -I landed my most agreeable and pleasant passengers with very great -regret. I had had them on board for more than three months, so that my -cabin felt quite a desert without their society. - -After being detained at Portsmouth a few days, we proceeded to the -Downs, and on the 14th December between six and seven hundred of His -Majesty’s 37th and 56th Regiments were sent on board, with orders -from Admiral Foley for me to land them at Goree, or the Brill, or -Helveot Sluys; but owing to the winds and tide we were unable to fetch -either. I therefore anchored off Schevelling, and communicated with our -ambassador, Lord Clancarty, at the Hague, who desired the troops to be -landed at the village of Schevelling. His excellency wishing to see me -at the Hague, I went there to wait upon his lordship. - -The little I was enabled to see of Dutchland, gave me a favourable -opinion of the cleanliness of its people; and the neat pretty cottages -from the beach to the city struck me as being particularly picturesque. -Schevelling itself is nothing but a fishing place amongst sand hills; -but the town of the Hague was neat, and in summer must be a pleasant -place. But as the severe winter of 1813 was just commencing, I was -obliged to hurry off from the coast as fast as possible, for fear of -being caught upon a lee shore. - -On our passage back to the Downs, the two branch pilots very nearly ran -the ship upon the Galloper Sands in a fog, which obliged us to anchor -off the light for a tide. The next day, however, we arrived safely in -the Downs, and from thence we were sent to Sheerness to be docked and -refitted. - - - - -CHAPTER XV. - - 1814--Sent to Bermuda--Operations in the Chesapeake--The River - Patuxent--Expedition to Washington--Town of Rappahannock--River - Rappahannock--Wedding Party--Commodore Robert Barrie, &c., &c. - - -The ship having undergone the necessary repairs, which was very heavy -work during the severe winter of 1813, towards the end of March we -sailed for Spithead, where we embarked three hundred and fifty marines, -and proceeded, in company with the _Tonnant_ (80), _Regulus_ (44), and -_Melpomene_ (38), _en flute_ to Bermuda, at which place we arrived -after a passage of eight weeks. - -Nothing particular occurred on our voyage out, except my having the -measles very badly, which, not knowing what ailed me, I had driven -inwardly by cold bathing. - -We remained at Bermuda until the 3rd of July, when, in company with -the _Asia_ (74), _Regulus_, and _Melpomene_, we proceeded to the -Chesapeake, and made Cape Henry on the 11th, and anchored in Synhaven -Bay. The following morning we proceeded up the Chesapeake, and on the -15th joined Rear-Admiral Cockburn in the _Albion_ (74), who was lying -at anchor, with two frigates, at the entrance of the river Patuxent. - -I was placed under the orders of Captain J. Nourse, of the _Severn_ -(44), and sent up the river Patuxent for the purpose of assisting to -blockade the American flotilla, under Commodore Barney, whose broad -pennant was flying in a sloop of eight guns, and who had under his -command seventeen gun-boats, each carrying a long 32, 24, or 18-pounder -in the bow, and a 32-pound carronade in the stern, and manned with a -crew of from sixty to seventy men. - -We ran thirty miles up the river, to the village of Benedict, in -company with the _Severn_, _Ætna_, and _Manly_ (brig). - -Rear-Admiral Cockburn proceeded with the others into the river Potomac -to annoy the enemy in that quarter. As we advanced, the gun-boats -retreated up the river to a town called Nottingham, twenty-five miles -above Benedict, where, from the shoalness of the water, we could -not follow them with the ships. During the time we continued in the -Chesapeake we had guard-boats rowing every night to prevent the Yankees -from trying the effect of their torpedoes or fire ships. - -From the 17th of July until the 17th of August our time was taken up -in making incursions into different parts of the country, with 300 -marines, attacking and, to use an American expression, “scaring the -militia,” getting fresh provisions, destroying their store-houses -and other public buildings, with the arms found there. Some of the -Americans used to say, “What did King George send you here from the -old country to come and scare us for? We don’t go to yours to frighten -you, I guess. Your confounded sarpents come and anchor in our waters; -then send their barges, full of armed men, who are pulling about day -and night, landing here and there, scaring us and our families very -considerably--tarnation seize them.” Our reply used to be, “You must -ask your President, Jim Madison: he invited us.” - -A great many black slaves, with their families, used to take advantage -of our visits to come away with us. Some of their first exclamations -were, “Me free man; me go cut massa’s throat; give me musket,” which -many of them did not know how to use when they had it. - -Another favourite expression, when we wanted them to work, was, “No, me -no work--me free man.” It was, therefore, necessary to explain to these -new freemen--which explanation, I fear, will frequently have to be -repeated in our West India colonies, with other arguments--that we must -all work and gain our livelihood by the “sweat of our brow,” whether -bond or free; but they considered work and slavery synonymous terms.[M] - -Republicans are certainly the most cruel masters, and the greatest -tyrants in the world towards their fellow men. They are urged by the -most selfish motives to reduce every one to a level with, or even -below themselves, and to grind and degrade those under them to the -lowest stage of human wretchedness. But American liberty consists in -oppressing the blacks beyond what other nations do, enacting laws -to prevent their receiving instruction, and working them worse than -donkeys. “But you call this a free country, when I can’t shoot my -nigger when I like--eh?” - -While on the coast of America we embarked from fifteen hundred to two -thousand slaves--the young men we formed into a black corps, and, -taking possession of the small islands of Tangiers, we drilled and -endeavoured to make our recruits of some use. The aged men, with the -women and children, were sent to Halifax, Nova Scotia, and from thence -a free colony was formed at the island of Trinadada, in the West Indies. - -Towards the middle of July and the month of August some parts of this -coast are subject to tornadoes. We had one of them on the 25th of -July, which obliged us, although lying at anchor in a river, to let go -a second. The previous day and that morning had been extremely close -and sultry. The storm came on from the north-west, with the greatest -violence, accompanied by a few claps of thunder and vivid flashes of -lightning: such was its force that, although in smooth water, the ship -heeled so much over that our main-deck guns nearly touched the water; -and a fine schooner of seventy tons burthen, tender to the _Severn_, -with a long 18-pounder on board, at anchor near us, without topmasts, -her sails furled and gaffs on deck, was turned bottom upwards in a -moment, and one poor fellow drowned. Its fury was spent in about ten -minutes, but during its continuance we saw immense trees torn up by -the roots, barns blown down like card houses of children, and where -the strength of the current of wind passed scarcely anything could -withstand its violence. Trees and other things continued to be swept by -us for sometime, and when the tornado was over we observed, at a turn -of the river, so much large timber, lumber, and other articles floating -down the tide that my gallant senior officer, Captain Nourse, who is -since dead, poor fellow! thought at first it was the American flotilla -coming to attack us, and he was just on the point of returning to his -ship to prepare for a fight, he having come on board to dine with me, -when I discovered, by means of a spy-glass, the approaching flotilla -was perfectly harmless. - -This circumstance was mentioned a short time afterwards to that _most -gallant_ officer, Captain Napier, who commanded the _Euryalus_, -but Charley would not believe that the force of wind could upset a -schooner of seventy tons, lying at anchor with all her sails furled, -with her gaffs on deck, and without even top-masts; however, on the -dashing, brilliant expedition, under Sir James Gordon, up the Potomac -to Alexandria, above Washington, he had an opportunity of judging -for himself when (part of a tornado passing across the bows of the -frigate) he saw in a moment both his bowsprit and fore-topmast broken -in two, like twigs. - -Having heard that the enemy’s gun boats had moved down from Nottingham -towards Benedict, on the 10th August I was ordered to proceed twenty -miles up the river with five boats to reconnoitre. On landing I was -informed they had been there two days before, but that they had -returned to Upper Marlborough. On rowing up the river we fell in with -a canoe, containing one white man, who was pulling from Leonard creek -to the opposite shore; on seeing us he endeavoured to get to land, but -not being able to do so, jumped overboard and was drowned. We had every -reason to believe he was one of our deserters. - -On the 13th I again went up the river to ascertain the movements of -Commodore Barney, but gained little information further than that he -was with the flotilla at Nottingham. - -The next day we received an account of a party of American militia -having arrived in the woods, at the back of our watering-place, with -the intention of surprising some of our men; we therefore landed before -daylight between three and four hundred marines and seamen, headed by -Captain Nourse and myself, accompanied by Captain Coles, R.M., and -separated into four parties, with the hope of being able to cut some of -them off; but from the thickness of the woods and their knowledge of -the country, the enemy succeeded in getting away from us. - -On one of our foraging excursions we were beset by a being so well -described by old Cobbet, in his “Cottage Economy,” ycleped “Methodist -parson,” who put on his canonicals, and began to whine and cant, and -wished to preach a sermon on peace. Captain Nourse very properly told -him to be off--that we must attend to our “calling” as well as he -to “his,” that Jim Madison had “called us,” and, therefore, we must -perform our duty. - -About this time a private of the marines belonging to my ship did a -very gallant thing: to use an Irishism he surrounded three American -dragoons, and took them, horses and all, prisoners. His name was Pat -Gallaghen, or Gahagen. He effected this extraordinary feat in the -following manner:--whenever boats were sent for water a sergeant’s -party of marines accompanied them, it being necessary to post videttes -to watch for the approach of an enemy. The casks in the launch had been -filled, and all the party, except this man, who was placed near a stack -of hay, had withdrawn. While the picket, who had to descend a cliff -towards their boats, were out of sight, Pat observed five dragoons -ride down to the corner of a wood, near a gate; keeping his eye on -the party, he concealed himself behind the hay-rick, two of the men -remained inside the gate, a long musket-shot off, whilst the others, -after ascertaining, as they thought, that no _Britishers_ were near, -came galloping up to see the boats go off, and without observing the -sentry in his hiding place, halted. The marine, very bravely putting -his musket to his shoulder, called out--“You three d---- rascals, if -you do not immediately jump off your horses and deliver yourselves up -prisoners I’ll shoot the whole of you at once, for I have you all in a -line.” Off they got, and the sergeant at that moment shewing his head -above the cliff to recall the vidette, they were very quietly taken to -the beach, and themselves and horses brought safely on board. - -This brave man, from his immoderate fondness of liquor, was unfit to -be promoted; therefore, all that could be done for him was to give him -the money arising from the sale of the horses. Now, here was a proper -subject for a medal or order of merit, which might have had the effect -of rousing his pride, and curing him of the baneful evil of drinking to -excess. But alas! it was the fashion to confer such distinctions on a -very few. - -Look at the brave fellows who gained the battles of the Peninsula! With -the exception of Waterloo, no field was honoured with a medal.[N] Of -the navy, not a man below the rank of captain obtained any badge of -distinction, notwithstanding the many general engagements that took -place, and the numerous most daring boat expeditions met with the same -neglect. Since it was impossible to grant promotion in every instance, -this would have been an easy and gratifying mode of awarding the meed -of praise to many deserving individuals. - -I am not particularly fond of France or of any foreign country, but I -must do the continental powers the justice to say they understand human -nature, and know when to reward their officers and men better than we -do. The practice of making their sentries carry arms to the veteran -with his medal or order of merit works wonders on the _morale_ of their -soldiers; and I do _most sincerely and conscientiously believe_ that, -had this plan been adopted in our army and navy during the late war, -not one half of the _desertions or punishments_ would have taken place -in either service. - -It is revolting to honourable feeling to meet in society at home or -abroad, foreigners from nearly all nations covered with insignias or -medals; while we,--who have had the pleasure of beating them in every -part of the world, and which, with God’s blessing, should our king and -country need our services, we shall be too happy to do again,--have -neither. - -On the 17th of August, the _Tonnant_ (80), Vice-Admiral Sir A. -Cochrane; _Royal Oak_ (74), Rear-Admiral P. Malcolm; several frigates -and smaller men-of-war, with twenty sail of transports, having on -board the 4th, 21st, 44th, and 85th Regiments of foot, and the marine -battalion, under Lieut.-Colonel Malcolm, joined the squadron under the -command of Rear-Admiral Cockburn, at the mouth of the river Patuxent. -The land forces were commanded by the gallant Major-General Ross. -We weighed on the morning of the 20th, and sailed up the river to -Benedict, where we landed the troops, which, including artillery, -sailors, and marines, did not muster more than 4500 men. - -On the evening of the above day all the boats of the fleet, manned and -armed, divided into divisions and sub-divisions, of which I commanded -one, left the ships, advanced up the river towards Lower Marlborough -to attack the American gun-boats, under Commodore Barney, and likewise -to act on the right flank of our army. As we advanced, the enemy’s -flotilla retired sixty miles further up the river to a place called Pig -Point, where, in a most favourable position for defence, surrounded by -banks and narrow creeks, with a wooded country on one side, and hills -on the other, which were to have been lined with riflemen and other -troops, it was their intention to have awaited the attack. - -Late in the evening of the 21st the boats reached Nottingham, when we -fired on a few American dragoons, and drove them out of the town. Our -army arrived a short time afterwards. The next day, at noon, we came up -with the vessels of the enemy, who on our approach set them on fire, -and blew them all up, except one, which, together with five merchant -schooners, we brought away. This service was performed with little loss -on our side, for the advance of our infantry had driven the Americans -from the woods, who had fallen back upon the main road to Washington. -One division of boats proceeded to Upper Marlborough to keep up a -communication with our army; the remainder occupied a position at Pig -Point to cover a retreat. - -No sooner was the flotilla destroyed than the brave and dashing -Rear-Admiral Cockburn joined the troops, and marched with them to -attack the city of Washington. - -This most gallant and daring affair was accomplished by 4500 British -infantry, after first beating an American army of more than four times -their own number, with their President, “Jim Madison,” at their head, -who appeared on the field of battle mounted upon a white horse, and -wearing a huge cocked hat. He addressed the American army previous to -the battle of Bladensburgh, and recommended them to do their duty and -fight well for the honour of their country, kill and make prisoners of -all the Britishers, and then, wishing them success, and saying fighting -was not in his province--he left that to the gallant generals who -understood the art of war--he put spurs to his horse, and rode off to -Washington to order refreshments and a grand _fête_ to be got ready at -the capital for the victorious army of the United States. - -General Ross, Rear-Admiral Cockburn, and all the field officers of the -to-be-captured army, were to have been invited; but they forgot the -advice of Mrs. Grundy in her cookery book, “Catch your hare first.” -This is an absolute fact, for when our troops entered Washington the -evening of the battle, tables were very elegantly laid out in the rooms -of the President’s house, and wine placed in coolers ready iced, which -the _great politeness_ of the Americans left free for us to drink, for -fear their presence might prevent our people feeling quite at home and -at their ease. - -But to return to the advance of our troops. No sooner did the enemy -see the steady and undaunted forward movement of part of the 4th, with -the whole of the gallant 85th Regiment,--commanded by two fine, brave, -dashing fellows, Colonel Thornton and Major Brown,--attempt to pass -the bridge over the river Potomac, “which they had left to allow the -Britishers to cross, that they might take them all prisoners” (the -Americans having destroyed all the others), than they opened a most -destructive fire from their heavy batteries of 24-pounders, which they -had thrown up to enfilade it, and which were commanded by a brave old -fellow of the United States’ Navy, Commodore Barney, who was wounded -and taken prisoner, and whose flotilla of gun-boats we had previously -destroyed at Pig Point, in the river Patuxent. He, however, made his -escape with seven or eight hundred seamen, joined the American army, -and was of great service in working and firing the guns in their field -batteries, which were supported by a very heavy fusilade of musketry. - -The round and grape shot from the heavy guns in battery made fearful -gaps in the ranks of the advancing column, but, nothing daunted, they -gave three cheers, and rushed on in the most daring manner, which the -enemy observing, it created a panic amongst them, and they gave way, -declaring, I was informed, “that it was of no use their staying there -to be shot, for the Britishers did not mind being killed at all.” So -off they went, and never stopped until they got on the other side of -Washington. - -The whole of the narrative of the attack on Washington and Baltimore -has been so ably and faithfully described by the gallant author of the -“Subaltern,” that I shall confine myself to our naval affairs, but I -thought the above anecdotes, which are not mentioned in his work, were -worth preserving to show the character of the natives. - -After having been twelve days and nights in an open boat, I was not -sorry to return to my ship, but the moment the troops were re-embarked, -a difficult navigation down the river precluded all idea of rest. - -The fag to officers and men of every description, during the whole of -the operations in the Patuxent, was very harassing, and the labour of -getting up to Baltimore without pilots, feeling our way with the lead, -whilst boats on each bow and one a-head were sounding also, gave little -time for respite. The heat of the weather too was very great, the -thermometer varying only from 79° to 82° in the shade, during most of -our severest services, which added much to the exhaustion. - -On the 8th of September we again landed the troops, now reduced to four -thousand men, at a place called North Point, on the right hand side of -the Patapsco river, leading to Baltimore. It was unfortunate that we -ever attempted it, for most of the enemy’s army beaten at Washington -had been sent to strengthen the works, and the whole population were in -arms against us. The Americans seeing us approach, very wisely brought -out several large ships and sunk them in the channel, under the guns of -Fort Mac-Henry, which prevented the naval part of the expedition from -acting near enough to be of any use with their guns. - -The only chance perhaps that might have given any hope of success was -the offer of the gallant Rear-Admiral Cockburn to make a dash with all -the boats of the fleet, and try and storm Fort Mac-Henry, keeping the -troops on board until the issue of this measure was decided. Could we -have once got possession of it, the little army might have been landed -with ease, and the place been our own in a few hours. But the higher -powers decided against his plan. Poor General Ross was killed, having -been shot by a rifleman from a tree. He was brought down, wrapped up -in a union jack, attended by his aide-de-camp; I placed the body in my -boat, and sent it on board. He was beloved and universally respected -by both the army and navy. By his untimely fall the little hope we -had of succeeding vanished, and although the gallant Brook did all -that a man could do, yet the strength of the enemy’s field-works -that they had thrown up was so great,--and there being ten to one -against us, intrenched as they were behind breast-works bristling with -cannon,--caused the admiral to request the army to fall back, and we -re-embarked them. - -Just before Sir Alexander Cochrane left the Chesapeake some Americans -came on board of Sir Pultney Malcolm’s ship to treat for the exchange -of prisoners. Colonel Brook, and Captain Dix, who commanded the -_Menalaus_, frigate, were on board at the time. Boasting of their good -marksmen, Jonathan thought to be very witty by telling Captain Dix, who -was fat and broad made, “I guess, captain, you cover a deal of ground. -You had better not come on shore, for our riflemen can shoot a duck -through the head with a single ball at two hundred yards: therefore you -will stand no chance.” “Very probably they are good shots,” replied -Colonel Brook, “but you forget one thing--the poor duck was not a -soldier with a red jacket on his back, and a musket, with a bayonet at -the end of it, in his hand, ready to return the fire and use the steel. -That makes a deal of difference with regard to steady shooting.” - -I was placed under the orders of Captain Robert Barrie, of the _Dragon_ -(74), and left with him in the Chesapeake, having on board part of -Colonel Malcolm’s battalion of marines, commanded by Captain Coles of -that corps, a good and clever officer; the remainder were embarked -in other ships, while the fleet and transports, under Sir Alexander -Cochrane, proceeded out of the Chesapeake to the southward. - -No sooner did our senior officer, Captain Robert Barrie, find himself -free to act according to his own able judgment, than, with a mind -capable of planning, and a heart as bold as a lion to execute, he -undertook all kinds of expeditions, or, as our commodore used to call -them, “shooting parties.” “Come,” he used to say, “we have not had a -shooting party this some time: I have just had information that a body -of Yankee militia, with a field-piece or two, are in such a place--we -must go and take it from them.” Boats were manned and armed--the marine -battalion, under Lieutenant-Colonel Malcolm, about 400 strong, the -commodore always at their head, were put into them, and away we used to -go. Bang, bang from the field-pieces--a tiraillade from the American -musketry--three cheers and a dash from us, and the guns were ours: the -militia taking themselves off to the woods, and we dragging the guns -to our boats, frequently five, six, and seven miles, with an enemy’s -force, double and treble our numbers, looking at us. In short, during -the time we continued in the Chesapeake the American militia had no -sinecure, for they never knew where we intended to land, and we had too -much sense to go twice to the same place without an object in view. - -At this period provisions of all kinds began to run short; it was -therefore necessary to put all hands on half allowance, and make -frequent excursions to try and procure flour and cattle. - -On one of these foraging parties, the late Captain Tom Alexander, at -the head of 200 seamen and marines, did a very gallant thing: he was -attacked by 1,100 American troops,--with two squadrons of cavalry and -five field pieces,--while he was busy getting cattle; the enemy’s -horse made a charge, but not knowing that a swamp was between them -and Alexander’s party, the horses sank up to their chests in mud, and -began floundering about; he immediately commenced his fire upon them, -which put them to the right-about, leaving half-a-dozen dragoons, who -had been thrown from their horses, sticking with their heads in the -mud; some of the sailors mounted these fellows in a moment, and shoving -their heads deeper into the mire, there left them. After this, he -embarked his men with the exception of three, who were made prisoners, -and returned on board, leaving the cattle for a more convenient -opportunity. - -The commodore, on the 1st of November, gave the following order to his -squadron in the Chesapeake:-- - - “H.M. Ship _Dragon_, Nov. 1st, 1814. - “Chesapeake Bay. - - “The provisions of the squadron under my command getting extremely - low, and it being very uncertain at this advanced season of the - year when a supply can arrive, I find myself under the painful - necessity of placing the ship’s company and marine battalion on - short allowance. - - “You are therefore to place the crew and marines on board your ship - upon half allowance, so as to make your provisions last for two - months from this date. - - “You will signify to your crew that I trust it will not be - necessary to continue this restriction long, and that I shall - try by every means in my power to procure temporary supplies - from the enemy. In the meantime, I am satisfied their zeal for - their country’s cause will point out the absolute necessity - of persevering in the blockade of the Chesapeake to the last - extremity, and that the temporary privations they are reduced to - will be borne with the utmost cheerfulness.” - - “(Signed) ROBERT BARRIE, - “Captain and Senior Officer.” - -In November we proceeded up the river Rappahannock for the purpose of -attacking the American militia, 600 strong, who had some fieldpieces -posted at Farnham Church. - -We first took the town of Rappahannock, driving the enemy out of it, -who ran away so fast that they dropped their colours, which we took. -On one side of them, under the American eagle, was this motto, “Death -or victory”; on the other, “Down with the tyrants.” However, they -were “scared” from death, and ran away from victory. We then attacked -the militia at Farnham Church, and captured two of their fieldpieces; -afterwards returning to Rappahannock we embarked some flour and -tobacco, and then retired down the river to our ships, without in the -least injuring the town. - -We had with us on this expedition Major Brown, of the 85th Regiment, -who had been severely wounded at the battle of Bladensburgh, and on -the falling back of our army from Washington, he, with several other -officers and men, who were too ill to be removed, were left behind. He -was a fine gallant fellow, and now commands the 2nd Battalion of Rifles. - -I must take this opportunity of confirming two statements of my gallant -friend Captain J. Scott, which he mentions in his memoirs. First, -with regard to the unjust accusation of plundering: all I can say is, -that I saw nothing of the kind, unless taking provisions when we were -starving upon half allowance may be called so; but on every principle -of war we were entitled to forage, and for which in many cases we paid. -The orders of both Admiral Cockburn and Captain Barrie were positive -against plundering. - -With respect to the second, I can vouch for his account of the -poisoning the spirits at Benedict being perfectly true. In consequence -of what had taken place, if we wished to eat or drink anything that -was found in their houses placed out ready for us upon their tables, -we used to force the natives to eat a part first, that, in the event of -its being poisoned, they might die with the Britishers. - -We used occasionally to purchase cattle from the Americans. The plan -agreed on was this: they were to drive them down to a certain point, -where we were to land and take possession; for the inhabitants being -all militiamen, and having too much patriotism to sell food to “King -George’s men,” they used to say, “put the money under such a stone or -tree, pointing to it, and then we can pick it up, and say we found it.” -More ways than one to cheat the old gentleman. - -Having seen in some publications several comments upon our mode of -warfare in America, and no person yet ever having taken the trouble -to place the facts before the public in its different bearings, it is -high time that our side of the question should appear. According to the -old proverb, “there are always two sides to a story.” The truth of the -matter was this:-- - -At the commencement of hostilities, America invaded Upper Canada, -took York Town, and at the very beginning of a severe winter, having -first sacked the place, and turned the inhabitants out into the -snow to perish, burnt it to the ground. Had it been taken by storm, -after a severe resistance, the laws of war would have sanctioned the -proceedings; but the case was far different, little or no resistance -being made. - -General Sir George Prevost wrote a letter of remonstrance, not only -to the American officer commanding the division, but also to the -Government, reprobating the mode of warfare they had just adopted, and -calling upon both to disapprove of it by a public manifesto, and punish -the parties concerned. An evasive answer was returned, and we got no -redress. Sir George Prevost sent copies of the correspondence to the -naval commander-in-chief, and retaliation was in consequence determined -upon; and that their Government might feel we had the power to repay -the favour they had conferred upon poor York Town, and other places, -we had orders to destroy all public buildings, and such private houses -also as had been fortified or fired from, inasmuch as they had been -placed in the light of a fortress; _and the blaze that burnt York, in -Upper Canada, reached Washington_. - -This, and the endeavouring to destroy our men-of-war by torpedoes,--the -blowing up of Lieut. Geddes, and the barge’s crew of H.M. Ship -_Ramilies_ (74), by means of gun locks fixed in barrels of powder, -with lines made fast to casks of flour, biscuits, or other “notions,” -as Jonathan used to call them,--were among the causes which led to our -system of warfare. - -Small vessels, called coasters, were laden in this manner:--the upper -part of the hold consisted of an assortment of all kinds, and the under -filled with casks of gunpowder; they were then placed directly in the -way of our ships at anchor off their harbours, their crews taking to -a boat and making their escape on shore when they observed our’s near -them in chase. A vessel of this kind was taken by the boat of the -_Ramilies_ (74), off New London, commanded by that most intelligent and -excellent officer, Sir Thomas Hardy, who, suspecting from the manner -she was thrown in his way that all was not right, had her anchored two -good cables’ length from his ship, and kept her there two or three -hours before he would allow any person to go on board, thinking that -by that time any mechanism invented for so diabolical a purpose would -explode. After the above period poor Lieut. Geddes, whom I knew well, -volunteered to go with the barge’s crew to examine the cargo very -carefully; Sir Thomas Hardy still felt doubtful, but was at length -induced by the repeated solicitations of Geddes to allow him to go, -but with particular injunctions to be careful. It is supposed that in -hoisting up a cask of flour or biscuits they pulled the line that was -made fast from it to the barrel of powder, the explosion immediately -took place, when a lieutenant, midshipman, and barge’s crew, sixteen in -number, some of the best men in the ship, were blown to atoms. - -This fatal and melancholy catastrophe probably saved many of our -gallant countrymen, as well as some of our men-of-war, by acting as -a warning, and putting us on our guard against this _most dastardly_ -method of carrying on the war. - -The Americans had observed that several of our ships, the moment they -captured a coasting vessel, hauled her alongside to take out her -cargo, which frequently consisted of flour, biscuits, or other useful -articles. They, therefore, fitted out several explosion vessels on the -above plan, hoping thereby to blow up some of our seventy-four gun -ships or frigates, and very probably they would have succeeded with -any other except the _Ramilies_, but her wary captain, fortunately -suspecting some trick would be attempted, never suffered them to come -sufficiently near. - -These circumstances combined brought about our visit to Washington. The -above is the real state of the case: it requires no comments, and every -just man must say they were rightly served.[O] - -On the 10th November, I was ordered up to Sharp’s Islands, near -Baltimore, to cover the _Dragon’s_ tender and boats, that were sent -to capture the steam packet that went occasionally from thence to -French Town, but they arrived too late, she having crossed before they -arrived. However, they took several schooners and sloops, and the -packet from Baltimore to Elk Town. - -On the 15th of December, Rear-Admiral Cockburn rejoined the squadron -from Bermuda, and gave us orders to proceed in company with the -_Dragon_ (74), and _Regulus_ (44), and a schooner, to the coast of -South Carolina. Having completed our provisions from a transport -brought by the admiral, we left the Chesapeake on the 18th of December, -which none of the squadron very much regretted, for the heavy north -gales and cold weather made our boat operations in the Chesapeake -anything but agreeable. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI. - - Operations in South Carolina--Capture of Cumberland Island and the - Fort of Point-à-Petre--An Affair with the American Riflemen in the - Woods--An Abattis--Anecdotes of the 2nd West India Regiment--A - Rattlesnake--Capture of the Town of St. Mary’s--Destruction of the - Forts and Barracks--Nassau, New Providence--Compliment to the Royal - Marines--Return Home--Concluding Remarks. - - -On the 11th of January, 1815, we took possession of Cumberland Island -without meeting any resistance. The marine battalions, commanded -by Colonel Richard Williams and Colonel Malcolm, and the two flank -companies of the 2nd West India Regiment, under Major Bradley, were -disembarked, encamped, and works thrown up for protection--rumours -being afloat that the enemy intended to attack us. - -Having waited some days for the arrival of the rear-admiral, and the -ships being greatly in want of water, Commodore Barrie determined -on making an attack upon the fort of Point-à-Petre and the town of -St. Mary’s, South Carolina. The boats of the squadron were ordered -to attack the fort by water, under the command of two most excellent -officers--Captain C. B. H. Ross[P] and Captain Samuel Jackson, of the -_Albion_ and _Lacedemonian_--while the Royal Marine battalion, with -the commodore, part of the 2nd West Indian Regiment, and a few seamen, -with myself, landed, to march through the woods and assail it in the -rear. After advancing about a couple of miles we saw a few riflemen, -who immediately retired into the woods. We kept on a kind of footpath -and soon came to an abattis, behind which the enemy was posted, who -immediately opened a brisk fire, but by bugling, cheering, and blazing -away right and left, we drove them out and arrived at the fort which -they had abandoned, just as the boats landed. The battery mounted -six 24-pounders, and two brass 6-pounder field pieces. During this -bush-fight a tragic economical occurrence, worthy of Joey Hume, took -place. While scrambling over the fallen timber of the abattis, after -the American sharpshooters, two blacks of the 2nd West Indian Regiment -stumbled upon one of them; the rifleman fired and missed, one of the -blacks put his musket to his shoulder and was going to shoot him when -the other called out “Ta’am, why for you poil king cartridge? tick him, -Ta’am, tick him!” which between the two was immediately accomplished. -Each party lost some killed and wounded, but the woods being very thick -we made few prisoners. - -During the time we were here, and at Cumberland Island, we had some -sharp white frosts and a little ice, two things the West Indian blacks -had never seen; they were puzzled not a little, particularly when they -beheld their own breath. The keen morning air having rendered their -faces of a sickly purple colour, their major enquired what was the -matter; their reply was: “Major, me no know--me no like it at all--me -no see ’um, but he bity me toe a my finger.” When we laughed at their -droll description, they said, breathing hard, “Eh! you no see smoke -come out of my mouth, ah! massa major, he bity me toe a my finger!” -shaking and rubbing their hands, and stamping with their feet, “Bad -country this, no like em at all.” Several of these poor fellows were -frost bitten, and lost their limbs. - -After the capture of the fort and barracks we embarked, and proceeded -up the river to the town of St. Mary’s, which surrendered without -further opposition. We made the inhabitants pull down their own fort -and stockade in the town, took possession of the shipping and stores, -and destroyed the public buildings. - -A curious thing occurred on board one of the ships: a rattlesnake -_versus_ grog or, finding a Tartar. During the time I was pulling -about, taking possession of some of the vessels, and sending boats -to others, I was startled by a tremendous noise on board one of the -prizes, and saw the men running up the rigging in all directions, -while others took to the boats. I went directly alongside to see what -was the matter, thinking that some torpedo or clock-work, such as had -blown up poor Lieut. Geddes, of the _Ramilies_, off New London, had -been discovered. Upon inquiry I found that a rattlesnake had been the -cause of all the row. Some of the boats’ crews on going on board very -naturally went down below into the cabin, and other parts of the ship -to see what she contained. Jack spied in the master’s cabin a large -case, the wire-work of which was placed against the ship’s side, and -which in their hurry they had not observed. The vessel, I must remark, -was bound to France. Seeing this case the thought instantly struck them -that it must contain wine or spirits; they were determined, after all -their toil, to have a good drink before any of the officers came below; -an iron crowbar and cutlasses soon ripped open the top, when, instead -of rum, wine, or brandy, out jumped a large rattlesnake, at least two -yards’ long--away flew the sailors up the hatchways, some got into the -boats, others in the rigging, the snake made one spring up the ladder, -and was on deck after them in a moment--he soon jumped overboard, and, -the vessel being pretty close to the shore, made his escape into the -rushes and we saw no more of him. - -After remaining here a few days, I accompanied Captain Ross and Captain -Jackson forty miles up the river, to bring down the _Countess of -Harcourt_ Indiaman, that had been captured by a privateer some months -before. In going up and down the river St. Mary’s we saw several large -alligators sleeping on the banks, which at a little distance were taken -for logs of timber, until they began to plunge into the water; we -fired at several, and observed the balls strike the scales, but they -bounded off, apparently without doing them any injury. I saw some of -the Americans with the upper part of their shoes made of the skin, it -had been tanned, and wore well, the knobs looked curious. I regretted -afterwards I did not procure some of the shoes and tanned skins, and -bring them home with me to England. - -After returning with the Indiaman, which we loaded with cotton, etc., I -was ordered to proceed to Nassau, New Providence, to bring 300 more of -the 2nd West India Regiment, it being the intention of the rear-admiral -to make some attack further to the northward. - -We reached the Bahamas in ten days, first making the hole in the rock -at the island of Abacco, which is a most excellent land-mark: it lies -in lat. 25°, 56 N., long. 77°, 20 W. from London. Then, steering S. by -E., 18 leagues, we arrived off the bar of New Providence, where we took -a pilot to conduct us to the anchorage. An immense shark followed us -over the bar, and remained by the ship during our stay, and proceeded -with us again when we sailed. The water was so very clear that we saw -him daily at the bottom. He was too cunning to take bait, though now -and then he would come up to the top, eat the bones and bits of biscuit -thrown overboard, and try and get the piece of beef off the hook, but -never would swallow it. - -On my return from New Providence with troops, we again took on -board part of the marine battalion from the fort and barracks of -Fort Washington at Point-à-Petre, the guns of which we embarked; -then, blowing up the works and burning the barracks, we returned to -Cumberland Island to plan further annoyances to the enemy. - -While we were absent at the Bahamas, Captain Phillot, of the -_Primrose_, brig, had been sent ninety miles up the river to attack -some troops and destroy their stores of provisions, but the river -becoming narrow, and the Americans lining the banks with sharpshooters, -besides felling trees to stop the boats, he failed in the object, -having lost several men killed and wounded, amongst the latter Captain -Phillot himself severely. Had the enemy not prematurely shown their -intention, they would have blocked up the boats, and probably captured -them all. As it was, nothing but the coolness and bravery of the -commander, and officers and men under his orders, prevented it. - -Just at this period we received the news of the total failure of -our southern expedition to New Orleans, which event gave us deep -and sincere regret, but we hoped by a gallant dash to wipe out our -distressing feelings at such an unfortunate event; but while in the -midst of preparations we received intelligence that the olive branch -of peace was received, and the demon of war between parent and child -had ceased. Had it arrived immediately after the taking of Washington, -how great would have been our delight! As it was, although we could not -help feeling a secret pleasure at the prospect of returning home to our -families and friends, yet the throwing away so many valuable lives in -the swamps of New Orleans cast a damp on our spirits, and a secret wish -to try and blot it from our memories by some gallant achievement. - -Previous to returning to Nassau, I had the honour to receive a public -letter of thanks from my brave and worthy commodore, Barrie. To have -his approbation was, indeed, a flattering testimonial, and I look back -at this hour with pleasure when we served together on the other side of -the Atlantic, and I hope, if ever England should be again plunged in -war, that fortune may place me under his command. - -On the 6th of March the ship I commanded was ordered to proceed to -Nassau with the 2nd West India Regiment, and from thence to Bermuda, -where we arrived the beginning of April with a re-captured English -brig. After remaining there a fortnight, and receiving letters of -thanks from Sir Alexander Cochrane and Rear-Admiral Cockburn, addressed -to my officers and ship’s company, as well as two others to myself, -we proceeded to Halifax, Nova Scotia, at which place we embarked the -98th Regiment, Lieutenant-Colonel Douglass, and sailed, in a heavy -snow-storm, on the 20th of May with a convoy of transports for England, -and arrived at Spithead in June, after a passage of twenty-two days. - -From the period of our sailing from Britain (April, 1814) until the -same month, 1815, we had been constantly employed upon a variety of -harassing services and desultory warfare, with the gallant Royal Marine -battalions, under the present colonels, Sir R. Williams[Q] and Sir John -Malcolm, and it would be the height of injustice not to bear witness -to their most brave, able, and steady conduct on every occasion. But -where did they ever do otherwise? From the sun’s rising in the east -to its setting in the west, in both hemispheres, it has witnessed the -devoted bravery and loyalty of the whole corps of Royal Marines. - -After remaining sometime at Spithead, orders came for us to embark part -of the suite of the Duchess D’Angoulême. After making the necessary -preparations, and expending some of my own money in the outfit, we -received counter orders. - -In August the ship was ordered to Sheerness to be paid off; on the 23rd -I was promoted to the rank of captain, and on the 9th September the -pennant was hauled down, and I parted from my old officers and ship’s -company with very great regret. Thus ended my naval services for the -present, after nearly seventeen of the best years of my life in active -warfare; and I have now to thank God for His protection and providence -on many trying occasions. - -I shall conclude by making a few remarks before closing this narrative -upon the unfortunate mistake this country committed with regard to -our quarrel with the United States, and also upon the actions which -took place between our frigates and theirs, and upon the subject of -searching for English sailors on board their vessels. - -The great error that England committed was her not having declared war -against America two or three years earlier than she did. She ought to -have done it on account of their having aided and assisted our mortal -enemy, by carrying on the trade for France in vessels belonging to the -United States, and not have allowed them to become the aggressors, -to choose their own time, and make the first attack. Had she done so -in 1808-1809, or even in 1810, America would have been completely in -our power, for the whole of her merchant vessels covered the seas, -and her few men-of-war were not particularly well manned. The embargo -had been on two years, by which time most of her trading vessels were -safely returned from every part of the world; and her seamen being -thrown out of employ, were glad to enter on board their men-of-war and -privateers for the chance of prize money. But she being now ready, -and having secured nearly all her merchant vessels safe in their own -ports, first insulted the British flag by sending a 58-gun frigate, -the _Constitution_, to attack the _Little Belt_ corvette of 18 guns -then cruizing on the American coast to intercept French vessels. This -large frigate of 58 guns, and 487 men, _very gallantly_ fired into the -little sloop of war of 18 guns and 120 men, killed and wounded several -of them; but she in a very spirited manner returned the fire of this -greatly superior force, and killed some of her men. Commodore Rogers, -of the American 58-gun ship, pretended to make an apology to Captain -Bingham, of His Majesty’s ship _Little Belt_, by saying he took her for -a frigate, or he should not have fired into her. - -This was done with the hope of making England declare war, and thereby -putting the onus upon her, and making the war in America more popular; -but that failing, and they having an army ready to invade Canada, -urged on by Bonaparte in 1812, threw down the gauntlet, and commenced -hostilities, uniting with France against the liberties of Europe. - -Their few frigates being beautifully manned, and immensely superior -to ours in size, guns, and number of men, took three of our 48-gun -frigates after a severe action. But I do maintain the British navy -lost no honour. The enemy’s ships mounted 58 guns, 24 and 42-pounders, -with a complement of 487 picked seamen and marines; whereas our ships -carried only 48 guns, 18 and 32-pounders, all badly manned, and one, -the _Guerrière_, with only 187 men at quarters, the other two, the -_Java_ and _Macedonian_, had nearly their complement of 300 men such as -they were. The strength, size, and number of guns of the American ships -were too great for ours. - -Persons not conversant with nautical affairs, imagine that one frigate -is as good as another; but that is not the case, for it is very clear -that a man of five feet four inches, weak in proportion, cannot stand -against a man of six feet, with nearly double his strength, although -both are called men. - -Another circumstance must be mentioned, which is this. A ship capable -of carrying 58 or 60 heavy guns, 30 of which are long 24-pounders on -her main deck, must be a much stronger and larger ship, both in hull, -masts, and yards, and her masts several inches in diameter bigger -than the smaller ship, carrying only 28 18-pounders on the main deck; -therefore three, indeed two, if in a fresh breeze of wind, 24-lb. shot -striking the main-mast in the same place or nearly so, of the smaller -vessel, would knock it away, whereas it would require double the -number of the 18-pound shot to cut away that of the larger ship, giving -so many more advantages to the bigger ship against the smaller, by the -latter being so much sooner crippled. - -The ridiculous, silly, and mischievous hue and cry that was raised -in this country, in consequence of the above action, by a malicious, -envious party, to pluck from the navy some of her laurels, needs no -comment. It gave a lustre to the above frigate actions of our enemy -all over the world which they did not deserve, and made them think -themselves much more superior than they were, until the fight between -the English frigate, _Shannon_ (48), Captain Philip Broke, and the -_Chesapeake_ (49), Captain Laurence, off Boston. The latter had fifty -more men than the former, but was taken in fifteen minutes by the -gallant Captain Broke, and the ship’s company of the _Shannon_. This -brilliant affair, followed a short time afterwards by the action of the -_Endymion_ (50), Captain Henry Hope, that mounted 24-pounders on her -main deck, and 32-pounders on the quarter-deck, against the _President_ -(60), 24-pounders and 42-pounders, which she also captured, proved to -them that, when we were more evenly matched, the navy of England was -still mistress of the seas. - -It was long seen by those who chose to make use of their senses that -the disputes between the two countries must end in a rupture; and that -the American Government were determined to side with France, and pick -a quarrel with us, and that a war was inevitable. They knew that the -whole attention of the British Government was taken up by the great -struggle in Europe, and therefore few, if any, troops could be spared -from the great theatre of war on the Peninsula; they considered this -the time therefore to demand new maritime law. - -The right of search (which for ages had been the acknowledged or -assumed law of all European belligerent nations), for enemies’ -merchandize carried in neutral vessels, America was determined to -oppose. Instigated by intrigues, and offers of all kinds, made by -French emissaries sent for that purpose, Bonaparte found his Milan -decrees, declaring the whole coasts of Great Britain and her extensive -colonies in the four quarters of the world in a state of blockade, to -be of no use without a navy to support it, and not having one that -dared show its face upon the ocean, had no means to carry his decrees -into execution. His eagle eye at once saw that by making a tool of -the United States, and embroiling them with England, he might make a -great diversion in his favour. He, therefore, induced their cabinets to -enter into his plans, backed, it was said, “_by good, weighty, golden -reasons_, and insisted upon a new maritime law,” which would strike a -death blow at our dominion of the sea, and at once evade all blockade. -The law I allude to was, that the neutral flag or vessel should permit -the ship wearing it to carry the cargo of an enemy free of capture from -the other belligerent, who met it on the sea or elsewhere. - -It was very extraordinary that America found little fault with France, -who first commenced the general blockade by the issue of her Milan -decrees, and who confiscated all the United States’ vessels that were -captured by her men-of-war or privateers with British colonial or -other produce on board, coming directly or indirectly from any port of -the United Kingdom of Great Britain and her colonies. Had they merely -touched or been driven by stress of weather into an English port, or -even boarded by a British cruiser, it was sufficient to condemn them -as lawful prizes in a French Court of Admiralty, when met at sea by -French armed vessels, and detained. England waited with great patience, -thinking that all the neutral powers, but above all America, would -protest against the measure, and join her who was fighting for the -liberties of all the world against the iron grasp of Bonaparte, and his -intended universal dominion. The United States, on the contrary, put up -with the seizure of their vessels by France, and when Great Britain was -obliged, after the greatest forbearance, to declare the whole coast of -France and her allies in a state of blockade--which she had the means -of doing, having more than one thousand men-of-war of different sizes -at sea or in commission, ready effectually to carry this measure into -operation--they grew outrageous because she would not permit them to be -our secret enemy, and carry the trade of France in their ships, under -the new maritime law they proposed, viz., that a neutral ship and flag -were to make an enemy’s cargo neutral also. The above was one of the -causes that led to the war. - -Impressment of seamen or sailors out of their vessels is another source -of complaint against this country. To this latter act England was -driven by the conduct of citizens of the United States, decoying men -to desert whenever any of our ships, whether men-of-war or merchant -vessels, put into their harbours. The enticing our seamen away to man -their vessels naturally made us search for British subjects whenever -British men-of-war boarded any of our ships, whether at sea or in -foreign parts, particularly when we knew the easy method by which -English subjects were naturalised and gained American protections. - -I recollect a very fine young seaman whom we took out of an American -ship at Messina in Sicily, when I was a lieutenant of the _Melpomene_ -frigate. On being brought on board he produced his United States’ -protection, and requested to be sent back to his ship. He wrote to the -American consul to claim him, and the master of his ship came on board -to demand him as an American citizen. Having strong suspicion that he -was an English subject,--notwithstanding the clamour raised by the -Yankee master and consul, and the production of his protection; yet, -from his not having any nasal twang when he spoke, and not using the -general slang words of that country, such as “I guess,” “I calculate,” -etc.,--we kept him on board that night. The next morning he came on the -quarter-deck of the frigate, and gave up his American protection and -said, “I will not deny my country--I am a native of Swansea, in Wales, -and I got that protection when I sailed last voyage in a merchant ship -from Liverpool to New York, in the following manner. On my arrival at -New York I was told that by paying two dollars I could get a protection -of citizenship, which would prevent my being pressed on board an -English man-of-war. The way it was managed was this:--I was put into -a large cradle made on purpose to hold men; I was then rocked by them -for a minute or two, and afterwards taken before the proper authorities -by the old couple, who made oath they had known me ever since I was -in my cradle--no further questions were asked, the matter being quite -understood between the parties,--I paid the fees, the protection was -granted, and, having given the old folks two dollars for their trouble, -I became a ‘registered American citizen,’ and that, sir,” he said, “is -the way British seamen are kidnapped in the States--in short, it is a -regular trade, and hundreds of seamen that have protections got them in -the same manner.” - -A knowledge of the various tricks played on the other side of the -Atlantic to entice away our seamen, made the officers of the British -navy more anxious to recover their sailors, which of course at times -caused some irritating disputes with the masters and skippers of the -American vessels. These magnified every trifle, and reported all the -circumstances to people who were paid by that part of the press in the -French interest to make the worst of everything, in order to inflame -the public mind against this country, particularly after the affair of -the _Leopard_ (50), taking our deserters out of the American frigate -_Chesapeake_ (48), and the unfortunate event of H.M.S. _Leander_, when -a man was killed by accident by her firing to bring-to a vessel under -the United States’ flag off New York for the purpose of examining her. - -The Americans acted with great wisdom and foresight previous to -their declaration of war, by putting on the embargo and passing the -“Non-intercourse Bill” with England two years before. By that wise -act they were enabled to get home their trade from all parts of the -world, and having done this, they insulted our flag by sending a 58-gun -ship, commanded by Commodore Rogers, to fire into the _Little Belt_ -corvette of 18-guns, commanded by Captain Bingham, cruising near their -coast, and killing several of her men and wounding others. This affair -had two meanings. First to revenge the death of their citizens slain -in the _Chesapeake_ frigate, and on board the merchant ship off New -York; and secondly to induce us to declare war against them, to make -it more popular with the generality of the people of the States, that -the Government might be able to throw the blame upon England. Britain -having her hands full in other places, fighting for the liberties of -the world, making at the same time a desperate struggle for her own -existence, and most nobly striving to liberate other powers from the -grasp of Bonaparte, was not willing at this most critical period to -have another foe; she therefore tried something in protocol fashion of -the present day, but it failed as all half-measures generally do. - -America laughed at it, and commenced biting our heels, while John -Bull was tossing the dogs in front. They had the wisdom to perceive -the great error England had committed in not seeing that war was -inevitable, and that she ought to have declared it two or three years -before, and not have allowed her to get the whole of her vessels safe -into port. Our politeness and good breeding enabled them to secure -all or most of their shipping, in order to enable them to man their -ships of war and privateers with picked sailors. Their seamen being -thrown out of employ, were glad to enter on board their men-of-war -and privateers for the almost certain chance of a rich harvest, by -capturing our East and West Indiamen. - -This was the great mistake England committed; for had we gone to war -at an earlier period when the seas were covered with American merchant -ships, they would have been swept into our harbours, and she would have -been completely at our mercy, and twelve months at that time would have -settled our disputes far more amicably than the unsatisfactory method -adopted in the year 1815. - -Natural affection, intimate connections with this country, a common -language, and a wish to incline to a reasonable adjustment of claims, -would probably have settled our quarrel, and not have left the boundary -line as a further bone of contention. But we were unfortunately so -delighted with the success of our allies and our own gallant army, -by the capture of Paris, and other deeds in Europe, added to the -abdication of Napoleon, that American matters were left nearly in the -same state as before the war, although we had the means at that period -to have settled everything in a most satisfactory manner. The country -was like,--or might be compared to,--soldiers and sailors who had -received so much pay and prize-money that they got drunk. Great Britain -was intoxicated with the honour and renown which their countrymen in -the army and navy had gained for them, and never thought of the morrow. -Indeed, up to the present time, 1839, they have been living upon the -_principal_ of _credit_, for we have put, I fear, very little by or out -to interest which was _then gained_, and which has been most woefully -frittered away ever since, until the country has at last almost run -bankrupt: for we are spit upon in Spain, treated with contempt in -Portugal, despised in France, laughed at in Russia, kicked in Canada, -and in a fine olla podrida in India and China. - - - FINIS. - - - NOTE.--Vice-Admiral William Stanhope Lovell, R.N., K.H., was born - September 15th, 1788. Married, 2nd January, 1822, Selina, youngest - daughter of Sir Henry Crewe, Bart., of Calke Abbey, Derby, and by - her, who died on the 30th March, 1838, had issue one son and three - daughters, who survive him. Vice-Admiral Lovell died in 1859, - “_sans peur et sans reproche_.” Was buried at Bexley, Kent. - - - - -_APPENDIX._ - - -Having, in the foregoing narrative, stated, in justification of our -mode of warfare in America, some of the causes which led to our -adoption of the system of retaliation, I beg to subjoin two extracts -from the Annual Register of the year 1814, as well as copies of public -documents, which a friend has most kindly favoured me with, which fully -bear me out in saying that we were in a manner compelled to adopt the -system we pursued, _i.e._, to teach the Americans that we had the power -to return with interest the inhuman mode of warfare with which they -began the campaign. - - “From several causes it was not to be expected that the war between - Britain and America would be carried on in the most humane and - honourable mode, especially by the Americans; they had not yet - forgotten the war of the revolution, and by our employment of the - Indians, _though they set us the example_, the consequences were - such as might be dreaded. In their different invasions of Canada, - the greatest inhumanities were exercised; especially at Sandwich, - at the settlements on the Thames, at York, and at Fort George. - Finding that remonstrances against this mode of conducting the war - produced no effect, General Sir George Prevost at length issued - a proclamation announcing a severe retaliation on the Americans, - while at the same time he earnestly deprecated this mode of - warfare.”--_Annual Register_, p. 318, _Principal Occurrences_, 1814. - - - “A proclamation issued by General Sir George Prevost, Bart., - announces, after long forbearance, a severe retaliation on the - Americans for their inhuman mode of warfare in their different - invasions of Canada, especially for their having, in the midst of - a severe Canadian winter, wantonly burnt the beautiful village of - Newark, and turned out _four hundred helpless women and children_ - to perish in the snow, and through the severity of the season, - _without shelter, and without a remnant of property_. This case is - made out with the utmost distinctness against the Americans, not - only in this, but in a number of other instances, at Sandwich, at - the settlements on the Thames, at York, and at Fort George. General - Sir George Prevost earnestly deprecates this mode of warfare; but - he justly observes that ‘since it has been so long persevered in by - the enemy, retaliation becomes an imperious duty.’ But he at the - same time says, ‘that he will no longer pursue a system of warfare - so revolting to his own feelings, and so uncongenial to the British - character, unless forced to it by the future measures of the - enemy.’”--_Annual Register_, p. 27; _Principal Occurrences_, 1814. - -I trust that I have fully vindicated our mode of warfare in America, -by showing that we were driven to it by the great inhumanities -so frequently committed by the enemy, and when forbearance and -remonstrance failed, nothing was left but to teach them that when -goaded beyond endurance--_four hundred helpless women and children -turned out to perish in the frost and snow of a severe Canadian winter_ -from the village of Newark, besides wanton barbarities committed in -various other places--the British lion was at length aroused from -his slumber, and that the fires which the Americans had lit in other -places, reached the public works of their capital--Washington. - - -Copies of Correspondence. - - “Head-quarters, British Troops, - “Bank of the St. Lawrence, - “14th Nov., 1813. - - “Sir,-- - - “The object of the present communication, which is made by - desire of the officers in command of the British forces in this - neighbourhood, is, in the first instance, to claim as prisoners - two American officers who were taken on the morning of the 11th, - previous to the action, and deserted to their own shore while on - the way to Prescott. - - “I enclose a copy of their paroles. - - “William Gilkinson, Esq., of Prescott, is the bearer of this flag, - and I am instructed to request that you will facilitate his passage - to the Commanding General of the United States’ Army, to whom he is - desirous of making a representation on the subject of the plunder - and destruction of his property by the American troops in this - neighbourhood. And on this subject I am instructed to protest in - the most solemn manner against that system of rapine and plunder - of the property of the peaceful and unoffending inhabitants which - has marked the progress of the American army during its short - continuance in this province; and I am further to entreat that his - Excellency the Commander-in-Chief of the United States’ Army will - allow no consideration arising out of the circumstances of the - disparity of rank of the British officer by whom he is so called - upon, to restrain his Excellency from immediately disavowing this - system so disgraceful to a civilized army, and affording every fair - indemnity to the individual sufferers; or that he will, by an open - avowal that the system complained of is an authorized one, leave - it in the option of the general officer (hourly expected to assume - the command of the powerful and rapidly increasing British force in - this neighbourhood), to employ it in such acts of just retaliation - upon the persons and property of the inhabitants of the right bank - of the St. Lawrence as he may think fit, as commensurate with the - treatment of the inhabitants on this side. - - “I have the honour to be, Sir, very respectfully, - - “Your most obedient humble servant, - - “(Signed) T. HARVEY, Lieut.-Col., - “D.C.G. to the British Forces - “in the Canadas.” - - - “Head Quarters, Montreal, - “2nd June, 1814. - - “Sir,-- - - “I have the honour to transmit to you a copy of a letter which I - have written to Lieut.-General Drummond, in consequence of the - late disgraceful conduct of the American troops in the wanton - destruction of private property on the north shores of Lake Erie, - in order that if the war with the United States continues, you may, - should you judge it advisable, assist in inflicting that measure - of retaliation which shall deter the enemy from a repetition of - similar outrages. - - “I have, &c., - - “(Signed) GEORGE PREVOST, - “Commander of the Forces. - - “To Vice-Admiral the Honourable - “Sir A. COCHRANE, K.B., &c., &c.” - - - “Head Quarters, Montreal, - “1st June, 1814. - - “Sir,-- - - “It is with sincere regret and disappointment that I perused the - detail of illiberal and wanton devastation and unjustifiable - outrage reported in your letter of the 27th ult., and Major-General - Riall’s of the 19th, to have been committed in the vicinity of - the village of Dover, and on its unoffending inhabitants, by the - conflagration of their dwelling-houses and their mills. - - “I cherished the hope that the severe, although just, retaliation - inflicted for the destruction of the village of Newark would have - deterred the enemy from similar acts of barbarity; under that - impression, I issued a proclamation of the 4th January last, which - has since been most scrupulously adhered to by the troops under - my command, and it is with painful reluctance I now feel myself - compelled to return to a system so abhorrent to those principles of - humanity which have always animated and characterized Britons. - - “But such horrors cannot be suffered to remain without notice or - unrevenged; you must, therefore, transmit by a flag of truce to the - officer commanding the American force nearest to you a statement of - those atrocities, with information that you have my instructions - to inflict a severe retribution for them; you may assure him that - the same will be repeated for every act of such outrage committed - on the defenceless and peaceable settlers of our frontier, and that - the British fleet on the coast of America will be called upon to - assist in the measure of just retaliation. - - “I have, &c., - - “(Signed) GEORGE PREVOST, - “Commander of the Forces. - - “To Lieut.-Gen. DRUMMOND, &c., &c., - “Com. Upper Canada.” - - - “Tonnant, Halifax, - “5th Oct., 1814. - - “Sir,-- - - “I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Excellency’s - letter of the 3rd August, acquainting me of the repetition on the - part of the enemy of the disgraceful outrages committed by him on - the north shores of Lake Erie. - - “I have therefore reiterated my order of retaliation of the 18th - July, of which a copy was sent to your Excellency, and given - further directions for the distressing him south of the Delaware, - to the utmost of our power; from that river northward I have - restrained the squadron from acting in full execution of its - purport until I see what change the late events may produce in that - quarter. - - “I have the honour to be, - - “Your Excellency’s most obedient humble servant, - “ALEXANDER COCHRANE, - “Vice-Admiral and Commander-in-Chief. - - “To his Excellency - “Lieut.-General Sir GEO. PREVOST, Bt., - “Commander of the Forces, &c., &c.” - - - “Head Quarters, Montreal, - “August 6, 1814. - - “My Lord,-- - - “I have the honour to transmit to your Lordship a copy of a - letter I have addressed to Vice-Admiral the Hon. Sir A. Cochrane, - respecting the late wanton and disgraceful conduct of the enemy in - the burning of the villages of Queen Town and St. David’s, on the - Erie frontier. - - “J. W. - - “To EARL BATHURST.” - - - “Head Quarters, Montreal, - “30th Sept., 1814. - - “Sir,-- - - “I have the honour to acknowledge your three letters of the 19th - inst., which have been laid before the Commander of the Forces, - with regard to the miseries which the enemy have again made on - Port Talbot; his Excellency is of opinion that it is the act of - Westbrook, who is gratifying private animosities with a heartless - band; he scarcely conceives it to have been authorized by the - Government of the U.S., and requests to be informed who commanded - the enemy’s force employed on this occasion. The Commander of - the Forces hopes that precautionary measures have been taken - to frustrate the design of the enemy upon Long Point, should - the execution of it be attempted. If you consider it necessary - to retaliate for the unjustifiable act of carrying off Colonel - Burnell, you have his Excellency’s authority to do so, or else, if - you prefer it, two respectable American citizens may be taken as - hostages for him from Hamilton. - - “To Lieut.-General DRUMMOND.” - - - WITHERBY & CO., Printers, 325a, High Holborn, W.C. - - -FOOTNOTES: - -[A] Colonel Thomas Stanhope Badcock, of Little Missenden Abbey, -Bucks, and of Maplethorpe Hall, Lincolnshire, married Anne, daughter -of William Buckle, Esq., of the Mythe House and Chasely, in -Gloucestershire, by Anne, daughter of George Turberville, Esq. The -family is descended from Sir Salathiel Lovell, of Harleston, co. -Northampton, one of the Barons of the Exchequer, whose youngest -daughter _Jane_ married Richard Badcock, Esq. Of the two elder -daughters, _Maria_ married Joseph Townshend, Esq., and died without -issue; _Penelope_ married the Rev. Michael Stanhope, D.D., canon -of Windsor, and died 1738, leaving with other issue Arthur Charles -Stanhope, Esq., father of Philip Stanhope, who, succeeding to the -honours of his family in 1773, became fifth Earl of Chesterfield. Sir -Salathiel Lovell had two sons, _Samuel_, his heir, a Welsh judge, who -married in 1692 Miss Sergeant, and left one son, _Samuel_, and one -daughter, _Rachel Jane_, married in 1732 Richard Edgeworth, Esq., of -Edgeworthstown, co. Longford, who died in 1764, leaving issue. - -[B] The eldest, _Anne_ Bethia, married 21st September, 1809, -Lieut.-General Sir Jasper Nicholls, K.C.B. (Commander-in-Chief at -Madras and afterwards Commander-in-Chief in India), and had eight -daughters and one son. Lady Nicholls died at Rome in 1844. _Sophia_ -Lovell married 9th June, 1814, the Rev. James Duke Coleridge, D.C.L., -eldest son of Colonel Coleridge, of Heath’s Court, Ottery St. Mary’s, -Devon, and had two daughters. Mrs. Coleridge died at Torquay in 1874. - -[C] _Torpedo vulgaris._ - -[D] It was near a vintage. - -[E] Afterwards Sir John Chambers White. - -[F] Taken and destroyed. - -[G] The French ship of the line, _L’Achille_, on fire and blowing up. - -[H] Being a man of plain common-sense, I never could to this day -understand the policy of our training up foreign officers of all -nations in our service to sting ourselves. Surely our rulers forget the -sensible fable of Æsop, “The countryman and the viper.” We took the -Russians from frost and snow, thawed them in our bosoms, and the time -may yet come when they may sting us. “_Tempus omnia monstrat._” - -[I] Sir Lovell Benjamin Lovell, K.C.B., K.H., commenced in the Royal -Bucks Militia in 1804, and entered as cornet (by purchase) the 14th -Light Dragoons, November, 1805; served at the taking of Monte Video, -under Sir Samuel Auchmuty, in 1807, and subsequently in the Peninsula, -including the battles of Talavera, the Coa, Busaco, Fuentes d’Onor -(wounded), Salamanca, Vittoria, the Pyrenees, Nive, Ortherg, and -Toulouse; actions or skirmishes near Talavera, Sexmiro, Val de la -Mula, La Meares, Freixeda, Guarda, Coimbra, Valle, Venda de Sierra, -Pombal, Redinha, Miranda de Corvo, Coa, Galligos, Nave d’Aver, Espiga, -near Fuentes d’Onor, Llerena, near Salamanca, St. Christova, Bueda, -Castrillos, Foncastin, Matylla; at Burgos, Osma, Huarte, Pampeluna, -Vale de Bastan, Pass of Maya, Lines of Ainho, Cambo, Hasparren, Helite, -Garris, Sauveterre, St. Gladie, Buelho, Garlier, San Roman--total, 10 -general actions, 40 minor actions or skirmishes, besides attending 7 -sieges; was at the siege of Oporto, being one of the military reporters -under Lord William Russell. Appointed to the Lieutenant-Colonelcy of -the 15th Hussars, March 21st, 1834; appointed Brigadier-General of the -cantonment of Bangalore, 1841, and Major-General in India, September, -1841; gazetted to the command of the Hyderabad subsidiary force, -February 15th, 1847, and took command March 3rd, at Secunderabad; -appointed Major-General in 1854, and Colonel of the 12th Lancers, 29th -November, 1856. Sir Lovell Benjamin Lovell received the war medal, -with eleven clasps, for Busaco, Fuentes d’Onor, Badajoz, Salamanca, -Vittoria, the Pyrenees, Nive, Orthes, and Toulouse. He died at Brighton -in 1861. Sir Lovell and his brother assumed by sign manual the surname -and arms of Lovell in 1840. - -[J] Prince Lippe Bückeburg. - -[K] During our stay in Altea Bay, in 1812, I was invited by the -Spanish authorities in the town to assist at the proclaiming of the -new constitution, and accordingly landed my officers and marines to -be present at the ceremony of reading them. A few of the Spaniards -cheered, as well as ourselves, and called out, “Viva Fernando Septimo;” -but it appeared to me they were not very enthusiastic about it at that -period; indeed they did not seem to care two straws whether they had -the old or new constitution--to get rid of the French was the first -object. - -[L] (!) Peaks. - -[M] Amongst so many new black freemen in the West Indies, of course -many cases of delinquency must occur. Why not transport all troublesome -and bad characters to Africa? They originally came from thence, and it -would be only returning them back to their own country. Just land them -on the beach at Bonny, and leave them to find their own way amongst -their countrymen, or send them to Fernando Po to clear the forests and -make roads, which would ventilate the island and make it more healthy. - -[N] Medals were given in 1848(?) for the Peninsula wars, and to the -survivors of the Battle of Trafalgar also in 1848. An English merchant, -whose name I cannot remember, gave to some of those who were present at -the Battle of Trafalgar (among the fortunate recipients was my father) -medals, having on one side the profile of Lord Nelson, and on the -reverse side the representation of the ships going into action, with -the date, October 1st, 1804, and round it the memorable words signalled -to the fleet: “England expects every man will do his duty.” This medal -is much prized by the family, as is also the dirk previously mentioned. -(M.S.L.) - -[O] The revilers of our American mode of warfare should bear in mind -other circumstances, viz.: that America seized the opportunity of -declaring war against us at a most critical period, when we were not -only making a desperate struggle for our existence as a nation, but -also to liberate other powers from the iron grasp of Bonaparte, and -fighting in the cause of liberty itself. That must not be forgotten on -our side of the question. - -[P] The rear-admiral, in the _Albion_, arrived on the previous evening, -when Captain Ross joined with the boats of that ship in the attack on -the fort by water. - -[Q] Lieutenant-Colonel Williams, of the Marines, was not at the capture -of Washington. He was then in Canada, and joined us at Cumberland -Island previous to the attack on Fort Washington, at Point-à-Petre. - - - - - Transcriber's Note: - - The following is a list of changes made to the original. The first - line is the original line, the second the corrected one. - - Page 108 - - We remained at O’Rodonto three days, during - We remained at O’Rodondo three days, during - - northward to invest Cuidad Rodrigo. - northward to invest Ciudad Rodrigo. - - Operations against Cuidad Rodrigo having been - Operations against Ciudad Rodrigo having been - - Page 110 - - was ordered to cover the siege of Cuidad Rodrigo. - was ordered to cover the siege of Ciudad Rodrigo. - - Page 114 - - nexts attracts attention. This was founded about - next attracts attention. This was founded about - - Page 124 - - 4th July, sent me to Palma Bay, Minorca, to collect - 4th July, sent me to Palma Bay, Majorca, to collect - - Page 138 - - _Invincible_, thinking it advisable to make a reconnoissance - _Invincible_, thinking it advisable to make a reconnaissance - - Page 183 - - of the _Eudymion_ (50), Captain Henry Hope, that - of the _Endymion_ (50), Captain Henry Hope, that - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Personal Narrative of Events, From -1799 to 1815, by William Stanhope Lovell - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PERSONAL NARRATIVE OF *** - -***** This file should be named 63405-0.txt or 63405-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/6/3/4/0/63405/ - -Produced by Paul Clark and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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