three of his national colours flying, full of confidence, and, it is said, so certain of shortly returning victorious into port, that he had neglected to provide accommodations on board for the wounded, which was the cause of much subsequent distress. The action began at half past five, p. m. both ships steering full under top-sails. After the exchange of two or three broadsides, the Chesapeake fell on board the Shannon, and they were locked together. Capt. Broke went forward to ascertain the enemy's position, and perceiving that the men were flinching from their guns, he gave orders for boarding, and (though he does not mention it) himself set the example of leaping into the adverse ship. In an instant the assailants appointed for the service rushed in upon the enemy's decks, driving all before them with irresistible fury. The Americans opposed a desperate, but disorderly resistance; and after a sanguinary conflict of only two minutes, they were beaten from every post. The American colours were hauled down, and "the proud old British Union floated triumphant over it.' In another minute they ceased firing from below, and called for quarter; and the whole action was completed in fifteen minutes from its commencement. So short had been the firing, and so much directed to immediate effect, that both ships came out from the engagement in beautiful order, their rigging undamaged, as if they had only been exchanging a salute.

Though nothing could be more entire and glorious than the success, Capt. Broke had to lament the loss of many gallant comrades.

He, himself, received a severe wound in the head from a sabre. His first lieutenant, Mr. Watt, was unfortunately shot in the very act of hoisting the victorious colours. The whole loss was 23 killed and 56 wounded, out of a crew of 330. The enemy had about 70 killed. and 100 wounded. Among the former were the four lieutenants, a lieutenant of the marines, the master, and many other officers. Capt. Laurence died of his wounds at Halifax, where he was honourably interred. The humiliated feelings of the numerous spectators on shore, who, instead of a new triumph, saw their gallant ship in so short a time led away captive, may easily be conceived. A supposed explosion in the Chesapeake at a critical moment, is mentioned by the Americans in excuse of their defeat; but of this no notice ap pears in the narrative of Captain Broke, whose success was obviously owing to a superiority of courage and discipline.

Rear-admiral Cockburn, having received directions from Sir J. B. Warren to put an end to the commerce carried on by the Americans from the port of, Ocracoke, in North Carolina, by means of inland navigation, and to destroy any vessels which might be in that harbour, anchored off the bar on July 11th, with a light squadron, having on board detachments of troops under Lieut.-colonel Napier, and proceeded to put the design into execution. Three divisions of boats and small vessels, with seamen and soldiers, being equipped, were sent into the harbour on the morning of the 12th, when a fire was opened upon them by two armed vessels, the Annaconda sloop

of

of 18 guns, and a schooner. They were however soon silenced and taken possession of by the first division of boats; and the troops landing upon the islands of Portsmouth and Ocracoke, became masters of them without opposition, and thus command was ob. tained of the channel between them and the coast, through which the inland navigation was conducted.

The adventurous spirit of British seamen and marines, when acting on shore, has seldom been more strikingly displayed than in the capture of Fiume in the gulf of Venice. Admiral Freemantle reports to Sir Edw. Pellew, that on July 2d, with the squadron under his command, he anchored opposite Fiume, which was defended by four batteries, mounting 15 heavy guns. On the 3d the ships weighed to attack the sea-line of the batteries, whilst a detachment of seamen and marines was to storm at the Mole-head. The wind permitted only one ship to get up, which silenced the second battery; when, the signal being made to storm, Capt. Rowley, at the head of the marines, carried the fort, and Capt. Hoste took the first battery. Capt. Rowley, without loss of time, dashed on through the town, disregarding the fire from the windows, and a field-piece placed in the centre of the principal street; and the seamen and marines drove the enemy before them with his feld-piece, till he came to the square, where he made another stand, taking post in a large house. From this be was at length expelled; and the different parties of assailants making a junction, the batteries, field-piece, stores, and shipping were taken possession of,

the governor, officers, and soldiers of the garrison having all fled from the town. This success was obtained with a very trifling loss; and it was highly to the credit of Captains Rowley and Hoste, that although the town was stormed in every part, not an individual was plundered, nor was any thing taken away except what was afloat, and in the government stores. Of 90 vessels captured, more than half were restored to their owners; 43 were sent to Lissa, laden with oil, grain, powder, and merchandize. A number of guns were rendered useless, and others were carried away, and 500 stand of arms, with powder and military stores, were destroyed. On the 5th, the ships moved to Porte Ré, the forts of which had been abandoned by the enemy. The destruction of the guns, works, &c. being completed by the seamen, the squadron returned to its station.

An instance of similar enterprize was reported on August 18th by Capt. Usher, of the Undaunted, off Marseilles. An attack was made on the batteries of Cassis, between that port and Toulon, protecting a bay in which were a number of small vessels covered by gun-boats. Light winds not permitting the Undaunted to take her intended anchorage, the whole business was effected by a party of marines under Capt. Coghlan, who carried the citadel battery by escalade, and drove the French at the bayonet's point from all their defences to the heights above the place; after which the mole was entered by the ship's boats, and all the vessels within it were brought out or destroyed.

The capture of an American sloop of war in St. George's Channel

nel by an English vessel of the same force, gave another timely proof that the superiority of British seamanship was still no empty boast. Capt. Maples, of the Pelican sloop of war, being directed by Admiral Thornborough to cruize for the protection of the trade, descried on the morning of August 14th, off St. David's Head, a vessel on fire, and a brig standing from her. He immediately made chace, and at half past five, a. m. came along-side of the United States sloop, Argus, of 18 twenty four pound carronades, and two long 12 pounders. After a warin action on both sides of 43 minutes, the Pelican was in the act of boarding, when the American struck ber colours. Her loss in killed and wounded amounted to about 40, among whom was her commander. That of the victor was only two killed and five wounded; so that in this instance the supe riority of fire was clearly on the side of the English ship, whose complement of men was 116, whilst that of her antagonist was

127.

The gulf of Cataro was the scene of some spirited actions in October, in which the British navy displayed its usual enterprize. Capt. Hoste, in the Bacchante, joining the Saracen, Capt. Harper, and three gunboats, off Ragusa, on Oct. 12th, having been informed of the state of the country about Cataro, and the insurrection of the Bocchese, or people of the Bocche (mouths) of the gulf, proceeded thither on the 13th, and forcing the passage between Castel Nuova and the fort of Rosa, anchored his squadron above Castel Nuova. In the evening he detached the boats of the

two ships and two Sicilian gunboats, under the command of Capt. Harper, to capture the enemy's naval force lying between St. George's isle and the town of Cataro, in which he completely succeeded. He then attacked and carried the island of St. George, the commandant and garrison of which surrendered at discretion; and thus an important post was gained, commanding the narrow channel leading to Cataro itself. On the 16th, Castel Nuova and fort Espagnol surrendered to the British force, the garrison remaining prisoners of war. Several gunboats, and a quantity of stores, were taken in this expedition, and the blockade of Cataro by sea and land was the result.

A success over a foe, little capable indeed of resistance, was reported in the same month by Capt. Sir Christ. Cole of the Rippon. The French frigate Le Weser, of 44 guns and 340 men, lost her main and mizen-masts in a hard gale on Oct. 16th. On the 18th she was fallen in with, sixty leagues to the west of Ushant, steering under jury masts for Brest, by his Majesty's sloop Scylla, Capt. Macdonald, who kept her in view till the 20th, when he met with the sloop Royalist, Capt. Bremer, who volunteered to join him in an attack of the enemy. sloops bore up in close order, the Scylla on the quarter, and the Royalist on the bow of the frigate, and commenced an action, which continued an hour and a half; when their sails and rigging being much cut, they drew off to repair da mages. A man of war then appearing in sight, the Royalist was dispatched to convey intelligence

The two

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of the situation of affairs; and at day-light, on the 21st, the Rippon took the advantage of a breeze to close with the enemy. The Le Weser bore up to the Rippon and struck her colours, after having exchanged two broadsides with the Scylla. She was so much crippled, that Sir C. Cole took on board the greater part of the prisoners, and towed her into port. No great loss of men was sustained on either side; and the principal credit of the action was given to Capt. Macdonald for his perseverance in attending on the enemy's motions.

A success of a similar kind was obtained in the same month by the capture of the frigate La Trave, of 28 French 18 pounders, and 16 18 pound carronades, with a crew of 321 men, nearly all Dutch, While sailing under jury masts, near the entrance of the English Channel, she was chased on Oct. 23d by the Andromache, Captain Tobin, upon which she opened a fire from her stern guns; but it was not returned till a position was taken by the Andromache on her weather quarter. She made a feeble resistance for about 15 minutes, and then struck her colours; and her captor observes, that such was the disabled state of her masts, previously to the encounter, that

any further opposition would have been the extreme of rashness.

The part taken by the British squadron commanded by Captain Farquhar, of the Desirée, in reducing the French batteries near the mouth of the Elbe, is reported by that officer in a letter, dated off Cuxhaven, Dec. 1. In co-operation with a body of Russian troops, a line of gun-boats cannonaded Fort Napoleon on Nov. 29th, and in the meantime the ships were employed in landing guns, and constructing a seaman's battery within 400 yards of the strong battery of Phare, or Cuxhaven. This was completed on the 30th ; but before it began to fire, a flag of truce was hoisted by the enemy, and both batteries were surrendered, mounting 26 heavy guns and two mortars, with a blockhouse, and a garrison of 300 men, who became prisoners of war. Within the last ten days (says Capt. Farquhar) the small detachment of Russian troops, commanded by Col. Rodinger, assisted by his Majesty's squadron, have reduced four strong batteries, consisting of 50 heavy guns, 4 mortars, and 800 men and officers, all made prisoners of war. This success was obtained without any loss on the part of the navy, and a trifling one on that of the Russians.

VOL. LV.

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CHAPTER