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get under weigh and pass through; although at the time I had no idea that could be possible, especially as I saw the Ocean in shore of us getting under weigh, burning blue lights, and firing a gun; the Portuguese ship, I suppose, must have been in the same situation as the Rolla. During the night of the 5th of February I carried an easy sail, and on the following day hove-to for above two hours, hoping to see those ships; but there was no appearance of them, nor did they ever join the fleet.-On the 14th Feb. at day-break, we saw Pulo Auro, bearing W. S. W. and at eight A. M. the Royal George made the signal for seeing four strange sail in the S. W.: I made the signal for the four ships noted in the margin*, to go down and examine them; and licut. Fowler, of the royal navy, late commander of the Porpoise, and passenger with me, having handsomely offered to go in the Ganges brig, and inspect them nearly, I afterwards sent her down Jikewise, and from their signals I perceived it was an enemy's squadron, consisting of a line of battle ship, three frigates, and a brig.

At one P. M. I recalled the lookout ships by signal, and formed the line of battle in close order.

As soon as the enemy could fetch in our wake, they put about; we kept on our course under an easy sail. At near sun-set, they were close up with our rear, and I was n momentary expectation of an attack there, and prepared to support them; but at the close of day we perceived them haul to windward. I sent lieut. Fowler in the Ganges brig, to station the country ships on our lee-bow, by which means we were between them and

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the enemy; and having done so, hẻ returned with some volunteers from the country ships.

We laid to in line of battle all night, our men at their quarters ; at day-break of the 15th, we saw the enemy about three miles to windward, lying to; we hoisted our cos lours, offering him battle, if ha chose to come down. The enemy's four ships hoisted French colours, the line of battle ship carrying a rear-admiral's flag; the brig was under Batavian colours.

At nine A. M. finding they would not come down, we formed the order of sailing, and steered our course under an easy sail; the enemy then filled their sails, and edged towards us.

At one P. M. finding they proposed to attack, and endeavour to cut off our rear, I made the signal to tack and bear down on him, and engage in succession, the Royal George being the leading ship, the Ganges next, and then the Earl Camden. This manœuvre was cor→ rectly performed, and we stood towards him under a press of sail. The enemy then formed in a very close line, and opened their fire on the headmost ships, which was not returned by us till we approached him nearer. The Royal George bore the brunt of the action, and got as near the enemy as he would permit him; the Ganges and Earl Camden opened their fire as soon as the guns could have effect; but, before any other ship could get into action, the enemy hauled their wind, and stood away to the eastward, under all the sail they could set. At two P. M. I made the signal for a general chase, and we pursued them till four P. M. when, fearing a longer pursuit would carry us too far from

Bombay Castle, Hope.

the

the mouth of the Straits, and considering the immense property at stake, I made the signal to tack, and at eight P. M. we anchored in a situation to proceed for the entrance of the Straits in the morning. As long as we could distinguish the enemy, we perceived him steering to the eastward under a press of sail. The Royal George had one man killed, and another wounded, many shot in her hull, and more in her sails; but few shot touched either the Camden or Ganges; and the fire of the enemy seemed to be illdirected, his shot either falling short, or passing over us. Capt. Timins carried the Royal George into action in the most gallant manner. In justice to my brother commanders, I must state, that every ship was cleared and prepared for action; and, as I had communica tion with almost all of them during the two days we were in presence of the enemy, I found them unanimous in the determined resolution to defend the valuable property entrusted to their charge to the last extremity, with a full conviction of the successful event of their exertions; and this spirit was fully seconded by the gallant ardour of all our officers and ships' companies. From Malacca I dispatched lieut. Fowler, in the Ganges brig, to Pulo Pinang, with a packet from the select committee to the captain of any of his majesty's ships, soliciting their convoy to this very valuable fleet. On

arrival at Malacca we were informed that the squadron we had engaged was that of admiral Linois, consisting of the Marengo, of 84 guns, the Belle Poule, and Semillante, heavy frigates, a corvette of 28, and the Batavian brig William, of 18 guns. The 28th February, in the Streights of Malacca, lat. 40° 30' N.

we fell in with his majesty's ships Albion and Sceptre. I was then in a very poor state of health; and Mr. Lance went on board the Albion, and, by his very able representation to capt. Ferrier of the great national consequence of the hon. company's ships, he was induced to take charge of the fleet. On the third of March I dispatched the Ganges brig with a letter to the right hon. the governor-general, giving an account of our action, to be conveyed to the hon. court. We arrived at St. He lena the 9th of June, under convoy of his majesty's ships Albion and Sceptre, and sailed the 18th under convoy of his majesty's ship Plantagenet, with the addition of the Carmar then, capt. Dobree, and five whalers. Accompanying this I send a chart of the entrance of the Straits of Malacca, with the situations of the fleet on the 14th and 15th Fe bruary, which will, I trust, convey a more distinct idea of the action than any written description.

I am, &c. N. Dance. Earl Camden, Aug. 6, 1804.

Names of the Whalers.-William Fenning, Brook Watson, Thomas, or Young Tom, Betsey, Eliza, and the Blackhouse, from the Coast of Guinea, joined us at sea.

Account of the Failure of the Catamaran Expedition against the French Flotilla outside the Pier of Boulogne, in a Letter from the R. H. Lord Keith, K. B. &c. to W. Marsden, Esq. dated on board the Monarch, of Boulogne, the 3rd October, 1804.

Sir,

Their lordships are aware that my attention has, for some time past, been directed to the object of ascer

taining

taining the most effectual mode for annoying the enemy's flotillas at their anchorages in front of their ports, under protection of their land batteries. Having, on the afternoon of the 1st inst. arrived at this anchorage, and finding the weather promising to be favourable, and about 150 of the flotilla on the outside of the pier, I resolved to make an experiment, on a limited scale, of the means of attack which had been provided. The final arrangements for this purpose were made on the morning of yesterday. The officers named below* were put in charge of the principal vessels which at this time were to be used. The armed launches, and other boats of the squadron, were appointed to accompany and protect them. The Castor, Greyhound, and some smaller vessels, were directed to take up an advanced and convenient anchorage for covering the retreat, giving protection to men who might be wounded, and boats that might be erippled, and for towing off the boats in general, in the event of the wind freshening and blowing upon the coast. The operation commenced at a quarter past nine o'clock - last evening, and terminated at a quarter past four this morning; during which time, several vessels, prepared for the purpose, were explod. ed amongst, or very close to, the flotilla; but, on account of the very great distance at which they lay from each other, no very extensive

injury seems to have been sustained, although it is evident that there has been very considerable confusion among them, and that two of the brigs and several of the smaller vessels appear to be missing since yesterday at the close of day. I have great satisfaction in reporting, that, notwithstanding a very heavy discharge of shells, shot, and musketry, was kept up by the enemy throughout the night, no casualty whatever, on our part, has been sus-tained. The enemy made no attempt to oppose their rowing-boats to ours. Their lordships will not expect, that, at the present moment, I am to enter much into detail; but I think it my duty to state to them my conviction, that, in the event of any great accumulation of the enemy's force in their roadsteads, an extensive and combined operation of a similar nature will hold forth a reasonable prospect of a successful result. The conduct of the officers and men, who have been employed on this occasion deserves my highest commendation: I cannot more forcibly impress their merits upon their lordships' attention, than by remarking that the service was undertaken, not only in the face of, but immediately under, the whole line of the enemy's land batteries, and their field artillery and musquetry upon the coast, but also under that of upwards of 150 armed vessels, ranged round the inner side of the bay; and that the officers and men,

Officers in charge of the explosion vessels above referred to:-CaptainsMacleod, of the Sulphur; Jackson, of the Autumn; Edwards, of the Fury; Collard, of the Railleur; Searle, of the Helder Defence ship.-Lieutenants-Stewart, of the Monarch; Lowry, of the Leopard; Payne, of the Immortalité; Templer, of the Sulphur-Midshipman-Mr. Bartholomew, of the Inflexible.-Captains Win-throp, of the Ardent, and Owen, of the Immortalité, most zealously and usefully superintended the operations from the southward, and the hon. capt. Blackwood, of the Euryalus, from the northward.

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I have the honour to acquaint you, that I have executed the service you did me the honour to charge me with. On the morning of the 29th of September, the Indefatigable got off Cadiz; on the 30th we fell in with the Medusa; captain Gore having informed me the Amphion was in the Streight's mouth, and that the Triumph was off Gibraltar, and that sir Robert Barlow meant to go into Cadiz for the trade there, on his way to England; I thought fit to send the Medusa to apprise sir Robert Barlow of the nature of my order, that he might then judge whether or not he should go into Cadiz, and I directed capt. Gore to rejoin me with the Amphion as soon as possible off Cape St. Mary. On the 2d inst. I was joined by the Lively, and on the 3d. by the Medusa and Amphion; the latter having communicated what I thought

necessary to sir Robert Barlow. Yesterday morning, Cape St. Mary bearing N. E. nine leagues, the Medusa made the signal for four sail W. by S. I made the signal for a general chace; at 8 A. M. discovered them to be four large Spanish frigates, which formed the line of battle a-head on our approach, and continued to steer in for Cadiz, the vanship carrying a broad pendant, and the ship next to her a rear-admiral's flag; capt. Gore, being the headmost ship, placed the Medusa on the weather-beam of the commodore; the Indefatigable took a similar position along-side of the rearadmiral; the Amphion and Lively each taking an opponent, in the same manner, as they came up; after hailing to make them shorten sail, without effect, I fired a shot across the rear-admiral's fore-foot, on which he shortened sail; and I sent lieutenant Ascott, of the Indefatigable, to inform him, that my orders were to detain his squadron; that it was my earnest wish to execute them without bloodshed; bat that his determination must be made instantly: after waiting some time, I made a signal for the boat, and fired a shot a-head of the admiral. As soon as the officer returned with an unsatisfactory answer, I fired another shot a-head of the admiral, and bore down close on his weather-bow; at this moment the admiral's second a-stern fired into the Amphion; the admiral fired into the Indefatigable; and I made the signal for close battle, which was instantly commenced with all the alacrity and vigour of English sailors. In less than ten minutes, La Mercedes, the admiral's second a-stern, blew up along-side the Amphion,

with a tremendous explosion.* Capt. Sutton having with great judgment, and much to my satisfaction, placed himself to leeward of that ship, the escape of the Spanish admiral's ship was rendered almost impossible; in less than half an hour she struck, as did the opponent of the Lively. Perceiving at this moment the Spanish commodore was making off, and seeming to have the heels of the Medusa, I made the signal for the Lively to join in the chace, having before noticed the superior sailing of that ship. Capt. Hammond did not lose an instant; and we had the satisfaction, long before sun-set, to see from our mast head that the only remaining ship had surrendered to the Medusa and Lively. As soon as our boats had taken possession of the rear-admiral, we made sail for the floating fragments of the unfortunate Spanish frigate which blew up; but, excepting forty taken up by the Amphion's boats, all on board perished. This squadron was commanded by Don Joseph Bustamente, knight of the order of St. James, and a rear-admiral. They are from Monte Video, Rio de la Plata, and, from the information of the captain of the flag-ship, contained about four millions of dollars, 800,000 of which were on board the Mercedes which blew up. Other accounts state the quantity of specie to be much greater, public and private; and there is besides much valuable merchandize on board the captured ships. Our loss has been very trifling. I have not yet had the returns from other ships, but the Indefatigable did not lose a man. The Spaniards suffered chiefly in their

rigging, which was our object. The captains of the different ships conducted themselves so ably, that no honour accrues to me but the fortunate accident of being senior officer. G. Moore.

Force of the Spanish Squadron. La Medée (flag ship) 42 guns, 18-pounders, and 300 men, taken; 2 men killed and 10 wounded.— La Fama, 36 guns, 12-pounders, and 280 men, taken; 11 killed, and 50 wounded.-La Clara, 36 guns, 12-pounders, and 300 men, taken; 7 killed, and 20 wounded.-La Mercedes, 36 guns, 12-pounders, and 280 men, blew up; second captain and 40 men saved.

Statement of the Goods and Effects on board the Spanish Squadron.

On account of the king, total 75 sacks of Vienna wool, 60 chests of cascarilla, 4732 bars of tin, 1735 pigs of copper, 28 planks of wood, and 1,307,634 dollars in silver.— On account of the merchants, 32 chests of ratinia, 1,852,216 dollars in silver, 1,119,658 gold, reduced into dollars, and 150,011 ingots in gold, reduced into dollars. -On account of the marine company, 26,925 seal-skins, and 10 pipes of seal oil.-On board the Mercedes, which blew up, were 20 sacks of Vienna wool, 20 chests of cascarilla, 1139 bars of tin, 961 pigs of copper, and 221,000 dollars in silver.

Killed and wounded on board his Majesty's squadron.-Indefatigable, none.--Medusa, return not received.-Amphion, lieut. W. Bennett, wounded; three seamen and one

For a most affecting and melancholy incident attendant on this calamitous event, vide Chronicle, page 424.

marine,

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