ance and co-operation of the navy, the troops, to the number of 4,000 men, consisting of the 24th, 59th, 71st, 72d, 83d, and 93d regiments, completed their landing on the 7th, with two howitzers and six light field-pieces, and moved on towards the Cape Town. Ascending the Blue Mountains, they discovered the enemy drawn up in two lines, and prepared to receive them; they had about 5,000 troops, with some cavalry, and 23 pieces of cannon, yoked to horses. This formidable array was almost instantly borne down by the impetuosity of our troops, headed by Brigadier-general Ferguson. The charge of our infantry was irresistible, and the enemy fled with precipitation, losing in the action about 700 men. Our army, with all its valour, would have been deplorably situated, but for the exertions of Sir Home Popham and Captain Byng (now Lord Torrington), who commanded the marine brigade. By these officers their supplies were forwarded in defiance of every obstacle of surf, burning sands, and privation of water. The battering train not having landed, the army took a position on the Salt River to wait its coming up; and while in this situation, a flag of truce from the enemy announced a desire to capitulate. The loss of our army was 15 killed, and about 190 wounded. The detachment sent to Saldanha Bay did not arrive in time to share in the battle. Captain Hugh Downman, whose services in the Mediterranean have been mentioned, landed at the head of the bay on the 6th, with the marines of the squadron and two field-pieces, to await the arrival of Sir David Baird. The field-pieces and howitzers were landed by the boats of the Belliqueux and Raisonnable. The Diadem, Leda, and Encounter gun-brig, covered the landing by an admirably well conducted fire of their great guns. Captain William Butterfield commanded the transports, and the Captains Cameron, Christopher, and Moring, of the Honourable Company's ships Duchess of Gordon, Sir William Pulteney, and Comet, shared the dangers and the honours of the landing. Thus the Cape of Good Hope became again a British colony, and has so continued ever since. The despatches announcing the conquest were brought to England by Captain Downman, and were received at the Admiralty on the 27th of February, 1806. CHAPTER VII. Desperate effort of Napoleon in the West Indies with the Rochefort squadron-Keats and the Superb-Sir John Duckworth sails for and arrives off Cadiz-Hears of the Rochefort squadron, and goes in pur suit of it-List of ships which accompanied him-He falls in with it, chases, and is compelled to quit, and rejoin his own ships-Sends home despatches-Orders the Powerful to the East Indies, and steers for Barbadoes-Arrives there-Goes to St. Kitt's-Joins Sir A. Cochrane and hears of the enemy-Activity and zeal of Captain N. D. Cochrane-Sir J. Duckworth goes in pursuit and falls in with the enemy-Battle of St. Domingo-Capture of three ships of the lineDestruction of two others-Letter of Sir J. Duckworth-Official returns-Remarks-Rewards to the officers. ALTHOUGH the important victory obtained at Trafalgar had destroyed for a time the naval power of our enemies, France still possessed a few ships, with which, like a desperate gambler, Napoleon was resolved to make one hazard if he succeeded, he had so much to gain; if he failed, he could not be in a worse condition on the ocean than he was at the end of November, 1805. It will be remembered that, on the 18th of August, the Superb, after having shared the cruises of Nelson off Toulon, from the beginning of the war to his return from the West Indies, accompanied the hero to Spithead, where her captain, the late Admiral Sir R. G. Keats, was ordered to refit with all possible speed, and to rejoin Lord Nelson off Cadiz, as soon as her repairs were completed. It was late in the year before she was ready, although no means had been neglected to accelerate her equipment. The Rochefort squadron, that constant torment of our ministers and our commerce, was again at sea, and, with its usual good fortune, seemed to bid defiance to the most diligent search of its pursuers. The Superb sailed from Portsmouth, and on her way down Channel called at Plymouth, where the Royal George had been preparing for the flag of Sir John Duckworth, who was to join Lord Nelson off Cadiz; but the ship not being ready, Captain Keats was directed to receive the vice-admiral's flag, and proceed with him to his destination; under these orders the Superb sailed alone, from Plymouth Sound, on the 2d of November, four days before the account of the battle of Trafalgar reached London. On the 15th she arrived off Cadiz. Lord Collingwood was then refitting his ships at Gibraltar, and Sir John Duckworth took upon him the command of the few ships he found off Cadiz, and continued to cruise there until the 1st of December, when the Lark sloop of war brought him information that the Rochefort squadron had recently fallen in with, and dispersed or taken, a small convoy, off the Salvages, a cluster of rocks between Madeira and Teneriffe. The vice-admiral, taking with him the Superb as his flag-ship; Canopus,* 80 guns, Rear-admiral Sir Thomas Louis, Captain F. W. Austen; Spencer,† 74 guns, Honourable R. Stopford; Donegal,† 74 guns, Pulteney Malcolm; Powerful, 74 guns, R. Plampin; and Agamemnon, 64 guns, Sir Edward Berry; Acasta, R. D. Dunn, and Amethyst frigates-quitted the coast of Spain and ran for Madeira; made and communicated with that island on the 5th, with Teneriffe on the 15th; made the Cape de Verds, and continued till the 25th in those latitudes, looking for the enemy; when, at day-break, in latitude 30° 45′ N. and longitude 19° 48′ W., six sail of the line and two frigates were seen in the E. S. E. directly to windward, and on the larboard tack, the tops of their hulls just seen on the horizon from the decks of our ships. The signal for a general chase was immediately made, but the enemy had the advantage of the breeze, while our squadron was nearly becalmed, and increased their distance. The chase continued with unremitting perseverance till 20 minutes past one P. M. on the 26th, the British squadron losing and gaining sight of them occasionally, and the Superb still keeping the lead. The enemy now attempted a ruse de guerre. During the night, when their ships of the line were out of sight from ours, they sent a frigate to leeward, to make signals in an opposite direction to that in which they were running, but Sir John Duckworth and his captain, knowing how to reason on such conduct, continued the chase, and gained rapidly on them. Unfortunately none of the British ships sailed as well as the Superb, which had got within five miles of the enemy, when the Spencer and Amethyst were as many astern of her, the Agamemnon nearly hull down, and only one other ship in sight from the mast-head. Under these circumstances the admiral felt it his duty to give up the chase, and to collect his squadron, which he fortunately effected about five o'clock. The com * Detached, previously to the battle of Trafalgar, with convoy. |