was thenceforward garrisoned and held; and, in the early part of 1811, its garrison consisted of 350 Royal Marines and 31 Marine Artillery, under Captain Robert Torrens, R.M., the whole being under Captain James Wilkes Maurice, the defender of the Diamond Rock. For some time the Danes had meditated the reconquest of the island, but circumstances did not appear to be favourable until after the break up of the ice in the spring of 1811. In March, a flotilla of twelve gunboats, each mounting two long guns and four howitzers, and carrying from 60 to 70 men, together with twelve transports carrying about a thousand troops and seamen, was assembled in a convenient bay, which it quitted on the 26th. Early on the following morning, in darkness and a thick fog, the troops were disembarked, unopposed and unseen, on the westward side of the island, four miles from the headquarters at Fort York. When, at about dawn, Maurice was warned of the presence of the enemy's flotilla on the south side of the island, he found, on advancing, that the Danes had already landed. To avoid being outflanked by them he retreated; but he was pursued, until a battery opened fire and drove back the foe. As daylight increased, it was perceived that the Danish flotilla had taken up a position within point blank shot of the British works on the south side of the island. Before the combined assault was fairly begun, Maurice signalled to the Tartar, 32, Captain Joseph Baker, and Sheldrake, 16, Commander James Pattison Stewart, which had arrived on the previous day from England, and which were on the north side, that the enemy had landed, and that the gunboats were opening. The Sheldrake remained on the north side, while the Tartar, the presence of which was quite unsuspected by the Danes, worked round to the south by the shortest route. In the meantime, a most determined assault was made, and repeated, by the troops, assisted by the gunboats. The fire from the works, however, mowed down the advance, and killed several of the Danish leaders; and, to complete the discomfiture, a small armed schooner, the Anholt, which was attached to the island, and which was manned by volunteers under Lieutenant Henry Loraine Baker, anchored at the critical moment on the flank of one body of the besiegers; the result being that, after some parley, this, and another detachment of the Danes, surrendered unconditionally. They had, indeed, no alternative, for their gunboats, perceiving the approach of the Tartar, had abandoned them, and made sail to the westward. The prisoners thus taken numbered 540, besides 23 wounded men.

1811.]

DEFENCE OF ANHOLT.

483

The rest of the assailants, having fled to the west end of the island, were there picked up by the gunboats and transports, Maurice and Torrens not being strong enough to prevent their escape. The Danish loss was between 30 and 40 killed, in addition to the wounded and prisoners already mentioned. The British had 2 killed and 30 wounded, including Torrens, slightly. Neither the Sheldrake nor the Tartar was able to molest the re-embarkation, but each pursued a division of the escaping boats. The Sheldrake eventually took No. 9, gunboat, and No. 1, lugger, and, it was believed, sank another gunboat; and the Tartar captured a couple of transports. Maurice was somewhat strangely rewarded for this service by the promotion of his brother, Lieutenant Ferdinand Moore Maurice,' to the rank of Commander. Lieutenant Henry Loraine Baker 2 was also promoted.3

On March 31st, the Ajax, 74, Captain Robert Waller Otway (1), and Unité, 36, Captain Edwin Henry Chamberlayne, having been detached by Sir Charles Cotton to intercept three French vessels which had left Toulon with stores for Corfu, overtook and captured the Dromadaire, 20, off Elba. The two other vessels, the 40-gun frigates Amélie and Adrienne, got into Porto Ferrajo. They proceeded thence to Genoa, and, in July, returned to Toulon in circumstances which have been described in the previous chapter."

At the end of April, the flûtes, Girafe and Nourrice, together with an armed merchantman, all three laden with ship timber for Toulon, lay at anchor in the Gulf of Sagone, Corsica, under a battery of four guns and a mortar, and with further protection from a martello tower mounting one gun.

On the evening of the 30th, the Pomone, 38, Captain Robert Barrie, Unité, 36, Captain Edwin Henry Chamberlayne, and Scout, 18, Commander Alexander Renton Sharpe, arrived off the coast to attack them. The French made all possible preparations, the Nourrice landing some of her guns, and troops being posted on the heights. The crews of the British ships volunteered either to land or to cut out the enemy's craft; but Barrie determined to employ the vessels, and, on May 1st, there being no wind, the two frigates and the brig were towed by their people into positions within grape range, in spite of a severe raking fire. The action began at

1 Lost in the Magnet, 1812.

2 Com., Apr. 8th, 1811.

James, v. 341; Nav. Chron., xxv. 343, 302.

Nav. Chron., xxv. 428. 5 See p. 295.

8 P.M., and, after about an hour and a half, the French ships burst into flames. The Pomone and consorts thereupon towed themselves out of danger, and, in a short time, the Girafe and Nourrice blew up, the battery and the tower sharing their fate. In this affair the British loss was 2 killed and 25, including Lieutenant William Neame, wounded.1

After the battle of Lissa, the French frigates Danaé and Flore took refuge in Ragusa, where, apparently, they soon began to lack supplies. The Belle Poule, 38, Captain James Brisbane, and Al

ceste, 38, Captain Murray Maxwell, cruising off the coast of Istria on May 4th, sighted a French brig of war, which they suspected to be the bearer of the wished for stores, and drove her into Parenzo, where she anchored under a battery. Brisbane and Maxwell stood in as close as they dared, and cannonaded her, until she hauled on shore under the town, out of gunshot. In the mouth of the harbour is the island of San Nicolo, from which the town can be commanded. That night the boats, under Lieutenants John M'Curdy, Robert Ball Boardman, Edward A- Chartres, Alexander Morrison, John

1811.]

MISCONDUCT OF NESBIT PALMER.

485

Collman Hickman, and Rickard Lloyd, quietly took possession of it, and by the early morning of the 5th, mounted two howitzers, two 9 prs., and a field piece there. At dawn the French opened on the works, but, after a five hours' hot engagement, the brig having been sunk and the object accomplished, the British re-embarked with their guns and ammunition. Their loss was 4 killed and 4 wounded.1

On May 8th, the French gun-brig Canonnier, 11, was proceeding with a convoy of five small craft from Perros-Guirec for Brest, when, being off Ile de Batz, she was chased by the Scylla, 18, Commander Arthur Atchison. After a brief action, the British boarded, and, in three minutes, carried the enemy, losing only 2 killed and 2 wounded, but causing a loss of 6 killed and 11 wounded. One vessel of the convoy was also taken.2

On May 26th, Commander John Toup Nicolas, of the Pilot, 18, found four settees drawn up on the beach midway between Neto and Lipuda, in the gulf of Taranto, and sent in his boats, under Lieutenants Alexander Campbell (3), and Francis Charles Annesley (2), to bring them off. Although covered by the fire of about 150 troops, three of the craft were captured, and one was destroyed, only 1 person being wounded on the British side.3

On May 26th, off Corsica, the Alacrity, 18, Commander Nesbit Palmer, chased the Abeille, 20, Lieutenant A. R. A. de Mackau. The British brig mounted sixteen 32-pr. carronades and two long 6-prs.; the French, twenty 24-pr. carronades. The Alacrity had on board 100, and the Abeille 130, men and boys; so that the forces were almost equally matched. The Frenchman shortened sail and awaited the attack; and, after about three quarters of an hour's hot action, the Alacrity struck, having lost 5 killed, including Lieutenant Thomas Gwynne Rees, and 13 wounded. The Abeille, which lost 7 killed and 12 wounded, seems to have been much more ably handled than her antagonist; but that by no means wholly explains the result. Palmer, early in the fight, received a wound, not in itself serious, in the hand, and went below, leaving the command to Rees, who fought the ship most gallantly until he was severely wounded, and who, even then, sat 1 James, v. 363; Nav. Chron., xxvi. 166.

2 James, v. 332; Nav. Chron., xxv. 428.

3 James, v. 372.

Baron of the Empire, 1812; capt., 1819; died, 1855, an admiral.
Broadside weight of metal, Alacrity, 262, Abeille, 260 lbs.

on a carronade slide, and encouraged his men until he was killed. There was no other Lieutenant on board; and when the Master, and the Master's Mate had been wounded, the command was assumed by Boatswain James Flaxman, who, though himself wounded, did his best, until Palmer sent up word from below that the colours were to be struck. No sooner, however, had he done this than, apparently repenting, he rushed on deck, and, pistol in hand, threatened to blow out the brains of any man who should attempt to execute the order. A little later, nevertheless, the colours were struck by the Gunner, while Flaxman's attention was otherwise engaged. Fortunately, perhaps, for himself, Commander Nesbit Palmer's slight wound induced lockjaw, from which he died ere any inquiry could be held concerning the manner in which he had lost his sloop.1

On the evening of May 26th, the Sabine, 16, Commander George Price, detached her five boats, under Lieutenants William Usherwood and Patrick Finucane, to attempt to cut out five 2-gun French privateers from the harbour of Sabiona, on the Cadiz station. Although the enemy lay under a battery, each boat boarded and carried a prize without loss; but, during a subsequent successful effort on the part of the French to drag two of the vessels ashore, a Marine was wounded. The three other privateers were brought off. Though Lieutenant Usherwood received high praise for this exploit, he was not made a Commander until July 22nd, 1830.2

On June 27th, the Guadeloupe, 16, Commander Joseph Swabey Tetley, being off Cape de Creus on the north-east coast of Spain, chased two strange sail, which proved to be the Tactique, 18, and Guêpe, 8. At about 12.40 P.M. a spirited action opened; and, fifty minutes later, the Tactique made an ineffectual and costly attempt to board. Soon afterwards, two batteries near the town of St. André began to annoy the Guadeloupe; but close action was continued until 2.15 P.M., when both Frenchmen, having had enough of it, bore up and stood in-shore for protection. The British sloop had 1 killed and 10 severely wounded, and was much cut about aloft.

1 James, v. 364; C. M., May 30th, 1814; Nav. Chron., xxv. 504. James (vi. 53) believes that at the time of the action Palmer had his post commission in his pocket, and may thus have lacked the hope of promotion as an incentive to do his best. I can find no corroboration of this.

2 James, v. 380; Gazette, 1811, 1084.