1813.] BRITISH BRIGS IN THE ELBE. 523 truce, and eventually to surrender. In this dashing affair no British life was lost, although the batteries mounted ten 24- and 18-prs., and two 9-in. mortars. It was in recollection of this exploit that Napier assumed the name of Don Carlos de Ponza when, in 1833, he accepted command of the Portuguese fleet. On March 14th, Lieutenant Francis Banks (2), of the Blazer, 14, who was senior officer of the small force stationed off Helgoland, learnt that the French at Cuxhaven were in a distressed condition, and that the Russians had entered Hamburg. He therefore took the Brevdrageren, 14, Lieutenant Thomas Barker Devon, under his orders, and proceeded up the Elbe in order to annoy the enemy to the best of his ability. At Cuxhaven, 20 French gun-vessels were found in the act of being destroyed. On the 16th, by invitation from the shore, Banks landed with 32 soldiers, whom he had embarked at Helgoland, and took possession of the batteries there. On the 20th, while the brigs were still off Cuxhaven, Devon volunteered to go up the river, with a boat from each vessel, in search of a privateer which was believed to lie there. His offer being accepted, he departed, and off Brunsbüttel, at daylight on the 21st, found two large galliots at anchor. He at first believed them to be merchantmen, but, on approaching, found them to be gunboats, and was fired at, the craft hoisting Danish colours. Devon, however, boarded the nearest galliot in the smoke of a second discharge, and, with his brother, Midshipman Frederick Devon, and 8 men only, captured without loss the Danish gunboat Unge Troutman, 5. The second boat, under Master William Dunbar, arriving, the prisoners were secured, and sail was made after the other galliot, which had cut and made for Brunsbüttel. The prize gained upon the chase, but, as the wind was light, Dunbar, with 11 men, was sent in a boat to cut off the fugitive, which, on being captured without opposition, proved to be the Liebe, 5. Devon was deservedly promoted on May 4th following.3 2 On March 18th, the Undaunted, 38, Captain Thomas Ussher, chased a tartan under a battery about fifteen miles to the westward of Marseilles. Lieutenant Aaron Tozer offering to destroy the work, a landing was effected under him, Lieutenant Thomas Salkeld (actg.), Master Robert Clennan, and Lieutenant (R.M.) Harry Hunt, 1 James, vi. 169; Nav. Chron., xxx. 71; 'Life of Napier,' i. 62. and the battery was carried in a few minutes, with a loss to the British of but 2 killed and 1 wounded.1 Between that date and March 30th, the Undaunted joined the Volontaire, 38, Captain the Hon. Granville George Waldegrave (senior officer), and the Redwing, 18, Commander Sir John Gordon Sinclair, Bart. On the day last named, the three vessels discovered fourteen merchantmen at anchor in the little harbour of Morgiou, between Marseilles and Toulon, and at night, Lieutenant Isaac Shaw, and Lieutenants (R.M.) William Burton and Harry Hunt, went in with the boats to cut out the convoy. Landing at Sourmiou, to the westward of the port, the party marched across the hills, and, on the morning of the 31st, carried two batteries in the rear of the place, destroying the guns and ammunition. Other boats, under Lieutenant Dey Richard Syer, in spite of the opposi tion of two field-pieces, brought out eleven vessels laden with oil, and destroyed some more. The service was performed with a loss of 1 killed and 4 wounded. In addition to those already named, Midshipman Christopher Wyvill is mentioned in terms of great praise.3 On March 22nd, the boats of the Havannah, 36, Captain the Hon. George Cadogan, under Lieutenant William Hamley, assisted by Lieutenant (R.M.) William Hockly, took a 3-gun trabacolo, and destroyed another, in front of the town of Vasto, on the coast of the Abruzzi. On the 26th of the same month, off the town of Fortore, Hamley and Hockly took five armed trabacolos, and five feluccas laden with salt, from under the protection of a strong body of troops and some guns, and lost but 2 men wounded in the affair. And on June 27th, Hamley led the Havannah's boats in an attack on ten merchantmen lying under an 8-gun battery at Vasto, and brought off all of them. On that occasion he had 3 men slightly hurt.* On the night of April 11th, Captain Bridges Watkinson Taylor, of the Apollo, 38, sent three boats of that frigate, and two of the Cerberus, 32, Captain Thomas Garth, to take temporary possession. of Devil's Island, near the north entrance to Corfu. A grain-laden brig and trabacolo were captured there. On the 14th of the same 1 James, vi. 166; Nav. Chron., xxx. 75. 2 Lieut., July 5th, 1813. 3 James, vi. 167; Nav. Chron., xxx. 74. ✦ James, vi. 175; Nav. Chron., xxx. 238, 436. 1813.] THE "WEAZEL" IN BASSOGLINA BAY. 525 month the two frigates chased a vessel which escaped into Merlera. The five boats above mentioned had already proceeded to attack her, when Taylor, aware of the strength of the island, sent to order them to wait until the Apollo should come up. The message, however, arrived too late; and, in the fight which ensued, Lieutenant Edward Hollingworth Delafosse and Purser Thomas Ullock were wounded. On the arrival of the Apollo the Marines were landed, the island, after a little skirmishing, was taken, and eight grain-laden vessels were found to have been scuttled to save them from falling into British hands.1 On April 17th, the Mutine, 16, Commander Nevinson de Courcy, fell in with the privateer Invincible, 16, in the bay. While chasing, the Mutine was temporarily disabled, but, refitting, began a running fight, which lasted for upwards of two hours. She then closed, and, after fifty minutes' further action, reduced her enemy. The Mutine had but 2 people wounded.2 A piece of gallant and excellently conducted work was done in April by the Weazel, 18, Commander James Black. On the 22nd of that month, at dawn, she was cruising E.N.E. of the island of Zirona 3 when she saw and chased a convoy which was making for the ports of Trau and Spalato, in Dalmatia. As the brig-sloop approached, the enemy separated, the greater number, with ten gunboats, bearing up for the Bay of Bassoglina. The Weazel held on after these, which ultimately anchored in line about a mile from the shore, and hoisted French colours as they opened fire. She was considerably damaged as she entered the bay, but at 6 A.M. she anchored with springs within pistol shot, and began a furious action. In twenty minutes she forced her opponents to cut, and run further in; but they opened fire again from their new position, aided by three guns and about 200 troops on the heights above the Weazel. So the fight continued until 10 A.M., when three of the gunboats had struck, two were ashore, and one had been sunk. The remaining four gunboats were then reinforced by four more, which came from the eastward, and anchored outside the Weazel, thus obliging her to engage on both sides for a time, though presently the outer gunboats ran in and joined their consorts. The whole then retired 1 James, vi. 176; Nav. Chron., xxx. 239. 2 James, vi. 160; Nav. Chron., xxix, 436. 3 James misspells many of these names, writing Zirana, Spalatro, Boscalina, etc. The spelling given is after Andree. behind a point of land, and, while their hulls were protected by it, fired at the sloop across it. This state of affairs lasted until 3 P.M., when the fire temporarily ceased; but it was renewed at 3.40, and carried on without further interruption until 6.30. The Weazel was at that hour a wreck, a few yards from a lee shore, her anchors destroyed or rendered useless, her hold half full of water, and her pumps shot away. She had, moreover, already lost 25 killed or wounded. Nevertheless, Black, in the darkness, sent in his boats and destroyed such of the gunboats as had struck or were ashore, besides eight of the convoy. His people also brought off some anchors, by means of which the sloop was enabled to warp herself out. Yet her troubles were not over. At daybreak on the 23rd, ere she was well clear, she was again attacked by the gunboats, which raked her, and to which she could make no proper reply. All that day and the following night she continued to warp out slowly and laboriously, her people being half dead from fatigue. At noon on the 24th, the enemy opened on her from a battery on a point close to which she had to pass, and the gunboats pulled out astern of her; but at 5 P.M., after receiving a broadside, the boats sheered off, and did not again molest the Weazel. The plucky sloop's total loss was 5 killed, including Boatswain James Toby, and 25 wounded, including Black,' Lieutenant Thomas Whaley, Master's Mate William Simkin, and Midshipman James Steuart.2 At daylight, on April 24th, Captain Taylor, of the Apollo, landed thirty Marines at St. Cataldo, in southern Apulia, under Lieutenants (R.M.) John Tothill and Colin Campbell, dislodged some troops who had just before been disembarked there, made 26 prisoners, killed 1 and wounded several, and brought out the felucca which had disembarked them, all without loss.3 On April 29th, the boats of the Elizabeth, 74, Captain Edward Leveson Gower, and Eagle, 74, Captain Charles Rowley, under Lieutenants Mitchell Roberts, Richard Greenaway, and Thomas Holbrook, met with seven oil-laden merchantmen off Goro, near the mouth of the Po. Four were captured. The rest ran themselves ashore under the protection of a 2-gun battery, two schooners, and three gunboats, that opened a heavy fire; yet one of the 1 Posted, July 29th, 1813; C.B., 1815; died 1835, still a Captain. 2 James, vi. 173; Nav. Chron., xxx. 169. 3 James, vi. 176; Nav. Chron., xxx. 239. 1813.] BOAT ATTACK IN CAVALAIRE ROAD. 527 craft was brought off, and another was destroyed, without casualty.1 On May 2nd, the Marines of the Repulse, 74, Captain Richard Hussey Moubray, Volontaire, and Undaunted, under Captain (R.M.) Edward Michael Ennis, were landed to destroy some newly erected works near Morgiou, while the boats of the same ships, under Lieutenant Isaac Shaw, covered by the launches, and by the Redwing, brought out some craft from the port. A detachment of French troops was driven to the heights, the batteries were blown up, and nine small laden vessels were captured, all with a loss of only 2 killed, and 4, including Lieutenant Shaw,2 wounded.3 On May 11th, Captain William Hoste, of the Bacchante, received information that an enemy's convoy was lying in the Canale di Carlopago, on the coast of Croatia; and he accordingly arrived off the port on the 15th. By that time the convoy had disappeared, but, since the works of Carlopago afforded excellent shelter, he brought up within pistol-shot of the batteries, and opened a heavy fire. Upon the surrender of the place, a party, under Lieutenant Silas Thomson Hood, landed, blew up the fort, destroyed the public buildings, and carried off eight guns. The Bacchante, on this occasion, had 4 men badly wounded.* 66 Between May 10th and May 15th, largely owing to the careful shepherding" of the Euryalus, 36, Captain Charles Napier (2), about twenty French coasters were collected in Cavalaire road, between Hyères and Fréjus. Early on May 16th, Captain Edward Brace, of the Berwick, 74, detached the boats of his ship, and of the Euryalus, under Lieutenants Henry Johnston Sweedland and Alexander Albert Sandilands, with the Marines of both vessels, under Captain (R.M.) William T. J. Matthews, to take the convoy. The covering batteries were stormed, the national xebec Fortune, 10, was abandoned and captured, and all the craft in the road were either carried off or destroyed, the total British casualties being no more than 1 killed and 1 missing." On May 17th, in the absence of the Apollo, which was watering, the Cerberus, 32, Captain Thomas Garth, discovered an enemy under the land to the southward of Brindisi, and, chasing her, 1 James, vi. 177; Nav. Chron., xxx. 255. 4 James, vi. 171; Nav. Chron., xxx. 255. 2 Com., August 9th, 1813. 5 James, vi. 167; Nav. Chron., xxx. 77; 'Life of Napier,' i. 65. |