1799. which proved to be a spanish convoy of 80 vessels, in Oct. charge of the 40-gun frigate Ceres, (18-pounders,) and the 34-gun frigates Diana, Esmeralda, Mercedas, and another, and two brig-corvettes, bound to the northeast coast of Spain. Undismayed at their formidable appearance, the Cerberus immediately stood towards them, and at 8 P. M., having approached to-windward of and hailed a frigate who was ahead and somewhat detached from her convoy, commenced the action; and that at such close quarters, that the two ships almost touched each other.

Not dreaming of an enemy so near, the spanish frigate seemed more desirous to join her consorts toleeward, than to engage the Cerberus, and consequently returned but feebly the latter's fire. The instant the spanish frigate made sail, the Cerberus, to frustrate her intention of joining her consorts, wore round, and engaged her to-leeward. By 8h. 30 m. P. M. the Cerberus had silenced the fire of her opponent, but was prevented from taking possession of her, by the near approach of the four other frigates. At 9 P. M., on hauling up to avoid being raked, the Cerberus fell on board the leading frigate of those advancing, and carried away the latter's maintopsail yard. This fresh frigate, replacing the one which had been so beaten, now opened her fire on the Cerberus, and a smart cannonade ensued between them. Soon afterwards a third frigate took part in the action, and the Cerberus had frequently to fire both broadsides at once.

At 9 h.30m. P.M., captain Macnamara deeming it time to consult the safety of his ship, the Cerberus wore, and endeavoured to get clear of her numerous foes; by whom, at 10h. 30 m. P.M., she was nearly surrounded. The Cerberus very soon afterwards hauled to the wind, and effected her escape. At 11 P. M. she captured a brig, one of the convoy; but, as the spanish frigates were within a mile of her, the Cerberus was obliged to be contented with setting the brig on fire; a service which lieutenant Hassard Stackpoole, in

spite of a strong wind and heavy sea, promptly 1799. executed.

The damages of the Cerberus were confined to her sails and rigging, and her loss amounted to only four men wounded. This was attributed to the state of confusion in which the spanish frigates were; some of whom are represented to have fired, towards the latter part of the engagement, whole broadsides without shot. Had the 38-gun frigate Arethusa, captain Thomas Wolley, who had parted company from the Cerberus only the preceding day, been present, the obviously unprepared state of the five spanish frigates renders it probable, that two of them, at least, would have been carried off by the British.

We have already given an account of the horrid manner in which the british 12-pounder 32-gun frigate Hermione came into the hands of the Spaniards at La Guayra, a fortified seaport of Terra-Firma.* The Spaniards afterwards repaired and fitted for sea their shamefully acquired prize. In the british service the Hermione, a ship of 715 tons, had mounted, with her carronades, 38 guns; but the Spaniards, it appears, gave her 44; to do which, they must have cut at least four additional ports. Her complement had been 220. That was increased to 321, exclusive of a detachment of soldiers and artillerymen numbering 72; and the command of the frigate, thus strongly armed and manned, was given to don Raimond de Chalas.

Oct.

In the month of September, 1799, intelligence Sept. reached admiral sir Hyde Parker, the british commander in chief at the island of Jamaica, that the Hermione was about to sail from Puerto-Cabello, whence she had recently arrived from Aux-Cayes in the island of St.-Domingo, bound, through the channel between the island of Aruba and Cape SanRoman, to Havana. For the purpose of intercepting the spanish frigate in this her voyage, the admiral

* See p. 149.

1799. detached from Port-Royal, on the 20th of the month, Sept. the 28-gun frigate Surprise, captain Edward Hamil

ton. This ship had been the french "24-gun corvette" Unité, and mounted, when captured by the Inconstant frigate, in April, 1796, 32 guns. On being fitted out in the british service, the Surprise was made a 28-gun frigate, and armed with 24 car ronades, 32-pounders, on her main deck, and eight carronades, 18-pounders, with two, if not four long fours or sixes, on the quarterdeck and forecastle: total, at the least, 34 guns. Her net complement, like that of her class, was 197 men and boys. Although a ship of only 579 tons, the Surprise was fitted with a 36-gun frigate's mainmast, but with the fore and mizen masts of a 28. This was a plan of captain Hamilton's; and, thus rigged, the Surprise appears not to have been complained of as a sailer.

On the 21st of October, in the evening, the Surprise arrived off the harbour of Puerto-Cabello, and discovered the Hermione moored head and stern between two strong batteries situated at the entrance of the harbour, and said to mount between them nearly 200 guns. During the 22d and 23d the Surprise well observed the position of the spanish frigate; and, the evening of the 24th proving favour. able, captain Hamilton turned the hands up, and acquainted the officers and ship's company with his intention to lead them to an attack by boats upon the Hermione. The proposal was greeted with three cheers, and the crew declared they would follow their captain to a man.

At 8 P. M. captain Hamilton, with the boats of the Surprise containing just 100 officers and men, pulled off from the ship on this bold and hazardous service; intending, with himself and half the men, to board the spanish frigate, while the remainder were cutting the cables, and towing the ship out. The Surprise, meanwhile, was to lay close off the harbour's mouth, to be ready, if necessary, to cooperate in the attack. Towards midnight the boats encountered

and beat off the Hermione's launch, having a 24-1799. pounder (carronade, we presume) and 20 men,* and Sept. rowing guard at the distance of about three quarters of a mile from the frigate. The noise made on this occasion having given the alarm, the Hermione discharged her maindeck and forecastle bow-guns.

Unintimidated by this fire, and the now evident state of preparation of the enemy, the boats pushed on; and at about half an hour past midnight captain Hamilton, with the gunner, Mr. John Maxwell, and eight or ten men from his boat, got on board the spanish frigate, and took possession of the forecastle without much resistance. The gig, under the command of Mr. John M'Mullen, the surgeon, boarded on the larboard bow, and the men immediately joined the captain's party. In the mean while the black cutter commanded by the first lieutenant, and the red cutter, by the boatswain, had each been beaten off from the gangways. The second lieutenant, in the launch, had been directed to cut the bower cable, and the carpenter in the jollyboat, the stern cable; and then both boats, having reinforced the boarding party with some men, were to go ahead and tow the ship.

The general rendezvous of the boarders was to be the spanish frigate's quarterdeck; and thither, taking with him the surgeon's party and leaving the gunner, with about 12 men, in charge of the starboard gangway, the captain proceeded along the larboard one. The quarterdeck, where of course the spanish officers had taken their station, was most obstinately defended for a quarter of an hour, and a dreadful carnage ensued among the Spaniards; nor did the British escape with impunity, captain Hamilton, the gunner, and several of the men being badly wounded.

* So says captain Hamilton's letter; but, in a very detailed and apparently authentic account given by the captain's biographer, the guard-boats are described as two in number, and each to have mounted a long 12-pounder. See Marshall, vol. i. p. 824.

1799.

Sept.

At this moment the first lieutenant, and the acting lieutenant of marines, M. de la Tour du Pin, had boarded with their respective parties; and, the cables being now cut, the boats under the direction of the second lieutenant went ahead, and with their hook ropes took the ship in tow. The hands ordered to go aloft, four to the fore and two to the mizen topsail yards, loosed those sails; and all the boats and men betook themselves, according to a previous ar rangement, to the different services allotted to them.

The quarterdeck being taken possession of, and the force of the assailants increased by the marines and others who had since boarded from different boats, no time was lost in attacking the main deck. Captain Hamilton and the gunner were both too severely wounded to do any further duty. But two able substitutes presented themselves in M. de la Tour du Pin and the surgeon, who followed the Spaniards down the after ladder so quickly, that they had no time to make any regular defence; and the constant fire maintained by the British who remained on the upper deck, and the want of ammuni tion by the Spaniards, enabled the descending party of British, after a dreadful slaughter, to carry their point, and compel the survivors of the spanish crew to call for quarter.

The continuance of the firing on board rendering it uncertain what party had possession of the ship, the batteries did not venture to fire until, by means of the boats and the sails, the Hermione had consi derably increased her distance. When, too, the forts did commence, the lightness of the wind, by its slow removal of the smoke from before the guns, occasioned a very imperfect aim to be taken. Several shot, notwithstanding, struck the Hermione; one of which, a 24-pounder, passing through her below the water-mark, obliged the captors to rig the pumps. The main and spring stays were both shot away; and, as there was a head swell, the mainmast was with difficulty secured.

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