At 2 A. M., the ship being out of gun-shot from the 1799. batteries and in complete possession of the captors, Sept. the towing boats were called alongside. It was now, for the first time, that the people from them set their feet on board the frigate.

In effecting this surprising capture, the British sustained so comparatively slight a loss as 12 wounded,* including captain Hamilton, by several contusions but not dangerously, and Mr. Maxwell, the gunner, dangerously and in several places. Of their 365 in crew, the Spaniards had 119 killed and 97 wounded, most of them dangerously. The survivors were afterwards put on board a captured schooner, and landed at Puerto-Cabello.

Captain Hamilton, with his prize in company, made Nov. sail for Jamaica, and on the 1st of November anchored in Port-Royal. Having while in the spanish service undergone a thorough repair, the Hermione was immediately restored to her former rank in the british navy; at first under the new name, as given to her by admiral sir Hyde Parker, of Retaliation, but subsequently, on her return to England, under the more appropriate name of Retribution.

The recovery of a frigate, so infamously acquired by the Spaniards as the Hermione, could not fail to be gratifying to the recaptors: how much more so must it have been, when the achievement was effected under circumstances so transcendently glorious to the british name and character. Undoubtedly, the cutting out of the Hermione, by captain Hamilton and his brave shipmates, stands at the head of that desperate class of services; and on no occasion was the honour of knighthood more deservedly bestowed, than upon him who had planned, conducted, and bled in the attack.

Captain Hamilton's wounds, indeed, although not

* Mr. Marshall, by mistake, (vol. i. p. 826,) has included in the loss on this occasion acting lieutenant John Busey, who had been killed nine days before in cutting out some vessels at the island of Aruba.

w

1799. vitally dangerous, were of a very serious nature, and Nov. merit a more particular account than we have given of them. He first received a tremendous blow from the butt-end of a musket, which broke over his head and knocked him senseless on the deck: he, next, received a severe sabre-wound on the left thigh, another wound by a pike in the right thigh, and a contusion on the right shin-bone by a grapeshot. One of his fingers was much cut, and his loins and kidneys were so much bruised, that he still at times requires the best medical advice and assist

ance.

Owing probably to the severity of his wounds, captain Hamilton, in his official letter, has not given a very explicit account of an achievement that has done him so much honour. He does not name an officer as present in the attack, except the surgeon and gunner; and yet he disclaims any intention of making an exception by saying, "Every officer and man on this expedition behaved with an uncommon degree of valour and exertion."

"In the month of April, 1800," says Mr. Marshall, "sir Edward Hamilton, returning home in the Jamaica packet for the cure of his wounds, was cap tured by a privateer and carried into a french port: from whence he was sent to Paris, where he was taken particular notice of by Buonaparte, who at length agreed to his being exchanged for six midshipmen."* Previously to his departure from Ja maica, the house of assembly of that island, with its accustomed liberality, voted captain Hamilton a sword of 300 guineas value; and, on his arrival in England after his exchange, the common council of London voted him the freedom of their city. Oct. On the 24th of October, at 1 P. M., the british 12pounder 32-gun frigate Orpheus, captain William Hills, being on her passage from the island of Ternate, one of the Moluccas, to the Straits of Banca,

* Marshall, vol. i. p. 827.

CAPTURE OF THE ZEELAST, ZEEVRAGHT, AND GALGO. 531

discovered and chased two sail off Togolanda; which 1799. eventually proved to be the dutch india-company's Oct. ships Zeelast and Zeevraght, each mounting 22 guns of different calibers, and laden with rice, powder, shot, gun-carriages, and other stores; the first having a crew of 42 men, commanded by captain Pieter Janson, and the other, a crew of 33 men, commanded by captain Pieter Meuse.

At 3 P. M. it fell calm, and the Orpheus had to hoist out all her boats to tow. At 5 P. M., on a breeze springing up, the frigate cast off the boats, and made all sail, but did not arrive up with the ships until 8 h. 45 m. P. M.; when, having one on each bow, the Orpheus opened her fire upon the two, and in a quarter of an hour compelled them to surrender; the Zeelast with the loss of one man killed, and the Zeevraght of six men wounded. The Orpheus herself had also one of her best seamen killed while employed in the main top, and five seamen wounded.

On the 15th of November, at daybreak, the south- Nov. west end of Porto-Rico bearing north-east distant 10 or 12 leagues, the british 18-pounder 36-gun frigate Crescent, captain William Grenville Lobb, and 16-gun ship-sloop Calypso, captain Joseph Baker, having in charge a convoy from England and Cork bound to Jamaica, fell in with a spanish squadron, consisting of the 64-gun ship Asia, commodore don Francisco Montes, 40-gun frigate (18-pounder) Anfitrite, captain don Diego Villogomez, and 16-gun ship-corvette Galgo, captain don Josef de Arias, from Santo-Domingo bound to Havana.

The two former of these ships being directly in the course of the convoy to-leeward standing on the larboard tack, captain Lobb made the signal for his charge to haul to the wind on the starboard tack. Meanwhile the Calypso, followed by the Crescent, stood on ahead to reconnoitre the strangers; and, on discovering them to be enemies, made the signal to that effect to the convoy. Ordering the Calypso by signal to chase north-west, the direction in which

1799. lay the body of the convoy, the Crescent bore up to Nov. within random-shot of the spanish 64 and frigate in the hope to draw them from the merchantmen. At 9 A. M. the Asia and Anfitrite tacked towards the convoy immediately on which the signal was made for the vessels to disperse.

About this time the spanish corvette was observed standing for the ships of the convoy which had hauled their wind. To relieve these, the Crescent hauled her wind a manœuvre which was every way successful; as she not only captured and carried off the Galgo, but induced the Asia and Anfitrite to discontinue the chase of the leewardmost vessels, and haul up also, in the vain hope to save their companion. Moreover, while the Calypso ran off toleeward with one part of the convoy, the Crescent and her prize led the other part to-windward; and in less than a week afterwards the whole convoy, except one ship, the General-Goddard, were at anchor in Port-Royal, Jamaica. In this case, whatever we may think of the indeterminate behaviour and gross mismanagement of commodore don Francisco Montes, we cannot but admire the prompt decision and skilful manoeuvres of captain Lobb.

On the 22d of November, at 5 P. M., the british hired cutter Courier, of 12 long 4-pounders and 40 men, lieutenant Thomas Searle, cruising off Flushing, observed a suspicious sail bring to a bark. The cutter immediately hauled her wind in chase, and, as she passed the bark, learnt from her that the other vessel was a french privateer. The Courier thereupon crowded sail in pursuit; and on the 23d, at 9 A. M., Lowestoffe bearing north-west by west distant 10 or 12 leagues, succeeded in overtaking the french cutter-privateer Guerrier, of 14 long 4-pounders and 44 men, commanded by citizen Felix L. Lallemand. A warm and close action ensued, and lasted 50 minutes, when the Guerrier struck her colours.

The Courier had her master, Mr. Stephen Marsh,

COURIER & GUERRIER.-SOLEBAY WITH EGYPTIEN, &c. 533

killed at the commencement of the action, and two 1799. seamen wounded; the Guerrier, four killed and six Nov. wounded. These, as is evident without the aid of a tabular statement, were a well-matched pair of combatants; and the action was manfully sustained on both sides. Shortly after his capture of this privateer, lieutenant Searle obtained that promotion, to which, by his previous gallantry on more than one occasion, he had fully entitled himself.

On the 24th of November, at daybreak, the british 12-pounder 32-gun frigate Solebay, captain Stephen Poyntz, cruising off the island of St.-Domingo, discovered four vessels under easy sail in the north-west or windward quarter. Although rather scattered, owing to a strong gale which had blown during the night, the strangers were a french squadron, composed of the Egyptien, an armed store-ship having a broad pendant and two rows of ports, out of the upper of which she carried 18 long brass 12pounders and two brass 36-pounder carronades, with a complement of 137 men; the ship-corvette Eole, of 16 long brass 8-pounders and two brass 36pounder carronades, and a crew of 107 men, the brigcorvette Levrier, of 12 long brass 8-pounders and 96 men, and the schooner Vengeur, (late Charlotte, british,) of eight long brass 6-pounders and 91 men. This squadron had recently arrived at Cape-François from Rochefort, and was now bound on a particular service to Jacmel.

At 6 A. M., after making some signals which convinced captain Poyntz that the squadron was french, the Egyptien set all sail, and, accompanied by her consorts, steered towards Cape Tiburon. The Solebay, crowding sail also, followed in pursuit, and kept watching for an opportunity to separate a force which, while it remained united, was too formidable to be attacked. By 2 P. M. the wind had very much decreased; but the Solebay, being the weathermost ship, continued to feel its influence in a considerable degree, while the Egyptien and her con