1797.

The rumoured arrival at Santa-Cruz, in the island of Teneriffe, of a richly freighted Manilla ship, and the represented vulnerability of the town and shipping to a well-conducted sea-attack, induced earl St.-Vincent to detach a force in order to attempt bringing out the galleon. Before, however, we enter upon the details of this cutting-out service, another in the same quarter is, by priority of date, entitled to our attention.

May. On the 28th of May, in the afternoon, the british frigates Lively, captain Benjamin Hallowell, and Minerve, captain George Cockburn, standing into the bay of Santa-Cruz, discovered at anchor in the road an armed brig, which, as the frigate approached, hoisted french colours. The two captains deeming it practicable to cut the vessel out, the boats of the frigates, on the following day, the 29th, were manned, and placed under the orders of lieutenant Thomas Masterman Hardy of the Minerve, as the senior lieutenant. At about 2 h. 30 m. P. M. lieutenant Hardy, supported by lieutenants Loftus Otway Bland, Harry Hopkins, and John Bushby, and lieutenant Robert Bulkley of the marines, belonging to the Lively, and by lieutenants William Hall Gage and Thomas James Maling, of the Minerve, and their respective boats' crews, made a most resolute attack upon the brig, as she lay at anchor; and, in the face of a smart fire of musketry, boarded, and almost immediately carried her. This alarmed the town, and a heavy fire of artillery and musketry was opened upon the brig, as well from every part of the garrison, as from a large ship that lay in the road. The lightness of the wind retarded the weighing of the anchor, and then made it necessary for the boats to take the brig in tow.

At

During the space of nearly an hour, an unremitting fire was kept up from the shore and ship. length, at a little before 4 P. M., lieutenant Hardy and his gallant comrades brought safe out of gunshot, the french brig-corvette Mutine, mounting 14

w

guns, 12 of them long 6-pounders, and the remaining 1797. two brass 36-pounder carronades. Her complement May. was 135; but the Mutine, when the attack commenced, had on board only 113 men, the remainder, with their commander, capitaine de frégate Zavier Pommier, being on shore. being on shore. In effecting this enterprise, 15 of lieutenant Hardy's party, including himself and midshipman John Edgar, were wounded, but none killed. Being a remarkably fine brig of 349 tons, the Mutine was immediately put in commission by earl St.-Vincent, and the command of her given, very properly, to the officer who led the party that so gallantly cut her out.

Now for the expedition to capture the galleon. If the following description of the place, in which she was supposed to be, is accurately given, there was certainly, in some quarter, a great misconception of the probable difficulties of the enterprise. "Of all places which ever came under our inspection," says captain Brenton, "none we conceive is more invulnerable to attack, or more easily defended, than Teneriffe. The island, like most of its neighbours, is a volcanic production, consisting of mountains, ravines, rocks, and precipices. The bay of Santa-Cruz affords no shelter for shipping; the shore is nearly a right line, and the bank so steep that no anchorage can be found beyond the distance of half a mile, and that in 45 fathoms' water; the beach, from north to south, is one continued series of broken masses of loose rock, and round, smooth stones, either rendered so by friction, or slippery from sea weeds; on this a perpetual surf breaks, rendering the landing at all times difficult, except at the mole or pier of Santa Cruz. To these obstacles there is another, which Nelson experienced in its fullest force: Teneriffe, like all other mountainous countries, is liable to calms, sudden squalls, and violent gusts of wind, which, rushing down the ravines, frequently take a ship's topmasts over the side without a moment's warning."

VOL. II.

* Brenton, vol. ii. p. 234.

G

1797. On the 15th of July the following ships, one of July. which, the Terpsichore, did not join till the next day, and another, the Leander, not until several days afterwards, were placed under the orders of rear-admiral Nelson :

In about five days the squadron arrived off the island of Teneriffe. Every arrangement that sound judgment could devise having been completed, 200 seamen and marines from each of the three line-of-battle ships, and half the number from each of the three frigates, exclusive of commissioned officers and servants, and a small detachment of royal artillery, the whole together amounting to about 1000 or 1050 men, were placed under the orders of captain Troubridge; each captain, under his direction, commanding the detachment of seamen from his own ship, and captain Thomas Oldfield of the marines, as the senior marine-officer, the entire detachment from that corps. On the night of the 20th the three frigates, accompanied by the cutter and mortar-boat and most of the boats of the squadron, stood close in, to land the men, and try to gain possession of a fort at the north-east side of the bay, and within gun-shot of the town; whence a summons was to be sent to the governor. But a strong gale of wind in the offing, and a strong current against them near the shore, prevented the boats from reaching the intended point of debarkation. On the 22d, at about 3 h. 30 m. A. M., the three line-of-battle ships bore up for Santa-Cruz, and, soon after daylight, were joined

July.

by the frigates and small-craft; whose unavoidable 1797. appearance off the coast had given to the islanders the very warning it was so desirous they should not have.

A consultation of the principal officers now decided, that an attack should be made on the heights immediately over the fort already mentioned, and that, from that commanding position, the british seamen and marines should storm and endeavour to carry the fort itself. At 9 P. M. the frigates anchored in-shore, off the east end of the town, and landed their men; but the latter, finding the heights too strongly guarded to be attempted, reembarked in the course of the night, without loss. The three line-of-battle ships, meanwhile, had kept under way, to batter the fort, by way of operating a diversion, but, owing to calms and contrary currents, were unable to approach nearer than three miles.

Not being one to abandon an enterprise until after a stout struggle to accomplish it, Nelson resolved yet to bring his band of hardy fellows in contact with the Santa-Cruz garrison. On the 24th the Leander, captain Thompson, who had only arrived at Cadiz from Lisbon on the 18th, joined the squadron. The local experience of her captain, and the accession of force in her marines, gave additional hopes to the rear-admiral and those engaged with him in the perilous, and, at present, not very auspicious undertaking.

At 5 P. M., every thing being in readiness, the squadron anchored to the north-eastward of the town; the line-of-battle ships within six or eight miles, the frigates within two, as if intending to disembark their men in that direction. But this was only a feint; the mole head was to be the rendezvous of the boats. At 11 P. M. about 700 seamen and marines embarked in the boats of the squadron, 180 more on board the Fox cutter, and about 75 on board a large provision-boat that had just been captured;

1797. numbering, with a small detachment of royal artilJuly. lery, about 1100 men. The different detachments of seamen, under the immediate command of their respective captains, the marines under captain Oldfield, the artillery under lieutenant Baynes, and the whole force, commanded by the rear-admiral in person, pushed off from the squadron. Every precaution had been taken to keep the boats together, in order that the attack might be simultaneous; but the rough state of the weather, and the extreme darkness of the night, rendered a close union next to impossible.

At about 1 h. 30 m. A. M. on the 25th the Fox cutter, attended by the rear-admiral's boat and three or four others, including the two in which captains Fremantle and Bowen had embarked, reached, undiscovered, within half-gun shot of the mole head; when, suddenly, the alarm bells began to ring, and a fire opened from 30 or 40 pieces of cannon and a strong body of troops stationed along the shore. Two shots raked the Fox, and a third struck her between wind and water; whereby she instantly sank, and unfortunately 97 of the brave fellows that were on board met a watery grave. Among the number was her commander, lieutenant Gibson. Another shot struck the rear-admiral on the elbow, just as he was drawing his sword and stepping out of the boat. It completely disabled him, and he was carried back to his ship. A third shot went through and sank the boat in which captain Bowen had embarked; whereby seven or eight seamen perished. In spite of all this opposition, the British effected a landing; and stormed and carried the mole head, notwithstanding it was defended by 300 or 400 men, and six 24-pounders. Having spiked these, the men were about to advance, when a heavy fire of musketry and grape-shot, from the citadel and the houses near the mole head, mowed them down by scores. Here the gallant captain Richard Bowen and his first lieutenant met each a glorious death; and