time, that no consideration whatever shall induce 1807. me to remain at a distance from your capital a single Feb. moment beyond the period I have now assigned; and you are sufficiently acquainted with the english character, not to be ignorant that, in a case of unavoidable necessity, we are less disposed to threaten than to execute. But understand me well. Our object is peace and amity: this depends on you."

agree

Can it be wondered that the turkish minister, having the shrewd Sebastiani at his elbow, should laugh at all this verbiage, and treat with contempt both the writer and the government of which he was the organ? First, the fleet of the Turks is demanded: now, merely that the latter will remain at peace; or, in other words, that they will allow sir John to repass the Dardanells without further mo4 Turks lestation. Well, the Turks agree to treat; and sir to treat John, on February 24, says: "Considering the very great importance of the affair, not only as it regards the Sublime Porte and Great Britain, but the whole world, I have come to the resolution of personally conducting it." The admiral then proposes that a turkish minister shall be sent on board either the Endymion or the Royal-George; or he is willing himself to go on shore on any of the Prince's islands. The Turks name Kadikioi on the asiatic side. Sir John Duckworth now discovers that "there is no Fresh precedent of an admiral, or commander in chief, culty. quitting his squadron." He also declares, that the place is "too far distant." Whatever may have been the vice-admiral's motives for declining to trust himself among the Turks, they were such, apparently, as no arguments could overcome. Sir John therefore wished to depute rear-admiral Louis to be his representative on shore.

Whether the latter felt, that he who wore the honours, should also share the dangers, of the ambassadorship, or that he considered the negotiation, like the rest of this celebrated war of words, to be all

diffi

1807. vapour, sir Thomas Louis preferred remaining on Feb. board his ship. The only persons, therefore, whose lives were placed in jeopardy, were a young midshipman named Harwell, and four lads belonging to the Endymion; who, on their way to the island of Prota Detain in the frigate's jollyboat, to buy provisions of the a boat's greek inhabitants, had been boarded by a party of Turks from the main and carried to Constantinople. A demand to have, these lads restored formed the third stage of this protracted correspondence; and a flat refusal to deliver them up completed the climax of insolence and barbarity on one side, and of humiliation and disgrace on the other.

crew.

Land

on

Prota.

at

tempt

possess

On the 27th, in the morning, it was discovered that the Turks had landed on the island of Prota, one of the Prince's islands, and the nearest to the anchorage of the british squadron; and that they were erecting a battery to annoy the latter. The marines of the squadron, under captain R. Kent belonging to British the Canopus, were prepared for disembarking; and the Repulse and Lucifer, having been ordered to cover to dis- the boats, proceeded towards the island. The two themes ships, on their approach, began to scour the beach with their grape, when, instantly, a number of Turks quitted the island in their boats; and one boat, containing 11 men, supposed to comprise the remainder of all those who had landed, was captured. In the afternoon the discovery was made, that some Turks were still on the island of Prota. The marines of the Canopus immediately pushed off for the island, landed; and, pursuing the Turks to a monastery with loop-holes for musketry, got worsted, with the loss of their brave commander and of several of their party. The signal having been made for assistance, the marines and armed boats' crews of the RoyalGeorge, Windsor-Castle, and Standard, hastened to Serious the rescue of their comrades on shore. A smart curred. skirmish ensued; and, in the height of it, an officer arrived from the admiral, with orders for the detach

loss in

ments to return on board. The different boats' crews 1807. reached their respective ships soon after dark, with Feb. the loss of two officers, and five petty officers, seamen, and marines killed, and two officers, and 17 petty officers, seamen, and marines wounded; total, seven killed and 19 wounded.

conse

feat

Here was an enterprise that, had it succeeded, Evil would have almost atoned for the imbecility and irre- quence solution which had characterised every preceding act at t of the expedition. On the island of Prota, when Prota. attacked by the British, were two very important personages, general Sebastiani and the chief aga of the janizaries. Had these men been brought on board the squadron, sir John might at least have obtained, as the price of their ransom, leave to quit, what he so feelingly calls," a sea environed with enemies," without harm to himself or his ships. A clever negotiator, indeed, might have effected a surprising change in the political views and intentions of the Sublime Porte.

Cause

of

It was not merely that the force, originally detached against the Turks upon the island of Prota, failure. was inadequate to the purpose; it was, that the small reinforcement afterwards sent had received directions" to bring off the Canopus's people, but to avoid being drawn into danger." These were sir John Duckworth's positive orders; and even his permission to rear-admiral Louis, to send the first party, consisting of the marines of the Canopus, was not conceded without the neutralizing accompaniment, "that no risk whatever must be run, but if it could be effected without hazarding the people it might." Who expects that military operations are to be conducted without risk? If the detachments were "not to pursue their object should it be attended with any hazard," sir John might as well have sent a party of old women to drive away the Turks. Such milk-and-water wishy-washy measures will never succeed. And yet, not the slightest imputation

1807, attaches to the officers or men who landed on Prota: March all acted as british seamen and marines will ever

strength

batte

ries.

act when left to themselves; but, in the midst of their glorious career, comes the chilling order for them to reembark and return to their ships.

The calm weather of the 25th and 26th had been succeeded on the 27th by a westerly wind, which blew during the whole of the 28th; but the Turks had learned by experience, that the british admiral had no real intention to molest their town or their Turks fleet. The latter they had been suffered partially en the to equip, and the former to protect by batteries at every assailable point. That the french engineers and turkish workmen had not been idly employed at a distance from the capital, we shall presently have occasion to show. By daybreak on the 1st of March the wind had shifted to the north-east; which was as fair as it could blow for quitting the territories of a people so ignorant and foolhardy, that no rhetoric could persuade, no threats intimidate them. British Up went, at the Royal-George's mast-head, the Squa signal to weigh; and the preparative flag, if hoisted sails on along with it, was so quickly hauled down, that at 8 h. 25 m. A. M. the whole of the british ships were under sail, standing in line of battle.

dron

its re

turn.

Although the Turks had been 10 days equipping their fleet, they had not, it appears, been able to get ready for sea more than five sail of the line and four frigates. These were at anchor in the road. By way of a flourish, or, as sir John says, to give the turkish" fleet" an opportunity to come out and attack him, he stood on and off Constantinople during the day, and at night bore up for the Dardanells. On the 2d, at 5 P. M., daylight being preferred for passing the castles, the squadron came to an anchor about six miles above Point Pesquies, and was there joined by the Active frigate and her prize the late turkish corvette; which latter, by the admiral's orders, was given up to the prisoners.

1

*

Salutes

On the 3d, at 7 h. 30 m. A. M., the squadron again 1807. weighed, and at 8 h. 15 m. A. M. bore up under top- March. sails, with the wind fresh at north-east. The ships then proceeded down the channel in the same order in which they had sailed up, except that the Active was ahead of the Endymion, and that, instead of the Standard, the Endymion had the Meteor in tow. On approaching the castle of Abydos, hoping pro- Abydos bably to propitiate the Turks, sir John fired a salute of 13 guns. This produced an immediate return of Is fired shot and shells both from the two castles and from the return. battery on Point Pesquies; which latter, since the passage up, had been repaired and remounted. The other batteries on both sides, successively as the ships Anarrived abreast of them, opened their fire and re- chors ceived a fire in return. The mutual cannonade was off kept up until nearly 11 h. 40 m. A. M.; and at a little Cape before noon the british squadron anchored off Cape zary. Janizary, out of the reach of further molestation.

at in

Jani

&c. to

ships.

The improved state of the defences of the Dar- Dadanells, since the passage up of the British, would ge naturally display its effects upon the latter in their the passage down. We will take the ships in the order in which they descended the strait. The Canopus had her wheel carried away, and her hull much damaged, by the stone shot, but escaped with the loss of only three seamen wounded. On board the Repulse, a stone shot, from the castle on the asiatic side, came through between the poop and quarterdeck, and killed two quarter-masters, five seamen, and three marines, and wounded one lieutenant of marines, two corporals, and four privates, also two quarter-masters and a boatswain's mate; total, 10 killed and 10 wounded, the only loss which the Repulse on this occasion sustained. The same shot badly wounded the mizenmast, broke and carried away. the wheel, and did other serious damage, The Royal-George had several lower shrouds cut

* See p. 436.