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1811. have been a little shy, what had the frigate done Aug. to deserve such treatment? The Galatea was cerCharge tainly more struck in the hull than either of her against two consorts, and had lost two of her topmasts, Losack. when they had every topgallantmast standing. The Galatea had also lost nearly four times as many men in killed and wounded as the Astrea, and a third more than the Astrea and Phoebe united. We can hardly suppose that captain Schomberg expected the Galatea, in such a state of disability, to renew the action, but merely wished her to put her head the right way. That was not done, although we see no reason, judging from the Galatea's previous conduct, to doubt that the attempt was made. It was this apparent omission, coupled with the circumstance of hoisting, in the presence of the enemy, a signal of distress, when not reduced to the emergency of being actually sinking or on fire, that called down upon the Galatea's captain, officers, and crew, the severe punishment inflicted by captain Schomberg. Latter Although the account of this action, given by our mands contemporary, partakes largely of the inaccuracies martial that pervade all his accounts of proceedings in the and is vicinity of the isles of France and Bourbon, captain refused. Brenton has, we are assured, stated one fact correctly. "Captain Losack, on his return to England, demanded a court-martial, which the lords commissioners of the admiralty, judging no doubt from the log-books, did not think proper to grant, and informed captain Losack, that they were satisfied with his conduct."* But in a case like this, in which the courage of a naval officer is publicly impugned, the approbation, if it amounts to that, of the lords commissioners of the admiralty is of very little value: the opinion of the profession at large, that by which alone the character of the officer is to stand or fall, is not moved a jot by it. We think, with submission, that the board of admiralty should not have refused

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captain Losack's application. A court-martial would 1811. have completely settled the point; and, admitting Aug. that the captain, as the director of the movements of the ship, was the responsible party, why did not the first lieutenant, on behalf of the remaining officers and crew of the Galatea, as was done in the instance of the Uranie,* apply to have captain Losack brought to trial? In a case like this, no efforts should be spared to get redress; and, had redress been zealously and pertinaciously sought by captain Losack, we cannot think but that he would have eventually obtained it.

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It was not during many months that the captain of the Clorinde was allowed to enjoy the ease and comfort, the good cheer and safe quarters, of a home-port. Capt. On the 13th and five succeeding days of March, Cricq 1812, captain Saint-Cricq was tried by a court- dismiss martial, for not having done all in his power in the french action in which the Renommée had been captured; service for having separated from his commodore in the conheat of the battle, when he ought to have closed this him, &c.; and for having omitted to proceed to action. Java, as prescribed by his instructions dated December 22, 1810, in case of inability to enter the Isle of France. Upon these charges the french captain was found guilty, and sentenced to be dismissed the service, degraded from the legion of honour, and imprisoned for three years.

The Néréide and Renommée, being both new frigates, and the first a particularly fine one, were added to the class of british 38s; the Néréide, under the name of Madagascar, and the Renommée, under that of Java. Lieutenants John Baldwin and George Scott, first of the Astrea and Phoebe, were each deservedly promoted to the rank of commander; but lieutenant Thomas Bevis, the first of the Galatea, and who was wounded in the action, still remains a lieutenant. This, surely, is an extension of the

* See vol. iv.
p. 491.

1811. blasting effects of the charge against the Galatea April. never contemplated by its author.

British expedi

COLONIAL EXPEDITIONS.-EAST INDIES.

On the 18th of April, the expedition destined for tion the conquest of the dutch island of Java having, against under the personal directions of captain Christopher sails Cole of the 36-gun frigate Caroline, by the express

Java

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orders of vice-admiral Drury issued during the illness that terminated his life, completed its preparations, the first division of the troops, commanded by colonel Robert Rollo Gillespie, sailed from Madras roads under the convoy of the Caroline, and on the 18th of May anchored in the harbour of Penang or Prince of Wales's island, the first point of rendezvous. On the 21st the second division of the troops, commanded by major-general Wetherall, and escorted by the british 38-gun frigate Phaëton, captain Fleetwood Broughton Reynolds Pellew, arrived also, having quitted Madras about six days after the Caroline. On the 24th the Caroline and Phaeton, with their respective charges, sailed from Penang, and on the 1st of June arrived at Malacca, the second Joined rendezvous. Here the expedition was joined by a division of troops from Bengal, and by lieutenantgeneral sir Samuel Auchmuty, and commodore Brough- William Robert Broughton of the Illustrious 74, the military and naval commanders in chief. The whole of the troops thus assembled, including 1200 too sick to proceed, amounted to 11960 officers and men, of whom very nearly half, or 5344, were Europeans.

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On the 11th of June the fleet, leaving behind the 1200 sick, sailed from Malacca, and in a few days ca and entered the straits of Sincapore. Having cleared arrives these, and passed Timbalan and a number of other Boom- islands, the expedition arrived on the 3d of July at island. the High Islands, which had been appointed the third rendezvous. On the 10th the fleet quitted the High Islands, and on the 20th reached Point Sambar, at the extremity of the south-west coast of the island

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of Borneo, the fourth and last point of rendezvous. 1811. Quitting Sambar on the following day, the 21st, the May fleet arrived on the 30th off Boompies island, which lies nearly abreast of Indramayo river on the Java coast. Here the two commanders in chief waited awhile, in expectation of being joined by some frigates with intelligence.

Sir

Drake

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We will take this opportunity of narrating two or three creditable little affairs, that occurred on the Java coast, while the expedition was on its was on its way from Madras and waiting off Boompies island. On the 23d of May, at daylight, the british 12-pounder 32- Frangun frigate Sir-Francis-Drake, captain George Harris, cisbeing about 13 miles to the north-east of the port of chases Rembang, island of Java, on her way to Sourabaya, a flodiscovered, lying at anchor about three miles nearer dutch to the shore, a flotilla of dutch gun-vessels, consist- gune ing of 14, nine of them felucca, and the remaining and four prow, rigged. On seeing the frigate, the gun- cares vessels weighed and stood for Rembang, but were so five. closely pressed, that by 7 A. M. three or four broadsides brought five of the feluccas to an anchor under the Drake's guns, and they were immediately taken possession of. The others, finding themselves cut off from their port, furled sails, and pulled up in the wind's eye directly for the shore.

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Shoaling his water considerably, captain Harris Dedespatched lieutenants James Bradley and Edward her Brown Addis, lieutenant of marines George Roch, boats midshipmen George Greaves, John Horton, and ca Matthew Phibbs, also lieutenant Knowles, Mr. Gill- tures man, and 12 privates of the 14th regiment of foot, in others. four six-oared cutters and a gig, to board the gunvessels; the Drake keeping under way, and working to-windward, to cover the boats. By 8 A. M., notwithstanding a sharp fire of grape from several pieces of ordnance, lieutenant Bradley and his party, without the loss of aman, made prizes of the remaining nine vessels, the crews of which leaped overboard or fled to the shore in their boats just as the British were

May.

1811. ready to spring on board. The gun-boats had only been launched 15 days, and were large vessels measuring 80 feet overall, and 17 broad; fitted to carry a 7-inch howitzer and a 24-pounder carronade aft, and to pull 30 oars. Only one of the vessels, however, was found with her guns on board; and it was supposed, either that the crews had thrown the guns overboard, or that the vessels were proceeding to Sourabaya to be fully armed and equipped.

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The small british squadron cruising off Batavia Sayer was under the orders of captain George Sayer, of tates an the 18-pounder 36-gun frigate Leda. Since sir Edattack ward Pellew had proved that Batavia and Sourabaya Port were assailable anchorages, the harbour of Marrack, rack. situated about 74 miles to the westward of Batavia,

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was the only spot to which the french frigates, daily expected with troops, could run for safety. The anchorage was defended by a strong fort, standing upon a promontory, and mounting 54 pieces of cannon, 18, 24, and 32 pounders, with a garrison of 180 soldiers. Captain Sayer resolved to make a nightattack upon this fort with the boats of the Leda and of the 74-gun ship Minden, captain Edward Wallis Hoare. The force, with which the attempt was to be made, was to consist of 200 seamen and marines and 250 troops, the latter to be embarked in the flatboats which the two ships had on board; and lieutenant Edmund Lyons, of the Minden, who had dutch previously reconnoitred the fort, was, at his particular in the request, to lead the party. A few hours before vicini- the boats were to push off from the Minden, intelcasions ligence reached captain Hoare, of the arrival of a plan to battalion of dutch troops at the barracks situated aban- about half a mile in the rear of the fort. Under these doned. circumstances, the attack was deemed too hazardous, Capt. and the Leda's boats returned to their ship.

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On the 25th of July captain Hoare, by captain Lyons Sayer's direction, detached lieutenant Lyons with the with Minden's launch and cutter, containing 19 prisoners, boats with orders to land them at Batavia; and, while there

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