Page images
PDF
EPUB
[ocr errors]

1811. instantly, the french colours were hauled down and the british hoisted in their stead. The marines of

Sept. the three frigates, amounting, including a party

belonging to the Lion 64, to 180, immediately landed, Gene- and took possession of the fort. Just at that momelle ment general Jamelle, the commander in chief of the taken french troops, who had arrived at the landroosts prison- from Buitenzorg, was, while changing horses to procaptain ceed to the eastward, taken prisoner by captain Warren, with the aid of his gig's crew; as were also an aide-de-camp of general Jansens and a lieutenant of infantry.

er by

Warren

Hearing from the french general, that 350 infantry and 350 cavalry were hourly expected to arrive at Cheribon from Buitenzorg, captain Beaver landed 150 seamen to garrison and defend the fort; leaving the marines to act offensively against the enemy in the field, should occasion require it, and placing three launches, with carronades, in the river, to enfilade the two chief approaches to it. On the 5th, in the morning, the Hesper, who had been delayed by bad sailing, joined the Nisus, Présidente, and Phoebe. On the two following days a quantity of treasure and valuable stores, and several prisoners, were brought from Carang-Sambang, a place about 35 miles in the interior, by a detachment of seamen and marines sent thither for the purpose. Phoebe On the 11th, by 1 A. M., all the seamen and marines posses- that had been landed were reembarked, having made, sion of about 700 prisoners, including 237 Europeans; and at 4 A. M. the Nisus and Phoebe weighed and steered for Taggal, a port about 20 or 25 leagues further to the eastward. On the 12th the Phoebe arrived off the harbour; and, landing some sepoys and a detachment of seamen and marines, captain Hillyar took quiet possession of the fort and public stores.

takes

Taggal.

[ocr errors]

While the british navy was thus effectually lending its aid, by subduing and taking possession of the different sea-defences of this valuable colony, the

[ocr errors]

commander in chief of the british army was pressing 1811. close upon general Jansens; so close that, on the Sept. 16th of September, the latter, then at the fort of Java Salatiga, about 30 miles to the southward of Sama- surrenrang, which is 343 miles east from Batavia, proposed to capitulate; and on the 18th the island of Java and its dependencies were surrendered to the british

arms.

ders.

58

BRITISH AND FRENCH FLEETS.

SO

1812. THE abstract, showing the state of the british navy at the commencement of the present year,* nearly resembles the last, as to call for no additional British remarks.+

&c.

officers, The number of commissioned officers and masters, belonging to the british navy at the beginning of the year 1812, was,

Admirals

Vice-admirals

[ocr errors]

62

65

Rear-admirals

60

[blocks in formation]
[merged small][merged small][ocr errors]

Russia de

war

against

&c.

Post-captains

[ocr errors]

Commanders, or sloop-captains 566

ور

Lieutenants

Masters

superannuated 50

3163

567

And the number of seamen and marines, voted for the service of the same year, was 145000.

With respect to the fleets of the powers at war, clares another inactive year passed; and yet France continued adding to her already powerful navy new lineFrance, of-battle ships and frigates. On the 19th of March, Russia declared war against France; and on the 18th of July a treaty of peace was signed at Orebo between Russia, Sweden, and Great Britain. The Scheldt fleet, of from 16 to 20 sail of the line and eight or nine frigates and smaller vessels, evinced, several times, an inclination to put to sea, but was too narrowly watched by the indefatigable officer

* See Appendix, Annual Abstract No. 20.

+ See Appendix, Nos. 1 and 2.

See Appendix, No. 3.

that cruised off Flushing, vice-admiral sir Richard 1812. John Strachan. Towards the end of the year, how- March. ever, a want of men, owing to the frequent draughts made to supply the army, contributed to keep the french fleet stationary. A squadron of seven, and latterly of nine, sail of the line in the Texel threatened also to sail out, but was restrained from the attempt, by the dread of encountering the british force stationed off that port. At Amsterdam, in the beginning of October, the keels of two 74-gun ships, the Audacieux and Polyphème, were ordered to be laid down, to commemorate the entry of Buonaparte into Moscow; but, before probably a timber belonging to either ship was set up, the french emperor's forced exit from the russian capital had also taken place.

in and

The french squadron at anchor in the port of Force Lorient, consisted of five line-of-battle ships, one off only of which, the Vétéran, had ever been at sea. Lorient This ship had, but when we are unable to state, managed to effect her escape from the neighbouring port of Concarneau, where she had been so long blockaded. In the months of February and March, four of those ships, the Eylau, of 80, and the Guilemar, Marengo, and Vétéran, of 74 guns, along with two ship-corvettes, under the command of viceadmiral Allemand, lay watching an opportunity to elude the vigilance of a british squadron, of the same numerical force, under captain sir John Gore, of the 80-gun ship Tonnant, having with him the 74-gun ships Northumberland, Colossus, and Bulwark, captains the honourable Henry Hotham, Thomas Alexander, and Thomas Browne. On the 9th of March, early in the afternoon, leaving her three consorts lying to off the island of Hedic, the Tonnant made sail and worked up through the Taigneuse passage against a fresh north-east wind, in order to reconnoitre the port of Lorient. At 6 P. M. sir John discovered that M. Allemand had effected his escape; and at 8 P. M. the Tonnant anchored for the night

1812. off the south-east point of Groix. At daybreak on March. the 10th the Tonnant weighed and made sail towards Lorient; and at 8 A. M. clearly observed that there was no ship of war in the port, except a two-decker, with topgallantmasts pointed and rigged, fitting at the arsenal. Having now ascertained, beyond all doubt, that the french admiral had sailed, sir John bore up to join his squadron, then just visible in the south-south-west.

M. Allemand puts to

is fall

en in

the

and Pompée.

M. Allemand had, in fact, put to sea on the night of the 8th; and, but for his extraordinary good sea and fortune, might, as we shall presently see, have terminated his cruise in Portsmouth or Plymouth, with by instead of in Brest, whither, it appears, he was Diana bound. On the 9th, at 1 P. M., when about seven leagues to the southward of the Penmarks, these four french sail of the line and two corvettes were discovered by the british 38-gun frigate Diana, captain William Ferris, but were lost sight off in the evening. On the 10th, however, at 9 A. M., when close hauled on the starboard tack with the wind at north-east, the Diana regained a sight of the french squadron, then on her weather bow, 12 or 13 miles distant, steering the same course as herself, north by west. The frigate continued sailing parallel with the french ships, to watch their manoeuvres, until 3 P. M.; when the 74-gun ship Pompée, captain sir James Athol Wood, joined company to-leeward. At 4 P. M. captain Ferris hove to to communicate with his superior officer; and, at 4 h. 30 m. P. M., the british 74 and frigate filled and made all sail on the starboard tack. Shortly afterwards the Diana, who still kept to-windward of the Pompée, observed two vessels on her weather beam, to-windward of the french squadron; the ships of which immediately bore up, under all sail, evidently to avoid them.

Also by

Tre

men

dous

These two vessels were the british 74-gun ships Tremendous, captain Robert Campbell, and Poictiers, and captain John Poer Beresford, chasing the french tiers. squadron, which they had discovered since daylight

Poic

« ՆախորդըՇարունակել »