directions previously given, fired six broadsides. 1816. Besides this general exercise, the first and second Aug. captains of the Queen-Charlotte's guns were daily trained at a target made of laths, three feet square; in the centre of which was suspended a piece of wood of the shape and size of a bottle, with yarns crossed at right angles, so that a 12-pound shot could not pass through the interstices without cutting a yarn. This target was hung at the foretopmast studdingsail-boom, which was rigged out for the purpose; and it was fired at from abreast of the admiral's skylight on the quarterdeck. By the time the fleet reached Gibraltar, the target was never missed, and the average number of bottles hit daily was 10 out of 14. The confidence this gave to the ship's company was unbounded; and, of their expertness against stone walls and living targets, we shall soon have to display the terrible effects. from On the 13th the 18-gun brig-sloop Satellite, cap- Fleet tain James Murray, arrived from Algiers; and on sails this day every captain in the fleet received a plan of Gibthe fortifications of the place, with full instructions raltar. as to the intended position of his ship. On the 14th, early in the forenoon, the wind having shifted to the southward, the dutch squadron, and the whole british fleet, except the Jasper sent to England with despatches, and the Saracen left behind, consisting altogether of 23 ships and brigs, five gun-boats, and an ordnance sloop, fitted as an explosion-vessel under the personal direction of lieutenant Richard Howell Fleming, of the Queen-Charlotte, (who was to have the command of her,) and major Gossett of the corps of miners, weighed and stood into the Mediterranean. On the 16th, early in the afternoon, just as the fleet had got within 200 miles of Algiers, the wind shifted to the eastward; and in the evening the ship-sloop Prometheus, captain William Bateman Dashwood, joined company direct from the port, having on board the wife, daughter, and infantchild of the british consul, Mr. M'Donell. The two 1816. former, disguised in midshipmen's clothes, had with Aug. great difficultly been brought off; but, owing to the treachery of Mrs. M'Donell's jew-nurse, the infant, while on its way to the boat concealed in a basket, was detained by order of the dey: as were also the surgeon of the Prometheus, three midshipmen, and the remainder of the crews of two boats, consisting in all of 18 persons, "The child," says lord Exmouth, was sent off next morning by the dey; and, as a solitary instance of his humanity, it ought to be recorded by me." The consul himself was put in irons and confined in a small room on the groundfloor of his house; nor could the most urgent remonstrances on the part of captain Dashwood induce the dey to release his prisoners. Defen sive prepa of the Alge rines. 66 Captain Dashwood confirmed all that the admiral had previously learnt about the preparations making rations by the Algerines to resist his attack; of which they had received intelligence, chiefly, as was suspected, from the french 40-gun frigate Ciotat, then at anchor in the bay. It appeared, also, that about 40000 men had been marched down from the interior, and all the janisaries called in from the distant garrisons. The ships, consisting of four frigates, mounting 44 guns each, five large corvettes, mounting from 24 to 30 guns, and between 30 and 40 gun and mortar boats, were all in port. The fortifications of Algiers, for so small a place, were of considerable strength. Strength Upon the various batteries on the north side of the batte city, including a battery over the north gate, were mounted about 80 pieces of cannon and six or eight enormous mortars; but the shoalness of the water would scarcely admit a heavy ship to approach within reach of them. Between the north wall of the city and the commencement of the pier which is about ries. * Upon the authority of Mr. Abraham Salamé in his very interesting "Narrative of the Expedition to Algiers," p. 15, note; but, according to lord Exmouth, owing to the infant crying in the gateway, although the surgeon had administered something to compose it. At 250 yards in length, and connects the town with 1816. the lighthouse, were about 20 more guns, the Aug. greater part of them similarly circumstanced. the north projection of the mole stood a semicircular battery, of two tiers of guns, about 44 in all; and to the southward of that, and nearly in a line with the pier, was the round or lighthouse battery, of three tiers of guns, 48 in all. Then came a long battery, also of three tiers, called the eastern battery, mounting 66 guns. This was flanked by four other batteries, of two tiers each, mounting altogether 60 guns; and on the south head of the mole were two large guns, represented to be 68-pounders and nearly 20 feet long. So that the different batteries on the mole mounted at least 220 guns; consisting, except in the case just mentioned, of 32, 24, and 18 pounders. South-west of the small pier that projects from the city to form the entrance of the mole, or harbour, and bearing, at the distance of about 300 yards, due west from the south mole-head, was the fishmarket battery, of 15 guns, in three tiers. Between that and the southern extremity of the city, were two batteries of four or five guns each. Beyond the city, in this direction, was a castle and two or three other batteries, mounting between them 60 or 70 guns. Besides all the batteries we have enumerated, and which constituted the sea-defences of the port, there were various others at the back of the city, and on the heights in its environs: indeed, the whole of the guns mounted for the defence of the city of Algiers, on its sea and land frontiers, are represented to have exceeded 1000. Fleet off lord Having to beat against a head wind until towards arrives midnight on the 24th, when it shifted to south-west, Algiers the fleet did not make Cape Cazzina, a high promon- and tory about 55 miles to the westward of Algiers, of Exthe bay of which it forms the northern point, until mouth noon on the 26th; nor gain a sight of the city until a de daybreak on the 27th. The ships at this time lying mand nearly becalmed, lord Exmouth took the opportunity dey. sends to the Aug. 1816. of despatching lieutenant Samuel Burgess, in one of the Queen-Charlotte's boats, towed by the Severn, to demand of the dey certain conditions, of which the following is the substance. The abolition of christian slavery; the delivery of all christian slaves in the kingdom of Algiers; the repayment of all the money that had recently been exacted for the redemption of neapolitan and sardinian slaves; peace with the king of the Netherlands; and the immediate liberation of the british consul and the two boats' crews of the Prometheus. At 9 A. M., the calm retarding the progress of the frigate, the boat, by signal from the Queen-Charlotte, pulled for the shore, carrying a flag of truce, At 11 A. M.,.on arriving opposite to the mole, the boat was met by one from the shore, in which was the captain of the port. The demand was presented, and an answer promised in two hours. Meanwhile, a breeze having sprung up from the sea, the fleet stood into the bay, and lay to about a mile from the city. Ships their sta before At 2 P. M., no answer returning, lieutenant Burgess take hoisted the signal to that effect, and pulled out towards the Severn. The Queen-Charlotte immetions diately asked, by signal, if all the ships were ready. the Almost at the same moment every ship had the batte- affirmative flag at her mast-head, and the fleet bore and up to the attack in the prescribed order. At 2h. action 35m. P. M. the Queen-Charlotte anchored with springs mences about 50 yards from the mole-head. Just as the ries com british three-decker was in the act of lashing herself to the mainmast of an algerine brig fast to the shore at the mouth of the mole or harbour, and towards which lord Exmouth had directed his ship to be steered as the guide for her position, a shot was fired at the Queen-Charlotte; and almost at the same instant two other shot were fired from the opposite end of the mole at the Impregnable and ships near her, as they were advancing to their stations. Scarcely had these three guns been discharged, when lord Exmouth, with characteristic humanity, waved his hand to a crowd of 200 or 300 1816. soldiers and artillerymen, standing on the parapet Aug. of the mole, surveying the immense floating body so near to them. As the greater part of these were in the act of leaping through the embrasures into the lower battery, the Queen-Charlotte opened her starboard broadside. Thus the action commenced, each british ship taking a part in it the instant she could bring her guns to bear. ons of british inner Next ahead of the Queen-Charlotte, or rather upon Statiher larboard bow, lay the Leander, with her after the dif guns on the starboard side bearing into the mouth ferent of the mole and her foremost ones upon the fish- ships market battery. Ahead of the Leander lay the in the Severn, with the whole of her starboard guns bear- line. ing on the fish-market battery. Close to the Severn was the Glasgow, with her larboard guns bearing on the town batteries. In the rear of the QueenCharlotte, inclining towards her starboard quarter, at the distance of about 250 yards, and within a very few of her allotted station, was the Superb, with her starboard broadside bearing upon the 60-gun battery, next to that on the mole-head. Close astern of the Superb, in a north-easterly direction, the Impregnable and Albion were to have taken their stations in line ahead; but, not being sufficiently advanced when the firing commenced, the Impregnable was obliged to bring to considerably outside, not only of her proper station, but of the line of bearing (about south-east from the south angle of the eastern battery) within which the attacking force had been ordered to assemble. The Impregnable thus lay exposed, at the distance. of about 400 yards, as well to the lighthouse battery of three tiers, towards which she soon sprang her starboard broadside, as to the eastern battery of two tiers. Observing what an open space there was between the Impregnable and her second ahead, the Superb, the Minden stood on and took up a position about her own length astern of the latter. 2 P VOL. VI. |