The

to the British, on condition that he, his officers, and ship's company, and the troops in garrison on shore, should be sent to France, without being considered as prisoners of war. terms were agreed to; and on the 26th the fort of Tamatave and its dependencies, the frigate and a vessel or two in the port, were taken possession of by Captain Schomberg; who, having first, as a precautionary measure on account of the number of prisoners in the two frigates, caused the guns on the battery to be spiked, went into Tamatave with his squadron.

Having thus disposed of two of M. Roquebert's three frigates, we will endeavour to show what became of the other. Captain Saint-Cricq made so good a use of the entire state of the Clorinde's rigging and sails, that by daylight on the 21st he had run completely out of sight of both friends and foes. After ruminating awhile on his "melancholy" situation, the French captain bent his course towards the Seychelle islands; under one of which he anchored, and on the 7th of June set sail on his return to France. On the 26th the Clorinde reached the island of Diego-Garcia; and, having obtained some cocoas and a supply of wood and water, sailed thence on the 28th, and on the 1st of August rounded the Cape of Good Hope. Between the 23d of August and 16th of September, Captain Saint-Cricq fell in with several English and American provision-laden merchant vessels, and from among them supplied the principal part of his wants.

On the 24th, when close to the port of her destination, the Clorinde was very near sharing the fate of her late consorts. At daylight she was discovered and chased by the British 80gun ship Tonnant, Captain Sir John Gore; who ineffectually endeavoured to cut her off from entering the passage du Raz. At noon the Tonnant fired a shot at the Clorinde; and at about 1 h. 30 m. P. M., when the Saintes islands bore north-east by north four miles, discharged her broadside. The British 80 continued the chase, in a fresh gale at north-west and heavy sea, and passed through the Raz. At 2 P. M., when running, under a press of sail, between the Vieille rock and Pointe Carnarvan and coming up fast with the frigate, the Tonnant lost her main topmast and fore and mizen topgallantmasts by the violence of the wind.

The latter nevertheless opened a smart fire upon the Clorinde, then within little more than pistol-shot distance; but the frigate, having judiciously reduced her sails when the squall came on, now possessed them all in a perfect state, and soon outran her pursuer. After receiving a few harmless shot from the battery on Pointe Trépassée, the Tonnant gave over the chase; and at 5 P. M. the Clorinde anchored in the road of Brest.

It unfortunately happened, that the action off Madagascar was not allowed to pass without a charge, an implied charge, at all events, of misconduct on the British side. Having previously stated, in his official letter, Captain Losack's report of the dis

abled state of his ship, Captain Schomberg says: "I am, however, called upon by my feelings, and a sense of duty, to bear testimony to the meritorious conduct of the officers and ships' companies of his majesty's ships Phoebe and Astrea." Not a maravedi, in the way of praise, is bestowed upon the Galatea or Racehorse. Admitting the brig to have been a little shy, what had the frigate done to deserve such treatment? The Galatea was certainly more struck in the hull than either of her two consorts, and had lost two of her topmasts, 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.

68

Although the account of this action, given by our contemporary, partakes largely of the inaccuracies that pervade all his accounts of proceedings in the vicinity of the isles of France and Bourbon, Captain 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 Captain Losack's application. A court-martial would have completely settled the point; and, admitting 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,t 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.

Brenton, vol. iv., p. 561.

See vol. iv., p. 339.

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. On the 13th and five succeeding days of March, 1812, Captain Saint-Cricq was tried by a court-martial, for not having done all in his power in the action in which the Renommée had been captured; for having separated from his commodore in the heat of the battle, when he ought to have closed him, &c.; and for having omitted to proceed to 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 blasting effects of the charge against the Galatea never contemplated by its author.

COLONIAL EXPEDITIONS.-EAST INDIES.

On the 18th of April, the expedition destined for the conquest of the Dutch island of Java having, under the personal direc→ tions of Captain Christopher Cole of the 36-gun frigate Caroline, by the express 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 Phaeton, 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 rendezvous. Here the expedition was joined by a division of troops from Bengal, and by Lieutenant-general Sir Samuel Auchmuty, and Commodore 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 11,960 officers and men, of whom very nearly half, or 5344, were Europeans.

On the 11th of June the fleet, leaving behind the 1200 sick, sailed from Malacca, and in a few days entered the straits of Sincapore. Having cleared these, and passed Timbalan and a number of other islands, the expedition arrived on the 3d of July at 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 of Borneo, the fourth and last point of rendezvous. Quitting Sambar on the following day, the 21st, the 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.

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 way from Madras and waiting off Boompies island. On the 23d of May, at daylight, the British 12-pounder 32-gun frigate Sir-Francis-Drake, Captain George Harris, being about 13 miles to the north-east of the port of Rembang, island of Java, on her way to Sourabaya, discovered, lying at anchor about three miles nearer to the shore, a flotilla of Dutch gun-vessels, consisting of 14, nine of them felucca, and the remaining four prow, rigged. On seeing the frigate, the gun-vessels weighed and stood for Rembang, but were so 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.

Shoaling his water considerably, Captain Harris despatched Lieutenants James Bradley and Edward Brown Addis, Lieutenant of marines George Loch, midshipmen George Greaves, John Horton, and Matthew Phibbs, also Lieutenant Knowles, Mr. Gillman, and 12 privates of the 14th regiment of foot, in four six-oared cutters and a gig, to board the gun-vessels; 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 a man, 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 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. The small British squadron cruising off Batavia was under the

orders of Captain George Sayer, of the 18-pounder 36-gun frigate Leda. Since Sir Edward Pellew had proved that Batavia and Sourabaya were assailable anchorages, the harbour of Marrack, situated about 74 miles to the westward of Batavia, 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 night-attack 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 previously reconnoitred the fort, was, at his particular request, to lead the party. A few hours before the boats were to push off from the Minden, intelligence reached Captain Hoare, of the arrival of a battalion of Dutch troops at the barracks situated about half a mile in the rear of the fort. Under these circumstances, the attack was deemed too hazardous, and the Leda's boats returned to their ship.

On the 25th of July Captain Hoare, by Captain Sayer's direction, detached Lieutenant Lyons with the Minden's launch and cutter, containing 19 prisoners, with orders to land them at Batavia; and, while there and on his return down the coast, to gain all the information possible as to the movements in that part of Java. On the 27th Lieutenant Lyons landed his prisoners at Batavia; and, from a conversation which he held with an intelligent resident, was fully persuaded that the Dutch had no intimation of the expedition being near Java, and did not expect to be attacked during the present monsoon. Conceiving that an attack at the north-western extremity of Java would draw the Dutch troops in that direction, and thereby operate a favourable diversion, Lieutenant Lyons, on the morning of the 29th, determined to make a midnight attack upon Fort Marrack. This would appear, indeed, a rash undertaking for two boats' crews of 35 officers and men, especially when a force of 450 men had been thought inadequate to the service; but Lieutenant Lyons was one of the officers who, about a twelvemonth before, had accompanied Captain Cole in the storming of Belgica:* he therefore made light of difficulties, which to many, and those brave men too, would have seemed insurmountable.

Having made, during the day, every necessary arrangement, Lieutenant Lyons, at sunset, placed his two boats behind a point, which sheltered them from the view of the enemy's sentinels. At half an hour past midnight, the moon sinking in the horizon,

See vol. v., p. 321.