was employed in repairing damages. At day-light,we renewed the action, and fought desperately; still, however, so equally we seemed matched, that neither could compel the other to yield, the daring attempts of the one being constantly defeated by the valour of the other. You will scarcely believe that we actually maintained this obstinate and long contest from Monday at midnight till Thursday at noon. The pauses that ensued between our numerous actions were employed by both in constantly preparing for a renewal of the combat, and no sooner had the one cleared away his wreck, than he again manoeuvred, and renewed the work of destruction. At length my ammunition got low, and when we struck, there was not another shot in the locker. My crew were worn out by excessive fatigue, for none of us slept an hour during our extraordinary contest, and we had Nttle time to spare for food. Besides the loss of my vessel, I have to lament the fall of Mr. Aldisson, my chief Mate, who was killed on the second day of the action; as well as this excellent young man, my boatswain, carpenter, gunner, and four valuable seamen were also killed in the course of the action, and myself and nine of the crew wounded. "When the flag that had, day after day, and night after night, bidden defiance to the enemy, was at length struck; the vessel was an entire wreck, and literally knocked to pieces, our main-top-mast and main-yard shot away, all our sails cut to rags, and not a single shroud left standing. "The privateer that took me was once the Vulture, Captain Christe, of London: and though exceedingly well armed and manned, was given up to a brig of three guns without firing a shot; so that to this circumstance I may attribute my capture, and all that has followed." We have thus recorded all the material naval events of the year 1809, up to the first day of November; at which period the state of the British Navy was as follows: - At sea, 92 sail of the line, 11 fifties and forty-fours, 111 frigates, 141 sloops and yachts, 4 bombs and fireships, 149 brigs, 47 cutters, 77 gun-vessels. &c. Total, 682. In commission, 879. Grand total, including those building and repairing, 1130 ships of war. INDEX. A AFRICA, engagement of the, with a Danish flotilla, 245 Agatha, loss of the, 270 Ajax, destruction of the, by fire, 56–74 Astrea, loss of the, 271 B Basque Roads, attack and destruction of the French fleet Batavia, capture of the, 34 Batavia, capture and destruction of the Dutch squadron Berkeley, Admiral, proceedings of, on the American sta Bettesworth, Captain, gallantry and death of, 240 Brace, Captain, takes the Guelderland Dutch frigate, Brisbane, Captain, takes the Pomona, Spanish frigate, 36. Buenos Ayres, description of the settlement of, 5.-Loss C Cadiz, surrender of the French fleet at, to the Spaniards, 217 Caledonia, launch of the, 271 Cayenne, capture of the French settlement of, by Captain Yeo, 282 7 Cochrane, Lord, gallantry of, in defending the fortress of Columbine, Captain, takes the settlement of Senegal, 377 254 Copenhagen, account of the expedition against, 132 Corunna, embarkation of the British army at, 367 Curacoa, capture of the settlement of, 48 Cuxhaven, capture of, 372 D Daly, Captain, services of, to the Spaniards, 223 Dardanelles, passage of the. 61 Denmark, Declaration of the King of England against, 150, 159 Deseada, capture of the island of, 253 Diamante, destruction of an Italian flotilla at, 265 Digby, Captain, assists the Spaniards against an expected Dominica, account of a hurricane at, 39 Douglas, Captain, correspondence of, with the Mayor of E Emerald, gallant action of the boats of the, 263 F Fahie, Captain, takes the Hautpoult, 390 Fern, Captain, action of, with a French privateer, 267 Flushing, surrender of, 353 Foote, Lieutenant, his brave defence of the Hannah gun- Frederickscoarn, capture of the, 149 G Gambier, Admiral, commands the Copenhagen expedition, Ganges, loss of the, off the Cape of Good Hope, 194 H Hanchet, Captain, gallantry of, at Flushing, 401 Piedmontaise frigate, 220 Harvey, Admiral, trial and dismissal of, 289, 295 Hautpoult, capture of the, 390, Hawkey, Lieutenant, death of, át Percola Point, 371 Heligoland, capture of, 150 Hompesch, Baron, makes a predatory descent on the Fare Hood, Sir Samuel, takes Madeira, 189-Action of, with Impetueux, destruction of the, 343 J Jeffersor, the American President, hostility of, towards K Keates, Admiral, effects the liberation of the Marquis de Kite, engagement of the, with a Danish flotilla, 243 L Larkins, Captain, statement of, respecting the capture of Leopard, action of the, with the Chesapeak, 111 M Madeira, capture of the island of, 189 Maldonado, capture of the settlement of, 16 Maria Galante, capture of the island of, 252 Martin, Admiral, makes a descent on the coast of Italy, Martin, Captain, attacks and destroys a Russian flotilla, at Martinique, proceedings of Commodore Collier's squa- Maxwell, Captain, takes a Spanish flotilla. 216 |