MEMOIR. 21 



for it is as crooked as the letter C. The blades are beautifully 

 watered, the edge is extremely sharp, and cuts clean through flesh 

 and bone ; but the fine temper of the blade makes it brittle, and 

 its shape quite unfits it for thrusting. 



A great number of small actions came off in various parts of 

 the coast of Palestine between single ships and the smaller 

 towns. We lost one man, who was shot in a boat expedition. 

 My old ship, the ' Zebra,' distinguished herself at the taking of 

 Scanderoon and other places. Her boats were at Alexandretta, 

 landing under a very sharp fire of musketry for some time. The 

 cutters did not lose a single man, yet they had curious escapes. 

 One man had a ball through his hat, another had a ball through 

 his handkerchief, another through the leg of his trousers ; a sergeant 

 of marines had the tip of his musket struck, so that he could not 

 load it again ; and, lastly, a marine was struck full in the middle 

 of the chest, fortunately upon the little brass plate which is 

 placed upon his cross-belts at their intersection. He preserved 

 the ball, which was slightly flattened, and was impressed with 

 some of the letters from the motto, " Per terra, per mare" which 

 is inscribed in raised letters upon the brass plate. 



After the taking of Scanderoon one of the merchants asked 

 the captain to dinner at the remains of his house. The table 

 was spread with sixteen dishes, which at a given signal were 

 uncovered, and displayed sixteen great, round, hard, black thirty- 

 two pound shots ! " There, Captain Elliot," said the hostess, — 

 " there are the presents you were so kind as to send ashore to 

 us ; these were all picked up in my drawing-room and parlour." 

 However, after she had had her joke, something more digestible 



c 



