18l6.] Attack 071 Algiers. 



broiiglit down from fhe interior, and all the 

 Janisaries called in fiom distant jjarrisons, 

 and that they were indefatisably employed 

 in tlieir batteries, gnu-boats, .ic. and every 

 where strengthening the sea-defences. 



The Dey inlbrined Captain Uasliwood, 

 he knew perfectly well the armament was 

 destined for Algiers, and asked liini if it 

 was trne •, he replied if he had such infor- 

 mation, he knew as ninch as he did, and 

 probably from the same sourc* — the pnblic 

 prints. 



The sliips were all in port, and between 

 forty and fifty gun and mortar boats ready, 

 with several more in forward repair. The 

 Dey had closely confined the Consul, and 

 refused either to give him up, or promise 

 liis personal safety ; nor would he hear a 

 word respecting the officers and men 

 seized in the boats of the Prometheus. 



From the continnance of adverse winds 

 and calms, the land to the westward ef Al- 

 giers was not made b^^tore the 26tli, and 

 the next morning at day-break the fleet 

 was advanced in sight of tlie city, though 

 not so near as I had intended. As the 

 8lii|)S were becalmed, I embraced this op- 

 portunity of dispateiiing a boat, under 

 cover of the Severn, with a flag of truce, 

 and the demands I bad to make, in the 

 name of bis Roj'al Highness the Prince 

 Regent, on the Dey of Algiers (of viliich 

 the accompanying are copies) directing 

 the officer to wait two or three hours for 

 the Dey's answer, at vvliich time, if no re- 

 ply was sent he was to return to the flag 

 «hip ; he was met near the iNIoie by the 

 Captain of the Port, who, on being told 

 the answer was expected in one hour, re- 

 plied, that it was impossible. The Officer 

 then i!aid he would wait two or three 

 hours ; he iheu observed, two hours was 

 not sufficient. 



TliC fleet at this time, by the springing 

 lip of the sea breeze, had reached ihe bay, 

 and were preparing the boats and flotilla 

 for service until near two o'clock, when, 

 observing my officer was returning with 

 the signal flying, that no answer had hevn 

 received, after a delay of upwards of three 

 hours, I instantly made the signal to 

 know if the ships were all ready, which 

 being answered in the affirmative, the 

 Queen Charlotte bore up, followed by 

 the fleet, tor their appointed stations ; the 

 t!ag len.ding in the prescribed order, was 

 anchored in tiie entrance of the Mole, at 

 abiut tifty yards di-.rance. At this mo- 

 ment not a gun had been fired, and I be- 

 pan to suspect a fiill compliaiKe with the 

 terms which had been so many hours in 

 their hands ; at this period of prolouiid si- 

 lence, a shot was tired at us from the Mole, 

 cind two at the ships to the ncinhward then 

 I'ollovved; this was promptly relumed by 

 the Queen Charlotte, who was then lath- 

 ing to ihe muinmast of a brig, fast to the 

 liiorc ill liiv muuth of the Mule, and which 



267 



we had steered for, as the guide to our po. 

 sition. 



Thus commenced afire as animated and 

 well supporte<l as, I believe, was ever wit- 

 nessed, from a quarter before three until 

 nine, without intermission, and which did 

 not cease altogether until half past eleven. 

 The ships immediately following me weit 

 admirably and coolly taking their stations, 

 with a precision even beyond my most san- 

 guine hope; and never did the Briiish flag 

 leceive, on any occasion, more zealous and 

 honourable support. To look further on 

 th« line than immediately round me was 

 perfectly impossible, but so well grounded 

 was my confidence in the gallant Officers 

 I had the honour to coramanil, that my mind 

 was left perfectly free to attend to other 

 objects, and I knew them in their stations 

 only by the destructive effect of their fire 

 upon the walls and batteries to which they 

 were opposed. 



I had about this time the satisfaction of 

 seeing Vice-Admiral Van Cappellen's Hag 

 in theftution I had assigned to him, and 

 soon after, at intervals, the reinaindec of 

 his frigates, keeping up a well supported 

 fire on the flanking batteries he had offered 

 to cover ns from, as it had not been in my 

 power, for want of room, to bring him in 

 the tiont of the Mole. 



About siin-spt I received a message from 

 Rear-Admiral Mihie, conveying to me th« 

 severe loss the Impregnable was sustain- 

 ing, having then one hundred and fifty kil- 

 led and wounded, and requesting ,1 would, 

 if possible, send him a frigate to divert 

 some of the fire he was under. 



The Glasgow, near me, immediately 

 weighed, but the wind had been drivea 

 away by the cannonade, and she was 

 obliged to anchor again, having obtained 

 rather a better position than before. 



I had at this time sent orders to the ev- 

 plosion vessel, under the charge of Lieu- 

 tenant Fleming and Mr. Parker, by Cap- 

 tain Keadc of the engineers, to bring her 

 into the Mole; but the Kear-Admiral 

 liaving thought she would do him essential 

 service if exploded under the battery in his 

 front, I sent orders to this vesocl to that 

 cfTect, which were executed. I desired 

 also tiie Rcar-Adii:iral might be informed, 

 that many of the ships being now in flames, 

 and certain of the destructicn of the whole, 

 I considered I had executed the most im- 

 portant part of my instructions, and should 

 make every preparation for withdrawing 

 the ships, and desired he would do so as 

 soon as possible with his division. 



There were awful moments during tlis 

 conflict, which I cannot now attempt to 

 describe, occasioned by firing the ships so 

 near us, and I had long resisted the eager 

 entreaties of several around me, to make 

 the attempt upon the outer frigate, distant 

 about one hundred yards, which at length 

 I ^^ave iuto, and Major Cosset, by my sidCi 

 M lu 2 wh« 



