62 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1794. 



to resist onr attempt to come on 

 boar:). The scene of conflnijration 

 around themjieightened by the iate 

 tremendousexplosion, had, however, 

 awakened their fears for their lives. 

 Thinking; this to be the case, I ad- 

 dressed them, expressing my readi- 

 ness to land them in a p'ace ot safe- 

 ty, if they would submit ; and they 

 thanVfulh' accepted tijeotfer, shew- 

 ing themselves to be completely in- 

 timidated, ai.d very grateful for our 

 humane intentions towards then), in 

 rot attempting to burn them with 

 the ship. It was necessary to pro- 

 ceed with j)recaution, as they were 

 nioie numerous than ourselves. We 

 at lengthcomplrtedtheii disembark- 

 ation, and then set her on fne. On 

 this occasion, I h-id nearly lost my 

 vaHiable friend and assistant, lieute- 

 nant Miller, of the Windsor-Cr.stle, 

 who had staid so long on board to 

 insure the fire taking, that it gained 

 on him suddenly, and it was not 

 without being very much scorched,, 

 and the risk of being suffocated, liiat 

 we could approach tiie ship to take 

 him in. The loss to the service 

 would have been ve»y great, had we 

 Dot succeeded in our endeavours to 

 save him. Mr.'Knight, midshipman 

 of the Windsor-Castle, who was in 

 the boat with me, shewed much ac- 

 tivity and address on t lie occasion, 

 as well as firmness, througliout the 

 day. 



Tlie explosion of a second pow- , 

 der-vessel, equally unexpected, and 

 with a shock even sreater tlian the 

 f)rst,again put us iu the most iirinii- 

 nent dancer of perishing; and, when 

 it is considered that we were within 

 the sphere of the falling timber, it 

 is next to miraculous that no one 

 piece, of the many which made the 

 water foam around us, happened 

 to touch eillier the Swallow or the 

 three boats with me. 



Having now set fire to everv 

 thing within onr reach, exhausted 

 our combust ii-)lepreparatio:is and our 

 strength to such a degree that the 

 men absolutely dropped on the oars, 

 we directed our course to join the 

 fleet, running the gauntlet under a 

 tew ill-directed shot from the forts 

 of Baloguier and Aiguillctte, now 

 occupied by ll'.e enemy ; but fortu- 

 nately, wifhout toss of any kind, we 

 proceeded to the place appointed 

 for the. embarkation of the troops, 

 and took off as many as we could 

 carry. It would be injustice to 

 tho.sc (ilicers whom I have omitted 

 to name, fur their not having beeu 

 so imir.ediately under my eve, if I 

 did not acknowledge myself indebt- 

 cd to them all for their extraordi- 

 nary exertions in tl»e execution of 

 this great national object. Tlie 

 quickness with which tlie inflamma- 

 tion took effect on my signal, its 

 extent and dur.ition, are the best 

 evidences that every officer gnd man 

 was ready at his post, and firm uij- ^ 

 der most perilous circumstances. 



"V^'e can ascertain that the fire ex- 

 tended, to at least ten sail oftheline:- 

 how much farther we can'not say. 

 The loss of the general magazine, 

 and of the quantity of pitch, tar. 

 rosin, hemp, timber, cordage, and 

 -gunpowder, must considerably im- 

 pede the equipment of the few ships 

 that remain. I am scrry to havr , 

 been obliged to leave any, but 1 

 hope your lordship will be satisfied 

 that we did as much as our circum- 

 scribed means enabled us to do in 

 limited time, pressed as we wese 

 by a Ibrce so much superior to us. 



I have the honour to be, &c. 

 W. SYDNE.V SM.riH. 



lOght hon. lord Hcod, 

 Iffc. iffc. &e. 



[Plere 



