HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



135 



hitherto continued it, without a 

 single ally, or the possibility of ac- 

 quiring one, if the restless vio- 

 lence of Bonaparte did not compel 

 the greater powers of Europe into 

 a system of common defence against 

 his encroachments. 



The first military operations of 

 any consequence M-hich occurred in 

 the course of the year, was the cap- 

 ture of the English settlement of 

 Goree, on the coast of Africa, by 

 a small French force, under the 

 command of tlie chevalier Mahe, 

 which cffeftcd a landing on the rocks' 

 to the east side of the town, where 

 the surf raged with the least vio- 

 lence, on the morning of the 18th 

 of January: and having overcome 

 the small force which col. Frazer, 

 the commandant had posted there, 

 succeeded in penetrating through 

 the town, and in surprising the 

 main guard, of which he gained 

 possession, though with some loss, 

 and in the course of the day re- 

 duced colonel Frazer to the necessity 

 of capitulating ; the force of the En- 

 glish being reduced to 23 white men, 

 and that of the enemy being consider- 

 ably augmented by the landing of the 

 whole strength of the expedition, 

 •which had been fitted out at Cay- 

 enne for this purpose.* 



This conquest, however, did not 

 long remain in the hands of the ene- 

 my. On the 7th of the March follow- 

 ing, captain Dixon, of his majesty's 

 frigate Inconstant, v^ifli a store ship 

 and some sloops under his command, 

 having arrived off the island of 

 Goree, and suspecting the settle- 

 ment to be in the hands of the ene- 

 my, dispatched his first lieutenant 



to ascertain the faft : who not re- 

 turning, nor making the signal 

 agreed upon, captain Dixon com- 

 menced hostilities by cutting out a 

 ship in the harbour, and stationing 

 his small force in such a position 

 as to cut olfall succours from Sene- 

 gal. On the following morning, as 

 he was preparing to attack the 

 town, he was agreeably surprised 

 to sec the English colours hoisted 

 over the French, and shortly after, 

 received information that the garri- 

 son had capitulated to the officer 

 sent on shore! He consequently 

 stood into the harbour, anchored, 

 and disembarked a sufficient num- 

 ber of troops to secure his conquest. 

 — Thus was the settlement recap- 

 tured, and 300 black and white 

 troops made prisoners, without a 

 blow being struck. + 



Early in spring, a most heavy 

 calamity occurred to the country, 

 in the loss of the Apollo frigate, of 

 38 guqs, captain Dixon, and the 

 greater part of her convoy off Cape 

 Mondcgo, on the coast of Portugal. 

 She had sailed from the Co>e of 

 Cork, in company with his majesty's 

 ship Carysfort, and sixty-nine sail 

 of merchantmen, bound for the 

 West Indies, on the 2Gth of March. 

 On the 2nd of April, the Apollo and 

 her convoy went on shore, and with 

 difficulty 29 of the latter were saved, 

 and procewled with the Carysfort 

 frigate on their voyage. To what cir- 

 cumtance this disastrous event was 

 owing has never yet been fairly ac- 

 counted for; whether to the captain's 

 not having kept a proper reckon- 

 ing, or to his having taken charge 

 of some vessels bound for Lisbon 

 K 4 and 



* Vide Col. Frazer's dispatch. Appendix to the Chronicle, p. .^26. 

 t yide dispatch, Appendix, p. blO. 



