APPENDIX to the CHRONICLE. 



535 



tne, at the peril of his own life, — 

 and enabled me to recover my sword. 

 At this time all the men were come 

 from the boats, and were in pos- 

 session of the deck. Two were 



in the pursuit of this object I may 

 have left material facts a little too 

 indefinite, if not obscure. The 

 Atalante's captain and four others 

 were killed ; eleven are, wounded, 



going to fall upon the captain at and so dreadfully that our surgeon 

 once. 1 ran up — held them back, thinks every one of them will die. 

 — and then adjured him to accept To the end of my existence 1 shall 



quarters. Vv'^ith inflexible heroism he 

 disdained the gift, — kej3t us at bay, 

 and compelled us to kill him — he fell, 

 covered with honourable wounds. 

 The vessel was ours, and we secured 

 the hatches, which, headed by a 

 lieutenant, who has received a des- 

 perate wound, they attenipted re- 

 peatedly to force. Thus far we had 

 been fortunate ; — but we had another 

 enemy to fight; it was the element. 

 A sudden gal«, and shifted against 

 us, impeded all the efforts we could 

 make. But, as we had made the 

 capture, we determiiijed at all events 

 to sustain it, or to perish. We 

 made the Dutch below surrender — 

 put forty of them into their own 

 irons, — and stationed our men to 

 their guns ; brought the powder up, 

 and made all the necessary arrange- 

 ments to attack the other brig. 

 But as the day broke, and without 

 abatement of the wind, she was off, 

 at such a distance, and in such a po- 

 sition, that we had no change to 

 reach her. In this extremify of pe- 

 ril M'e remained eight and forty 

 hours. Two of the boats had 

 broke a-drift from us ; two had 

 swampt alongside. The wind shift- 

 ed again, and we made a push 

 to extricate ourselves, but found 

 the navigation so difficult, that it 

 required the intense labour of three 

 days to accomplish it. We carried 

 the point at last, and were com- 

 mended by the admiral for our per- 

 severance. You will see in the Ga- 

 zette my letter to him. I aimed at 



regret the captain — he was a perfect 

 hero; and, if his crew had been 

 like him, critical indeed would have 

 been our peril. The Atalante is 

 much larger than my vessel ; and she 

 mounted 16 long twelve pounders: 

 we have not a single brig that is 

 equal to that calibre. Her intended 

 complement was 200 men; — but she 

 had only 76 on-board. I expect 

 your joy by the return of the post. 



P. S. In two days after the cap- 

 tain's death, he was buried m ith all 

 the naval honours in my power to 

 bestow upon him; during the cere- 

 mony of his interment, the English 

 colours disappeared, and the Dutch 

 were hoisted in their place. All the 

 Dutch officers were liberated — one 

 of them pronounced an eloge on the 

 hero they had lost — and we fired 

 three volleys over him as he de- 

 scended into the deep. 



Ever affectionately, 



and gratefully yours, 

 Geo. N. Hardinse. 



Ceremonial of the Presentation of 

 Colours to the Loyal London Vo- 

 lunteers, May 18th, 1804. 



At eight o'clock this morning the 

 different regiments repaired to the 

 places appointed for their embarka- 

 tion, which was thus arranged : la 

 the first boats, the commander and 

 field officers, adjutants excepted. 

 2d, The band. 3d, The Regiment. 



modesty, and am a little afraid that 4th, Theadjutant uud quartcr-mas- 



M m 4 tor. 



♦ Vide Chronicle, p. 379. 



