S6-2 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1804. 



taken in the night ; but, that you 

 may be possessed of the best infor- 

 mation in that rchpecl, I sent the 

 Fox cutter, whose master is an ac- 

 tive inteliigt<nt man, and well ac- 

 quainted with Fort Rouge, to re- 

 connoitre the place as close as pos- 

 sible without risk ; and I annex his 

 report to lieut. Stewart's, as the 

 cirare t account that can be given of 

 the able and officer-like manner in 

 which the Susannah was placed, and 

 the evident consequences of such an 

 applicadon, even lindcr ciicuni- 

 stanccs of considerable disadvantage, 

 I very much regret that Mr. Bar- 

 tholomew could not fetch the port ; 

 for J am positive he would have 

 Jashed the carcass to the piles; lie, 

 however, very prudently returned 

 with it to the Dart; and, although 

 soiMt'thing prevonU'd the second car- 

 cass Irom^oing oli", which evidently 

 had been striking against the piles, 

 from the indention at one end, yet- 

 he recovered and brought it also on 

 board. I am most perfertly satis- 

 fied with tliezcal and activity which 

 captain Brownrigg manifested on 

 this occasion ; the Dart was admi- 

 rably placed, and every assistance 

 aflbrded from her that could ensure 

 the success of this service, which 

 must now be considered as confined 

 to the etiorts of the Susannah : and 

 1 take this opportunity of most par- 

 ticularly recommending lieut.Ste wart 

 to your lordship's notice ; which, I 

 hope, will also be extended to Mr. 

 Bartholomew, notwithstanding he 

 •ould not fetch the battery ; and 

 your lordship must be alive to the 

 enterprising condu6t of these two 

 officers on former occasions. I can- 

 not conclude my report without as- 

 suring your lordship, that lieut. 

 Lake, of the Locust guu-brig, who 

 was appoiutcd to cover th« boats, 

 2 



behaved in a most exemplary man- 

 ner, by keeping so close in as to 

 draw all the fire upon his own ves- 

 sel ; and I have great satisfaction in 

 stating, that not an officer or man 

 was hurt in this operation. I hav* 

 the honour to be, &c. &c. 



II, Popham. 



Sir, Dart, Dec. 10. 



In ])ursnance of your instructions, 

 and according to the arrangement 

 you made for the attempt on Fort 

 llouge only, I left this ship at two 

 A. M. and proceeded in shore with 

 the explosion vessel in my charge, 

 until the water shoaled to two and 

 a half fathoms, when I tacked, and 

 stood off so as to enable me to fetch 

 the battery, which I did about half- 

 past two, and, placing her bowsprit 

 between the piles, left her in that 

 situation. In a tew minutes I ob- 

 served her swing with her broadsid* 

 to the battery, in consequence of 

 the bowsprit being carried away ; 

 and as an anchor was dropped th« 

 instant she struck the piles, I had 

 not the smallest doubt of her remain- 

 ing there until the explosion took 

 place, which was in a few minutes ; 

 I could not fetch the covering brig, 

 and as it had every appearance of 

 coming on to blow from the S. E. 

 in which quarter it was when I left 

 the Dart, I hope you will excuse 

 my running in the galley to th« 

 Downs. II. Stewart. 



Fox Cutter, o[f Calais, 

 Sir, Dec. 9. 



According to your order, I pro- 

 ceeded off Fort Rouge, and examin- 

 ed it very stri6tly. As I proceeeded 

 towards the shore, I saw a great 

 quantity of plank and timber float, 

 ing, and would have picked up some 

 but was afraid I should Iq^e the tide, 



as 



