a 
588 
three brigs, which the Pallas cut 
out from the harbour, though sup- 
ported by the batteries ashore. ‘The 
Pallas being reduced to a mere 
wreck, was obliged to abandon the 
contest,in consequence of three other 
French frigates arriving in sight. 
The French frigate which sustain- 
ed the action, was beaten almost to 
pieces.—In this affair the Pallas had 
one marine, named Thompson, kill- 
ed; and Mr. Andrews, midship- 
man, with four seameu, slightly 
wounded. 
; 
Letter from Sir Sidney Smith, dated 
Pompee, at anchor off Sealia, May 
24, containing an Account of Pro- 
ceedings in Calabria. 
My torp, 
J arrived at Palermo in the Pom- 
pee on the 2Ist of Jast month, and 
took on me the command of the 
squadron your lordship has dove 
me the honour to place under my 
orders. I found things in the state 
that may be well imagined, on the 
government being displaced from its 
capital, with the loss of one of the 
two kingdoms, and the dispersion 
of the army assembled in Calabria. 
The judicious arrangement made by 
eapt. Sotheron of the ships under 
his orders, and the position of the 
British army under sir J. Stuart at 
Messina, had, however, prevented 
farther mischief.—I had the satistac- 
tion oflearning that Gaeta stil] held 
out,although as yet without succour, 
from a mistaken idea, much too 
prevalent, that the progress of the 
French armies is irresistible. It 
was my first care to see that the ne- 
cessary supplies should be safely 
conveyed to the governor. I had 
the inexpressible satisfaction of con- 
veying the most essential articles to 
3 
~ place. 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1806. 
Gaeta, and of communicating to his 
serene highness the governor (on 
the Breach battery, which he never 
quits), the assurance of farther sup- 
port toany extent within my power, 
for the maintenance of that impor- 
tant fortress, hitherto so long pre- 
served by his intrepidity and exam- 
ple. Things wore anew aspect on 
the arrival of the ammunition ; the 
redoubled fire of the enemy with red 
hot shot into the Mole (being an- 
swered with redoubled vigour) did 
not prevent the landing of every 
thing we had brought, together with 
four of the Excellent’s lower deck 
guns, to answer this galling fire, 
which bore directly on the landing 
A second convoy, with the 
Intrepid, placed the garrison bes 
yond the immediate want of any 
thing essential ; and the enemy, 
from advancing his nearest ap- 
proaches within 250 yards, was re- 
duced to the defensive, in a degree 
dreading one of those sorties which 
the prince of Hesse had already 
shewn him his garrison was equal to, 
and which was become a much 
safer operation, now that the flank. 
ing fire of eight Neapolitan gun-_ 
boats I had brought with me, in ad- 
dition to four his highness had al. 
ready used successfully, would co- 
ver it, even to the rear of the ene. 
my’s trenches. Arrangements were 
put in a train for this purpose ; 
and, according to a wise suggestion 
of his serene highness, measures 
were taken for the embarkation of 
a small party from the garrison to 
Jand in the rear of the enemy’s bat- 
teries to the northward. J} confided 
the execution of the naval part of 
this arrangement to capt. Richard- 
son, of H. M. S. Juno, putting the 
Neapolitan frigate and gun-boats 
under his orders. His serene high- 
ness, 
