170] ANNUAL REGISTER, 1S14. 



CHAPTER XV. 



Naval Transactions, — Attempt by Sea and Land on Leghorn. — Capture 

 of La Ceres. — Capture of UAlanene and L" Iphigenie. — Capture 

 of La Terpsichore. — Capture of La Clorinde. — Capture of La 

 Sultane and L'Etoile. — Capture of the Essex American Frigate. — 

 Capture of the Frolic American Sloop. — Capture of the Reindeer' 

 British Brig by the Wasp American Sloop. — Destruction of the 

 American Privateer Gen. Arnold. 



rptHIS year, like several of the 

 •*■ preceding, has been destitute 

 of occasions for any of those great 

 actions which, in the former part 

 of the war, conferred so much 

 celebrity ou the British navy. The 

 attempts of the French ruler to re- 

 gain maritime consequence, were 

 so effectually thwarted by his 

 ambitious projects on land, and 

 their fatal results, that the equip- 

 ment of a few frigates was the 

 greatest exertion of which his na- 

 val resources were capable ; and 

 the number of those captured has 

 peculiarly distinguished the early 

 months of the year. After that pe- 

 riod, one enemy alone remained 

 to contend against the British 

 flag ; and it was only upon those 

 inland seas, on which that anta- 

 gonist possesses at least divided 

 sway, that any equal trial of 

 strength could occur. The power- 

 ful fleet blockading the American 

 coast has been chiefly employed in 

 aiding the operations of the land 

 forces, and in smal' expeditions up 

 the bays and rivers, for the pur- 

 pose of harassing the commerce, 

 and destroying the resources of 

 the enemy. In return, the Ame- 

 ricans have been extremely active 



in annoying the British trade by 

 their privateers, to which species 

 of warfare they have chiefly con- 

 fined their enterprize on the open 

 sea, their larger vessels having 

 seldom appeared out of port. 



We revert to the close of the 

 last year for a narrative of a gal- 

 lant enterprize conducted under 

 the command of Captain Sir Jo- 

 sias Rowley, of the America, in 

 conjunction with a land force of 

 Italians under Lieut.-Col. Cata- 

 nelli, the object of which was to 

 surprize the port of Leghorn. On 

 Nov. 29th, Captain Rowley sailed 

 from Palermo in company with 

 the Termagant, and having joined 

 the Furieuse and Mermaid, and 

 taken on board the Italian levy, 

 amounting to one thousand men, 

 sailed for the coast of Italy. They 

 arrived off Via Reggio on Decem- 

 ber 9th, having met with the Ar- 

 mada and Imperieuse, which were 

 detained to assist in landing the 

 troops. This service having been 

 effected, Lieutenant-Colonel Ca- 

 tanelli proceeded to Lucca, which 

 was surrendered to him, and a 

 party of marines took and destroy- 

 ed a fortified signal-station. Ca- 

 tauelli afterwards repulsed with 



