APPENDIX TO CHRONICLE. 



217 



ed to my command, to prevent a 

 useless waste of valuable lives, and, 

 at the request of the surviving offi- 

 cers and men, I gave the painful 

 orders for the colours to be struck. 



Lieutenant Hicks, of the Finch, 

 had the mortification to strike on a 

 reef of rocks, to the eastward of 

 Crab island, about the middle of 

 the engagement, which prevented 

 his rendering that assistance to the 

 squadron, that might, from an offi- 

 cer of such ability, have been ex- 

 pected. 



The misfortune which this day 

 befel usby capture, will, Sir, I trust, 

 apologize for the lengthly detail 

 which, in justice to the sufferers, 

 I have deemed necessary to give of 

 the particulars which led to it; and 

 when it is taken into consideration 

 that the Confiance was sixteen days 

 before on the stocks, with an un- 

 organized crew composed of seve- 

 ral drafts of men who had recently 

 arrived from different ships at 

 Quebec, many of whom only join- 

 ed the day before, and were totally 

 unknown either to the officers or to 

 each other, with the want of gun- 

 locks, as well as other necessary 

 appointments not to be procured in 

 this country, I trust you will feel 

 satisfied of the decided advantage 

 the enemy possessed, exclusive of 

 their great superiority in poitit of 

 Ibrce, a comparative statement 

 [the account of the British force 

 has not been transmitted] of which 

 I have the honour to annex. It 

 now becomes the most pleasing 

 part of my present duty to notice 

 to you the determined skill and 

 bravery of the officers and men in 

 this unequal contest ; but it grieves 

 me to state, that the loss sustained 

 in maintaining it has been so great ; 



that of the enemy, I understand, 

 amounts to something more than 

 the same number. 



The fine style in which Captain 

 Downie conducted the squadron 

 into action, amidst a tremendous 

 fire, without returning a shot, until 

 secured, reflects the greatest credit 

 to his memory, for his judgment 

 and coolness, as also on Lieutenants 

 M'Ghee and Hicks for so strictly 

 attending to his example and in- 

 structions : their own accounts of 

 the capture of their respective ves- 

 sels, as well as tliat of Lieutenant 

 Robertson who succeeded to the 

 command of the Confiance, will, 

 I feel assured, do ample justice to 

 the merits of the officers and men 

 serving: under their immediate com- 

 mand ; but I cannot omit noticing 

 the individual conduct of Lieute- 

 nants Robertson, Creswick, and 

 Hornby, and Mr. Bryden, master, 

 for their particular exertion in en- 

 deavouring to bring the Confiance's 

 starboard side to bear on the ene- 

 my, after most of their guns were 

 dismounted on the other. 



It is impossible for me to express 

 to you my admiration of the offi- 

 cers and ci'ew serving under my 

 personal orders ; their coolness and 

 steadiness, the effect of which was 

 proved by their irresistible fire di- 

 rected towards the brig opposed to 

 us, claims my warmest acknow- 

 ledgments, but more particularly 

 for preserving the samesolongafter 

 the whole strength of the enemy 

 had been directed against the Lin- 

 net alone. My first Lieutenant, 

 Mr. Wm. Drew, whose merits I 

 have before had the honour to re- 

 port to you, behaved on this occa- 

 sion in the most exemplary manner. 

 By the death of Mr. Paul, acting 



