GENERAL HISTORY. 



[139 



enumerated. She had at the com- 

 mencement only 506 actually on 

 board, of whom 60 were on the 

 sick list. Of the French brig en- 

 gaged with the Weazel, which 

 blew up, only three men were 

 saved ; the Weazel did not lose 

 a single man. Few actions in any 

 year have aflorded more convincing 

 proof of the superiority of British 

 seamanship. 



A spirited action on a small 

 scale was reported in March by 

 Mr. Harvey, commander of the 

 sloop Rosario, off Dieppe. On the 

 27th of that month, in the morn- 

 ing, he observed an enemy's flo- 

 tilla, consisting of 12 brigs and one 

 lugger, standing along shore, and 

 immediately made sail, with the in- 

 tention of cutting of the leeward- 

 most. The flotilla formed into a 

 line, and engaged the Rosario as 

 she passed ; and when she luffed 

 up to attack the sternmost, they 

 all bore up to support her, and en- 

 deavoured to close with the sloop. 

 The commander, not chusing with 

 his small force to run the risk of 

 being boarded, bore away to a brig 

 in the offing, which proved to be 

 the Griffin, Captain Trollope, and 

 made the signal for an enemy, 

 which was answered. He then im- 

 mediately hauled his wind, and 

 pursuing the flotilla, which was 

 making all sail for Dieppe, began 

 to harass the rear, and at length 

 dashed into the midst of them, re- 

 ceiving and returning their whole 

 fire. He disabled some, and ran 

 others on shore, before he was 

 joined by the Griffin, which could 

 not come up sooner. Capt. Trol- 

 lope gallantly contributed his part ; 

 and the result was, the capturing 

 three of the enemy, driving two 

 on shore, and much damaging the 



others. This flotilla was proceed- 

 ing from Boulogne to Cherbourg : 

 each brig carried three long brass 

 24-pounders, and an eight-inch 

 brass howitzer, with a complement 

 of 50 men ; and they were ai^sisted 

 by batteries oti shore, keeping up 

 a constant fire of shot and shells. 

 The loss on board the Rosario was, 

 however, only five wounded. 



The account of a successful at- 

 tempt to intercept two French 

 frigates and a brig offTOrient, was 

 communicated in a letter dated 

 May 24th, from Captain Hotham, 

 of the Northumberland, to Rear- 

 Admiral Sir H. B. Neale. The 

 writer states, that having, accord- 

 inc to orders, proceeded off 

 rOrient with the Growler gun- 

 brig in company, the French ves- 

 sels were descried on the morning 

 of the 22nd, the N. W. point of 

 isle Groa bearing N. from the 

 Northumberland ten miles distant, 

 crowding all sail to get into the 

 port of rOrient. Capt. Hotham's 

 first endeavour was to cut them off 

 to windward of the island ; but 

 not being able to effect this, he 

 caused the Northumberland to be 

 pushed round the S. E. end of 

 Groa, and got to windward of the 

 harbour's mouth before the enemy 

 could reach it. He continued to 

 beat to windward between Groa 

 and the continent in order to close 

 with them, unavoidably exposed 

 to the fire of the batteries on each 

 side when within their range. The 

 enemy, after some consultation, at 

 kngth bore up in a close line with 

 every sail set, and made a bold 

 attempt to run between the North- 

 umberland and the shore, under 

 cover of the numerous batteries 

 with which it is there lined, Capt. 

 Hotham placed his ship to meet 



them 



