214 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1812. 



OP the bank. Captain Andrew, on 

 being recalled, placed his brig very 

 judiciously on the bow of the line 

 of battle ship, within pistol shot, 

 and in that situation he gave her 

 three broadsides. The enemy for 

 nearly the last two hours had been 

 rendered perfectly unmanageable, 

 and had kept up a very slow fire, 

 and that chiefly from two guns on 

 the quarter-deck ; her mizen mast 

 fell over her side about a quarter 

 before nine o'clock. At nine they 

 hai'sd us, and said they had struck ; 

 I sent on board Mr. Peake, the 

 first lieutenant, to take possession 

 of her. I found the squadron we 

 had engaged consisted of two gun- 

 boats, the Mameluke brig of 10 

 guns, and Jena and Mercure of 18 

 guns each, with the Rivoli of 74- 

 guns, bearing the broad pendant of 

 Commo. Barre, the commander-in- 

 chief of the enemy's forces in the 

 Adriatic. From the length of the 

 action, and the smoothness of tiie 

 water, the loss of men and the da- 

 mages on both sides, I am sorry to 

 say, have been very great indeed, 

 neither ship having been above half 

 musket shot from each olher during 

 the whole of the action, which 

 only ceased at intervals, when the 

 ships were hid from each other by 

 the fog and smoke, and were not 

 even able to see the flashes of each 

 other's guns. 



I feel great satisfaction in saying 

 that the conduct of Commo. Barre, 

 during the whole of the action, 

 convinced me I had to deal with a 

 most gallant and b'ave man, and, 

 in manoeuvring his ship, a most ex- 

 perienced and skilful officer. He 

 did not surrender his ship till nearly 

 twohours aftershe wasrendered un- 

 manageable, and had 400 killed 

 or wounded ; his captain and most 



of his officers either killed or 

 wounded. By the returns you will 

 perceive, sir, that our loss, too, 

 has been very severe. I have to 

 regret, as well as the service, the 

 loss of two very fine young men, 

 Lieutenants Thomas H. Griffiths 

 and Robert S. Ashbridge, of the 

 royal marines, who were mortally 

 wounded early in the action, with 

 many other brave and good men, 

 both seamen and marines. The 

 conduct of the officers has been 

 throughout highly meritorious both 

 during the action, and also in se- 

 curing the masts' of the ship, in 

 the very bad weather we met before 

 we gained theport of Lissa. Having 

 received a contusion from a splinter 

 early in the action, for some days 

 afterwards I have been deprived 

 nearly of my eye-sight ; all which 

 time the exertions by Mr. Peake, 

 my senior lieutenant, prevented 

 my inability from being of any de- 

 triment to his Majesty's service. 

 The Rivoli, in crossing the Gulph 

 of Fiume, lost her fore and main- 

 masts; but by the exertions of 

 Lieutenants Whyte and Coffin, 

 who had charge of her, she was 

 brought safe into the port of Lissa 

 under jury-masts. I feel particu- 

 larly indebted to Captain Andrew, 

 of the Weazle, for his exertions 

 during the action, and also for the 

 assistance he gave to the Rivoli 

 afterwards. I have sent enclosed a 

 copy of his letter, reporting to me 

 his conduct, and that of his officers 

 and crew during the night of the 

 action. He particularly mentions 

 his senior lieutenant, whom he 

 strongly recommends to the notice 

 of the commander-in-chief. The 

 numbers of wounded, and the se- 

 verity of the wounds, have caused 

 Mr. Baird, the surgeon, and Mr. 



0'Meara, 



