30G 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1810. 



14. Account of the operations 

 of the British force under theconi- 

 mand of capt. Wainwright, against 

 the pirates in the Persian Gulf. 



In November, 1809, the prin- 

 cipal town Ras Alkhyma, with 

 other settlements, and upwards of 

 fifty vessels, were destroyed. 

 Afterwards twenty more vessels, 

 in the port of Linga ; also eleven 

 more in the port of Luft. 



AUGUST. 



4. Dispatch from lieutenant- 

 general sir John Stuart, dated 

 Messina, June 11, informing of the 

 destruction of a convoy of enemy's 

 vessels, between Bagnara and 

 Palmi, by captain Reade of the 

 British flotilla, engaged in defend- 

 ing Sicily. The capture was four- 

 teen gun-boats, each carrying a 

 long eighteen-pounder: the re- 

 mainder was store-boats, laden 

 with ammunition, in all to the 

 number of forty. 



From Admiral Cotton commu- 

 nicating an account of an action of 

 the Spartan frigate. May 3, with 

 aFrench force in the bay of Naples, 

 consisting of the Ceres frigate, of 

 forty-two guns and 350 men ; se- 

 verely crippled, escaped under 

 the batteries. — Fame corvette, of 

 twenty-eight guns and 260 men ; 

 lost her fore-top-mast, and other- 

 wise crippled. — LeSparviere brig, 

 of eight guns and ninety-eight 

 men ; taken. — Achilles cutter, of 

 ten guns and eighty men, escaped 

 under the batteries. — Eight gun- 

 boats, each with one twenty-four 

 pounder and ten men ditto. — Re- 

 capitulation, ninety-six guns and 

 1,108 men. Captain Brenton com- 

 manded the Spartan, and was 

 wounded. Killet'. ten ; wounded 

 twenty-two. 



This combat passed within 



sight of the city of Naples ; the 

 inhabitants saw with astonishment 

 their numerous vessels return un- 

 successful. 



Account of the capture of the 

 island of St. Maura, by captain 

 Eyre, of the Magnificent. 



Account from captain Maxwell, 

 dated 26, of the Alceste, of the 

 storming of several batteries on 

 the coast of France, in the bay of 

 Agaue, with an attack on the ves* 

 sels, in which the following were 

 captured: Santa Maria, of six 

 guns, twenty men, and ninety 

 tons, from Marseilles, bound to 

 Naples, laden with wax, wine, 

 leather, &c.— Porto Salno, of four 

 guns, twenty men, and 100 tons, 

 from Marseilles, bound to Naples, 

 laden with wax, wine, leather, &c. 

 and others. 



Account of a spirited attack on 

 a French convoy, by the boats of 

 the Success, captain Ayscough, 

 and the Espoir (companion of the 

 Spartan, captain Brenton) but not 

 completely successful, owing to 

 three of the boats striking, while 

 pressing forward, on a sunken 

 rock, by which misfortune two 

 men were drowned. Their ammu- 

 nition being wet, the officers and 

 men swam to the beach with cut- 

 lasses in their mouths, when the 

 enemy fired upon thera from two 

 long six-pounders and four wall- 

 pieces; they being secreted behind 

 the rocks, were not perceived un- 

 til the boats grounded. The ene- 

 my's fire served only to increase 

 the zeal of the party, and their 

 perseverance so intimidated the 

 enemy, that they deserted their 

 guns, and retreated to the houses 

 which were near, keeping up a 

 heavy fire of musquetry from the 

 windows; but being also dislodged 

 from them, they fled into the 



