102] ANNUAL REGISTER, 1816. 



without intermission, and con- 

 tinued partially for more than two 

 hours longer. At the beginning 

 of the action, the Dutch Vice- 

 admiral Van Capellen took his 

 assigned station, and was fol- 

 lowed by the remainder of his 

 frigates, keeping a well-supported 

 fire on the flanking batteries. 

 About sun-set the Admiral re- 

 ceived a message from rear-ad- 

 miral Milne commanding the Im- 

 pregnable, mentioning the severe 

 loss he had sustained, then 

 amounting to 150 men killed and 

 wounded, and requesting that a 

 frigate might be sent to take off 

 some of the enemy's fiie : the 

 Glasgow accordingly weighed, but 

 the wind having been laid by the 

 cannonade, she was only able to 

 obtain a more favourable position. 

 At this time orders were sent for 

 the explosion vessel to be carried 

 within the mole, but the Rear- 

 admiral thinking that he should 

 receive more benefit by exploding 

 it under the battery in his front, 

 this was directed and executed. 



The flotilla of mortar, gun, and 

 rocket boats was ably conducted, 

 and it was by its fire that all the 

 ships in. the port, with the excep- 

 tion of the outer frigate, were 

 involved in flames, which spread 

 rapidly over the whole arsenal, 

 store-house, and gun boats, af- 

 fording a spectacle of awful gran- 

 deur beyond the power of descrip- 

 tion. The shells were directed 

 with so much precision, that 

 though thrown across and o\er 

 the men of war, not an accident 

 occurred in them. The burning 

 of the enemy's ships so near the 

 British, produced several anxious 

 moments to the assailants ; and 

 it was long that the Admiral re^ 



sisted the eager entreaties of his 

 officers, to make an attempt upon 

 the outer frigate, lying about the 

 distance of 100 yards : at length 

 he yielded to the request of major 

 Gossett, who was impatient to 

 land his corps of miners, and per- 

 mitted him to accompany Lieute- 

 nant Richards to the attack, in 

 the jQueen Charlotte's barge. The 

 frigate was instantly boarded, and 

 within ten minutes was in a per- 

 fect blaze. The enterprise of a 

 gallant youngmidshipmjm is men- 

 tioned, who although forbidden, 

 followed .the barge in a rocket- 

 boat, but was desperately wound- 

 ed, and lost many of the creWj in 

 his rash attempt. 



The enemy's batteries around 

 the Admiral's division were si- 

 lenced about ten o'clock, and re- 

 duced to a state of perfect ruin ; 

 but a fort on the upper angle of 

 the city, on which the guns of the 

 fleet could not be brought to bear, 

 continued to annoy the ships with 

 shot and shells during the whole 

 combat. Indeed, there appeared 

 no want of steadiness and reso- 

 lution on the part of the mussul- 

 man defenders, who fought where- 

 ever they could mount a gun. 

 The usual land-wind from the 

 bay at length gave a desired op- 

 portunity of withdrawing the 

 ships from their still painful si- 

 tuation, and all hands were em- 

 ployed in warping and towing off, 

 tUl, about two in the moaning, 

 the whole fleet came to anchor, 

 out of the reach of shells. 



The behaviour of the noble Ad- 

 miral, and of all the officers and 

 men acting under his command, 

 on this trying day, deserved every 

 piaise which has crowned the 

 exertions of the British navy. 



"The 



