1808	Boats of Kent and Wizard at Noli	87

in the face of a heavy fire from the batteries and troops on the beach.

The prize having bilged, it was impossible to get her off: the British, therefore, were obliged to be contented with destroying her. Captain Brenton, having again volunteered, proceeded with a party to destroy the French schooner, then also on shore. By 9 a.m., after overcoming a resistance that wounded Mr. Joshua Jones, the master of the Amaranthe, and killed one and wounded three seamen belonging to the Express, the British set fire to and burnt the schooner. But for the rash act of Lieutenant Crooke (and yet who, under such circumstances, could refrain ?) the whole of this enterprise would have been accomplished with a very slight loss. As it was, the loss amounted to 12 killed, 31 wounded, and 26 missing; a part of the latter probably drowned, the remainder prisoners.

The other corvette, the Papillon, appears to have reached St.-Pierre unseen by any British ship, and on the 19th, in the morning, the Amphitrite was discovered, close to Pigeon island, by the British 38-gun frigate Ethalion, Captain Thomas Cochrane, 18-gun ship-sloop Star, Captain William Paterson, and advice-boat Express. The French frigate, being to windward and ably manoeuvred, managed to escape into Fort-Royal bay, after receiving a few ineffectual shot from the Ethalion and Star. The remaining French frigate, the Junon, arrived safe at Guadaloupe.

On the 14th of November, at 8 h. 30 m. a.m., the British 64-gun ship Polyphemus, Captain William Pryce Cumby, cruising off the city of Santo-Domingo, despatched her boats in chase of the French national schooner Colibri, of three carriage-guns and 63 men, commanded by a lieutenant de vaisseau, which was attempting to enter the road. At 9 h. 20 m. Lieutenant Joseph Daly, with the barge, in the face of a heavy fire of grape and musketry, boarded and carried the schooner. In accomplishing this very gallant service, the barge had one marine killed ; and the French, in defending their vessel, had one man killed and five wounded.

On the 1st of August the British 74-gun ship Kent, Captain Thomas Rogers, and 16-gun brig -sloop Wizard, Captain William Ferris, running along the coast of Italy from Genoa to Cape Del Melle, discovered a convoy of 10 sail of coasters deeply laden, lying at anchor, under the protection of a gun-boat, close to the beach abreast of the town of Noli. As there appeared a chance, by a prompt attack, of bringing out the vessels before the enemy had time to collect his force, Captain Rogers despatched the boats of the Kent and Wizard, under the orders of Lieutenant William Cashman, second of the Kent, assisted by Lieutenants James Lindsay and Fairfax Moresby. Captain of marines Henry Rea, and Lieutenants of marines John Hanlon and Patrick Grant, also of that ship, and

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