Page:Royal Naval Biography Marshall sp1.djvu/103

 In the action of June 26, the Cyane sustained the fire of two heavy batteries for nearly three hours, received 23 large shot in her hull, and was much cut up in her masts, yards, sails, and rigging. Her loss on this occasion consisted, according to the official return, of 2 killed, 1 mortally, and 6 slightly wounded. The enemy, in addition to their heavy gun-boats, had to regret the loss of fifteen other armed vessels, making a total of thirty-seven taken and destroyed on that occasion.

Scarcely had the enemy’s flotilla been thus disposed of, when Captain Staines observed a flag of truce flying in a battery on Point Mesino. His boats on arriving there found 15 French soldiers ready to abandon their post, which afforded the commanding officer an opportunity of spiking the guns (four 42-pounders), destroying the carriages, and bringing off all the powder, the deserters of course accompanying him. The same night. Captain Staines annoyed the enemy’s frigate, corvette, and gun-boats, in Pozzuoli bay, by throwing shot and shells among them.

At 8 A.M. on the following day, the Cyane was becalmed so near to the shore that a battery of eight 42-pounders, two 10-inch mortars, and two howitzers opened upon her, and became so troublesome by 10 o’clock, that Captain Staines determined not to put up with the annoyance any longer. He therefore got into a boat, led the flotilla under his orders to the attack, soon silenced the enemy’s fire, then landed with a party of men, gained the height on which the battery was situated, spiked the guns, &c. threw one of the mortars into the sea, and returned to his ship without the slightest accident happening either to himself or to any of his gallant subordinates.

On the same day, according to Rear-Admiral Martin’s letter, “Captains Staines and Mitford attacked the enemy’s frigate and corvette, which, with a number of gun-boats, were moving from Baiae to the mole of Naples. The action lasted from 7 till half.past 8 P.M. with the frigate (the corvette out-sailing her much, soon made the best of her way to 