Page:Royal Naval Biography Marshall sp1.djvu/343

 by his old fighting companion, Mr. M‘Cleverty, then serving as master of the Trent.

The enemy’s vessels having hauled in under the 6-gun battery, and being evidently prepared for resistance, great caution and profound silence were absolutely necessary. At 11 P.M., the boats shoved off, with their oars well muffled; and Lieutenant Ussher had scarcely proceeded 600 yards when he fell in with and secured a canoe, which had been sent out for the purpose of rowing guard and giving timely alarm, an attack being fully expected.

On approaching the shore. Lieutenant Ussher ordered Mr. M‘Cleverty to remain out of gun-shot until he observed firing, as it was his intention to board the schooner singly, which, in the event of any severe loss, would enable the cutter to give him more efficient aid.

About 2 A.M. the schooner was perceived lying under the muzzles of the guns in the largest battery; and her crew being all asleep on the quarter-deck, she was soon afterwards silently boarded on the bow, from whence Lieutenant Ussher and his men walked aft without their shoes, and kneeling down with the points of their swords against the breasts of the Spaniards, threatened them with instant death if they gave the least alarm.

A hawser fast on deck, and another at the mast-head, were then successively cut; the schooner swung with her stern to the battery, and a well-directed fire instantaneously swept her deck, killing and wounding almost every one of the barge’s crew. Several of the prisoners were also wounded by a 24-pound shot entering the cabin, to which place they had retreated.

Finding the schooner still fast, a diver, who fortunately had escaped, went down and cut a rope which he found attached to the heel of the rudder. At this critical moment, Mr. M‘Cleverty came up and took the prize in tow: a light air off the land aided him very greatly, and he soon gained an offing. When out of range. Lieutenant Ussher left the schooner and barge in his charge, returning himself in the cutter to Aguada bay, from whence he brought out the felucca without any additional loss.

