Page:Royal Naval Biography Marshall sp2.djvu/310

 line the streets through which H.R.H. passed, first to the Rear-Admiral’s hotel, and thence to his barge, were those regiments of militia who had volunteered to serve abroad under the Duke of Buckingham and Sir Watkin Williams Wynn. It is no less remarkable, that among other combinations caused by the late long and sanguinary wars, the soldiers of Brunswick were also brigaded on this occasion!

Whilst at Bourdeaux, some of Rear-Admiral Penrose’s officers met those who had belonged to the corvette burnt at Talmont, and talked over the late occurrences in a friendly way; but not one of the Frenchmen could be brought to believe that the Egmont had entered the river with all her guns on board, as the Regulus was the first ship of her class that was ever known to have been sent into the Gironde, and the pilot that conducted her thither from Aix roads, was admitted into the Legion of Honor and rewarded with a pension, though she had been lightened of her guns and stores. The retort of one of the British officers was most excellent:–

“If the Egmont could not come in with, her guns on board, why did the Regulus, fully armed and manned, run away?”

To form a correct opinion of the difficulties of the enterprise we have been describing, a reference to the chart is necessary; and to judge of the able manner in which it was conducted, it should be known that the above-mentioned services, and the capture of 60 pieces of ordnance, many thousand stand of arms, and an immense quantity of ammunition, in different vessels, at various periods, were effected by the squadron under Rear-Admiral Penrose, without the most trifling injury being sustained by any of H.M. ships, or the loss of life to any British subject.

Rear-Admiral Penrose subsequently proceeded to Passages, for the purpose of facilitating and superintending the embarkation of the army, stores, &c. destined to America. In the execution of that service, the general tenor of his public and private conduct drew forth the eulogiums of the respective officers commanding divisions and brigades. He returned to Plymouth in the Porcupine, and struck his flag Sept. 12, 1814.

