Page:Royal Naval Biography Marshall sp2.djvu/461

 spirits on the occasion. Her majesty danced with Captain Peyton, to whom, and to his officers, in return for this unexpected entertainment, a fête champetre was given, followed by a masked ball at the theatre; while the crew of the Weazle were regaled with the best productions of the island in abundance.

Captain Peyton was posted into the Minstrel of 20 guns, Sept. 26, 1811; from which period he appears to have been employed on the coasts of Valencia and Catalonia until nearly the end of the war.

On the 10th Aug. 1812, Captain Peyton observed three French privateers lying under the protection of the strong fortress of Benidorme, between Alicant and Cape St. Martin. Finding that their place of rendezvous was discovered, two of them hauled ashore, landed six of their guns, and erected a battery on the beach, which was manned by their joint crews, amounting to 80 men, chiefly Genoese: under these circumstances, he could do no more than prevent their escape.

On the night of Aug. 12, a cutter was sent to row guard near the shore, under the command of Mr. Michael Dwyer, a gentleman who had been made a lieutenant nearly five months before, but was still ignorant of his promotion. This young officer considered, that if he could take the privateers’ battery, he might be able to capture and bring out the vessel, which still continued afloat. With this view he had questioned some Spaniards who came from the town, and they all agreed in stating that the enemy had retreated, leaving only 30 men in the battery and 20 in the castle. Greatly as the force in the battery, even according to this information, exceeded his own, he relied upon the courage and steadiness of his boat’s-crew, only 7 in number, determined upon the attempt, and accordingly landed, at 9-30 P.M. about 3 miles to the westward of the town.

The moment his gallant little band began to advance, they were challenged by a French sentinel: Mr. Dwyer answered in Spanish, that they were peasants, and they continued their march till they reached the battery, which was instantly 