Page:Royal Naval Biography Marshall sp3.djvu/408

 . On the 30th Oct. following, he reported to Vice-Admiral Sir Pulteney Malcolm, commander-in-chief on that station, the submission of the last hold of the Turks in the Peloponnesus: the following is an extract of his official letter to that officer:–

“In obeying your order to act in concert with the senior officer of his Most Christian Majesty’s ships, I have had the good fortune of finding myself associated with those distinguished officers, Captains Mauduit Duplessis, of la Duchesse de Berri; Hugon, of l’Armide; and Villeneuve, of la Didon; and in detailing the proceedings of the Blonde, I at the same time describe those of the French frigates; for I assure you, that throughout an arduous service of twelve days and nights, in very unfavourable weather, the most perfect concert and hearty co-operation have been invariably manifested.

“On the 18th instant. General Schneider expressed a wish that four 18-pounders should be landed from each ship; and in less than four hours they were on shore, with all their appointments; the difficulties occasioned by the surf on the beach being overcome by the fine spirit which animated all, French and English being in the water mutually assisting each other. In this operation, the zeal and intelligence of Lieutenant Thomas Saumarez Brock were very conspicuous.

“On the 20th instant. Lieutenants Alfred Luckraft and Sidney Colpoys Dacrcs; Messrs. Mockler, Hay, Blair, and Austen, mates; and Messrs. de Saumarez, Kennedy, Hawkins, and Dor, midshipmen, landed with a party of seamen and commenced making the batteries, under the direction of the French officers of engineers and artillery.

“At nine o’clock on the 22d, the battery opened its fire on Morca Castle, and in a few hours silenced the guns opposed to it; but as the army advanced in their approaches to the breaching battery, the castle opened fresh guns, which rendered it necessary for the marine battery to fire at intervals, for eight days and nights.

“Last evening, the guns of the frigates, with two 24-pounders, which Admiral de Rigny landed from the Conquerant on his arrival, and such of the battering train as the weather enabled us to disembark, were fairly established in the two breaching batteries, named by Lieut.-Gen. Maison, Charles X. and George IV., the French and English guns being promiscuously placed in each; and at day-light this morning, together with the mortar battery and the AEtna bomb, opened such a tremendous fire on the castle as to produce, in four hours, an unconditional surrender.

“I am sure you will be glad to find, that the zeal and professional talent exhibited by Captain Stephen Lushington, his officers, and ship’s company, have excited the admiration of all.

“The AEtna was worked up in the night, under reefed courses, and close reefed topsails, anchored, and sprung, with such precision, within