Page:Royal Naval Biography Marshall sp4.djvu/397

 while employed in sounding a deep bay near Studtland, on the coast of Norway. Their subsequent capture and destruction was thus reported by Captain Byron, in an official letter to the Admiralty:

The vessels thus gallantly captured were conducted to Sheerness by Lieutenant Bruce, who was also very highly praised by Captain Byron, for his able direction of the Belvidera’s main-deck stern-chasers, in her memorable retreat from an American squadron, under Commodore Rodgers, June 23, 1812. On this occasion, one man was killed at Mr. Bruce’s quarters ; and another mortally, two severely, and himself and two men slightly wounded, by the splinters of a shot which struck an 18-pounder while he was in the act of pointing it.

We next find this gallant officer assisting at the capture of an American armed schooner, by the boats of a squadron under the orders of Captain George Burdett, whose official report was as follows:

“H.M.S. Maidstone, Lyn-Haven Bay, 9th Feb. 1813.

“Yesterday morning, at 9 a schooner was observed in the N.W. standing down the Chesapeake Bay; at the same time I made the Belvidera