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626  Murray, who had succeeded to the chief command on that station, “''the persevering conduct of Captains Rowley and Joyce, merited the highest encomiums. They had to drag the cannon for miles through swamps, and the men were always harnessed to them.''”

After the failure of the attack upon that city, our officer returned to the Cape of Good Hope, on which station he greatly distinguished himself, as will appear from the following imperfect outline of the transactions in which he was engaged.

The harbour of St. Paul’s having long been the rendezvous of those French cruizers, and such of their prizes as had escaped the vigilance of the British men of war stationed off the Isle of France, and la Caroline frigate having succeeded in entering that port with two homeward bound Indiamen richly laden, Captain Rowley, who commanded the blockade of the Isles of France and Bourbon, determined to attack the place, provided he could obtain the assistance of a detachment of troops from Roderiguez. Having communicated his plan to Lieutenant-Colonel Keating, commanding the garrison there, that officer immediately acceded to the measure, and in the most handsome manner embarked with all the troops that could be spared from the defence of the island. As secrecy and despatch were essential to the success of the expedition, the whole of the force intended to be landed, consisting of 368 soldiers, 100 seamen, and 136 marines, were put on board the Nereide frigate, and at dusk on the evening of the 20th Sept., 1809, the squadron proceeded for the Isle of Bourbon.

