Page:Royal Naval Biography Marshall v2p1.djvu/247

 Pylades on this occasion had 1 man killed and 3 wounded. Her boats, in company with others belonging to Captain Sotheron’s squadron, had in the interim obliged a large armed schooner to run ashore on the main land, in order to avoid capture.

The Crash being of a light draught of water was immediately manned, and the command of her given to Lieutenant James Slade of the Latona frigate; Lieutenant Salusbury P. Humphreys, of the Juno, was at the same time appointed to the Undaunted, a schuyt which he had cut out from under the protection of the schooner on the main, and which Captain Mackenzie ordered to be armed with two 12-pr. carronades, for the purpose of acting against a battery of 6 guns on Schiermonikoog, and the Vengeance schooner, carrying two long 24-pounders, 4 guns of smaller calibre, and 70 men, lying with a large row-boat, and several merchant vessels, near that island.

On the 13th at three P.M., the Crash and Undaunted moved on to the attack, accompanied by the launches of the Latona and Pylades, each mounting a 12-pr. carronade, and several smaller boats armed with swivels and muskets, the whole under the orders of Lieutenant Slade. Unfortunately the Crash grounded too far from her destined station to afford efficient aid to Lieutenant Humphreys, who steered his vessel steadily towards the schooner, and succeeded in getting alongside of her just after she had been deserted by her crew. The tide, however, was so rapid, that he could not hold on, and the roundness of both vessels’ sides prevented him jumping on board. He therefore seized a rope, and leaping into the sea, attempted to reach the schooner for the purpose of attaching it to her; but soon found he had no chance against the tide, and was consequently obliged to be hauled back to the Undaunted. Fortunate for him was this failure; for scarcely had he obtained footing on his own deck, when an explosion took place on board the Vengeance, by which she was blown to atoms.

