Page:Royal Naval Biography Marshall v2p2.djvu/407

  Peachey; but on their approaching, all the enemy’s vessels succeeded in getting under cover of the batteries at Basseterre, one excepted, which anchored near Vieux fort, but in the course of the night was boarded and brought off by Lieutenant Mackenzie, under a heavy cannonade. The next morning they observed, from the Saintes, the above-mentioned schooner work up in shore, and anchor at Trois Rivières, covered by a battery, and flanked by two others, Notwithstanding these difficulties, Lieutenants Mackenzie and Peachey volunteered to bring her out, which Captain Matson was at last prevailed upon to sanction j but, for want of wind, this gallant attempt was not made until after sun-rise on the 18th, when Mr. Mackenzie, in a manner which exceeds all praise, ran the schooner on board, though a superior enemy, and evidently prepared for him. He then entered with Lieutenant Peachey and 30 men, and after a contest of fifteen minutes, succeeded in bringing her off under a most tremendous fire from the batteries, she being moored so close to the shore as to have a stern hawser fast on the beach. In this contest the French Captain, his 2 Lieutenants, and 6 men, were wounded; besides 1 killed and 2 drowned. In the tender, 2 men were killed and 3 wounded. Though I was not an observer of this exploit, which appears to be amongst the first traits of gallantry in the course of the war, their Lordships will be able to appreciate the value of Lieutenant Mackenzie’s conduct, which, I must further add, is, in its probable consequences, of the greatest moment to the trade of our islands, as l’Eclair sails rapidly, and when fully armed will carry 12 six-pounders, besides 20 one and a half-pounder brass guns, mounted as swivels. She was going to Point Petre to complete her armament, having left Rochefort with only 4 brass 4-pounders, the 20 small guns and 50 men.”

For this gallant action, Lieutenant Mackenzie was deservedly rewarded with the command of l’Eclair, in which vessel he continued till the peace of Amiens, when he obtained the rank of Commander and was appointed to the Guachapin a small brig of 14 guns, in which vessel we find him assisting at the capture of Tobago and St. Lucia, soon after the renewal of hostilities in 1803. His zealous conduct during the expedition against Surinam, in 1804, has already been noticed at p. 800 of this volume.

Captain Mackenzie’s next appointment was to the Hippomenes of 14 guns, a much more desirable vessel than the Guachapin, but wretchedly manned, her crew consisting chiefly of discontented foreigners.

On the 21st June, 1804, he fell in with one of the largest privateers belonging to Guadaloupe, le Buonaparte, of 18 long 9-pounders and 146 men. Captain Mackenzie was then cruising to windward of Antigua, and had disguised his ship