Page:Royal Naval Biography Marshall v3p1.djvu/223

 and several natives were killed on the islands and banks of the river, besides many who were wounded. I now. Sir, with pleasure, perform the most pleasing part of my duty, in laying before you the conduct of the officers and men employed on this occasion; but where all behaved equally well, it is difficult to find language to point out each individual’s merit, and it would perhaps appear invidious to discriminate. It is, however, but justice to Lieutenant Courtenay to state, that his conduct evinced how well he merited the confidence I placed in him, as the presence of mind and judgment he exhibited, could only be equalled by the decision and intrepidity he displayed in the execution of that line of conduct he thought it right to pursue; in every act of which he was most ably seconded by Lieutenant George Pigot, Mr. William Lawrence Hunter, second master, and Messrs. Henry Winsor and Malcolm M‘Neale, midshipmen, both of whom, I beg to add, have served their time.

Mr. James Boyle, the surgeon, did on this, as he has on all occasions where there was any service to be performed, volunteer his services; and although in a professional point of view they were eminently useful, yet he did not confine them alone to the wounded, but by his zeal, activity, and gallantry, contributed much towards repulsing the numbers who were opposed to us, and conducted himself throughout in such a manner us to receive Mr. Courtenay’s warmest commendation.

I fear, Sir, that my account of this small affair may appear to you prolix and unnecessary; but I feel that I could not in fewer words do justice to the conduct of the officers and men employed on this occasion, nor otherwise justify the measures they were forced to pursue in self defence, towards the natives of a country whose king has always professed friendship for the British Government, than by stating every circumstance which took place, arising out of this wanton act of aggression on their part: at the same time, I must state for your further information, and that of the British Government, that those acts originated through the influence which is exercised here over the natives, by several Europeans and Americans, to the number of eight or ten, who have hitherto carried on the slave trade perfectly unmolested, and to an extent hardly credible, and who, I have since been informed, erected the battery with a determination of resisting to the utmost, any force that might be sent to put a stop to their inhuman traffic. On this occasion, however, they were ably assisted by Mr. Benjamin Liebray, master of the Aurora, but formerly commanding a French national corvette; and Mr. Louis Gallon, master of l’Hypolite, who with that part of their crews who were on shore, made so considerable an addition to the European force, as to countenance and encourage the acts of the natives. Although all that has taken place was unforeseen on our part, and brought on by the attack of those Europeans and the natives, yet I trust that the measures which were afterwards pursued, are such as will meet your approbation; as we have succeeded, for a time, in disturbing a nest of wretches who lived by this most detestable traffic, and who