Page:Royal Naval Biography Marshall v3p1.djvu/84

  by more than 100 soldiers, with two field-pieces, on the beach. “This,” says Captain Hoste, “''was the force opposed to a frigate’s boats; but no disparity of numbers could check the spirit of the brave officers and men employed in this service. The attack was determined on instantly, and executed with all the gallantry and spirit which men accustomed to danger, and to despise it, have so frequently shewn; and never was there a finer display of it than on this occasion. The boats, as they advanced, were exposed to a heavy fire of grape and musketry; and it was not till they were fairly alongside that the enemy slackened their fire, and were driven from their vessels with great loss.'' I beg leave to recommend Lieutenant Hood to the notice of the commander-in-chief in the strongest manner; I am unable to do justice to his merit. He speaks in the highest possible terms of Lieutenant Francis Gostling; acting Lieutenant Webb, who distinguished himself so much in January last, with the Corfu flotilla; Lieutenants Holmes and Haig, R.M.; and Messrs. Rees, Rous, Hoste, Farewell, Waldegrave, Langton, M‘Kean, and Richardson.”

The loss sustained by the British on this occasion was rather severe, though not so much as might have been expected from the enemy’s superiority of force, the obstinacy of the contest, and the boats’ crews being exposed to a scattered fire of musketry while employed in getting the prizes afloat. Three men were killed, and six very badly wounded, one of whom survived only a few hours.

On taking possession of the merchant vessels, the whole of which were loaded with oil, it was found that the plugs had been taken out of the bottoms of those aground, and that they consequently were half full of water. In the ensuing night, one of these vessels, under the charge of Mr. Rous, filled and upset, but did not go down, owing to the buoyancy of her cargo. The wind was then blowing strong, with a heavy sea, notwithstanding which Mr. Rous and his prize crew were providentially enabled to hang on by the starboard gunwale, from midnight until 4, when they had the good fortune to be discovered and picked up by the