Page:Royal Naval Biography Marshall v4p1.djvu/100

 From the Sheldrake, Commander St. Clair exchanged into the Reynard sloop, likewise on the Baltic station, where he captured another French privateer, commanded by an officer of Napoleon’s navy; and assisted at the destruction of seven large English ships, laden with hemp, that had run on shore in a thick fog, near Stralsund. In 1813, he accompanied the Orion 74, Captain Sir Archibald Dickson, and fifteen Russian line-of-battle ships, from the neighbourhood of Bornholm, through the Great Belt, to England. During the first part of this voyage, the Courageux 74, Captain Philip Wilkinson (now Vice-Admiral Stephens), kept company with the fleet; but on Sir Archibald anchoring in Samsoe bay, she made sail for Wingo Sound, taking the Reynard with her by signal:– in the course of a very few hours, she met with a disaster which had nearly proved fatal to all on board.

At 8-30, Commander St. Clair observed that the Courageux was steering direct for the N.W. part of Anholt reef, and accordingly made the necessary signal to apprise Captain Wilkinson that he was running into danger. Of this no notice was taken, although the Reynard fired several guns, and was then not far from her consort’s quarter. The destruction of the Courageux consequently seemed inevitable, as she was going large, at the rate of ten knots an hour. In order to avoid sharing the same fate. Commander St. Clair hauled to the wind, in thirteen fathoms water, keeping a light hoisted, and firing a gun every ten minutes. His anxiety at this period may readily be conceived, as well as his feelings on hearing the report of gun after gun in the exact direction that the 74 was steering. No sooner was the first report heard, than he bore up, and placed his sloop in the best position for affording succour to the crew of the Courageux, in the event of her going to pieces. At daylight the next morning, however, he had the gratification to see her anchored in deep water, but without masts, rudder, or guns. On comparing Captain Wilkinson’s account of the