Page:Royal Naval Biography Marshall v4p1.djvu/116

 On the 18th March, 1804, two boats, under the command of Messrs. Hanchett and Dalyell, cut out four Dutch vessels, three of which they found lashed to the pier-heads of Zierick-Zee, and the other close to them. They were all brought down safe, between Schouwen and South Beveland, without the loss of a single man, although the batteries fired on them, as they approached either shore, in working to windward. On the 31st of the same month, Mr. Dalyell also assisted in capturing a national galliot, employed as a guard-vessel, mounting two long 18-pounders, and four sixes, with a complement of 94 men. The following is an extract of the official letter written by Sir W. Sidney Smith on this occasion:

In the performance of this exploit, which was succeeded by several other affairs with the enemy, the British had about fifteen men killed, and many wounded. On the 13th of May following, Messrs. Dalyell and Bourne were discharged into the Rattler sloop. Captain Francis Mason; the former as acting lieutenant. On the 16th of the same month, that ship received very considerable damage, and sustained a loss of two men killed and ten wounded, in action with the Flushing flotilla, commanded by Rear-Admiral Ver-huell .