Page:Royal Naval Biography Marshall v4p2.djvu/497

 capture of several French vessels, cut out from different anchorages within the limits of the Guernsey station.

In 1804, Lieutenant Mansell was removed to the Diomede 50, then bearing the flag of Sir James Saumarez, but subsequently attached to the squadron under Sir Home Popham, destined against the Cape of Good Hope. During the operations which ended in the reduction of that colony, he superintended the landing of the troops under Major-General (now Lord) Beresford, and commanded the seamen attached to his brigade at Saldanha Bay. On his return from thence to Table Bay, he was selected by Sir Home Popham to be his first lieutenant, in the Diadem 64.

Shortly afterwards, information having been received that a French squadron under Jerome Buonaparte had arrived in the vicinity of the Cape, Lieutenant Mansell was sent in an armed transport with despatches to the Admiralty, his friend. Sir Home Popham, hoping that his promotion would follow. Being disappointed in this expectation, probably in consequence of a recent change of ministry, he then rejoined his early patron. Sir James Saumarez, with whom he served as flag-lieutenant in the Diomede, Hibernia, and Victory, on the Guernsey, Channel, and Baltic stations, until promoted by him to the command of the Rose sloop, Sept. 17th, 1808. The Rose formed part of the squadron under Captain (now Rear-Admiral) A. P. Hollis, at the capture of the island of Anholt, May 18th, 1809. She subsequently engaged and beat off a Danish flotilla, in a calm, near the Scaw, as will be seen by the following official letter from Captain Mansell to the senior officer at Gottenburg, dated April 29th, 1810:

“Sir,– Yesterday morning being becalmed in H.M. sloop Rose, the Scaw bearing W. by N., distant about seven miles, four of the enemy’s gun-vessels, with other roving boats, were seen coming towards us, and at 11-45, began to engage, but at such a distance as to have rendered a return of our fire ineffectual, and at the same time have placed it in their power of ascertaining the range of our guns; but this was prevented, and they continued advancing until 0-45,, when, being