The National Register. — London, England, 1809-07-30 00:00:00

US mater, there was then about the distaece from three to four cables nearer towards the Palais, than the Impel-it-use bad an chased,; a good birth for three or four sail of the line to anchor n five and a half and five fathoms dead low water ; the marks for such anchorage I took myself, which are, the stern of the the wreck that's on the Patois, directly in itl; the square toner of Coeas. and the Wiatintill or Telegraph on the flag -lull on the island. The means by which I attained the kno o ledee- was thaw then obstryatiou. I did not know it before, only hy the appearance of the (:hart, but I did not wish to trust to it, but to-prove it. Q. What time of the tide was it %v lien con weigh ed froth the inner road of Aix coining out / A. A boat the last quarter fl tad, near high o ;lieu.. Q. Was the -wind fair, or did you work out ? We %%or:tea on t, nod kept the lee going the whole time.. Q. What water did you find in workiug out, be tween the tail of the Polak and Buoyant shoal, A. six,six a;:d a half, and seven fathom it being then near high water. Q. had you ever an ..,portunity of aseertaioing correctly', what the run of the tole in the neighbourhood of Aix ?—A. I never tried. Q. When yon were in i x fathoms, Inrnaatg out from your anchorage, how near were sea to the batteries of the He of Aix.—A. Something less than half range of point blank shut.' Q. How many tacks did you make in -getting outs—A. Can't eau to a single tack, hut think four or five. Q. Then y*ai were four or five times, as you suppos, . within half point blank range of the lniteries of Isle d' A i ?—A. The last Iwo tacks we might he furtherers we got to a greater distance. Q. How lone were you at anchor within the Isle of Aix 1-1. From two o'clock of the 12th, 144 o'cloclg on the 14th. Q Then you had time to observe the number nod state of the batteries on A i many sr.d in what state ?—A. I could not observe the number or the stale, as my duly in attending to get the riggingof the ship repaired after theaction prevented my makiagany observations. Q. Did you make no observation before you began to engage the enemy ? A. Yes; on 'the morning of the 12th, prior to the Imperieose proceeding to annoy the enemy, then on shore, I was desired by Captain Lord Cochrane to lay a buoy on the Buoyant, which L did in six and a half fathoms Water, at a sufficient distance as to allow any ship to have raked round the buoy. After which I observed, on the Isle of Aix, about 20 or 24 pieces of cannon ready mounted, but well kilo% ing that those guns would .lo very little execution to any ship passing, that chose to mak•.• any opposition against them, they being placed in an open platform, as appeared to me by my glass inn open boat.— Q. Did you oh-erne any considerable parts of the works to be Mon ii tip and desires tat ? A. I did.—Q. In w hat part of the Isle d'Aix i On the port that dank; you, as you gut in alimg the Buoyant shoal.—Q. (By Lord Gambier). Did 'be Imperieuse grotonl on the night of the 12th April ? A. es, on the tail of the Palais Shoal. At an anchorage where had been tiring at the French ships, hut not moil the last aster ebb.— Q. Did any- pet con ‘s luatever communicate to you osorveyed the anchorage, or wa' it a new di-covery ? A. ipravered it myself being ordered to sound rotund the ship at h a distauce.-1, on board the Imperieu , e, ?ore you went in, that theme was 'welt an *aochorage ? A. my by- view of the Fietich chart, as we had no French pilot iu hoard, nor never took-any. Captain ;raft, of eze Eagle, sworn and examined. Q. Did it appcn• to you at the time of the attack of the enenty'rp ober oo shot., !hat there was a safe a;d sulicient an thotage., without the raw,„ , irf , :hot and shells, , a 1 ac, to eoat,l f . them to destroy the two ; .such ship: at anchor, and th e two that were aground ; Fo, point out the situation, and from the depth of w:.cer. how i, -, .•tny line of battle ship; could hare gnrhored t!lere r A. I kilo .v • Ailing of the timer anchorage but from the pilot's information the day the at tack was made, bat after we had got in at the ;:oie of attack, I think if the ships had remained there, without reni,iving the second anchorage, they olust ail have been de...iro , ,.eit by tho shots and shells from the batteries of the enemy. At the • Second anchorage. from my Own hservation,, having be( there fifteeo days after the enemy's %hip. were burnt, I think four or five sail of the line ;night have lain there dear of the emenly's batteries, hut must have 'neer, moored - very short and very close, with other ',nailer to till up the interval. Q. During the time you rentaiveil the ,-econd had f oa au opportunity of aseertaiiiiiq what was the rise of the tide on spring tides 2 A. Upon the average for the time tve were there from 15 to 16, 11, and 15 feet; more or During the time you continued at !his anenorage, did ~ ou cause foLtud to be taken between the katiuis anti etc ISuoyunt bhouls j Ye: Me gum %s is • Idi sod b,sf4 OSA r., TT-11! NATIONAL ItEGISTE JULY 30. A. f received orders (nun lAwd Cie.othier to assist Me. Stoke,, the iecond Master of the Caledonia, Iv ith boats, and whatever Nir. Stokes migl.t require, in surveying the ant horage, vv hick ow. done with the zvsistance of our niafter, and . 0ti0.r. , , 1 44, !lot recollect any iy.rtieular remark of Air. Stoke%, or our mas. ter, exceptin.r Mt. Stokes having said he had found deeper water a little more to the Son thwant.—Q. Did it appear to you that the Commander in Chief for a considerable, or any time, neglected or delayed taking effectual step's for the de.. -troetion of the enetay's ships on the 12th; or did he neAlect to take means for the attack of the enemy at any time alter the iignal from the lmperiense that the enemy's ships could be it'orf” reel T A. No.—Q. Did it appear to you that . any blame. whatever could have' teen a'tached to the cnndttct of the Cum roomier in Chief during his continuance in the command he Basque (toads, from the 1701 of March to the 29th of pril ? A. 1 have no Teconeetion of any Ihingof the kind.— Q. From the first attack from the enemy's ships, to the final cessation of hostilities against him, was every thing done that ei;uld he done to effect their destruction ?—A. I think there was, w ith the do.. of vessels that were present.—Q. Do you know orally of her vesstis that were w ithheld that might hate applied to that service'— 1. None whatever. When I speak of the class of vessels that were present, I mean that there was no vessels under his Lordship's command, with the draft of water, that could have further effected the dertruction of the esten”'a ships. Every application that I inatle to his LordshiP to effect their destruction ivas ;d was complied with. Capta:n of the Indefatigable, *worn and ezamined. Q. Did you, before you went into the inner road of Aix to attar* the enemy's ships, know of any anchorage where 4 i x orany other number of line abrade ships could lie, without the range of shot or shell from the batteries ?—I never did, nor have I ever known that line of battle ships could lie there, until I saw the frigates there n' 'r the action; nor did know they could lay there, clear of shot and shell, until that time.—Q. Did it appear to you that the Commander in Chief had for a consi derable, or anytime, neglected or dela ed taking effectual steps for the destruction of the etiony'3 ships after they were on s!;ore on the l'2lh of A Kit, and the signal made by the 'tope. rieuse that they could be destroyed ? A. I know of no delay, Q. Did it appear to you that blame was imputable to Lord Gambier in the command of Itie s(paadron in Hasqiie Itoads . for any part of b: conduct, between the 17th March and `29111 April. —A. None, whatever. Q. From the first attack on the eilem.ll SHIM, to the final cessation of hostilities against them, was every thing done that could he done to effect their destruction ?—A. believe every thing with the safety of his IMa h ies ships. Q. _ _ • I .Vheu you say with safety to his iitlajest) . s ship;, tnt nitaß without them being eyiposed to more danger than eircionstaliccs woubt jtp.tify.—A. Then beim; ex poseti to more tfati.:er pats circumstances would ju;tify, I think if they had further up the Charante every ship mutt have hero lest. As it %t ne were aground for upward- of an hour. d so - sking some time! before that, and we u ere for -nine i! neurly ttr.. Ia the direction the anchor n as laid J conk, no , more ti.nin five ant! a half fathom at about half eith. Q. Did on MI the iptwiliog of the 12th April gee the Imperiense inform the Command: r iii Chief by sigral, or telegraph. that half the Bert ts 0011 ne t.titii eit•tit to destroy the enent‘'*ship, 2—A. I diet mts. Part of the sigiiai made by the linperienst , about that time was reported to ll', which was, that seven sail of Ow ei;ein'b Of 11,,ttle ships 1% ere ou shore. Ido not know what the other was. Q. At what time 7:41 )ou rn into, Aix Road I—A. The signal waa made bye the Commander in (;hier. fur the fleet to we about two o'clock, I'. M. I Was all ready for ueighieg, and weighed immediately; in a few minutes tia• signal was made for tile Indefittigniole to proceed to a ship, making signats of hearing Southward; the w ind wa. light; we %sent is under all sail, anchored within conversation of the Imperielix„ and con3tnelo.uil tiring on the Calcutta. Q. Were you ex pobed to the fire of the batteries ••( tide d'Aix, or did you pas, , vs it hout the rauge of their shot !—A. Their shot Neut over us hs the nnd stern, and the shells from them crossed us. Q. When ) 014 %g ere at anchor with the imperieitse, were von still %%With tiie range of use batteries of Ai v ?—A. A shot passed through the main topmast s and wounded the mast. Q. Was tne situation in m hich you were placed when you was at anchor as good a NW as could he chosen for destroying the enemy~ ships ? A , For those that I was nearest to ; if I had gone further in, I must have run a-ground. Q. Was it a ituation in which sthi vs of the line should have been placed for the dettructtou of tke enemy ?—k. Not wish 'safety to the