The National Register.
London, England, 1809-08-06 00:00:00

Captain IVoye el- mined by the Court.

Q: When you joined the Imperieuse nn the 14th of April,
for the purpose of relieving that ship, and conituct kg the farther
operations of the vessels against the enemy, what commtiMeation
had von with the Captain of that ship ? A. Shortly after we
;whored, Lord Cochrane came on board, and after saying I had
come to relieve him, 1. him what he would recommend to
do With the vessels under isi`Y orders for the destructioa of the
enemy's ships; he told me that the large morpir on hoard the
/Etna had burst, and the only thing we had to do, was to bom.
bard as long as the shells of the other mortar lasted ; and if an
opportunity otTered of sending the fire vessels, it should he done
by day-light, as many officers of the tire vessels had made such
had business of it on the night of the 11th. Feeling the great
responsibility on me, I asked him it there was any thing else he
could suggest for the destruction of the enemy. -
.I(thidk he said.
nothing more than to bomb them while the shells lasted, and I
believe they .were all expended that night:—Q. Was any attempt
made to employ the fire-ships against the enemy ? A. None, as
I did not think it ()rudest' so to do—from the impraciVeablity of
their getting at them for want of water, as the tide would not
serve only at day light—next, thitt they were so well protected .•
by the batteries, numerous armed vessels, boats and'inen, ho
were doing all that lay in t heir tower to lay them up higher.--•-
-Q• Lord Cochrane having remarked to you, t tat some of the
fir!'-ships upon the first attack upon the enemy hid not been
well managed, do you know of any pirticatar tire-ship, or
ships, that were improperly conducted on the 11th April ?. A.
I cannot particularize those that were hadl% managed; the ship
that. passel between us and the Island of Ott Vera, and got on
shore there, was the
our
I. noticed:. I hailed five that Como
very near us, from our own ship, being- nearly s& lire to by
•tito•e that were badly ircinaged. I could only learn the names
of t‘vo of the officers of the fire-,liip who behaved welt ; five
h.,'lntved very well, one.was'cOmmaniled by Captain Nees comb,
w Ito- desired me to remember lie had passed tts. Lieutenant
Cookery, of the Gibraltar, was another who begged l would
keep my eye on hint, as:he should not fire his vessel till he was
amongst them. 1 did, and saw him rtin onboard a two-decked
ship of the enemy. . Front the first breeze of wind, I could not
.hoar of. t•lie.names of the other officers. Another came-to on
board of me,- and begged I would notice his conduct.—Q. Did
you see the ex plbsitm vessel blo.• up ? A. Yes.—Q. From
every opnortanity you had of observing the proceedings of the
bomb, the stoops. of war, and the gun-brigs, did it appear to
on that a ty of these vess,ds were in :Inv instance iv hatever' im-
properly conducted ? A. Ido not recollect that theiv did. I
think if Were had I should have seen it.

EIGHTH DAY.
•
Capt. Malcolm, on being asked what portion of time might
•he termed a delay on the part of the Commander in Chief,
•aid not more than half an hour or three quarters of an
dour; f►►r the time tl:e shil►s quitted their defensive position,
until the ships were sent in by the signal. was all that can possi.
hl v he- termed dela v ; on the whole les• than an hour.

Captain Burtch'll examined.—Q. From the tirst attack to
the time of your leaving Ba,que Roads, according to !..otti. judg
itient, was every thing done that could he dune to effect the (lc..
oructinn of the enemy's ships? A. I think there was,—Q.
From the time of the Commander in Chief's arrival in Basquo
Roads, to the time of your quitting it, can you stale any initance
of neglect, misconduct, or inattention to the public service in the
proceedings of the Commander in Chief? A. 1 know oi wine.