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

THE NATIONAL REGISTER..

h, o co,;.vin, and by a strong; position. They were •
Harked 104, nrd- the by 13 cannon in the late of Aix towards
;Ito 11. ly.si,!,.‘ the mortars on that The frigates were
stritioaleil to the 14. of then), apparently for the purpose of
flttoking the island on ti.!, other side of them, and as a protec-
tion ggaiiist boats or Ere vessels. Between Aix and the Buoyart
I do not know of any shoal. The water is nut steep 4t kit, but
shelves grail off toward? the hathcor. .
Q. At w hat ,ti-tanee frill.. the enemy was tha.British squadron
milord on Ole t.ve.aitn; of tae 11th of April, immediately previ-
ous to the attack I,v the fire ships; and what ;was his streugth
Was the situation in your judgment properly chosen, and what
was the ss Intl and tide ?—A. To the hest of my judgment, the
enemy's squadron were eight or nine miles between the time
of my nrrivul and tlic morning of the 12th. 1 believe the Bri,
tish !•quadron oninoored that night bat I do not of my own
know ',lige know. The position chosen by the cqtamander in
Chief was a very good position for bloctiading the .enemy, and
for si:erving any material movementof their squadron. Hay.
i n?,. already meat iolted toy opinion of the distance, it must he ob-
vious that the destruction of the enemy could not be effected
while in that position by the ships there placed. The wind was
pot the same in the eveoing as it was in the morning. At eight
P. M. of the 11 th, tit • loci must have been about due N. I be-
lieve. The tide at Cie same time began to run towards S. E.
The strength of.the British squadron was eleven sail of the line,
besides nine frigates and one bomb.
Q. Did it alipear to your Lordship that the Admiral made
every arrangement for preparing and sending the fire-ships
against the enemy Every possible assistance, Sys well us
Admiral Stopford, and the Captains of the fleet?
Q. Were, the frigates and other smaller vessels properly placed
for affording every qcsisiaL;el qncl 14eitig otherwise
Very judiciously placed.'

:Wearing Ity the signal leg of the Caledonia, that your
Lordship had by signal acquainted Lord Gambier that seven of
the enemy's ships were on shore, and might be destroyed, was
it your Lordship's opinion at the time of the first signal, that it
would have been expedient for the Commander in Chief to have
sent in half of any number of his ships, fitc. and if so, was there
a probability that such ships could have got out agaiq in safety ?
--A. I did make the signal. The Imperleuse .being the nearest
ship. placed by his Lordship for the guidance of the tire-ships,
and haying had the charge of these vessels I thought primer to
Fommunicate to his lordship the state in which they appeared
to me to he, which I did by the signals mentioned. It is my
opinion that a much smaller force than half the fleet would
have been se fficisnt. The signal was directed by the. Caledonia
to be repeated. I ordered the signal to be made, that two
sail of the line were enough, which 1 have since under-
stood was not made, but that the Officer repeated the pre-
vious signal. The tact was, that he thought it would be an in-
sult to make that signal, and therefore repeated the former
tignal, leaving it la the dicretiop of the Commander in Chief to
send what force he thought praper. /porn the time that the
tirst signal was made in the morning until eight o'clock, it was
ebh-tide ; the title was going to wind-ward; at eight o'clock
it was low water. There is anchorage for at least six sail of
the line at any time, clear of shot and shells. The Imperieese
htesed in going in close to the Bunyart. It was then nearly
igh water, at half past one o'clock in the day ; coming out it
was also high water in both of these courses there was sta.
eient depth of water for vessels of any size, The impression
upon my mind is, that there is water enough at any time ; but
Paving, been there only at high tide, canuot swear to that.
rovided the tide does not rise and Fall more than lit feet there
; and this is mentioned in a French chart now jii Court. I
have no ether means of judging. 1 can speak with certainty
as W the depth at water, if the rise and fall of the tide js not
more than lit Feet and I then think there is depth etmugh at
any !lime of the tide. l think the ships coeld have got out as
safe as the others didafterwards.
Q. Is it meant that there is room for six it of the line to
range at any time clear of slint and shrift There is ; we
were there at aI4 times of the tide. it was the heighth of the
spring, and there was five fathoms and a quarter Roder our
Wilma, and Prom five to six fat hops for a tiistanee. round about
us, sutlicient for six sail of the line. The bearings of this place
are correctly noted in the leg, which I held in my hand, and
iv hick I wilt p,rodisce.
Q: Are all the circumstances mentioned in this log accurate
and true, according to the treat of your Lordship's knowledge
and belief ?—A. They are.

Q, Did the Commander in Chief in Consequence of the signals
afterwards weigh with the large ships, and at What time gamete
anchor off the Isle of He weighed I think at eleven -
o'clock, and anchored about half an hour afterwards, having
both wind and tide in has favour. The position taken up by his
Lordship was nearly that which I offer to skew to the Court
upon the chart No. 2, in oitich is stiewn the situation of the
enemy from day-light, in the morning of the 121 h,: until the two
French ships which remniaed at anchor cut or sliped upon his
Lordship's. roaring towards them.—Q. Wits the' position they
taken the most advantageous for carrying into effect the object
of the signals made by his Lordship; and might that position
have 'beer; taken at an earlier period with advantage to the
service It was a good position to observe the enemy, but
it was not a position for attack. Certaittly it was a go,al posi•
lion for observing the transactions of the pneaky ; and, being
near,assistauce might have bees sent to any vessels, had an
attack been 'made trpoia the enemy, that position nsigl ; have
been taken at day-light, when ea attack might have been usede
with advantage to the service.
Q. It appearing by the log-book of the Imperieuse that you
having previously sent in a than to pike the soundings, you
weighed at half-past 11 A. M. ma the Utla of April, and run
into harbour, in company with the Etna bomb and a gun brig,
the euemy making suit up the Charente, and at 2 I'. M. anchor-
ed, and shortly after came to close action with the Ville de
Varsovie, did you weigh and advance to the enemy by signal
from the Commander in Chief, or did you do so without orders,
by signal ar otherwise 1-4. .1 think it necessary, it'l am per-
mitted by the Court, to read, as an answer to this questldhs
remarlis, which I threw together in consequeme of a letter.'
received from the Secretary to the Admiralty, stating tome chi t
a Court Martial was to take place. These remarks contain all
transactions whichaunk place in Ilasque basso, sus are exwess.
ly in answer to the above questlim.
(This Lord Cot. }lnas L: was nqt permitted lq 44, and the
question was repented.)
A. -1101 so, in compliance with what I considered the spirit
of the orders 1 received; the doing of it was asy own act. Ihe
entry la the log of the Imperieuse, that I weighed at half-past
eleven, A. AI, on the 12th of April. is not WWI ; as will pro-
bably appear by the lopbooks Of the Fleet. I sleighed at one
o'clock. The Ltaa bomb rather preceded me.
,Q. It appears also by the lugs before U court, that you
made signals of distress. What was the nature of the distress of
your ship, and did any and what ships come is your relief by
signal from the Comm:. ider iu Chief, awl was There any unne-
cessary ticks), in that respect ?—A. 1 ing.iired by hailing, what
attack was intended to he mauls on the enemy. The Couttnamler.
replied he was ordered to bombard them. 4 directed him to go
ClAseitnd that we should proteA him ; it was then one o'clock ;
the French throo-decke'r swung ula; her hawsers, and the last
of their ships began to niave. I had the charge of all the fire.
ships; they had failed in their expected purpose. I knew what
the tongue ofsraiidal was capable of ; and though I admit that
the feelings onto Lord Gambier, for the honour and interest of
his country were, and are, as strong as spy own, yet personal
considerations were net enough. The evpeetations of my
country, the hopes uf the Admiralty, and my own prospects,
were about to ruttish. I weighed anchor and run in, and went.
bevand the possibility of returning. I ordered 0(61 tin be made
afteq the sterutnost of the enemy, and standing , I made
the signal -that the eitace wa.:; superior to th,e c*. acing ship, be-
cause the Ville de Varsovie and risticutta were both afloat, and
afterwards made signal for assistance, INhich signal was
surdly coupled a ith the words `: being in distresss" Whe •
got up to the ilttos art, we opened our fire upon the Ca,
and the Ville de Varsovie. The ('al.rutta was two
the Ville sic Varsovie lay stern to wank us, she being un •
and the Aquilon was In the saute position; the latter did, fat
tire for a long time; they were employed clearing away thee
stern to get guns out. When we anchored, it wits about two
o'clock. Some brigs had anchored as marked in the chart, No.
2. for the protection of the bomb, and were tiring, but too far
off to he of any use. I made thr signal fur these to chisel but as
there is no flag to express brigs only as 'thou( frigatrs or larger
vesses, most of which weruxotninanded by any seniors, 1 ex-
plained so far as la,: within my means, lira this signal was in.
t.nded foe them, h) liring upon arena front the mato-deck ; for
the quarter-deck shot, which I elevateti sn nett, diet not reach
them. This sign,Ll, I was afterwards informed, gave mai.
derabte oWence, and so soon as I karut this from Sir Harey
Neale, I declared to my Lord (;ainbier, that it was not my 411,
;Winn in the slightest degree to hurt bis Lordship's fee ags ;