The Sun.
London, England, 1812-07-18 00:00:00

'COVRT MARTIAL

ON CAPTAIN SIR JAMES ATfriol. WOOD AND• CAPTAIN

.:ROBERT CAMPBELL.
[COntinuesl from our Paper of Thursday.]

I shall not trouble the Court with many obser-
vations on such parts of the evidence as appear to
be at variance with respect to distance or position
either of the Diana or Pompee, from the strange
ships before the close of the day on the 10th of
March ; but there' are some differences Which I •
think it my-duty-to -notice, and shall then leave
this Honourable Court, to draw their conchisions,
fiom the 'testimony of 'the witness I shall pro-
duce;:-Who from their situations on board the
POMpee. were equally, if not better qualified to
make their observations. Ist, Capt. Ferris days,
in answer to a question put fr. me, that at half
past six, or, perhaps a little later, he could see
from the Diana's deck the lower yards of the Tie-
niendous. Mr. Madden, in his examination by
-the Court says, that at half.Tast 5, he could see
from the Diana's deck the lower yards of the
headmost ships ; but in a question put by me, he
states, that he.could j 6:st distinguish'from the Di-
ana's main-top, With a glass, the heads •of the
courses of the headmost ship, and that in 'about :1
half an hour afterwardS he looked at them from
the gangway. Mr. Jeffery, gunner,' says that at
"half-past 5 he could just see froM the Diana's
starboard gangway their top-gallant sails through
the glass. Mr. Hopkins, master's mate, says, that
at 6 _d'clock be could make Ont, from the Diana's_
starboard gangway, a top-gallant-sail aboVe the
horizon: Capt. Jackson and his Master differ so.Mueh
from each other with respect to distance, as well as
Capt. Ferris and his Marine officer, from all the
other evidence of the Diana and ships to wind-
ward; that it-strikes Me the latter must have been
looking at the Fienchfrifrates between the strange
ships and the enethy, and 'at the strange ships:
As to the time the two strange sail were seen from
the Diana, -this appears to me a mistake in-the
Marine Officer's watch, for Captain Ferris says
he left the Posupee at near. five O'clock • now by
our time, regulated by a tithe-keePer,-.l;e left her
precisely at, 37 minutes after four, and, the Pom-
pee .was filled to stand to the S. at 20 minutes be-
fore five ; and after standing about 15 or 20 mi-
nutes to the S. tacked again to the'N.
Mr. Madden says in his evidence when the
strange sails were first discovered from the Diana,
that the Pompee was then a utile and a half astern
of her; to this I have only to observe; that as
both ships were close to each otherwhen Captain
Ferris went aboard, it most have taken some time
for the Diana to have increased their distance a mile
and a half ; it must therefore have been 5 or past 5
before the strange sails Were discoVered from theDia--
na. I shall not -trouble the Coart 'any longer with"
coinments on thelvariance in the evidence, as to time
and distance; and have now only further to add,
that, from a conscioUsriess of the rectitude of my,
proceedings, in the matters under your investiga-
tson, and being actuated by the best motives, for
the good of his Majesty's service, and My' own
honour, arts! after having considered and recon-
sidered the whole of my- Conduct, while in pre-
sence of the enemy, I see no act of mine I could
amend under similar. circumstances, and under si-
milar impressions. In illustration of my defence,
I beg leave to submit a sketeh taken from the evi-
dence before this Court, Which, although drawn
in haste, I trust is correct, of the Pompee's rela-
tive pOSition to the enemy, and strange ships, at
stm-set of the 10th of March ;'alai her track
when sbe,hauled on the larboard tack, until half
an hour after midnight ; with that of the_enetny's
bearing down upon her ; also 'the relative po-
sitions and tracks of the 'Diana, until: half-past
nine, when she.saw the enemy's light on het star-
board lee bow.