The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1805-03-05

otdteS Ne allO queUeu 70 inform the parents,
or neareit connections of thoie gallant departed
heroes, captain Somers, and eutenants Wadf.
worth. Decatar, Caldwell and Ifrael, that they
vii! ever livein the recollection and affection of
a grateful country: an example 70 future gene
rations, and al ornament to t.:e hiitorc page.
COPY 2fa letter from Commodore P,eble 10 the
Jcereta'y IF the Mary.
Accompanying Mefage of the PRECEDENT.
Sir,
had the honour TO write you from Nef-
ina, under date Of the 5th of July; | then ex-
peGted to have failed the day following, but
was detained by bad weather until the 9th
when left it with two fnail bomb vehtls I'M
der convoy, and arrived at Syracufe; where
we were ueceiarily dc: aimed four davs. On
the l4th failed; the fchooners Nautilus and
Enterprise in company, with fix gun boats and
two bomb veiiels, generorny loaned us by his
SIcian majeity. The bomb veiels arc abou,
thirty tons,-carry 4 thirteen inch brafs fra
mortar, and forty men. Gun-boats twenty
FIVE tons; carry long iron twenty-four poun-
der in the bow, with complement OF thirty
1--we men. They arc oficered and manned from
the tqu1dron, excepting twelve Nlapolitau
bonhardicrs, gunnors and fliiors attached to
each boat; who were clipped by permiflion of
their government This itep found necciiary,
as every veaI in the fcuadron was confidera-
bly, thort of complement. The gun boats are
conRrucled for the defence of harbours; they
are Rat-bottomed and heavy, and do not fail
or row even tolera5ly well. They were never
intended to go TO ila, and find cannot be ma
vigated with iafety, unlefs aiIiaed by sow-ropes
from larger and better falling veiitls nor even
tiien in very bad weather. However, as they
were the bef coald obtain, have thought it
for the good Of our fcrvice TO employ them,
particularly as the weather in July and AuguR
IS generally pleafant: and without them my
lorce is too imaii to make any impreiiion on
Tripo.
On the 9th of July we arrived at Malta,
where we were detained by contrary gales un-
I'll the eft, when we left it and arrived in fight
of Trpoli the 25h, and were Joined by the ST.
rem, Argus, Vixen and Scourge. Oar fouaG
ron now cCritted OF the Contribution. three
briggs, three tchooners, two bombs and fix gun
boats--our whole number of men 1860.
proceeded to make the necenary ARRANGEMENTS
for an attack on TriPoli, city well walled.
protected by batteries judiciouGy contributed.
mounting lI5 pieces of heavy cannon, and de-
Tended by $4,000 Arabs and Turks, the b,r
bour protected by 10 GuD-boats, two ga.lies.
tive ichooners, Of eight guns each, and brig,
mounting ter guna. ranged in order of hattls,
forming ftrong line of defence at fecured
moorings, inlide long range of ro ks ard
ihoals, extending more than two miles 10 the
eattwdrd OF the town, which form the harbour.
prcteds them from the northern gales. and
renders 1t impoilible for vefiel of the ConG;-
tution's draft of water TO approach near e.
nough to detroy them, as they are fieltered by
liz rocks, aid can retire under that fIeter 70
The fhore, unIefs they choofe to expgfr them
N he -b,p
! he rsS!5 .oG The purpuic OF annoying their enc
mics. Each of their EUn-baats mounts heavy
ls OF 26 FOUNDER in The bow and two brafs
how'tZerS on their quarters, and carry from IS
10 SO men. The galies have each 100 men;
ichooners and bngs about the fame number.
he weather was no favorable for anchor
ing until the 2sth, when, with the wind f. s, P.
tde tqHatron food in FOR the coat, and at 9 p.
NJ. anchored per tgna. Trpoli bearing iouth
| 2 miles diftant. At this moment the wind
ihifted fuddenly from Z. s. Z. to N. N. w. &
from thence to n. II. E. at o'clock it blew
itrong with heavy fed, fett:ng direHiy on
ihore. made the lignal to prepare to weigh.
AT 6, the wind and fea having confderably in
created, the iigna! was made for the fquadron
to weigh and gain an ofing the wind cont;nu-
ed veering to the eaaward, which favoured orr
gaining iearocm, without being obliged to car
~ 10 great prefs Of fail, as to- ofe any of our
gun-boats, although they were in great danger.
The gale continued varying from ". E. to T.. s.
l.. without increaiins much, until the slR,
when 1t blew away our reefcd forecliland clof,
reeied maln-top-fail fortunately the Tea did
not rife IN proportion to the frength of the
gale, or we NUT have loft all our boats. Au-
gut the 1T, the gale fubfded, and we food to-
wards tie coat; every preparation was made
Tor an attack on the town and harbor. Aueuf
the 80, pleaiant weather, wind eaR, food r
with the iquadron towards Trpoli At noon
we were between two and three mites from the
batteries, which were all manned and oh
ierying ievcrdl of their gun-boats, and rales
mad advanced in two di'.ifions without the
rocks, determined to take advantage o. their
temerlty; at half pat - O'Clock, / wore of
more, and made the ligral to come within bail,
when ! communicated TO each of the CON,
manders, my intention Of attacking the enemy
ihipping & batteries. The gun & rnortar-bolte
immediatelymanned & pre- pared to can OF:
the eun-boats in two dvifOns Of three each
The frit diviion commanded by CAPT. Somers
IN No. ]. lieutenant Decatur in No. .. and
lieutenant Blake in No. s. The f.cord diyi6.
on commanded by captain Decatur, in No. 4
Lieutenant cambridge in no. 8, and lieutenant
1rippe in No. 6. The two bombards were
commanded by lieutenant commandaut Dent,
and NJ. Robinion, fra lieutenant of this n,D.
at half pat one O'Clock, having made the ne
ceiiary arrangements for the attack, wore hip