appear to have -been afforded any further opportunity of distinguishing himself previous to the peace of Amiens.
in 1804, this officer was successively appointed to the Perseus bomb, Helder defence-ship, and Autumn sloop of war. He was also entrusted with the charge of one of the principal explosion vessels attached to the “catamaran expedition,”" of which notice has been taken p. 45 et seq. of this volume[1]. His subsequent appointments, as Commander, were to the Fury bomb, about Feb. 1806; and to the Grasshopper brig, at the latter end of the same year.
In Nov. 1807, we find Captain Searle employed watching the harbour of Carthagena; and in the following month he captured a Spanish brig of war, as will be seen by the following extracts from his official report, addressed to Sir Thomas Livingston, Bart.:
“Sir,– I have to acquaint you, that yesterday, when looking out off Cape Palos, agreeably to your directions, I discovered a number of the enemy’s vessels at anchor under the Cape: his Catholic Majesty’s brig San Josef, of 12 twenty-four-pounders and 99 men, commanded by Don Antonio de Torres, got under weigh, and came out to attack H.M. sloop under my command, accompanied by the two Spanish vessels of war named in the margin (viz. Medusa, of 10 twenty-four-pounders and 77 men; and Aigle, of 8 guns, same calibre, and 50 men.). The San Josef I brought to close action, when, after 15 minutes resistance, she struck her colours and ran on shore; upon which I anchored, and with the greatest exertions of my officers and crew, succeeded in getting her off, The other two vessels bore up, and made sail from us, immediately the brig struck, or I have no doubt we should have captured the whole of them * * * *. In this affair we had 2 men severely wounded[2]: the loss of the enemy I could not ascertain, as a number of them jumped overboard, and I fear a great many of them were drowned * * * * * *.
By the foregoing statement it will be seen, that the combined force of the enemy was 30 twenty-four-pounders and 226 men: the Grasshopper mounted 16 thirty-two-pounders and 2 long sixes, with a complement of 120 men. Lord Col-
- ↑ See note at p. 46.
- ↑ Captain Searle was himself wounded in the head by a splinter; but he does not mention that circumstance in the letter now before us.
