“As is my invariable custom, I weighed in H.M. ship ander my command, and followed them down outside the sand, and out of gun-shot. At 1 P.M., observing tho leewardmost ship much separated from the rest, from having missed stays twice, I was encouraged, from the miserable manner in which she was handled, to cross the sands and try a shot or two, if only to give my ship’s company a little good exercise; although I considered it very probable that I might by a prompt attack disable her masts or sails, and eventually drive her on shore. By hauling on board the fore and main tacks, and setting top-gallant-sails, I was within shot of her in a few minutes, and fired two or three broadsides from the main-deck when passing on contrary tacks; then tacked, hauled up the courses, and continued firing at her for 12 or 15 minutes, without receiving a shot in return. The, enemy’s ship was thrown into evident confusion; the French Vice-Admiral, with the rest of the squadron, bore round up and set steering-sails to close, and as our opponent had by this time got some of his after lower-deck guns ready, and soon began to throw his shot over us, I thought there was no use in any longer courting a contest of this kind, particularly as the rest of the enemy’s squadron were approaching very near; I therefore re-crossed the sands and worked back to my former anchorage off the Duerloo.
“The only visible effect of our fire on the enemy was his quarter-most, fore-top-sail sheets, jib-stay and halliards, shot away; the boat he never attempted to pick up; the latter with the jib he cut away: several shot passed through his main-top-sail, spanker, and other sails. We have sustained no loss whatever: only one shot passed through the main-top-sail, and three or four through the mizen-stay-sail. I feel quite sure, if I had had a second 18-pounder frigate with me, so totally unprepared was the enemy for such a prompt attack, that, in his confusion, he would have gone on shore.”
In a second letter to Admiral Young, dated Sept. 7, 1811, Captain Hancock says;– “We have spoken several fishermen to-day, who all agree in the same story, that the enemy’s ship we fired at on the 29th ult. had 5 men killed and 9 wounded; and that all three of her top-masts are so badly wounded that she is now shifting them. You will observe by my report of reconnoitre, that one of the French ships grouped No. 7, has her top-masts down, which to a certain degree corroborates their report[1].”
On the 24th Oct. following, whilst Vice-Admiral Misaiessy was performing his usual manoeuvres in the Wieling, Captain Hancock made a similar movement, hoping that he should he able to cut off one or two of the small vessels
- ↑ Napoleon Buonaparte reviewed the fleet at Flushing on the 24th Sept. and afterwards hoisted his imperial standard on board the Charlemagne, where he was obliged to remain through bad weather until the morning of the 27th, when he landed and inspected the works in the island of Walcheren.
