boats into the surf, and they succeeded in swamping one; but, fortunately, the man in charge of them had the presence of mind to cut the painter of the other, which was scarcely accomplished when a musket-ball knocked the knife out of his hand, and cut off two of his fingers. Having gained the boat thus preserved. Lieutenant Ussher fired a swivel loaded with 200 musket-balls into the midst of the Spaniards, his men at the same time giving three cheers. This had a most desirable effect: the enemy fled back to their wood with the utmost speed, and the badly-wounded British were thereby enabled to re-embark without any further molestation. One of these poor men was bayoneted in the eye, after dealing a heavy blow with his fist; and he appears to have been supported in the surf by Lieutenant Ussher until they reached the boat. The loss sustained on this occasion was 2 killed, 6 severely, and 4, including the Lieutenant, slightly wounded[1]. The survivors had the good fortune to be picked up by the Pelican, at ten o’clock that night.
On the following day, the Pelican chased a French privateer schooner, mounting 7 guns, into the river Augusta, near Cumberland harbour. Lieutenant Ussher instantly volunteered to attack her; but his commander[2], wishing first to reconnoitre the enemy’s position, sent only two boats, containing 19 men, for the latter purpose. On opening the mouth of the river, the schooner was seen lying across the stream, her bow apparently aground, and a large proportion of her crew on shore, at such a distance as to give Lieutenant Ussher every hope of reaching the vessel before them, or at all events of deciding her fate by attacking them. He therefore instantly landed; but notwithstanding the celerity of his movements, the enemy were enabled to get on board and haul her into mid-channel, by means of hawsers already laid out to some trees on the opposite bank. When hailed to surrender, they discharged a broadside; and an attempt to board the schooner, under cover of the smoke, proved unsuccessful, owing to the depth of water. Lieutenant Ussher now ordered the best
