his disaster in the morning, went to where Lieutenant Debenham was employed in preparing his raft, and directed him to go in the gig, and render any assistance he might be able to the different vessels requiring it. No sooner had the agent of transports received this order than he hastened to the edge of the inner breakers, and succeeded in rescuing many men, who but for him must inevitably have been drowned. For his conduct throughout this eventful day, the thanks of Rear-Admiral Penrose were publicly read to him on the beach by Captain O’Reilly[1].
Twenty-five chassé-marées, &c. having entered the Adour, in the manner above described, and also several heavy gunboats to protect the bridge, no time was lost in running them up to their proper stations, about two or two and a half miles from the bar, where they were moored in a line abreast, with large anchors ahead and astern; the vessels at an equal distance from one another. The whole were then bound together by cables passed along to the right and left from the centre vessels, as they anchored: those craft that were between them and the banks of the river had on board a number of old heavy guns and strong purchases, by means of which the extreme ends of this line of cables, after being passed over the walls we have spoken of, were first secured on the north bank, and then hove taut on the other: the purchase blocks were lashed to fir-trees growing near the southern bank. On the deck of each of the largest vessels was bolted a piece of timber, shaped like the bridge of a fiddle, with notches in it to keep the cables steady: – in this manner were six lines of cables extended across the flotilla, and firmly secured on shore. Planks were then laid on transversely, with holes cut at proper distances to lash them to the cables; and “at dawn, on the following day, it was declared that infantry might cross the floating bridge with
- ↑ Captain O’Reilly died at Plymouth, May 22d, 1816, aged only 29 years. When senior lieutenant of the Surveillante frigate, he greatly distinguished himself on the coast of Spain, and was, for his services there, advanced to the rank of commander, Sept. 23d, 1813: he obtained a post commission, Aug, 29, 1815.
