eight days; and it was not till the evening of Nov. 4, that the inshore squadron, under Captain (now Sir Henry) Heathcote, arrived off Cape Sicie. On the 5th, at 10 A.M., the French commander-in-chief, Count Emeriau, was seen getting under weigh, with fourteen ships of the line, and seven frigates; the wind then blowing strong from E.N.E. and the main body of the British fleet just hove in sight, standing under close-reefed top-sails, to reconnoitre the blockaded port.
At 11-30, just as the enemy’s advanced squadron, of five sail of the line and four frigates, under a Rear-Admiral, had got outside of Cape Sepet, the wind suddenly shifted to N.W., which unexpected occurrence permitted Sir Edward Pellew to hope that the ships under Captain Heathcote would be able to bring them to action.
At 34 minutes past noon, that officer succeeded in getting near enough to open his fire upon the French rear, and he continued to engage them, on opposite tacks, for about half an hour; his ship, the Scipion 74, being well supported by the Mulgrave, Pembroke, Armada, and Pompée.
At one o’clock, the Caledonia stood in shore, athwart hawse of the Scipion, and immediately opened her powerful broadside upon the Wagram of 130 guns, bearing the French Rear-Admiral’s flag: the Boyne and San Josef likewise got into action with that immense ship; but unfortunately neither of these three-deckers could fetch her, owing to the wind heading them as they approached Point St. Marguerite.
Having reached the wake of the Wagram, the Caledonia wore, and hove to on the starboard tack, continuing her fire until the enemy got completely out of gun-shot. In his official report of this skirmish. Sir Edward Pellew says:
“Had the body of the fleet been more advanced when the change of wind took place (at 11-30 A.M.), I am confident we should not only have brought the enemy to close action, but every ship we had weathered would have been our reward, although they had not been above a league eastward of the port, and always under cover of their batteries.
“The casualties are too trifling to mention, were it not for the wounds of two fine young officers, Lieutenant Clarke, R.M. and Mr. Cuppage,