never considered; and from his asserting it, I am certain that the estimate of his losses, as Purser, is within bounds.
“I cannot omit this opportunity of stating to their lordships, that I do not know an officer of greater professional abilities, or more zeal, than Lieutenant Fellowes: a few days only before the Unique was burnt, he very gallantly landed in the face of five times his number of the enemy’s regular troops, stormed a fort, and spiked the guns; and as he was under my orders the whole time I blockaded Basse Terre, I had frequent opportunities of witnessing and approving his gallantry, when under the batteries; and I do most humbly beg leave to recommend him to their lordships as an officer of very uncommon merit. I am, &c.
On the 16th Sept. 1809, Lieutenant Fellowes was advanced to the rank of commander, as a reward for his meritorious services in the Swinger and Unique. On the 2d Aug. 1810, he received an appointment that led to his further promotion. At this latter period, the French having passed the Sierra Morena, had entered Andalusia in great force; and among other preparations for reducing the Isle of Leon, they had began to equip a formidable flotilla, manned by the seamen originally trained to that species of service at Boulogne, and who had been sent from the Danube, by Buonaparte, purposely to assist at the siege of Cadiz.
To annoy the enemy’s naval force, and to retard the completion of additional batteries at the different posts occupied by the army under Marshal Soult, eleven heavy Spanish gun-boats were officered and manned by the British squadron at Cadiz; ten others were constructed there under the directions of Sir Richard G. Keats, and nine more brought from Gibraltar, making altogether thirty sail, the whole of which were for several weeks commanded by Captain Fellowes, as appears by the following extracts of a journal now before us:
