commanded by Lieutenant William Style struck on the Los Corrales reef, by which accident a midshipman and fourteen of her crew perished: the remainder were saved through the exertions of Captain Fellowes, who treated them with the greatest kindness. On the 31st, the flotilla was stationed between Catalina and Rota, to intercept the enemy’s gun-boats coming from San Lucar to Port Santa Maria.
“Nov. 1, – observed one of the French vessels a-ground on the bar of the Guadaleto. At 10-30 A.M. the British flotilla commenced action with her and seven others, which, favored by the darkness of the night, had eluded our vigilance, and were then lying within the bar, protected by fort Conception, several redoubts, and a corps of horse-artillery on the beach. At 11, the vessel a-ground was deserted by the enemy; and at 11-30 she was boarded and destroyed, under a very heavy fire, by Captain Rainier, commanding officer of the guard-boats, who found several men killed or dying on her deck. At noon the action ceased.
“Nov. 2, – At day-break, discovered that a considerable number of the French gun-boats had taken shelter at Rota. The bombs and flotilla were ordered thither, but recalled in consequence of the Spaniards objecting to an attack, which might have proved injurious to the inhabitants of that town. At 3-30 P.M., the enemy were seen through the haze, running before the wind and tide: the guard-boats and flotilla immediately went in pursuit. At 4, Lieutenant Leeke, of the flag-ship, was killed in an attempt to turn the headmost French vessel. At 4-10, the action became general, and the British were exposed to a tremendous fire from the shore till called off, at 4-50, by signal from the admiral: At 5, the enemy’s rear-most vessel got into Port Santa Maria. On this occasion, the guard-boats of the squadron were conducted by Captain Kittoe, of the Milford: among the wounded on our side was Lieutenant William Hall, commander of the Bouncer gun-boat.
“Nov. 12, – the English flotilla co-operated with the Spanish batteries in an attack upon fort Napoleon and other strong works near Matagorda. In the night of the 14th, the French gun-boats attempted to push past Puntales, and get into the Trocadero channel, but were driven back by the British; some to Port Santa Maria, outside of which harbour they never again ventured; and the rest into the San Pedro river, from whence they were afterwards transported overland to the marshes of the Marquilla, below Puerto Real.
“Nov. 15, – Captain Robert Hall arrived from Gibraltar, and hoisted his distinguishing pendant in the Rambler, as senior oflicer of the flotilla.”
From this period. Captain Fellowes most ably and gallantly commanded one half of the gun-boats until April 22, 1811, when he again assumed the chief command, and continued to hold it till he was superseded in consequence of his promotion. For several months, not a day passed without seeing
