rine, and ten coasting traders, laden with brandy, flour, rice, and wheat.
The Bustard, at that period, formed part of the squadron employed in the gulf of Venice, under the orders of Captain John West, by whose activity the enemy’s convoy was prevented from entering Trieste, and obliged to take shelter in Douin, a port 4 leagues farther, to the N.W. defended by a strong castle. Conceiving it very practicable to capture or destroy them there, he detached the Acorn, sloop of war, and Bustard, with all the boats of his own ship, the Excellent 74, to try the experiment: about midnight, covered by the fire of the two sloops, the boats pushed on shore, and, in about half an hour, they had complete possession of every vessel in the harbour. “This enterprise,” says Lord Collingwood, “was well devised and gallantly executed.” Captain West thus expresses himself on the occasion:
“The very masterly and complete manner in which this service has been performed by Captains Clephane and Markland, of H.M. sloops Acorn and Bustard, and Lieutenant John Harper, in command of the boats of H.M.S. Excellent, excites my highest adniration; every officer, seaman, and marine, I am assured, individually distinguished himself.”
Captain Clephane, the senior commander, expressed his “high sense of the conduct of Captain Markland, both by his leading into a place so little known, and by the well-directed fire kept up by him.” The loss sustained by the British, in the performance of this gallant exploit, amounted to 2 men killed, 1 mortally, 1 (the master of the Bustard) severely, and 4 slightly, wounded. Each of the enemy’s gunboats had on board an officer and 20 men.
At the commencement of July 1810, the Bustard captured and destroyed nine of the enemy’s vessels, in a harbour on the east side of Calabria: the following is an extract of a letter which Captain Markland soon afterwards received from the flag-officer under whose orders he was then serving:
“I highly approve of your conduct, and of that of Lieutenant John Hilton, which I shall not fail to make known to the commander-in-chief. I am very happy that only two of the crew of H.M. sloop under your command were wounded in the execution of this important service.
