For three months from that period, Captain Markland commanded the sloops of war stationed in the Faro of Messina, to protect Sicily from a threatened invasion by Joachim Murat, whose army, consisting of nearly 40,000 men, was then encamped on the opposite shore, and who had collected more than 80 gun and mortar-boats, between Scylla and Reggio. On the 24th July, the Bustard and Halcyon destroyed two armed feluccas under Cape del Arme, where they were for a long time defended by their crews, some soldiers, and the neighbouring peasantry. In the performance of this service. Lieutenant John Hilton, first of the former sloop, received four wounds.
The master of the Bustard having been previously promoted into a 74, Captain Markland and his second Lieutenant, Robert Milbome Jackson, were now obliged to keep watch and watch, and they continued to do so until the breaking up of the enemy’s camp. During that time the Bustard was repeatedly in action with Murat’s land batteries and flotilla; and Captain Markland often received the thanks of Rear-Admiral Martin:– the severity of the service in which the British sloops were engaged will be readily conceived when we state that their hammocks were scarcely ever down at night; yet, strange to say, the official letters respecting that campaign were, for some unaccountable reason, withheld from the public; – we have tried, but in vain, to obtain copies of them; and we must therefore content ourselves with stating that Captain Markland’s gallantry and meritorious exertions on every occasion were represented in such high terms to Admiral Sir Charles Cotton, that that officer gave him the very first post vacancy, telling him he did so expressly for his services in the Faro: we must here remark, that Captain Markland was not on the Admiralty list for promotion; he had had no previous acquaintance with his new Commander-in-chief, nor had he even the advantage of an introduction to him by any private friend.
The total number of prizes taken by Captain Markland, in the Bustard, was 25; that of the vessels he destroyed amounted to 39.
