boats were eight in number, and the enemy’s nine; our’s armed in the usual way, their’s more formidable, all of them being gun-boats, each carrying a 12-pounder carronade and 6 swivels, and rowing from 20 to 30 oars.
“Lieutenant Guion, who directed the operations, made a feint of retreating, to decoy the enemy from their shore defences, when suddenly turning on them, they fled. The barge of this ship, in which he was, being the fleetest boat, advanced most gallantly along the rear of the enemy’s line to their third boat; but finding from circumstances that the rear boat was the only one likely to be successfully attacked, he boarded and carried her sword in hand. Two others were closely pursued to the beach by Lieutenant Roberts, of the Armide, and must, from his steady lire within pistol-shot, have lost men. The gun-boat taken by Lieutenant Guion had 2 killed and 3 wounded; amongst the latter was her commander, severely. The vessels alluded to above were then burnt.
Lieutenant Guion was made a commander, and appointed to the Philomel brig of 18 guns, on the Mediterranean station. May 17, 1810. On the 31st Aug. following, that vessel was chased by a French squadron, off Toulon, and rescued in the most noble manner by the Repulse 74, Captain John Halliday, now Rear-Admiral Tollemache. This affair not having been noticed as it deserved in our first volume, more from the modesty of that excellent officer than from any indifference on our part, we have much pleasure in now giving a full account of it.
In the early part of August, three French store-ships, bound to Toulon, were chased into the anchorage of Porquerolle, one of the Hieres islands, and were there watched by Captain Guion. On the 26th, at day-light, they pushed out, and one of them succeeded in getting to Toulon, covered by a division of the French fleet from the outer road: the others, however, were obliged to put back to their former place of shelter. On the 30th, they removed to the entrance of the Little Pass, preparatory to a third attempt to reach their destined port. On the next morning, at day-light, the Toulon fleet was seen in motion; and at 8-30 A.M. the two store-ships were again under weigh. At 9-30, the Philomel, still at her post, tacked, the wind blowing a light breeze from the E.S.E., and at 10-30 she exchanged a few distant shot with them as they were rounding Point Escampebarion.
