Though extraordinary, I am happy to say we had none killed, and only three wounded: Lieutenant Briggs, my first, by a splinter in the arm, whom I beg leave to recommend to your Lordship’s notice; Lieutenant Pearse, who has been acting three years and a half in this vessel; and one seaman. The loss of the enemy must be great. The wounded from the ship, 9 in all, are doing well.
“I give your Lordship the full particulars of this event, and trust my attacking so very superior a force, seeing they were resolutely determined to bring me to action, will meet your approbation. Knowing I could depend upon my officers and ship’s company, whose cool, brave, and steady conduct on this, as on former occasions, almost insured me success before the action commenced. They merit my warmest acknowledgments.
“I cannot omit mentioning my having four passengers; Captain Sullivan, of the 81st regiment, who commanded the small-arms; Messrs. Purvis and Crokat, and a Neapolitan messenger, were all of great service, as we were 16 short of complement. The enemy’s fire was mostly directed at our masts and rigging, in which we have suffered very materially.
“The force opposed to the Halcyon was the Neptuno dios de los Mares, 14 twelve-pounders and 72 men; la Virgine de Solidad, 14 twelve and eight-pounders, 78 men; el Vives, 12 eight and six-pounders, 65 men, I have the honor to be, &c.
(Signed)“H. W. Pearse.”
“I am glad of this opportunity, says the worthy Collingwood, when transmitting Captain Pearse’s letter to the Admiralty, ”of giving to their lordships my testimony of the spirited and skilful conduct of Captain Pearse, in all the duties on which he is employed. The present instance demonstrates what his ability is when there is opportunity to exhibit it[1].”
At the beginning of Sept. 1808, information having been received at Messina that a number of the enemy’s coasting vessels, laden with contributions in kind from the two provinces of Calabria to the Neapolitan government, were assembled in Diamante bay, near the Gulf of Policastro, under the protection of several gun-boats and land batteries. Sir John Stuart, commanding the British troops in Sicily, detached Lieutenant-Colonel Bryce, of the Royal Engineers, to co-operate with a small naval force under Captain Pearse, and endeavour to take or destroy them. The successful
- ↑ Mr. James erroneously describes the Neptuno as a Spanish corvette, and her consorts national vessels: he also says that not a man was injured on board the Halcyon. See Nav. Hist. Vol. IV., p. 392 et seq.
