pieces of the wreck fell into his boat, without doing much mischief; but 2 lascars who were on shore under a tower, near which she lay, lost their lives by the explosion, and 2 other persons in the same situation were wounded. His active co-operation with the military was also duly acknowledged by their commander, the present Major-General Sir Lionel Smith, K.C.B. in a letter, of which the following is a copy:–
“Head Quarters, la Chiffonne, 16 Nov., 1809.
“My dear Wainwright,– I do not feel that any recommendation of mine can take up much of your notice in favor of one of your own officers; but ! am most desirous to express my admiration and my gratitude for the activity and unwearied exertions of Lieutenant Leslie, whose zeal and coolness I never saw surpassed. It is out of my power to express my acknowledgments of the assistance the troops received from him in any other way than to you; and I hope you will do me the justice to say how much I am obliged to him, and how much I attribute our share of success to all your exertions; and if you could offer my sentiments to your commander-in-chief in any favorable manner towards Lieutenant Leslie, I should be truly gratified. Yours very truly,
(Signed)“Lionel Smith, Lieut. Col. 65th regiment.”
The subsequent proceedings of the expedition are thus officially detailed by Captain Wainwright:–
“On the 17th Nov., the vessels in the piratical port of Linga, amounting to twenty, 9 of them large dows, were burnt without any loss on our side, the inhabitants having abandoned the town on the approach of the ships. The contemptible holds of the Towasmees, called Congo, Bunder, Mallam, and Heleram, were next reconnoitred, but no vessels were there.
“I then despatched the cruisers Ternate and Nautilus to the eastward of Kishma, to prevent the escape of the Luft pirates, while I entered the channel between that island and the main at the western end; but having got the ship I command aground in endeavouring to work through it, as I had no pilot acquainted with the navigation, and as I found the channel was too intricate to pass without buoying the shoals, which would have taken up too much time, I determined to proceed to Luft by the eastern channel, leaving the cruiser Vestal to guard the western end of Kishma. His Majesty’s ship Caroline had been previously detached to Burka road with the heavy transports.
“On the 24th, the Ternate and Nautilus joined; and having procured pilots at Kishern, I proceeded up the channel in H.M. ship under my command, with the ships and vessels named in the margin[1], and arrived- ↑ The Hon. Company’s cruisers Mornington, Ternate, Nautilus, and Fury; and the Mary transport.
