returned on board from his unsuccessful mission, and was still in his full uniform, when two large boats, with red awnings spread, and pulling only four oars each, were observed coming out of the harbour: Captain Duncan immediately despatched him, in the jolly-boat, with 6 men, to ascertain what they were, and ordered all the other boats to be got ready for service, in order, as he said, to shew General Lauriston, the commandant at Ragusa, that the absence of a few sailors was not felt by a well-manned British ship: of the real character and object of the strangers he had not the least suspicion.
On the jolly-boat tossing her bow-oar in, to go alongside one of them, the Frenchmen knocked their awning down, and a number of armed soldiers suddenly started up. Every one on board the Porcupine expected to see Lieutenant Price surrender; instead of which he fired his swivel into the enemy’s boat, waved his hat, and pulled away, himself standing up, with the tiller between his legs: a heavy fire of musketry ensued; many balls struck the jolly-boat, and her sail, then made up and lying on the thwarts, was cut in several places; but fortunately not a man was hurt.
Previous to their return into port, one of the French boats was nearly cut in two by a shot from the Porcupine; and during their retreat they were harassed by her boats under Lieutenant Price, whose cool bravery on the above occasion elicited general applause. They were both full of soldiers, and each armed with a gun in the bow; but Captain Duncan did not consider their capture of sufficient importance to risk the loss of men in attempting it.
On the 27th of the following month (Nov. 1807), Lieutenant Price, in the Porcupine’s cutter, captured two small vessels from Ragusa, under a fire of musketry from the shore, by which he had one man wounded. Two days afterwards, he was sent with the boats to destroy a number of small merchantmen in the harbour of Zuliano, together with the wine that was in the magazines, it being intended for the enemy’s troops: this service he performed without any loss, and much to his captain’s satisfaction. A trabacolo loaded with wool, the only vessel that was afloat, he brought out.
