While the boats were returning on board, another trabacolo was discovered and chased by Captain Duncan; but Lieutenant Price anticipated his wishes, and, with his usual alacrity, pulled to windward, and captured her. She was from Ragusa, bound to Curzola, having on board stores of every description for mortars and guns; two 6½-inch brass mortars, two 5½-inch brass howitzers, four new 18-pounder gun-carriages, plank, and every material necessary for constructing a battery on that island, also a great quantity of shot and shells.
On another occasion, Lieutenant Price being in-shore, near Ragusa, in a 12-oared cutter, a gale of wind came on during the night, and just before day-break he fell in with a xebec running before it. The vessel discovered her dangerous situation time enough to clear the cutter, but the British seamen succeeded in getting hold of her boat towing astern, and instantly fired a swivel gun, which killed her master and wounded 3 or 4 men: she then rounded to and surrendered. In this vessel. Lieutenant Price captured two others; but the gale increasing, he was obliged to run with the whole into the port of Ragusa Vecchia, where he lay all night unmolested. Next morning, the wind moderated; and as he did not communicate with the shore, the enemy suspected and sent off to him. It being impossible to remain there any longer with safety, he then cut his cable and escaped with two of his prizes; but the third, with a petty-officer and 2 seamen on board, was unavoidably retaken.
Early in Jan. 1808, the Porcupine captured two large French transports, from Tarento bound to Corfu, with cargoes of grain and gunpowder. The capture of these ships, on their first voyage, was an important service, as they sailed remarkably well, and had been completely fitted for carrying troops and provisions to the Seven Islands.
A few days after their capture, one of the above prizes, la Madona del Carmine, foundered in a heavy gale of wind; but providentially, out of 25 men on board, 2 only were drowned; 15 drifted off the booms in her launch, as she sunk, and were saved by the Porcupine; the remainder were picked up by Lieutenant Price, in the frigate’s jolly-boat, at a time when it was thought almost impossible for any boat to live – “his
