more than probable his resistance would have been unavailing; and had they discovered such a booty of ordnance stores, it is not to be imagined that any moral reasoning on his part, would have prevented their taking the whole to Algiers. The same squadron afterwards fell in with an English frigate off Cape Bona, and would not allow her to proceed until her commander had sent his commission on board for their inspection.
Captain Hamond was subsequently employed conveying the officers and crew of the Guillaume Tell, a French 80-gun ship[1], to Minorca; assisting at the blockade of Malta, and occasionally serving on shore at the siege of Valette; but at length his health being much impaired by the extreme heat of the climate, he was obliged to return home; for which purpose he exchanged ships with Lord William Stuart, of the Lion 64, July 27, 1800, and proceeded in her to Port Mahon, from whence he conveyed Major-General Craddock and part of the 40th regiment to Gibraltar, where he was charged by Lord Keith with despatches for England. The Lion was paid off Nov. 18, 1800; and on the following day he commissioned the Blanche, a new 36-gun frigate; which ship, after being fitted and manned, was ordered to join the armament under Sir Hyde Parker, then at Yarmouth, and about to sail for the Baltic.
On the 19th March, 1801, Captain Hamond was sent on to Elsineur with a flag of truce, and despatches for Mr. Drummond, the British Minister at Copenhagen. After a delay of two days at the former place, all hopes of accommodation with the Danes being at an end, that gentleman, with the whole British Factory, were received on board the Blanche, and carried to the fleet afi the entrance of the Sound.
In the ensuing battle with the Danish line of defence before Copenhagen[2], the Blanche was anchored by the stern between the Amazon and Alcmene frigates, abreast of the Great Crown battery, under the fire of which formidable work she continued nearly two hours. Her loss consisted of 7 men killed and 9 severely wounded. Her hull and rigging were also much cut up[3].
- ↑ See Vol. I. p. 378.
- ↑ See Vol. I. note * at p. 365, et seq.
- ↑ From the circumstance of her grounding the preceding evening, near
