The following memorandum was given out by Earl St. Vincent, the night before the execution of the latter offenders:–
“General Order. Every ship in the fleet is to send two boats, with an officer in each, and two marines or soldiers properly armed in each boat, on board his Majesty’s ship the St. George, at half past seven to-morrow morning, to attend a punishment. The sentence is to be carried into execution by the crew of the St. George alone; and no part of the boats’ crews of other ships, as is usual on similar occasions, are to assist in this painful service; in order to mark the high sense the Commander-in-Chief entertains of the loyalty, fidelity, and subordination of the rest of the fleet, which he will not fail to make known to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, and request their Lordships to lay it before the King. This memorandum is to be read to the ships’ companies.”
The St. George was afterwards attached to the Channel fleet; and Captain Peard continued to command her until the month of February, 1799, when he was appointed to the Success frigate, and again ordered to the Mediterranean. On his passage thither, he fell in with a fleet of French ships, consisting of upwards of thirty sail, nineteen of which he judged to be of the line. The Success was at one time within four miles of two of their line-of-battle ships, which chased her from noon until 4h 30’ P.M., at which time they discontinued the pursuit.
On the 9th June following, Captain Peard discovered a Spanish polacre, which sought refuge in the harbour of la Seva, a small port about two leagues from Cape Creux. As there did not appear any batteries to protect her, and the weather being favorable, he was induced to send his boats in to bring her out, under the directions of Lieutenants Facey and Stupart. They left the ship at four in the afternoon, and at eight were seen coming out with the polacre, which had made a gallant resistance. She proved to be the Bella Aurora, from Genoa bound to Barcelona, laden with silk, cotton, rice, &c., mounting 10 carriage guns, 9 and 6-pounders, with 1 13 men. She was surrounded by a high boarding netting, and supported at the same time by a small battery, and a heavy fire of musketry from the shore; in spite of which our brave countrymen, forty-two only in number, most resolutely boarded and carried her, but not without some loss, three of them being killed, Lieutenant (now Cap-
