ceiving a letter to the following effect from his commander-in-chief, dated at Palermo, Mar. 28th, 1815:–
“Sir,– In acknowledging your letter of the 24th instant, communicating your transactions in the execution of my order of the 12th, I have great satisfaction in expressing to you my entire approbation of your proceedings, and of the very dear and satisfactory manner in which you hare collected and conveyed to me much interesting and important intelligence. I am, &c.
(Signed)“C. V. Penrose, Rear-Admiral.”
About this period. Captain Croker detained seven French vessels, some of them under Buonapartean colours; but, at the particular request of the Due d’Angoulême, they were liberated by him about a month previous to the battle of Waterloo. He likewise embarked the Dauphin’s principal aide-de-camp, the Marquis (afterwards Duc) de Rivière, with the whole of his suite, whom he had on very particular service for several weeks. This nobleman subsequently requested Lord Exmouth, then at Marseilles, to promote Captain Croker, and was gratified with a favorable answer. Instigated, however, by feelings of the most benevolent nature, the commander of the Wizard sacrificed his private interest, for the purpose of making known to the world the miserable situation of many hundreds of his fellow Christians at Algiers, whose liberation might then have been effected with very trifling loss compared to that which was afterwards sustained by the combined squadrons under his lordship’s orders. On the 7th Aug. 1815, he received a letter from the commander-in-chief, of which we here give an extract:–
“I am very sorry your brig is so defective, as I shall he sorry to lose your personal services, having every reason to be satisfied with your good conduct. I have ordered her to be surveyed at Gibraltar, and sent home, if found as represented, of which there is, however, no doubt. You will go as soon as our letters are ready. Believe me, dear Sir, your very faithful humble servant,
(Signed)“Exmouth.”
Five days previous to the date of this communication, Captain Croker, then returning from Algiers to Marseilles, drew up a memoir on the subject of the sufferings of the
