“The Raven upon being fitted for sea, at Woolwich, under the direction of her very active and ingenious commander, had, agreeabIe to his recommendation, among other alterations, the two foremost ports closed up, and the guns taken away. In lieu of them was fitted amid-ships, immediately before the fore-mast, a 68-pounder carronade, upon a traverse carriage, so as to fire clear of the gunwale, in almost every direction; and, in lieu of the two stern-chasers, a similar carronade was mounted abaft. The wonderful accession of force derived from these alterations, and the great advantages to be derived from them in chase, in clearing an enemy’s coast, &c. are too obvious to need a comment.”
In Feb. 1805, Commander Layman, then a prisoner-of-war at Puerto-Santa-Maria, near Cadiz, made the following report to Lord Nelson:–
“It is my painful duty to narrate to your lordship an event as grievous as unexpected; for having quitted England on the 21st instant, in command of H.M. sloop Raven, charged with despatches for Sir John Orde and your lordship, with directions to put myself under your orders, I arrived at the rendezvous of Sir John Orde’s squadron, from two to ten leagues off Cadiz, on the 28th, with a fresh breeze from the westward, when not seeing any thing of the squadron, I reduced the sail from whole to treble-reefed topsail, and hove-to at 9 p.m.; a few minutes before 10 o’clock, I went upon deck to look round, and desired the lead to be hove; and on the officer of the watch reporting there was not any soundings with 80 fathoms of line, I delivered the following order in writing:–
‘Memorandum. – January 28th, 1805.
‘With the wind westerly lye-to with head to the southward till 4 a.m. and then to the northward; keeping the lead going every half hour, and acquaint me if there are soundings, or any alterations.
(Signed)‘W. Layman.’
