pense he remained for about a quarter of an hour; but without receiving the smallest reinforcement. The launch, armed with a carronade, and her consorts, with musketry, then opened upon the enemy, who returned their fire with twenty-fold interest, each French vessel having a long gun in the bow, swivels on the gunwales, and her deck filled with soldiers. The necessity of giving up so unequal a contest soon became apparent; but still sauve qui peut was by no means the order of the day: – instead of an inglorious flight, a steady retreat was commenced, in the true Cornwallis style: the launch, towed by the other boats, kept up an incessant fire; and so completely were the enemy daunted by the coolness and determined spirit evinced by Lieutenant Roberts and his gallant party, that, though they could have closed whenever they pleased, they kept at a respectful distance from their opponents until the latter were not more than a mile from the Unicorn, when they gave three cheers and departed. In this rencontre, Lieutenant Hamilton, a fine spirited officer, had his head severed from his body by a cannon shot; a similar fate attended one of the barge’s crew; and several other men were wounded.
On the afternoon of the 12th April, 1809, the Unicorn followed Lord Cochrane into the road of Isle d’Aix, and there assisted in subduing la Ville de Varsovie, of 80 guns, and l’Aquilon 74. At intervals, as the smoke cleared away. Captain Hardyman observed some of the crew of the former French ship endeavouring to strike her colours, which were evidently entangled at the mizen-peak: the Unicorn’s fire ceased; but the other frigates still kept up a tremendous raking cannonade. Lieutenant Roberts, with instantaneous promptness, took advantage of his captain’s suggestion, pushed off in the gig, boarded la Ville de Varsovie through the lower-deck port abaft the gangway, and, with the coxswain, John Newton, made his way through her crew, at quarters, to the poop. – Finding there an English union-jack amongst a confused heap of flags, dead bodies, and lumber, the coxswain proceeded with it flying in his hand, to the mizen-top-mast head, – a token of submission, and a hint to the British
