rescuing that valuable merchant vessel “from the situation of extreme peril in which she was placed, on the 10th June, 1822, when, in a strong gale of wind, she broke from her anchorage in Simon’s Bay, and drove to within the distance of a few fathoms from the rocks;” for which service, supposing it to have been performed under the personal directions of Commodore Lillicrap, who was then residing on shore, and by the boats of the Hyperion alone, the Hon. Court of Directors presented the commodore with “500l., for the purchase of a piece of plate, as a token of the Court’s appreciation of his meritorious conduct upon this occasion;” and voted a further sum of 500l. “to the officers and seamen of His Majesty’s navy, who were employed in rendering assistance to the Albion, whereby so many lives, and so much valuable property, were preserved from imminent danger;” the latter sum to be divided proportionately with Commodore Lillicrap’s estimation of their respective services, but not one (shilling of which was awarded by him to the officers and men of the Cygnet, whose commander, being on board his vessel at the time, personally sent them to assist the Albion.
The Cygnet was lying in Table Bay at the commencement of a tremendous N.W. gale, during which she had as narrow an escape from destruction as any ship or vessel ever experienced.
On the 10th July, 1822, at 1-30 a.m., the Sarah, a free trader of about 900 tons burthen, deeply laden with a valuable cargo, parted one anchor, swung nearly into the hawse of the little ten-gun brig, and appeared to ride exceedingly heavy; the storm, which had been gradually increasing ever since the morning of the 9th, then blew with great fury; and the Cygnet, pitching bowsprit under, was taking green seas fore-and-aft. Captain Bennett, although very ill at the time, was fortunately on deck, and directed the whole of the larboard chain-cable to be instantly veered away. Shortly afterwards he observed the Sarah in great confusion, and heard the whole of her crew hailing together; but owing to the violence of the gale, it was impossible to understand what they were so anxious to communicate. She had
