Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Intelligence Of Importance From The London Gazettes.
of sight of the spot where we knew the Spanish Fleet to have been cruizing only iwo days before ;• and , in fact , we had . stood on to look for them , with ' a view of--ascertaining their movements . A small Spanish vessel which we conjectured to be a sort oi Tender , was passing us , steering towards Carthagena , so that I could hardly flatter myself with being able to bring the Frigate off in the event of a v / crory , or of even escaping myself , if disabled . On the other hand , it evidently appeared that nothing but a slight and superior sailing could enable me to avoid an action and to do that fro Fri not much to
; m a gate apparently superior us , except in point of ball ; , would , have been committing the character of one of his Majesty ' s Ships more than I could bring myself to icsolve on . I therefore continued standing on without any alteration of ' course . t ' Having , with infinite satisfaction and comfort to myself , commanded the Terpsichore's Crew for two years and a half , through a preltv considerable variety of services , I wetpknew the vceran stuff which I had still left in health to depend upon , for upholding the character of British Seamen ; am ! I fed my mind at to the
ease as termination of any action with the Frigate in shjht chlv . ' ¦ ' At half past nine she came within hail , and hauled her wind on our weather boom ; and as I conceived she only waited to place herself to advantage , and to point her guns with exactness , and ' being myself unwilling to lose the position we -were then in , I ordered oiie gun to be fired , as a trier of her intention . It was so instantaneously returned , and followed up by her whole broadside , that r am coiilidt-iil they must have done it at the siht of ' flashThe action of
g our . course went on , and we soon discovered that her people would not , or could not , resist our lire . At the end of about an hour and forty minutes , during which time we nad twice wore , and employed about twenty of the last minutes in chace , she surrendered . At this period she appeared almost entirely disabled , and ami we had drawn up close alongside , with every gun well charged and well pointed . It was , nevertheless , with extreme difficulty that I prevailed on the Spanish Commander to decline the receiving of such a broadside bv submitting ; and from
every thing which I have since learned , the personal courage , conduct ; and zeal of that Officer , whose name is Don Thomas . Avalde , -was such , during the action ,-notwithstanding the event of it , as reflects on him the greatest ho- , nour , and irresistibly impresses on my mind lhe highest admiration of his character After ( from the eil ' cct of our fire ) all his booms had tumbled down , and rendered his guns unserviceable , all the standing rigging of his lower masts shot away , and I halieve nearly every running rope cut through , and a great number of his people killed - ami wounded , he still persevered ( though he could rally but few of his men ) lo defend his Ship , almost longer than defence was justifiable . Had there been the smallest motion in the sea , every mast must inevitably have gone by the board .
* Our less ( which will appear by the enclosed list ) , has been less than could have been expected ; but our masts , sails , and rigging , were found to be " pretty much cut up , - The spirited exerilons of every officer , man , and boy , belonging lo the SJiiu I ommand , as well in the action as in the securing two disabled Ships , and bringing them instantl y off from a critical situation , by taking the prize in tow , and by their 'incessant labour ever since , will , I trust , when their small number is consideredlace ( hem in a liht superior to praise which I could bestow
, p g any . _ ' The name of the Prize is the Mahonesa , carrying on lhe main deck twdilys ; x Spanish twelves ( wei ghing eighteen ounces niore than ours ) eight Spanish sixes on the quarter deck , and a number of brass cohorns , swivel ? , & c . had oil board two hundred and seventy-live men , besides six pilots , qualified for the . Mediterranean , as high as Leghorn , and to be put " on board Admiral Langara's Heel , which she had been sen : from Carthagena to look for . She was built in 17 S 0 at Millionis of largdimensionsmeasuring eleven hundred and four
, very e , - teen tons and a half Spanish , was , before the action , in complete geed condition , and t . s considered by the Spanish Officers the fastest sailer , one of lhe best constructed , and , what thsy attach considerable importance to , the handsomest Frigate . in their Navy . Both Frigates have this moment anchored in safelv . I am , & c . it . BOWE . S-: '
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Intelligence Of Importance From The London Gazettes.
of sight of the spot where we knew the Spanish Fleet to have been cruizing only iwo days before ;• and , in fact , we had . stood on to look for them , with ' a view of--ascertaining their movements . A small Spanish vessel which we conjectured to be a sort oi Tender , was passing us , steering towards Carthagena , so that I could hardly flatter myself with being able to bring the Frigate off in the event of a v / crory , or of even escaping myself , if disabled . On the other hand , it evidently appeared that nothing but a slight and superior sailing could enable me to avoid an action and to do that fro Fri not much to
; m a gate apparently superior us , except in point of ball ; , would , have been committing the character of one of his Majesty ' s Ships more than I could bring myself to icsolve on . I therefore continued standing on without any alteration of ' course . t ' Having , with infinite satisfaction and comfort to myself , commanded the Terpsichore's Crew for two years and a half , through a preltv considerable variety of services , I wetpknew the vceran stuff which I had still left in health to depend upon , for upholding the character of British Seamen ; am ! I fed my mind at to the
ease as termination of any action with the Frigate in shjht chlv . ' ¦ ' At half past nine she came within hail , and hauled her wind on our weather boom ; and as I conceived she only waited to place herself to advantage , and to point her guns with exactness , and ' being myself unwilling to lose the position we -were then in , I ordered oiie gun to be fired , as a trier of her intention . It was so instantaneously returned , and followed up by her whole broadside , that r am coiilidt-iil they must have done it at the siht of ' flashThe action of
g our . course went on , and we soon discovered that her people would not , or could not , resist our lire . At the end of about an hour and forty minutes , during which time we nad twice wore , and employed about twenty of the last minutes in chace , she surrendered . At this period she appeared almost entirely disabled , and ami we had drawn up close alongside , with every gun well charged and well pointed . It was , nevertheless , with extreme difficulty that I prevailed on the Spanish Commander to decline the receiving of such a broadside bv submitting ; and from
every thing which I have since learned , the personal courage , conduct ; and zeal of that Officer , whose name is Don Thomas . Avalde , -was such , during the action ,-notwithstanding the event of it , as reflects on him the greatest ho- , nour , and irresistibly impresses on my mind lhe highest admiration of his character After ( from the eil ' cct of our fire ) all his booms had tumbled down , and rendered his guns unserviceable , all the standing rigging of his lower masts shot away , and I halieve nearly every running rope cut through , and a great number of his people killed - ami wounded , he still persevered ( though he could rally but few of his men ) lo defend his Ship , almost longer than defence was justifiable . Had there been the smallest motion in the sea , every mast must inevitably have gone by the board .
* Our less ( which will appear by the enclosed list ) , has been less than could have been expected ; but our masts , sails , and rigging , were found to be " pretty much cut up , - The spirited exerilons of every officer , man , and boy , belonging lo the SJiiu I ommand , as well in the action as in the securing two disabled Ships , and bringing them instantl y off from a critical situation , by taking the prize in tow , and by their 'incessant labour ever since , will , I trust , when their small number is consideredlace ( hem in a liht superior to praise which I could bestow
, p g any . _ ' The name of the Prize is the Mahonesa , carrying on lhe main deck twdilys ; x Spanish twelves ( wei ghing eighteen ounces niore than ours ) eight Spanish sixes on the quarter deck , and a number of brass cohorns , swivel ? , & c . had oil board two hundred and seventy-live men , besides six pilots , qualified for the . Mediterranean , as high as Leghorn , and to be put " on board Admiral Langara's Heel , which she had been sen : from Carthagena to look for . She was built in 17 S 0 at Millionis of largdimensionsmeasuring eleven hundred and four
, very e , - teen tons and a half Spanish , was , before the action , in complete geed condition , and t . s considered by the Spanish Officers the fastest sailer , one of lhe best constructed , and , what thsy attach considerable importance to , the handsomest Frigate . in their Navy . Both Frigates have this moment anchored in safelv . I am , & c . it . BOWE . S-: '