Before the Danes abandoned her, they placed a lighted candle in a twelve-pound cartridge of gunpowder in the magazine, where there were some hundred weights beside, which was happily discovered by one of the boat's crew, who immediately grasped it in his hand, and extinguished it, when it had burnt down within half an inch of the powder; another minute would in all probability have been the destruction of every man on board and alongside the vessel.

July 7.-A Russian flotilla of gun-boats, in a position of extraordinary strength, under Percola Point on the coast of Finland, was attacked by the boats of the Implacable (Capt. Martin), Bellerophon, Melpomene, and Prometheus, commanded by Lieut. Hawkey of the Implacable. The Russians were intrenched as it were between two rocks, serving as a cover to their wings, from whence, on the approach of the boats, they poured a destructive fire of grape, notwithstanding which they advanced with cool intrepidity, and never fired a gun till actually touching the enemy, when they boarded sword in hand, and carried all before them. A more brilliant achievement does not grace the records of our naval history: each officer was impatient to be the leader in this attack, and each man zealous to emulate their noble example. Such determined bravery merited and insured the most complete success. Of eight gun-boats, each mounting a thirty-two and twenty-four-pounder, and forty-six men, six were brought out, and one sunk; and the whole of the ships and vessels (twelve in number) under their protection, laden with powder and provisions for the Russian army, brought out, and a large armed ship taken and burnt. That most valuable officer, Lieut. Hawkey, after taking one gun-boat, was killed by a grape shot in the act of boarding another. "No praise," says Capt. Martin in his dispatch, "from my pen can do adequate justice to this lamented young man. As an officer, he was active, correct, and zealous to the highest degree, the leader in every kind of enterprize, and regardless of danger; he delighted in whatever could tend to promote the glory of his country. His last words were- Huzza! push on! England for ever!" The British had 17 killed and 37 wounded. The report of a Russian officer (prisoner) states their killed 63; 127 were made prisoners, of whom 52 were wounded, and the number drowned was very great.

July 25. The boats of the Princess Carolina (D. Pater), Minotaur, Cerberus, and Prometheus, in all seventeen, commanded by Capt. Forrest of the Prometheus, had a most sanguinary contest with four Russian gun-boats and an armed brig contiguous to Aspo. Three of the former and the brig were captured; they had soldiers on board, and were laden with provisions for the Russian army, and destined for Abo; they had 160 men on board. The loss of the British was severe indeed, amounting to 19 killed and 51 wounded; the Russians had 28 killed and 59 wounded. Such was their obstinate defence, that the crew of one boat alone had 23 killed and 20 wounded, being her whole complement.

1812, July 6 and 7.-The Dictator, 64, J. P. Stewart; Podargus (g.bg.), 18, Wm. Robilliard; Calypso (g.bg.), Weir; and Flamer (g.bg.), 14, Lieut. Tho. England, performed a most gallant exploit in an attack upon a Danish squadron, within the rocks off Mardoe, on the coast of Norway. It consisted of the Nayaden, of 38 guns and 320 men; Laaland, of 20 guns and 125 men; Samsoe, of 18 guns and 125 men; Kiel, of 18 guns and 125 men; and 25 gun-boats, carrying each 2 guns, and from 50 to 60 men.

The en

trance

trance of the passage was extremely intricate, and the Podargus leading in, took the ground, which deprived the squadron of her services, and those of the Flamer gun-brig, who was left to assist her during the remainder of the day. At half-past seven, p. m. the squadron had got within a mile of the enemy, who were running inside the rocks under a press of sail, the Calypso leading in, and engaging with the Dictator, the squadron and numerous gun-boats of the enemy. At half-past nine, after sailing through a passage, in some places scarcely wide enough to admit of the Dictator's studding-sail booms being out, Capt. Stewart had the satisfaction of running her bow upon the land, with her broadside towards the enemy, who were anchored, with springs on their cables, close together, and supported by gun-boats, in the small creek of Lyngoe. In half an hour the frigate was literally battered to atoms, and the flames bursting forth from her hatchways; the brigs had also struck, most of the gun-boats were completely beaten, and some sunk. The gun-boats, who had retreated on seeing the fate of their squadron, collected, and renewed the contest, which was maintained by Capt. Weir of the Calypso with the greatest gallantry and effect. The Podargus and Flamer in the mean time were warmly engaged with numerous batteries and gun-boats, both brigs being still a-ground; but after great exertion they were got afloat, very much cut up. At three, a. m. the Dictator, Calypso, and prize brigs, in attempting to get out through the passages, were assailed by a division of gun-boats from behind the rocks, so situated that not a gun could be brought to bear upon them; the prize brigs grounded, and notwithstanding every exertion to get them off, and to extinguish the fire which had burst out on board the Laaland, Capt. Stewart was obliged to abandon them complete wrecks, humanity forbidding their destruction, owing to the number of wounded men they had on board. The Danes acknowledged to have lost 300 killed and wounded; the British squadron had 9 killed, 41 wounded and missing.

BALTIMORE (N. Am.). Major-Gen. Ross, and the force under his command, landed with Rear-Adm. G. Cockburn near to North Point, at the entrance of the Patapsco, on the 12th September 1814, for the purpose of making a demonstration upon the city of Baltimore, which might be converted into a real attack, should circumstances appear to justify it. Adm. Cockburn directed Capt. Nourse of his own ship, the Severn, 40, to advance up the Patapsco with the frigates, sloops, and bomb-ships, to bombard the fort, and threaten the water-approach to Baltimore, while he himself moved on with the army, and seamen (under Capt. E. Crofton) attached to it. They had advanced about five miles, when, in a skirmish which took place with the advanced posts of the enemy, the gallant Gen. Ross received a musket-ball through his arm into his breast, which proved fatal to him on his way to the water-side for re-embarkation. Col. A. Brook, on whom the command of the army now devolved, pushed on with it to within five miles of Baltimore, where a corps of about 6000 men, six pieces of artillery, and some hundreds of cavalry, were discovered posted under cover of a wood, drawn up in a very dense order, and lining a strong paling which crossed the main road nearly at right angles. Having made his dispositions, the colonel, at the head of the troops, advanced rapidly to the charge. In less than fifteen minutes, the enemy's force was broken, and fled in every direction, leaving on the

field two pieces of cannon, with a considerable number of killed, wounded, and prisoners. His loss, in this short but brilliant affair, was from five to six hundred in killed and wounded, besides prisoners, making at least one thousand hors de combat. The British army had 290 killed and wounded; the navy 55 killed and wounded, and 1 missing.

At daybreak on the 13th, the army again advanced to a favourable position about a mile and a half to the eastward of Baltimore, where the colonel reconnoitered its defences, which consisted of a chain of pallisadoed redoubts on detached hills, connected by a small breastwork, and defended by about 15,000 men, with a large train of artillery. Colonel Brook, notwithstanding this formidable appearance, with the description of forces under his command deemed a night attack perfectly feasible, and had made arrangements for it, when he received in the evening a communication from Vice-Adm. Sir A. Cochrane, commander-in-chief of the naval forces, which informed him, that, in consequence of the entrance to the harbour being closed up by vessels sunk for that purpose by the enemy, a naval co-operation against the town and camp was found impracticable. The army, therefore, retired on the 14th, and re-embarked at North Point on the 15th, carrying with it about 200 prisoners, being persons of the best families in the city.

The result of the combined operations of the army and navy was the defeat of the enemy's army, compelling him to sink upwards of twenty vessels in different parts of the harbour, causing the citizens to remove almost the whole of their property to places of more security inland, obliging the government to concentrate all the mili tary force of the surrounding states, harassing the militia, and forcing them to collect from remote districts, and causing the burning of a valuable rope-walk, with other public buildings, in order to clear the glacis in front of their redoubts.

Capt. Crofton, of the Royal Oak, 74, commanding the brigade of sailors, and Captains Sullivan, Money, and Ramsay, commandng divisions of that brigade, distinguished themselves by their gallantry, ability, and exertions, in performing every manœuvre made by the troops, exposing themselves in the hottest of the enemy's fire, to keep their men in line of march, whose obedient and steady conduct was highly meritorious.

BANDA, the principal of the Dutch spice-islands in the Molucca seas, was captured on the 8th of March 1796, by the land and sea forces, under Rear-Adm. P. Rainier. It was ceded to the Dutch by the treaty of Amiens, March 27, 1802. Notwithstanding its fortress was generally supposed impregnable, it surrendered again, on the 9th of August 1810, to a handful of British seamen and marines, in consequence of a night attack. They were led on to the storm of the place by Capt. Cole, of the Caroline, 36, and Lieut. Rich. Kenah, acting commander of the Barracouta (bg.), 18. Capt. Foote, of the Piedmontese, 50, being left in charge of the three ships, about 200 seamen and marines were landed under cover of a dark cloud accompanied with rain, and the enemy were so completely surprised, that a battery of ten guns within one hundred yards was stormed in the rear and taken; after which the strong castle of Belgica was taken by escalade, from which the enemy fled, leaving the colonel commandant and ten others dead, and thirty prisoners. The day now beaming on the British flag, discovered to the conquerors the Fort of Nassau, the sea defences

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at

at their feet, and the enemy at their guns at the different posts. The governor was twice summoned to surrender, but in vain; however a well-placed shot from Belgica (which completely commands the principal defences) into one of their sea batteries, produced an immediate and unqualified submission; when the gallant band found themselves in possession of the two forts, and several batteries, mounting one hundred and twenty pieces of cannon, and defended by near 700 regular troops besides the militia.

BANKS, Capt. See GLUCKSTADT.

BARCLAY, Capt. R. H. See ERIE LAKE.

BARLOW, Capt. Sir R. See HALIFAX STATION, December 21, 1797. MEDITERRANEAN STATION, February 19, and July 5, 1801.

BARHAM, Lord. The Right Hon. Charles Middleton, afterwards created Baron Barham, of Barham Court and of Teston, in Kent, and a baronet, was born at Leith, in October 1726, and was the youngest son of Robt. Middleton, Esq. afterwards collector of the customs at Borrowstonness, by Helen Dundas, grand-daughter of Sir James Dundas of Arniston.

Lord Barham, after his return from the West Indies, in 1761 (where he eminently distinguished himself in the command of the Emerald frigate), married Margaret, daughter of James Gambier, Esq. counsellor at law, and aunt of Lord Gambier, by whom he had only one child, Diana, who on her father's decease became Baroness Barham, the wife of Gerard Noel Noel, Esq. of Exton Park, in the county of Rutland. Lord Barham was one of the privy council, admiral of the red squadron, one of the elder brethren of the Trinity House, first lord of the Admiralty during the important victories of Sir Robt. Calder, Lord Nelson, Sir Rich. Strachan, and Sir John Duckworth, many years comptroller of the navy, first commissioner of the Board instituted in 1786 for inquiring into the state of the woods, forests, and land revenues of the crown, and of the late Board for revising the civil affairs of the navy, member for Rochester in the Parliament of 1784, and one of the vice-presidents of the Lock Hospital, and other charitable societies, &c. After a life eminently distinguished by active public and private virtue, he died at his seat in Kent, on the 17th of June 1813, in the 87th year of his age.

BARRETT, Capt. John, was born at Drogheda, in Ireland, and placed at an early age under Adm. Caldwell, by whose interest he was made lieutenant in 1793. He was in the battle of the 1st of June; went to the West Indies, and was made commander and post-captain; he was appointed in 1809 to the Minotaur, and stationed in the Gulf of Finland; and was shipwrecked in the voyage with a homeward-bound convoy, when he lost his life.

BARRIE, Capt. Robert. See MEDITERRANEAN STATION, May 1, 1811.

BARROSA (Battle of). An expedition having been planned by the Spanish government, with a view to an attack upon the rear of the French before Cadiz, Gen. La Pena was appointed commanderin-chief. Gen. Graham having consented to give his personal assistance, together with that of a considerable portion of the troops under his command, Rear-Adm. Sir R. G. Keats co-operated with the squadron under his orders to promote the success of the enterprize. The British naval part under Capt. Brace, with 3000 British troops, sailed from the Bay of Cadiz on the 21st of February 1811,

and

and effected a landing at Algeziras, from whence Gen. Graham marched with his army to Tariffa, where being joined by the Spanish army, consisting of 7000 men under Gen. La Pena, they marched to Barrosa. On sight of the enemy, the British troops, led on by their gallant and able commander, forgetting their own fatigue and privations, and regardless of the enemy's advantage in numbers and situation, gained by their determined valour a victory uneclipsed by any of the brave achievements of the British armies. Adm. Keats's operations were necessarily confined to feints and occasional landing of seamen and marines, who stormed forts, spiked guns, and dismantled works, for the purpose of causing a diversion in favour of the operations of the combined army. The grand total loss in killed and wounded sustained by the British army at the battle of Barrosa was 1243; that of the French, who had 8000 engaged, in killed, wounded, and prisoners, 3000. The ships employed in this expedition were the St. Alban's, Druid, Comus, Sabine, Tuscan, Ephira, Steady, and Rebuff. They had, in their different encounters, 3 killed and 13 wounded.

BASQUE ROADS. The squadron under the command of Adm. Lord Gambier of the Caledonia, 110, made a daring and successful attack upon the French ships at anchor in Basque Roads on the 11th and 12th of April 1809. The fireships, under the direction of Lord Cochrane, on the night of the 11th, proceeded to the attack under a favourable strong wind from the northward, and flood tide, (preceded by some vessels filled with powder and shells, as proposed by his lordship with a view to explosion,) and led on in the most undaunted and determined manner by Capt. Wooldridge, in the Mediator fireship. On their approach to the enemy, it was discovered that a boom was placed in front of their line for a defence; this, however, the Mediator's weight soon broke, advancing under a heavy fire from the forts in the Isle of Aix and from the enemy's ships, most of which cut or slipped their cables, and from the confined anchorage got on shore, and thus avoided taking fire.

At daylight the following morning, Lord Cochrane telegraphed the admiral, that seven of the enemy's ships were on shore and might be destroyed. The admiral in his dispatch says, "I immediately made the signal for the fleet to unmoor and weigh, intending to proceed with it to effect their destruction. The wind, however, being fresh from the northward, and the flood-tide running, rendered it too hazardous to run into Aix Road (from its shallow water); I therefore anchored again, at the distance of three miles from the forts on the island."

The admiral gave orders to Capt. Bligh, of the Valiant, 74, to proceed with that ship, the Revenge, 74, frigates, bombs, and other small vessels, to anchor near the Boyart shoal, in readiness for the attack. At twenty minutes past two p. m. Lord Cochrane advanced in the Imperieuse, 38, with his accustomed gallantry, and opened a well-directed fire upon the Calcutta, which struck her colours to the Imperieuse. The ships and vessels above mentioned soon joined in the attack upon the Ville de Varsovie and Aquilon, and obliged them, before five o'clock, to strike their colours. soon as the prisoners were removed they were set on fire, as was also the Tonnérre, a short time after, by the enemy;

As

The admiral, in his dispatch, after eulogising the co-operating zeal of Rr-Adm. Stopford, the abilities and unremitting attention of Sir H. Neale, Bart. captain of the fleet, and the animated exertions

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