treated to the houses which were near, keeping up a heavy fire of musketry from the windows: but being also dislodged from them, they ultimately fled to the mountains.
“The guns were now spiked, the carriages destroyed, two vessels set on fire, and their carrgoes, which consisted of oil, stove; when our people with difficulty launched the boats that were swamped, and returned on board,” (with only the additional loss of 2 private marines killed; one belonging to the Success, the other to her consort).
“Lieutenant Sartorius speaks in the highest terms of all the officers, seamen, and marines under his orders, particularly of the conduct of Lieutenant Oliver, Mr. George Lewis Coates, Master’s-mate of the Espoir, and Mr. Richard Peace, mate of this ship.”
By reference to our memoir of Sir Jahleel Brenton, it will be seen that Captain Ayscough was unfortunately becalmed in the offing whilst his brother officer was so gallantly supporting the honor of the British flag in the bay of Naples, May 3, 1810[1]; a circumstance which must have caused him infinite mortification, particularly as he had been the senior officer on that part of the coast for some time previous to the arrival of the Spartan, and had not only joined her in pursuit of the enemy, two days before the action, but had actually got so near to the Ceres French frigate on that occasion, as to have had at one time a fair prospect of bringing her to battle; the Success being a faster sailing ship than her consort[2].
After this very severe disappointment. Captain Ayscough was stationed at Messina, with two frigates and several sloops under his orders, for the purpose of protecting Sicily from invasion, Joachim Murat, the usurper of the crown of Naples, having assembled 40,000 troops, and about 200 gun-boats, on the opposite shore; besides putting innumerable fishing-vessels, and other small craft, in requisition, on every part of the Calabrian coast. Together with his appointment to
- ↑ See Vol. II. Part I. p. 268, and note * at p. 269.
- ↑ The captains, officers, and ships’ companies of the Spartan and Success, had previously agreed to share with each other in all prizes taken by either frigate; but as the latter had no share in the action of May 3, 1810, Captain Ayscough, his officers and men, could not reconcile themselves to share for the capture of the Sparviere, and they consequently relinquished their claim without waiting to ascertain whether she was of much or little value.
