POST-CAPTAINS OF 1809.
441
force consisting of 16 sail of the line, 8 frigates, 3 brigs, 1 ship armed en flute, and his Majesty’s late sloop Cyane[1].
“On the 16th May, at 7-30 A.M., saw a large ship rounding Point Saline; from her appearance I plainly saw she was a ship of the line, and from the cut of her sails, an enemy. At 8 she hoisted a Spanish ensign and pendant; I immediately directed French colours to be hoisted as a decoy, which fully answered my wishes, for at 8-40 she had got under the lee of the rock, at the distance of three-quarters of a mile, when I shifted the colours, and opened a well-directed fire of round and grape from fort Diamond; the first shot striking her under the fore channel, she directly put her helm up, and in the act of wearing returned one feeble shot. From the light winds she did not get out of range until nine, but continued running before the wind till twelve. At 2 P.M. an enemy’s brig stood out of Fort Royal bay, and beat to windward of the rock, where she continued to cruise. I was now fully satisfied in my own mind of the intention of the enemy to attack the rock. From the 16th to the 29th we were completely blockaded by frigates, brigs, schooners, and sloop-rigged boats, which prevented any supplies being thrown in to me. On the 25th a sloop frum St. Lucia, with my second Lieutenant, who had carried despatches to Barbadoes” (announcing the arrival of the French and Spanish squadrons) “and the Purser, who had gone over to complete the provisions to four months, was taken under my guns, endeavouring to throw in some barrels of powder, although we covered her with a spirited fire from fort Diamond, Centaur’s battery, &c. On the 29th, at 5-30 P.M., two ships of the line, one frigate, and a schooner, with eleven gun-boats in tow, stood out from Fort Royal, under all sail. I now had not the smallest doubt that the squadron was intended for the attack of the Diamond. The rock was therefore put into the best state of defence possible, and I was determined to defend it while I had any ammunition and water remaining. On the 30th, at sun-rise, the enemy’s squadron had fallen far to leeward; but the wind unfortunately veering very much to the southward, (indeed farther than I had known it for some months) enabled them to fetch as high as St. Ann’s bay, where they continued under easy sail for the night. On the morning of the 31st, at sun-rise, they were still under easy sail, far to windward; but from the number of their signals, and having cast off their boats, I was convinced the attack would soon be made. At 7, the enemy bore up in a line for the rock, the gun-boats, &c. keeping within them, crowded with troops. Seeing the impossibility of defending the lower works against such a force, and the certainty of our being prevented from gaining the heights without considerable loss, and which could not bo defended for any time without us, with the greatest reluctance I ordered the whole above the first lodgment, leaving a man, at each gun to give the enemy their con-
