William Buchanan. The subject of this memoir had been sent in the Kent’s barge to assist the boats of those vessels in the blockade of fort Marabout, a strong castle on an island of that name, situated at the western entrance of the western harbour. We should here observe that, whenever detached from his ship upon an enemy’s coast, Lieutenant Withers always took with him a lead, line, and compass, by which means he was enabled, at this critical period, to discover and survey the western bogaze, of which no one in the squadron had the least previous knowledge; the attention of the several masters having been solely directed to the middle passage, which the enemy’s gun-boats prevented them from surveying and buoying with a sufficient degree of accuracy. The following is a copy of Sir Richard Bickerton’s letter to Lord Keith, reporting the result of his Lieutenant’s zealous exertions:
“My Lord,– I have much pleasure in transmitting to your lordship a letter of this day’s date from the Hon. Captain Cochrane, acknowledging the services of Lieutenant Withers of the Kent, by whose exertions the sloops of war were conducted into the harbour of Alexandria in safety, and thereby enabled the detachment of the British army (under Sir Eyre Coote) to approach that town. I am convinced your lordship’s report to the Admiralty on this subject will do justice to the merits of Lieutenant Withers; and beg that you will recommend the Turkish officers so highly spoken of by Captain Cochrane to the attention of his highness the Capitan Pacha.
In April 1803, Lieutenant Withers was appointed by Sir Richard Bickerton to command the Expedition 44, armed en flute; in which ship we find him principally employed on the Mediterranean station until May, 1804, when he received orders to pay her off at Chatham, she being reported unfit for further service. His next appointment was, June 1804, to the Tartarus bomb, attached to the Dungeness squadron, under the orders of Rear-Admiral Sir Thomas Louis. In that vessel he had the misfortune to be wrecked, on the sands near West Gate bay, Margate, when proceeding to refit at Chatham, Dec. 20, 1804.
In Sept. following. Captain Withers accepted employment
