water, whilst several others passed through different parts of the hull. Her quarter-deck was stove in by a shell; the whole of her lower-masts were disabled by shot, and all her yards, sails, and rigging much injured.
After shifting her masts, and refitting at Sheerness, the Rattler resumed her former station, where she had another brush with the Ostend division of flotilla, as will be seen by the following extract from a journal belonging to one of her officers:
“June 23, 1804.– Observed twenty-six schuyts coming from Ostend towards Flushing, made ready for slipping, and cleared the ship for action. At 5-30, made all sail towards the enemy. The Galgo and Inspector commenced action. Crossed the Binnen sand in 3 fathoms, and stood in shore to the same depth of water. At 5-60, bore up and commenced action within 1/8th of a mile from the schuyts, the enemy’s batteries, artillery, &c. firing shot and shells smartly; backed and filled occasionally to close with the enemy. At 7-40 running along shore and keeping up a brisk fire. At 8-40, being close in with Ostend, and the pilots fearful of the Stroom sand, ceased firing and hauled off, having driven only one vessel ashore. Examined the state of the Rattler, found several shot and shells in the hull, one gun-carriage on the main-deck disabled by a shot, two quarter-deck planks stove in by a shell, which burst on the main-deck without doing much further injury, and the head of the main-mast damaged by another which struck it a third in[1].
In Oct. following. Captain Mason was thrice engaged with the enemy’s flotilla, at Dieppe, on which occasions the
- ↑ A third shell fell on the Rattler’s main-deck, when one of the seamen, who was himself busily engaged at his gun, desired a boy to throw it overboard – the latter was one of Captain Mason’s servants, and we believe that that was his first cruise; he, however, very coolly took off his hat, placed the shell therein, with the fuze burning, and threw both through a port, thereby preventing the mischief that might otherwise have ensued. Captain Mason having stated this circumstance to the Patriotic Society, the boy was deservedly rewarded with a handsome donation, and an emblematical engraving.
