It is almost needless to add that poor Johnson, the black pilot, who had been Captain Willoughby’s guide in all his landings, was immediately put to death.
As for la Nereide, she was rendered so completely hors de combat before her colours were hauled down, that we doubt whether the enemy ever attempted to repair her: at all events, the British, when they captured the Mauritius, found it impossible to do so, and she was consequently sold only to be broken up. The following statement appears in “Brenton’s Naval History:”
“No part of her was sheltered; the shot of the enemy penetrated to the hold and the bread-room, where a young midshipman was killed, as he lay bleeding from a previous wound. Captain Willoughby, having lost an eye, and being otherwise severely hurt, was removed from the bread-room to the fore part of the hold, as less exposed to shot.”
This passage in the “Naval History” gave rise to a correspondence, which we shall now transcribe, although its insertion here is not strictly according to chronological order:
“My dear Sir,– In reading your Naval History, I find respecting myself a few errors, which I trust you will correct in your second edition: the one to which I particularly allude, is in volume 4th, page 469, where you say ‘I was, after being wounded, removed from the bread-room to the fore part of the hold, as being less exposed to shot.’ This you will find, upon enquiry, is not the fact, as, after I was wounded, I was in no part of the ship but the gun-room and cock-pit. I remain, my dear Sir, very truly yours,
“To Captain Edward Brenton, R.N.”
(Answer.)
“My dear Sir,– I am extremely sorry that any statement of mine should have caused you one moment’s pain. Upon the circumstance of your removal from the bread-room to the fore-part of the ship, or fore-hold, I was mis-informed, as appears by your surgeon’s letter, and the statement of other officers. I shall have great pleasure in contradicting it; and with respect to the other inaccuracies, they shall be corrected in another edition. I remain, my dear Sir, yours very sincerely,
“To Captain Willoughby, R.N. C.B.[1]”
- ↑ Mr. George Timmins, the midshipman alluded to by Captain Brenton, was wounded at his quarters on the main-deck, and had his head shot off while sitting at the door of his mess-berth.
