began to be talked of, and to be considered as not altogether hopeless. Sir William Beresford arrived at Bourdeaux on the 12th March, and was received by the principal inhabitants with every demonstration of joy.
Ten days after this auspicious event, Rear-Admiral Penrose, then at Passages, received a despatch from the Marquis of Wellington, dated March 17, informing him of the advance of the combined forces towards Toulouse, and that it was desirable that his squadron should speedily enter the Gironde.
The hopes of being thus called upon had induced the Rear-Admiral previously to send the Racer schooner off the Cordouan light-house, and to Basque Roads, to give the cruisers on the former station notice of his probable arrival there, and, to request assistance from Lord Amelius Beauclerk, which that officer most readily granted.
The difficulty of getting out of Passages, except under the most favorable circumstances, is uncommonly great; and it was not until the 24th March in the forenoon, that Rear-Admiral Penrose’s anxious wish to escape from that port was gratified. The naval force which entered the Gironde under his orders, March 27, consisted of the following ships and vessels:
| Egmont (flag ship) | 74 guns, | Captain Joseph Bingham. |
| Andromache | 38 __, | Captain George Tobin. |
| Belle Poule | 38 __, | Captain George Harris. |
| Porcupine | 22 __, | Captain John Coode. |
| Vesuvius | bomb, | Captain William Hext. |
| Challenger | brig, | Captain Frederick E. V. Vernon. |
| Polargus | __, | Captain George Rennie. |
| Martial | __, | Lieut. Edw. Collins (acting Comm.) |
| Dwarf | cutter, | Lieut. Samuel Gordon. |
To which were shortly afterward; added the Reynard brig, Captain David Latimer St. Clair; and the Nimble cutter, Lieutenant Peter Williams.
It is worthy of remark, that no line-of-battle ship had ever ventured to enter the Gironde, with all her guns and stores on board, before Rear-Admiral Penrose resolved to make the experiment; which he did under every disadvantage, as there was not a single person in the squadron ac-
