officers, and receiving their hearty cheers in return, the band playing “God save the King, Rule Britannia, and St. Patrick’s Day.” In the evening, the officers entertained Captain and Mrs. Hamilton with a parting dinner at the George Hotel, Portsmouth.
Owing to the able manner in which Captain Hamilton had acquitted himself during his late responsible and difficult command, he was again appointed to the Cambrian, July 9, 1824. The following is taken from the London Gazette:–
“Vice-Admiral Sir Harry Neale has transmitted to this office a letter from Captain Hamilton, of the Cambrian, stating that two piratical vessels, carrying one gun and about thirty men each, were captured on the 31st or January last, in the Channel of Negropont, by the boats of his Majesty’s ships Cambrian and Seringapatam, under the orders of Lieutenant Marsham, first of the Cambrian.
“When these pirates were first discovered, they were in chase of an Ionian vessel, and there being reason to suspect (as was afterwards found to be the fact), that they had shortly before plundered another vessel under the same flag, Captain Hamilton sent Lieutenant Marsham in one of the Cambrian’s boats, with a Greek interpreter, to desire that they would come down to his Majesty’s ships for examination; but the pirates having refused to comply with this desire. Lieutenant Marsham was joined by the other boats of the Cambrian, and by those of the Seringapatam, sent by Captain Hamilton’s orders to his support.
“On the approach of the boats, the pirates commenced firing upon them from their guns, and with musketry, and persevered in so doing, notwithstanding the endeavour of Lieutenant Marsham to prevail upon them to desist; who, after exhausting, even under their fire, every means of persuasion, was obliged at last to attack them, and the pirate vessels were then, in the most gallant manner, boarded and carried, after a desperate resistance on the part of their crews, of whom few only could be taken prisoners, the greater number being killed or wounded.
“The officers and men of his Majesty’s ships, employed in the boats, acquitted themselves on this occasion with the utmost gallantry, and the whole of their conduct is noticed by Captain Hamilton in terms of high commendation.”
The loss sustained by the British consisted of 6 killed and 13 wounded: among the latter were Lieutenant William Worsfold and Mr. Horatio Nelson Atkinson, mate of the Seringapatam.
The Cambrian shortly afterwards struck upon a sunken
