After cruising for three months outside of the Gut, Captain Gore returned to Gibraltar for the purpose of completing his stores, provisions, and water. Whilst thus employed, he observed a cutter coming from the westward, in action with two large French feluccas. Nearly the whole of his officers and men were then on shore, at the Dock-yard. Victualling Office, &c. He immediately recalled them, slipped his cable, and stretched across to Cabritta point unobserved by the enemy, who were about to board the cutter. On perceiving the Medusa they both hauled off from their intended prey and stood away on different tacks; but Captain Gore soon ran along side one of them[1], put his first lieutenant on board her, and continued in chase of the other. This latter vessel[2] succeeded in regaining the Spanish shore, but in so shattered a state, from the Medusa’s shot, that she never again floated. The cutter thus rescued was the British Fair, charged with despatches of the utmost importance: 2 of her crew were killed, and 6 wounded. Each of the feluccas had 2 long 12-pounders, 2 sixes, and 70 men.
The capture and destruction of these, and three other French feluccas, by the Medusa, brought on Sir Thomas Trigge, Lieutenant-Governor of Gibraltar, a long correspondence with the Marquis Solano, Captain-General of Andalusia, and General Castanos, Governor of Algeziras, which being referred to Captain Gore, he replied as follows:–
“Sir,– I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your Excellency’s letters and their enclosures from the high Spanish authorities, and in reply I have to request you will be pleased to inform those officers that so long as they countenance the French privateers lying in Tariffa and other ports, and sallying from thence to seize upon the unprotected trade of his Majesty’s subjects, thereby transgressing the laws of neutrality, I shall be equally heedless of them; and after the instance they so strongly dwell upon, I shall feel it my duty to pursue the French privateers into Spanish ports, and destroy them when I can, and I shall instruct the captains of his Majesty’s ships placed under my orders to do so likewise. I have the honor to be, &c.
Shortly afterwards, the Medusa chased a French schooner
