Isles, or L’Oriston, in Sardinia, in case he should be driven past Cape Tres Forcas, and to use his own judgment for bringing them back to relieve the besieged fortress. Two days after the Buffalo had parted from the British fleet, she fell in with four of the enemy’s ships, that had come out of Malaga to join the combined fleets, and narrowly escaped being captured by them. One vessel was taken at midnight, not a mile from the Buffalo; but from the darkness of the night, and being close to the Barbary coast, the rest escaped[1]. Captain Holloway then resolved to remain in that situation until the wind should become fair. On the fifth or sixth day, he again came in sight of the British fleet at anchor. When Lord Howe was informed that the Buffalo and her charge were approaching, and was congratulated by one of his officers on the event, he replied, “The Captain of the Buffalo has done his duty.”
Nauticus Junior, the anonymous author of the Naval Atlantis, published in 1789, in drawing the character of Captain Holloway, has been very severe on Earl Howe for selecting the Buffalo on this occasion: “It must first be mentioned,” says he, “that the Buffalo had for a long time been stationed as a flag ship in the Downs, on account of her being considered as unfit for sea. Secondly, that she was badly manned, and therefore selected by that admirable officer, Lord Howe, as a proper ship to take charge of a convoy of store-ships destined for the relief of a distressed garrison; and thirdly, placed as the last ship in the rear division of that fleet, which Great Britain had thought fit to entrust to his Lordship’s charge. By his judicious conduct, Captain Holloway, who, with his convoy, were driven up the Mediterranean by a violent gale of wind and separated from the fleet, happily regained the rock, and he saw his store-ships, &c. into the garrison[2]. This service performed, the Buffalo took her station in the rear division of the fleet, commanded by Vice-Admiral Milbanke, and during the action that took place, was
- ↑ The captured transport had on board the wives and baggage of the two regiments which were embarked in the fleet, as a reinforcement for the garrison: her capture greatly distressed those corps, and their brethren on the rock heartily condoled with them.
- ↑ See p. 17.
