additional honour of receiving the insignia of his knighthood from his own sovereign at St. James’s.
When the war with France broke out, in 1793, Sir W. Sidney Smith was employed as a volunteer in the Turkish marine, and chanced to be at Smyrna, where there were collected at the same time a number of English seamen out of employ. Being intent on returning home himself in obedience to the customary notice from the Admiralty, he bethought himself of these men, as likely to be lost to their country at such a critical time, and with equal patriotism and humanity determined to restore them to her service. He accordingly, at his own risk, purchased one of the lateen rigged small craft of the Archipelago, and fitted her out under the English flag, and the name of the Swallow Tender. In this diminutive man of war, of between thirty and forty feet keel, he shipped himself, with about as many turbulent fellows, and sailed down the Mediterranean in search of the British fleet, which he found at Toulon about a fortnight before the evacuation of that place. Our officer here delivered up his troublesome charge to the Commander-in-Chief, and was waiting for a passage to England, as a guest with Lord Hood, on board the Victory, at the time it became necessary to decide upon the fate of the French ships and arsenal, and when the extrication of the allied army was the principal object of solicitude,
down colours flying. Captains Aikin and Miller were also desperately wounded.
Another action took place on the 9th July, in which the King of Sweden commanded in person on one side, and the famous Prince of Nassau on the other. It began at 9h 30’ A.M., and lasted twenty-four hours, with the intermission of a very short period about midnight, when darkness imposed a temporary armistice. The Russians were now in their turn defeated, with the loss of five frigates, fifteen gallies, two floating batteries, twenty-one other vessels, a great quantity of stores, and about 4,500 men made prisoners. On this occasion an English officer of the name of Dennison commanded the Venus frigate, and was very near taking the King of Sweden himself, as he captured the galley in which that monarch had embarked, and which his Majesty only left at the suggestion of Captain Smith, who said he was sure, from the gallant seaman-like style in which she bore down to the attack, that the Venus was commanded by an Englishman, and that the King would do well to avoid the consequence; upon which they both took boat and went on board another vessel. Captain Dennioun was killed on the same day.
