merchant vessels in red shirts, had the desired effect; at midnight Lieutenant Tidy made the signal agreed on, that Sir Charles’s terms were complied with; the marines of the squadron were instantly landed, and the island taken possession of without damage to the ships, or any other loss than 1 officer wounded before the flag of truce was observed from the forts. The mortification of the garrison, on the following, morning, when they discovered the stratagem of which they had been the dupes, may be more readily conceived than described. Some time after this event, the Melpomene captured l’Auguste, French letter of marque, of 10 guns and 50 men, from Bourdeaux bound to Guadaloupe.
On his second voyage to the African station, our officer summoned Senegal by a flag of truce; but the governor, Blanchard, instead of acceding thereto, detained the Lieutenant who had been sent with the message, and his boat’s crew, as prisoners of war. A few nights after[1] the weather being moderate and the surf low, Sir Charles conceived it possible, if he could surprise a brig corvette and an armed schooner, anchored within the bar, to possess himself of the battery commanding the entrance, and by means of the enemy’s own vessels, as he had none under his command fit for the purpose, finally to have reduced Senegal; ho therefore detached Lieutenant Thomas Dick, with 55 volunteers from the Melpomene, 5 from a transport, and 36, commanded by Lieutenant Christie, from the African corps, who left the ship at 9 P.M., in five boats, and were fortunate enough to pass the heavy surf on the bar with the flood-tide, without accident, and unobserved by the battery at the point 3 but on their approaching within hail of the brig, the alarm was given, and the two bow-guns discharged, by which Lieutenant Palmer and 7 seamen were killed, and two of the best boats sunk. Notwithstanding this unfortunate accident, the vessel was carried, after an obstinate defence of twenty minutes, but which gave the schooner time to cut her cable, and saved the town from being stormed. Lieutenant Dick, finding that the loss of the two boats, and many of his best men, added to a constant fire from the schooner and two batteries, must have rendered any farther attempt abortive,
- ↑ Jan. 3, 1801.
