discontinue the attack when informed that the attempt to effect a landing had failed, he ordered the cable to be cut, not wishing to expose his men at the capstern; and on reaching the Sybille, found her also under weigh. Both ships then retired to a suitable distance, for the purpose of repairing the damage they had sustained in their hulls, sails, and rigging. The Fox on this occasion had 4 men killed, and 17 wounded. The Sybille 2 killed, and 1 wounded.
From Sambangen, our officers proceeded to Pollock Bay, situated to the northward of Majindinao, where the Fox completed her water; and the Sybille’s boats were in the river for their last trip, when at 7 A.M. on the 31st Jan., they were attacked by the armed Illanois, from ambush among the mangroves. Lieutenant Majeur, who commanded the party, made his escape to the beach, and was fortunately seen from the ships. Captain Malcolm immediately manned his boats, and on reaching the shore joined Captain Cooke, with whom he marched through the woods to the boats, which were found aground; two of their men lying dead, and ten absent, of whom no intelligence could be obtained at the moment, although they were some months after recovered, through the good offices of the Sultan of Mindanao, at which place the ships touched on their return to China, after destroying the villages and cutting down the trees in the neighbourhood where this outrage was committed.
We find no further mention of the subject of this memoir until June 18, 1798, on which day he was appointed to command the Suffolk, of 74 guns, bearing the flag of the late Vice-Admiral Rainier, Commander-in-Chief in the Indian Seas. He afterwards removed with the same officer into the Victorious, another third rate, and continued to serve as his Flag-Captain during the remainder of the war[1].
- ↑ In 1797, the Duke of Wellington, then Colonel Wellesley of the 33d regiment, took a passage with Captain Malcolm, in the Fox, from the Cape of Good Hope to Bengal. Three years afterwards, when the same distinguished officer was nominated to the command of a body of troops intended to attack the isle of France, he embarked on board the Suffolk; but in consequence of counter orders from England, the army intended for that enterprise went to Egypt by the way of the Red Sea, under the present Sir David Baird.
