of the Tartar, and a sketch made by Captain Wight himself of the late operations against the enemy at Havre-de-Grace; for all which trouble General M. begs leave to assure Captain Wight of his best thanks. As General Melville was the first proposer very long since, of that species of artillery between the howitzer and cannon, with a view to unite as far as might be the advantages of both, without the peculiar disadvantages of either, and which were afterwards called carronades, from the first place of their construction in 1779, he has always been a zealous advocate for their use, especially of those of the largest sort; being fully persuaded that these pieces with shell or carcase shot, as might best suit the case, might be a permanent advantage to the British, if the boldest and closest fighters, as he trusts they are and always will be. General Melville has already given, and will continue to give, communications to proper persons, of what Captain Wight has so clearly and satisfactorily stated to General M. on the success of the shell shot, and of the best manner of putting them either into the carronades or long guns; but whether any means will be found to impress these ideas sufficiently upon the mind of the present first Lord of the Admiralty[1], with whom General M. has not the honor to be personally acquainted, if averse to them, is very doubtful. General M. however should think that if Captain Walker and others would join in an application for a proportion of the shell shot, it might be useful, and that the late adoption of howitzers by Lord Nelson, on his second expedition against Boulogne, may be considered as a favorable omen of a growing opinion for the more general use of the shell shot from large carronades, or guns, as being often fit to produce either alarm or execution, in cases when neither could be the effects of solid shot of the same calibre. And were the shell shot in some proportion once established, General Melville would not doubt but that some fit number also of carcase shot would be added; for there are certainly cases when these last might be also used to good purpose.
“General Melville’s very ingenious friend, Commissioner Schanck, is now with Mrs. S. in Devonshire; but on his return he and General M. will have conversation on the contents of Captain Wight’s communications, which, with his successful practice against the enemy, do not only much honor to his zeal, judgment, and exertions, but furnish very instructive, as well as strong grounds, for the farther prosecution of such methods of practice on fit occasions.”
Captain Wight’s next appointment was, in 1805, to the Cleopatra of 32 guns, in which frigate he served for a considerable time on the North American station, where he made many valuable captures, but from whence he was obliged to return through ill-health, arising from a disorgan-
- ↑ Earl St. Vincent.
