as prisoners of war. To obviate the other objection respecting; the authority and means of the negociators, a plan of attack was agreed on, in which the officers and seamen of El Corso could co-operate, without the British flag being committed in any way inconsistent with its humanity or its glory; and it was finally determined that, on a certain night, Captain Ricketts, with nearly the whole of his crew, should proceed in certain prize-vessels, drawing but little water, off the mole head of Pesaro, then in possession of the French, and under cover of the night wait for the commencement of an attack by the insurrectionists on the land side. Accordingly, on the night specified, Captain Ricketts proceeded with Lieutenant Yeo, his surgeon, several other officers, and about 90 men, embarked on board some trabacolos prepared for the occasion, and waited off the mole, with extreme anxiety, until after the day had dawned, totally unable to account for his disappointment; which, however, was sufficiently explained in the next interview with the chiefs, as well as by the voice of public rumour, which stated that the Austrians had totally disapproved of the enterprise, and that their out-posts had refused to suffer any of the persons connected with it to pass. It is worthy of observation, that an Austrian column afterwards marched through the Cisalpine territory, and took possession of the different towns on the coast.
In the course of the same year Venice, the grand depot of stores for the Imperial armies, was thrown into the greatest consternation by the approach of a formidable French force, and both the Minister of Marine and the Austrian Commandant wrote to Captain Ricketts, in the most urgent and desponding terms, for the assistance of the vessels under his orders; the latter repeatedly stating that he was “their only hope,” although at this time they had not only ships of the line in their harbour, but frigates and numerous gun-boats at sea, or on their canals ! He accordingly proceeded thither with El Corso and the Pigmy, and took the necessary measures for assisting in the defence of that place, the inhabitants of which were soon after relieved from their fears by an armistice between the contending powers. His promptitude and judicious arrangements on this occasion obtained him the
