Cooper Willyams, and it is from that gentleman’s publication that we make the following extract:–
“When the Swiftsure appeared off Civita Vecchia, a French officer of distinction came on board with a flag of truce; hut nothing was then decided upon. At another time, when some Neapolitan vessels, supposing the place was evacuated by the French, were making towards it, the French armed-boats, and gun-vessels of a large size, pushed out to bring them in; but the boats of the Swiftsure were sent to their assistance, and soon made the enemy retire, pursuing them with great spirit till under the guns of their own batteries, and nearly capturing them. Lieutenant Alymer, in the launch, had a narrow escape; a shot from the shore, which killed a man who was in the act of taking aim, having struck the powderhorn from his hand. Captain Hallowell had already entered into a negociation with the enemy, and paved the way for the surrender of the place, when he was recalled to attend the Admiral at Palermo.”
Lieutenant Aylmer received the Turkish gold medal, at the close of the Egyptian campaign; and obtained the rank of Commander in 1802; previous to which he had acted as such in the Fury bomb, during the absence of Captain Richard Curry, whom we have already described as the bearer of Lord Keith’s dispatches relative to the surrender of Grand Cairo, June 26, 1801[1].
We subsequently find Captain Aylmer commanding in succession the Delight and Wasp, sloops of war; and in July, 1803, capturing a French privateer, on the Mediterranean station. From the latter vessel he was posted into the Glory, of 98 guns, bearing the flag of Sir John Orde; but he appears to have been soon afterwards superseded, in consequence of that second rate being required for the flag of Rear-Admiral Domett, who had selected an old shipmate to command her. His post commission bears date May 18, 1805.
After quitting the Glory, we lose sight of Captain Aylmer till July 1809, when he assumed the command of the Narcissus, a 32-gun frigate, employed on Channel service. Early in the following year he captured the French privateers Duguay Trouin, of 14 guns and 75 men; and Aimable Josephine, of 14 guns and 105 men. A merchant brig, which had been taken by the former, was also recaptured by him.
The result of an expedition, undertaken by the late Commodore Sir Robert Mends, in conjunction with the Spanish
