tona and Laredo are destroyed, consisting of twenty-two 24-pounders, and four 13-inch brass mortars.”
The importance of this service may be inferred from the expressions of gratitude contained in a letter of thanks which the Junta of Gallicia sent to Sir Robert Mends[1], who, when reporting the proceedings of his squadron to Lord Gambier, declared himself much indebted to “the zeal and ability of that excellent officer” (Captain Aylmer), “as well as to Captain Bowles, of the Medusa, who most anxiously solicited to be attached to the brigade, and acted as second in command.”
From this period we have no certain information respecting Captain Aylmer, until the summer of 1815, when we find him conducting an expedition up the Gironde, after an ineffectual attempt to open a communication with General Clausel, commandant at Bourdeaux, the inhabitants of which town, although principally staunch royalists, were still kept in subjection by a considerable body of the ex-imperial troops. The complete success attending Captain Aylmer’s enterprise, will be seen by his official letter to Viscount Keith, dated on board the Pactolus frigate, in the Gironde, July 14, 1815:–
“My Lord, I arrived off this port on the 3d instant, and in compliance with the wishes of General Donnadieu, sent in a flag of truce, with one of his aides-de-camp, for the purpose of communicating with General Clausel, commanding at Bourdeaux; but as two days more elapsed without any answer or news of the aide-de-camp, I sent another flag in to a corvette lying in the river; and I learnt from her commander that he had received the most positive orders from General Clausel not to hold any kind of communication with us. In addition to this we received a proclamation, signed by the General, declaring Bourdeaux and its whole vicinity in a state of siege, and threatening with military execution any who manifested signs of disaffection to his government. The aide-de-camp, it appeared, was detained.
“While this negotiation was attempting, the Hebrus (frigate) arrived with the charge of a small expedition, with arms and supplies for the royalists; and when it became evident that no good could arise out of any attempt to conciliate General Clausel, Captain (Edmund) Palmer made me a very strong representation upon the necessity which he conceived there was for his attempting to enter the Gironde, and open a direct communication with the royalist party. After weighing the circumstances, I thought
