in which ship he sailed for the Mediterranean with despatches and specie, on the 10th July; and joined Lord Collingwood off the Dardanelles, Sept. 2, 1807. During the remainder of that year, we find him most actively employed in the Adriatic, where the Porcupine and her boats captured and destroyed upwards of forty vessels, laden chiefly with grain and wine for the French garrisons at Ragusa and Cataro; also an Italian gun-boat, mounting one long brass 24-pounder and several swivels, with a complement of about 50 men; and a trabacolo loaded with ordnance stores of every description necessary for fortifying the island of Curzola. The importance of this service was thus acknowledged by his commander-in-Chief, in an official letter, dated on board the Ocean, at Syracuse, Dec. 21, 1807:–
“I cannot too strongly express my high approval and admiration of the zeal and activity with which you have annoyed the enemy in their operations off Cataro, and prevented their supplies, a service which at this moment is particularly important, and I beg you will express my approbation of the conduct of Lieutenant Price and the officers and men under his orders in the attack and capture of la Safo gun-boat, us also in the other instances you have particularized[1]. I am, &c.
“Hon. Captain Duncan.”
In Jan. 1808, Captain Duncan captured two large French armed ships, laden with grain and gunpowder for the relief of Corfu, and having on board a reinforcement for the garrison of that island. A Russian transport mounting 18 guns, a merchant brig under similar colours, and a French vessel laden with hospital stores, were also intercepted by him in the course of the same month; but, unfortunately, the state of the weather obliged him to destroy many of his former prizes; and one of the above ships, although quite new, foundered alongside of the Porcupine, in consequence of some deficiency in the fastening of her stem; by which accident 2 men were drowned, and 23 others narrowly escaped sharing the same fate.
During a subsequent cruise, Captain Duncan fell in with two French squadrons, one from Rochefort, the other from Toulon, consisting altogether of nine sail of the line and seven
- ↑ The particulars of several gallant exploits performed by the Porcupine’s boats, will be given in our memoir of her first Lieutenant, the present Captain George Price.
