frigates. This formidable force he continued to watch (in company with the Active), keeping almost constantly insight of one division or the other, for nearly three weeks, at the end of which time the enemy formed a junction and put into Corfu, from whence the Porcupine was sent by Captain Moubray, the senior officer, to apprise Lord Collingwood of their arrival. His Lordship, however, had not the good fortune to meet with them on their return to the westward, and they were consequently enabled to reach Toulon in safety.
After cruising for some time off Tunis, and to the westward of Sicily, where he re-captured one British merchantman and prevented several others from falling a prey to four French privateers, which he discovered dogging a large convoy, Captain Duncan conveyed Mr. Hill, his Majesty’s minister to the court of Sardinia, from Palermo to Cagliari, where he was landed on the 4th June, 1808. The Porcupine then proceeded to cruise between Naples and Toulon, where she was frequently engaged with the enemy’s land batteries^ while capturing and destroying vessels under their protection. On the 25th June, Captain Duncan fell in with a French schooner, near Monte Christo, which he captured, after a chase of eleven hours, the enemy having in vain endeavoured to run her on shore, about four leagues south of Bastia. She proved to be la Nouvelle Enterprise, a remarkably fine letter of marque, pierced for 14 guns, mounting six 6-pounders, with a cargo of bale goods, from Leghorn bound to Turkey. Alluding to this capture, Lord Collingwood, in a letter written off Cadiz, says:–
“I approve of your having seen this vessel into Palermo, for the reasons you have assigned[1]. I hope you will have had further success against the enemy in your return to Toulon along the coast of Italy at least I feel satisfied that your exertions will merit it; but those things depend much on chance, and the enemy are very cautious in getting out of gun-shot of their numerous batteries. As the schooner appears well calculated for the service of Malta, I have ordered her to be surveyed and valued, and if found fit, to be taken into the service, to supply the place of the late Ventura.”
In July 1808, on the revolution breaking out in Spain, the Duke of Orleans, who was at the time residing at Palermo, wished to be sent to Spain to join the insurgents against the French under Buonaparte, and persuaded our minister in Sicily
- ↑ The Porcupine’s crew consisted entirely of impressed men.
