troyed during a dark wet night. Lieutenant Travers reached it unobserved, and, with ladders prepared for the purpose, ascended to a loop-hole, into which two bags of gunpowder were crammed, having attached to them a small canvas fuse, with a piece of port-fire at the end. On the explosion taking place, by which time he had got out of the reach of splinters, the top of the tower was nearly blown off; and some sparks having communicated to the magazine, thereby causing a second explosion, the whole fabric was rent to the foundation.
The service upon which the ships in Quiberon Bay were employed was so well known to the enemy, that a gallows was erected within their view, to denote the certain fate of any Englishman who should be taken prisoner.
In Sept. 1810, the command of the Imperieuse was assumed, at Gibraltar, by Captain the Hon. Henry Duncan, under whom Mr. Travers served as first lieutenant during the remainder of the war. On the 11th Oct. 1811, he performed another exploit, which we find thus officially recorded:–
“Sir,– I have the honor to inform you, that H.M.S. under my command, this morning, attacked three of the enemy’s gun-vessels, carrying each an 18-pounder and 30 men, moored under the walls of a strong fort, near the town of Possitano, in the Gulf of Salerno. The Imperieuse was anchored about eleven o’clock, within range of grape, and in a few minutes the enemy were driven from their guns, and one of the vessels was sunk. It, however, became absolutely necessary to get possession of the fort, the fire of which, though silenced, yet, from its being regularly walled round on all sides, the ship could not dislodge the soldiers, and those of the gun-boats’ crews who had made their escape on shore, and taken shelter in it. The marines and a party of seamen were therefore landed, and, led on by my first lieutenant, Eaton Travers, and Lieutenant Pipon, R.M., forced their way into the battery in the most gallant style, under a very heavy fire of musketry, obliging more than treble their numbers to fly in all directions, leaving behind about thirty men and fifty stand of arms. The guns, which were 24-pounders, were then thrown over the cliff, the magazines, &c. destroyed, and the two remaining gun-vessels brought off.
“The gallantry and zeal of all the officers and men in this affair, could not have been exceeded; but I cannot find words to express my admiration at the manner in which Lieutenant Travers commanded and headed the boats’ crews and landing party, setting the most noble example of intrepidity to the officers and men under him. Owing to
