On the 18th March, 1804, two boats, under the command of Messrs. Hanchett and Dalyell, cut out four Dutch vessels, three of which they found lashed to the pier-heads of Zierick-Zee, and the other close to them. They were all brought down safe, between Schouwen and South Beveland, without the loss of a single man, although the batteries fired on them, as they approached either shore, in working to windward. On the 31st of the same month, Mr. Dalyell also assisted in capturing a national galliot, employed as a guard-vessel, mounting two long 18-pounders, and four sixes, with a complement of 94 men. The following is an extract of the official letter written by Sir W. Sidney Smith on this occasion:
“The musketry of the people ashore alarming the guard-vessel, it was necessary to board, in order to silence her fire. Lieutenant Hanchett gallantly led the way in the Antelope’s launch, closely followed by Lieutenants Boxer and Barber; the two latter being very early wounded in a most gallant attempt to board across the launch, she could not bold on, and fell astern. The contest with fire-arms lasted three-quarters of an hour, without their being able to get on board, such was the obstinate resistance of the Dutchmen, favored by the form of the vessel and the strong tide. Lieutenant Hanchett, with his usual zeal and intrepidity, then took the Antelope’s cutter, and, with the other small boats, boarded on the broadside. Mr. Dalyell, of the Antelope, and Mr. Hawkins, of the Magicienne, were much praised by Mr. Hanchett, as was also Lieutenant Honeyman, of the marines, a volunteer on the occasion. The decks were soon cleared of the enemy, and the gun-vessel was carried. She was called the Schrik, and found perfectly prepared to resist such an attempt, which seems to have been expected.”
In the performance of this exploit, which was succeeded by several other affairs with the enemy, the British had about fifteen men killed, and many wounded. On the 13th of May following, Messrs. Dalyell and Bourne were discharged into the Rattler sloop. Captain Francis Mason; the former as acting lieutenant. On the 16th of the same month, that ship received very considerable damage, and sustained a loss of two men killed and ten wounded, in action with the Flushing flotilla, commanded by Rear-Admiral Ver-huell[1].
- ↑ See Suppl. Part I. pp. 13–18, and p. 58, et seq.
