sented to Captain Troubridge by the authorities of that island.
The Culloden was next employed on the coast of Tuscany, and from thence sent to blockade Alexandria, off which port she continued until Mar. 5th, 1799. On her return to Palermo, Captain Troubridge was entrusted with the command of a squadron destined against Procida, Ischia, and Capri; which islands were recovered from the French, and restored to His Sicilian Majesty, before the end of April[1]. In June following, the same able and gallant officer was selected by Nelson to direct the combined operations then about to be commenced against the fortresses of St. Elmo, Capua, and Gaieta; by the reduction of which the kingdom of Naples was, for a time, “liberated from anarchy and misery.” Lieutenant Lowcay having acted as one of his aides-de-camp during those operations, we shall here give his official account of the siege of St. Elmo, together with an outline of his subsequent proceedings:
“Antigniano, near St. Elmo, July 13th, 1799.
“My Lord, – Agreeable to your lordship’s orders, I landed with the English and Portuguese marines of the fleet, on the 27th June; and after embarking the garrisons of Uovo and Nuovo, composed of French and rebels, I put a garrison in each, and, on the 29th, took post against Fort St. Elmo, which I summoned to surrender. The commandant (Mejan) being determined to stand a siege, we opened a battery of three 36-pounders and four mortars, on the 3d instant, within 700 yards of the. castle; and, on the 5th, another, of two 36-pounders. The Russians, under Captain Baillie, opened another battery of four 36-pounders and four mortars, against the opposite angle, intending to storm it in different places as soon as we could make two practicable breaches in the work. On the 6th, I added four more mortars; and on the 11th, by incessant labour, we opened another battery of six 36.pounders within 180 yards of the wall of the garrison, and had another of one 19-pounder and two howitzers, at the same distance, nearly completed. After a few hours’ cannonading from the last battery, the enemy displayed a flag of truce, when our firing ceased, and their guns being mostly dismounted, and their works nearly destroyed, the terms of capitulation were agreed to and signed. * * * * * *. The very commanding situation of St. Elmo, rendered our
ap-
