opened two masked batteries, one of three, the other of two mortars, at the head of the north-west arm of the inner road; near La Petite-Garenne, upon the prize-frigate Aurore, carrying 12 and 6-pounders, Captain Henry Inman, and a gun-boat, or floating-battery, mounting four long 24-pounders and two brass mortars: which two vessels had been stationed near the Poudrière, for the defence of the head of the harbour, and to cover the fort of Malbousquet on the side next to the water.

On the 19th the republicans opened a fresh battery to the left of the above mentioned, mounted with several 24-pounders; and on the same day the British 98-gun ship the St. George; bearing the flag of Rear-admiral Gell, accompanied by a second floating battery, under the command of Lieutenant Joseph Salvador Moriencourt, of the Princess-Royal, 98, joined the Aurore. During the whole day a heavy fire was maintained between the 98-gun ship, frigate, and two floating-batteries, and the newly erected works of the republicans: but at noon the two floating batteries were forced to slip their cables, to get out of the reach of the enemy's fire. The works of the republicans, although partially destroyed by the fire of the British vessels, were quickly renewed, and the firing recommenced as briskly as ever.

On the 20th the floating batteries returned to the attack ; and the cannonade continued during that and the following day, but with so much increased disadvantage to the two floating batteries, that one of them was sunk by the eflects of the shot she had received. Among the wounded officers, in one of the floats, was Mr. Henry Vansittart, a midshipman of the Victory. A heavy oak splinter struck him on the head, cut through the skull to the thin membrane that covers the brain, and, passing on, took off the thigh of a Spanish bombardier, serving in company with the British seamen.*

On the 24th, Rear-admiral Gell having been appointed to command a small squadron of British, Spanish, and Royalist-French ships, bound to Genoa, the Princess-Royal 98, commanded by Captain John Child Purvis, in the absence of Rear-admiral Goodall, on shore as Governor of Toulon, took the place of the St.-George before the republican batteries. A Spanish 74 now also formed part of the cannonading force. During the firing, which was kept up, at intervals every day, for some weeks, the Princess-Royal (and not the St.-George, as a contemporary states † ) met with a serious accident. One of her lowerdeck guns unfortunately burst : whereby three seamen were killed, the master, one master's mate, and 22 seamen and marines wounded. A piece of the upper part of the gun forced its way through both the second and third decks, overturning upon the former a gun and its carriage.