1810	Light Squadrons and Single Ships	256

the constituted authorities remained in the town. In the afternoon the three fishermen, spoken by the squadron of Captain Hoste that same morning off Pelagosi, arrived in the harbour. The information they brought, of the British being so near, produced the utmost confusion on board the squadron that was "so desirous to meet them ; " and, after destroying two British and three Sicilian privateers, Commodore Dubourdieu got under way and departed with no other trophies of his exploit, than two detained vessels belonging to the British squadron and a privateer schooner. The precipitate retreat of a force, apparently so formidable, left upon the inhabitants of Lissa so unfavourable an impression of French naval prowess, that they almost all began to take up arms ; and had the British squadron made its appearance off the island, the French would have found a resistance where they little expected it.

Without waiting to hear the details of what had taken place, Captain Hoste crowded sail to the north-west. But he was too late ; for before the British squadron had even lost sight of the island of Lissa, the Franco-Venetian squadron was entering the harbour of Ancona : a harbour which we doubt if it ever would have entered, had the Active not fallen in with the Sicilian privateer. The arrival in the Adriatic of the 74-gun ship Montagu Captain Richard Hussey Moubray, to take the command of the British squadron, and be ready for the new 74-gun ship Rivoli, expected soon to put to sea from the port of Venice, left M. Dubourdieu with a real excuse for remaining, during the rest of the year, quiet in Ancona.

On the 25th of July, at daybreak, as the British 12-pounder, 32-gun gun frigate Thames, Captain Granville George Waldegrave, and 18-gun brig-sloop Pilot, Captain John Toup Nicolas, were standing along the coast of Naples, the 18-gun brig sloop Weazle, Captain Henry Prescott, appeared off Amanthea, with the signal flying for an enemy's convoy, consisting, as afterwards discovered, of 32 transport vessels from Naples, laden with stores and provisions for Murat's army at Scylla, and escorted by seven gun-boats, mounting one gun each, all long 18-pounders but two, which were brass 36-pounder carronades, four scampavias, or armed vessels, also of one gun each (8, 6, and 4 pounders), and an armed pinnace with swivels. Immediately on perceiving that the British ships were approaching towards them, the transports ran upon the beach under the town of Amanthea, where they were flanked by two batteries ; while the gun-boats and other armed vessels, under the command of Capitaine de frégate Caraccioli, drew themselves up in a line for the protection of the former.

The weather being nearly calm, it was 2 p.m. before the frigate and the two brigs were enabled to form in a close line ; when running along within grape-shot distance, they presently drove the Neapolitans from the vessels, and then anchored.

^ back to top ^