|
Cape of Good Hope, the British force cruising off Port-Louis consisted of frigates and sloops only, the Boadicea, Sirius, Iphigenia, Magicienne, Néréide, Otter, and a few others. On the 15th of June, while Commodore Rowley, with the Boadicea and Néréide, was watering on Isle Platte, or Flat island, a small island close off the northern extremity of the Isle of France, preparatory to his departure for the Isle of Rodriguez, a very serious accident happened to the captain of the Néréide, Captain Willoughby was on shore exercising his men at small-arms when a musket he was holding burst, and inflicted upon him a dreadful, and, as it was thought, mortal wound. His lower jaw on the right side was badly fractured, and his neck so lacerated, that the windpipe lay bare ; and the surgeon feared for several days, that it would slough away with the dressing, and of course end the life of the patient. For three weeks Captain Willoughby could not speak. However, by the skilful attention of the surgeon, Mr. George Peter Martyn Young ; and a temperate habit of body, but not until a painful exfoliation the jaw had taken place, the wound healed. We formerly the name of Captain (then lieutenant) Willoughby among the wounded at the unfortunate business of the island of Prota, during the still more unfortunate proceedings in the neighbourhood hood of Constantinople. The wound Captain Willoughby then received was by two musket or pistol balls : one struck his left cheek, and injured-the jaw on that side; the other entered right nostril, and, from the upward position of his face at the moment, took a slanting direction towards the region of the brain. He lay, for half an hour, insensible on the ground, and was carried to the boats and the ship as one of whom no hopes were entertained. The surgeon introduced his probe several inches into the wound, but the bullet has not, we believe, been extracted. Having watered his two ships, and left the squadron off the Isle of France in the temporary charge of Captain Pym of the Sirius, Commodore Rowley made sail for the island of Rodriguez, a small uninhabited island situated about 100 leagues to the north-east of the Isle of France ; and which had recently been taken possession of by Lieutenant-colonel Keating, as a sort of barrack for the troops with which it was in contemplation to attack Isle Bourbon. On the 24th the Boadicea and Néréide, anchored at Rodriguez ; and on the 3d of July, having embarked as many of the European troops as they could stow, the two frigates sailed on their return, accompanied by 14 transports, having on board the remainder of the 3650 European and native troops, including 1850 of the latter, allotted for the expedition. On board the Boadicea were also as passengers, Lieutenant-colonel Keating, the commanding officer of the troops, and Robert Townsend Farquhar, Esquire, appointed to the government of the island as soon as it should be captured. The ^ back to top ^ |