Nile, 1799
Type: Hired Cutter ; Armament 12
Hired : 1799 ; Disposal date or year : 1801
Notes:

13 Aug-Oct 1799 employed on expedition to Holland. Although it is not clear whether this and the prize money should apply to the cutter or the lugger below.

28 May 1800 Nile, and Earl Spencer will be paid their Proportion of the Salvage arising from the recapture of the Molly.

6 Jun 1800 Portsmouth, departed on a cruise

18 Jun 1800 Portsmouth, departed the Nile cutter, Lt. Wood, with dispatches for Earl St. Vincent.

25 Jul 1800 problems with neutral states and a diplomatic breakdown involving the Danish 40-gun 18-pounder frigate Freya and her convoy. See also Naval Chronicle, vol 4, p 157.

23 Oct 1800 Plymouth, arrived the Assisthausen, Swede, from Bayonne, detained by the Nile, 14, Lt. Argles.

17 Nov 1800 ships' boats destroy French 20-gun ship-corvette R�olaise in Port Navalo and capture a merchant vessel.

24 Nov 1800 Plymouth, arrived a French brig privateer, 14, prize to the Nile cutter, Lt Argles ; and Lurcher cutter, Lt Forbes.

2 Dec 1800 Plymouth, letters received from the Suworow, 14 guns, Lt Nicholson, dated the 14th ult. state, that near the Glenan Isles, the Captain, 74, chased a fine French corvette, of 24 guns, on shore. Conceiving it possible to destroy her, the Suworow towed in four boats, with Lieutenant Hannah, and a party of marines and seamen. The Nile, 14, Lt Argles, and Lurcher, 14, Lt Forbes, towed in four other boats, manned and armed, close in shore, though annoyed by a tremendous fire of grape, round, and musquetry, from a battery high above her. They however succeeded in landing, set her on fire, and, after seeing her blow up with a dreadful explosion, the seamen and marines gave three cheers and re-embarked with their gallant leaders, with the loss of only one man killed by a shot striking the flute of the Suworow's anchor through his head, and seven men wounded, three dangerously. The Suworow was much cut up in her sails and rigging ; and having all her anchors shot away, was fastened to the Captain by an hawser.

7-11 Dec 1800 captured a number of merchant vessels. See also pp. 70-71 of Naval Chronicle 1801 Vol 5 - Jan - Jun in the Wayback Machine. A List of vessels captured by the Nile hired Cutter, under the Orders of Capt. Sir Richard Strachan, Bart. :
Maria Joseph, of 5 men and 48 tons, from Bourdeaux to Brest, laden with wine and brandy.
Notre Dame de Consolation, of 5 men and 35 tons, from Bourdeaux to Brest, laden with ditto.
Saint Pierre, of 7 men and 39 tons, from Bourdeaux to Brest, laden with ditto.
L'Heloin, of four men and 13 tons, from Nantes to Auray, laden with Nantes wine.
Le Francois, of 3 men and 4 tons, from Nantes to Auray, laden with iron, tar, pottery, &c.
L'Amiable Francois, of 55 tons, from Bourdeaux to Brest, laden with Bourdeaux wine.

11 Jan 1801 arrived Plymouth the Prussian galliot Waaksamheir, David Mickeils, master, laden with naval stores, from Lubeck to Madrid, cut out of from Quiberon Bay by the Nile.

8 Feb 1801 arrived Plymouth Sound from the Bay of Quiberon, with the officers of the Requin, of 14 guns, Lt. Fowell, which was wrecked on some rocks in the above bay, on the 1st instant, the whole crew were saved, but 20 getting on shore were made prisoners, the Nile went in with a flag of truce, and it is thought, being wrecked, they will be soon exchanged, the rest of the crew were saved by the Excellent, of 74 guns, Honourable Captain Stopford.

9 Feb 1801 during the Nile's cruise, she fell in with, engaged, and drove ashore, in the most gallant style, a large French cutter, of 16 twelve-pounders, and a lugger of 12 nine-pounders, but the fire of several batteries opening on the Nile, Lieutenant Argles was obliged to haul off the land : at the high tide they were got off, (although much damaged by the fire of the Nile,) and were towed into the Morbihan.

18 Feb 1801 departed Plymouth Sound with dispatches for Admiral Harvey's fleet off Brest.

5 Apr 1801 arrived Plymouth Sound, the Nile cutter, Capt Argles, last night, and reports that Sir E Pellew, with 4 sail of the line and 4 frigates, were, on 1 Apr., off Rochefort, blocking up 3 French vessels, recently sailed from L'Orient. On her passage to Plymouth the Nile passed through the English fleet blockading Brest, all well.

15 Apr 1801 arrived Plymouth Sound, the Nile cutter, Lt Newton, with dispatches from Adm Cornwallis for the Admiralty. She left the fleet off Ushant all well on the 13th. She left the Mars, 74, bearing away for this port having lost her fore-mast and bowsprit when running foul of the Centaur ; the Nile sailed again with dispatches for the Channel Fleet.

13 May 1801 arrived Plymouth Sound the Nile cutter, of 12 guns and 45 men, Lieutenant T. Newton, having had a very gallant and well-fought action in Douarnerez Bay, with a large French cutter, of 16 guns and full of troops, which she drove, after two hours hard fighting, under the guns of a large battery, where the Nile could not follow her, being much disabled in her mast, sails, and rigging. The French cutter appeared to be much mauled, as Lieutenant Newton observed, on her sheering off, she pumped out a great deal of water. It is supposed, by her trying to disable the Nile, the French cutter meant to run her on board on her bows or quarters, and with her troops to endeavour to board and carry her. But Lieutenant Newton, with his brave little crew by the judicious positions they took, entirely prevented their scheme from taking place. The Nile had only one man wounded.

10 Jun 1801 departed Plymouth Sound on a cruise.

28 Jul 1801 by letters received at Plymouth from the fleet, it appears that Lieutenant Newton, in the boats of the Nile cutter, of 16 guns, attempting to cut out a brig from under the batteries in Douarnanez Bay, in the act of animating the men to pull in, was shot through the heart by a musquet, and expired instantly ; the fire was so heavy that the boats retreated without further loss.

15-16 Aug 1801 the Lieutenants of the cutters Nile, Queenborough and Earl Spencer were wounded when the vessels, with others, were involved in Lord Nelson's attack on Boulogne etc.

19 Nov 1801 remained in Torbay the Ville de Paris, Royal Sovereign, Prince of Wales, Neptune, Prince, Royal George, San Joseph, London, Magnificent, Bellerophon, Hercule, Donegal, Robust, Edgar, Belleisle, Courageux, Fisgard, Amelia, Indefatigable, Childers, Atlanta, Nimrod. The Nile cutter departing for Plymouth to be paid off.

17 Nov-30 Dec 1802 prize money resulting from the expedition to Holland due for payment.