Corigiou, a national armed brig, and several merchant vessels at anchor with her. At 10 p.m., five boats, manned with about 70 men, and placed under the orders of Lieutenant Thomas George Shortland, of the Melpomene, quitted the ships ; and, amidst heavy rain, vivid lightning, and frequent squalls, all highly favourable to the enterprise, pulled for the French harbour. At 3 a.m. on the 4th, the boats were alongside of, and, after more resistance than had been anticipated, carried, the French 14-gun brig (4-pounders), Aventurier, commanded by Lieutenant René-Guillaume Raffi, and manned with a crew of 79 men. The gallant defence made by the brig cost the French 16 men wounded, several of them mortally ; while the loss on the part of the British amounted to no more than one seaman killed, and one missing, and one midshipman (Mr. Frost) and three seamen wounded.

A difficult part of the enterprise still remained to be executed. The forts that commanded the Corigiou inlet, alarmed at what had taken place, now opened their fire ; and the wind, having veered round to north-north-west, blew a fresh gale directly into the passage, the narrowness and intricacy of which rendered any attempt to beat out doubly hazardous. The brig, however, was presently under sail ; and leaving the merchant vessels to some more favourable opportunity, Lieutenant Shortland, after being exposed, during two hours, to a heavy fire from the French batteries, brought out his prize without incurring any additional loss. The Childers had stood in to cover the boats, but, owing to the badness of the night and the dangers of the coast, with considerable risk. Viewed in every point, this boat-attack was a highly creditable affair to all who were engaged in it, not excepting the officers and crew of the French brig. Soon after his return into port, Lieutenant Shortland, for the gallantry he had displayed on the occasion, was most deservedly promoted to the rank of commander.

On the 7th of August, at 5 p.m., Cape Windmill, near Gibraltar, bearing north-east by north distant four or five leagues, the British brig-sloop Espoir, of fourteen 6-pounders, and 80 men and boys, Captain Loftus Otway Bland, having in charge a part of the Oran convoy, discovered a large ship seemingly steering to cut off some of the vessels. The Espoir immediately hauled out from the convoy, and made all sail to meet the stranger, evidently a man of war ; and who, at a little before 7 p.m., hove to for the former. The Espoir, as soon as she arrived within musket-shot, hoisted her colours ; but the Liguria, instead of displaying hers, waited till the Espoir reached her weather quarter, and then hailed.

On the hail's being answered, an officer on board the Liguria desired the commander of the Espoir, in very good English, to go to leeward and strike, or he would sink him, enforcing his threat by one shot, and instantly afterwards by the Liguria's

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