Captain Adam M'Kenzie, 16-gun brig-sloop Espiègle, Captain James Boorder, and 10-gun hired cutter Courier, Lieutenant Thomas Searle, part of a light squadron under Captain Frank Sotheron, of the 38-gun frigate Latona, cruising off the coast of Holland, proceeded to attack the late British gun-brig Crash, which lay moored in a narrow passage between the island of Schiermonikoog and the main land of Groningen. The Courier, working fastest to windward, was sent ahead, and, in a very gallant manner, commenced engaging the Crash, whose force was 12-carronades, consisting of eight 18, two 24, and two 32-pounders, with a crew of 60 men.

Having frequently not two feet of water more than they drew, with the wind right down the channel, and only room for either; in tacking, to go twice her length, the Pylades and Espiegle found a very difficult navigation. At length they arrived within pistol-shot of the Crash, and, in conjunction with the Courier, opened a heavy fire upon her. It was not, however, until she had sustained that fire for nearly 50 minutes, that the Crash struck her colours.

The Pylades and Espiegle were greatly damaged in their rigging and yards. The latter, as well as the Courier, escaped without any loss ; but the Pylades had one seamen killed and two wounded. Although Captains M'Kenzie and Boorder each wrote an official letter on the subject of this action, and concur in representing the long and obstinate defence made by the Crash, they neither mention her loss, which must have been severe, nor the name of the officer who had fought so bravely against a force so decidedly superior.

Previously to the attack of the Crash, the boats of Captain Sotheron's two frigates, and of the Pylades and Espiègle, had been sent to cut out an armed schooner that lay to the eastward of a sand, and could not be otherwise approached. The schooner ran herself on shore, and opened a heavy fire on the boats, by which one man was killed. The boats then returned to their ships.

On the 12th, at 3 p.m., having fitted out the Crash, and armed a schuyt, which the boats had recently cut out, with two 12-pounder carronades, also the launches of the Latona and Pylades each with one, Captain M'Kenzie despatched them, accompanied by all the other boats of the ships, some armed with swivels, others only with small-arms, under the orders of Lieutenant James Slade, first of the Latona, assisted by Lieutenant Salusbury Pryce Humphreys, who commanded the schuyt, to attack the Dutch schooner Vengeance, of six guns, two of them long 24-pounders, and a large row-boat, both moored under a battery of four long 12 and two brass 4 pounders, on the island of Schiermonikoog. The Courier was to have covered the boats in their advance, but grounded, and was with difficulty saved. The Crash, Undaunted (the schuyt's new name),

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