1806 - Boats of Renommée and Nautilus at Vieja


 
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Naval history of Great Britain - Vol. IV
by
William James
1806 Light Squadrons and Single Ships 228

protection a few coasters, sailed out of Carthagena ; and, while the three former chased to the southward the British 12-pounder 36-gun frigate Renommée, Captain Sir Thomas Livingstone, and 18-gun ship-sloop Nautilus, Captain Edward Palmer, who had been stationed to watch the port, the brig, accompanied by the convoy, and favoured by a fresh north-easterly wind, steered along-shore to the westward.

Finding, as evening came on, that the Renommée had left the Spanish ships at a great distance astern, Sir Thomas despatched the Nautilus to Lord Collingwood off Cadiz with the intelligence of their escape, and after dark made sail for Cape de Gata, in the hope of cutting off the Spanish brig. On the 4th, at 2 A.M., the brig was discovered at anchor under Fort Callartes, and not more than 500 yards from it. Baffling winds delayed the Renommée in her approach for three quarters of an hour ; but, on getting up, the frigate's fire soon silenced the brig, and cut asunder the warp by which she was hauling herself on shore. Thus foiled in her purpose, at 3 h. 30 m. A.M., the Spanish brig of war Vigilante, mounting 12 long 12 (or rather, we think, 8) pounders on the main deck, and six 24 (or more probably 18) pounder carronades on the quarterdeck, total 18 guns, with a crew of 109 men, commanded by Lieutenant Don Joseph Julian, struck her colours and was brought safe off : Two Spanish gun-boats, had co-operated with the brig for a short time, until silenced and driven, as was believed, upon the beach, and the batteries had fired at the frigate during the whole time that she continued within range of their guns ; but still the Renommée sustained little or no damage, and had only two men wounded. The loss on board the Vigilante was one killed and three wounded; and the brig's mainmast was so damaged that it fell soon after her surrender. The prize was a similar class of vessel to the Port-Mahon and Vincejo, and, under the name of Spider, continued for many years to be a useful brig-cruiser in the British navy.

On the 3d of May, late in the evening, Captain Livingstone, cruising to the north-east of Cape Palos, despatched the boats of the Renommée and Nautilus, under the command of Lieutenant Sir William Parker, assisted by Lieutenants Charles Adams and Alexander Nesbett, Lieutenant of marines Henry Meerton, Mr. Timothy Murray, boatswain of the Renommée, and Mr. Dawson, carpenter of the Nautilus, and several midshipmen, to cut out from the port of Vieja, the catholic king's schooner Giganta, of two long 24-pounders in the bow, three long 4-pounder carriage-guns and four 2-pounder swivels, and 28 men, commanded by Captain Don Juan de Moire.

On the 4th, at 1 A.M., the service was executed in a very gallant manner, although the schooner having suspected the attack, had her boarding-nettings triced up, was chain-moored within pistol-shot of the batteries, and defended by more than

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