100 musketeers stationed on the beach. Notwithstanding the formidable opposition they experienced, the British brought out their prize, a remarkably fine vessel, with no other loss than one midshipman (Charles Forbes) and three men badly, and three slightly wounded. Nor did the loss on the part of the Giganta amount to more than nine wounded, including one mortally.

On the night of the 21st of October the four cutters of the Renommée, under the direction of Lieutenant Sir William Parker, entered the port of Colon in the island of Majorca, and, in the face of a fire from the vessels in the harbour and from the tower of Falconara, gallantly boarded and carried a Spanish tartan, mounting four guns, and two settees, one of them mounting three guns, and both deeply laden with grain. The two settees were with great difficulty brought out of the port ; but the tartan, having got on shore, was set fire to and destroyed. This bold enterprise was effected with the loss of only one British seaman wounded.

On the next night three of the frigate's cutters, under the command of the same officer, brought off, from under the guns of the Falconara, one Spanish settee, mounting two guns. On this occasion the British were much annoyed by musketry from behind the bushes, which wounded one seaman. To put a stop to this, Sir William landed with a few marines and seamen, and having killed one Spaniard and driven off the remainder, rejoined the ship without any further loss.

On the 5th of April, as the British 12-pounder 32-gun frigate Pallas, Captain Lord Cochrane, was lying at an anchor close to the Cordovan shoal, his lordship received such information as determined him to attempt cutting out two French brig-corvettes lying in the river Gironde leading to Bordeaux. Accordingly, on the same evening, a little after dark, the boats of the frigate, under the command of Lieutenant John Hansell, assisted by Mr. James Sutherland the master, and by midshipmen Edward Perkyns, John Charles Crawford, and William A. Thompson, proceeded on the service. The vessels lay 20 miles above the shoals and within two heavy batteries. The British, nevertheless, at 3 A.M. on the 6th, boarded, carried, and cut out, in spite of every resistance, the French brig-corvette Tapageuse, of 14 long 8-pounders and 95 men ; which vessel, having the guard, was perfectly prepared. The strength of the flood-tide prevented the boats or the prize-brig from ascending the river after the remaining brig ; and therefore at daybreak the Tapageuse made sail. The alarm was immediately given, and the other brig followed and attacked the Tapageuse, but after an hour's firing, was compelled to sheer off. All this was effected with the loss of only three seamen wounded, and some trifling damage to the rigging of the prize.

On the same morning, while the Pallas lay at an anchor awaiting the return of her boats, two armed ships and a brig

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