1808 - Boats of the Tartar at North Bergen

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1808 The Tartar off Bergen 35

Herbert Caiger and Thomas Sykes, and Mr. John Jervis White the master, went up to the town in the frigate's boats. An Indiaman lying under the battery would now probably have been cut out, had not the guard-boat, which was without her, fallen in with and fired upon the launch commanded by Lieutenant Sykes. The launch's crew returned the fire, and, after wounding all the men in the guard-boat severely, took her. This proceeding alarmed the town's people, who, sounding their bugles, flew to the batteries. Finding that the shipping was protected by a chain, Captain Bettesworth, with all his boat, except the launch left to watch the enemy's motions, pulled back to the frigate.

The Tartar now got under way, with the intention of cannonading the town and batteries. Owing, however, to the intricacy of the passage and the lightness of the wind, the ship, although with a strong current in her favour, had only been able to reach half the distance, when, lying quite becalmed in a narrow rocky strait without any anchorage, she was attacked by an armed schooner and five gun-boats, each of the latter carrying two long 24-pounders, along with a detachment of troops. Having taken their station under a rocky point within half gun-shot of the Tartar, who by the set of the current kept gradually nearing them, these vessels maintained, with entire impunity, a well directed fire ; hulling the frigate in 10 or 11 places, and greatly damaging her rigging and sails. Among the first shots was one that killed Captain Bettesworth, while he was in the act of pointing a gun; and Mr. Henry Fitzburgh, a fine and promising young midshipman, fell dead nearly at the same instant.

The command of the Tartar, thus critically circumstanced, devolved upon Lieutenant Caiger. By great exertions, the broadside of the frigate was at length brought momentarily to bear, and one of the gun-boats was sunk by its discharge. The action continued in this partial manner for an hour and a half ; when, a light air springing up, the Tartar wore and stool towards the gun-boats, and, getting her bow-guns to bear, compelled them to retreat and pull up under the batteries of Bergen. Considering it unadvisable, in the present state of general alarm, to attack the town, Lieutenant Caiger obliged the natives on board to attempt a passage with the ship to the northward. In her way through this channel, the Tartar picked up her launch ; and, after passing many, difficult spots, where it became necessary to boom the frigate off with spars, and occasionally to tow her by the boats, the Tartar, at 3 p.m., got clear of the island and stood out to sea. The whole of the frigate's loss by this perilous enterprise consisted of her captain and one midshipman killed, one man with the loss of his right arm, another man severely, and several slightly wounded. Most of the shot-hole were between wind and water, and one shot had struck the ship two feet under water. On the 20th the Tartar returned to Leith

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