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sentenced to 14 years' transportation to Botany bay, except one man, the sergeant of marines, John Chapman : he was condemned to be hanged ; and hanged he was, on the day after his trial, at the fore yard-arm of the 44-gun ship Ulysses, at anchor in Fort-Royal bay. Being aware that our chief historical contemporary commanded a sloop of war in the West Indies at the period of this disgraceful affair of the Carnation ; and that, at the date of the court-martial, if not sitting as one of the members, he was at, or very near to, the spot where it was held, we naturally turned to his book, for a full account of the circumstances, under which the sister-brig of the Amaranthe had been lost. We find it stated, that a long chase, and a three hours' running fight, at the end of which the Carnation had fired away all her filled powder, preceded the close action ; but here comes the statement that surprises and puzzles us: " The master of the Carnation ran from his quarters, as did the sergeant of marines. " " The vessel was sacrificed to the cowardice of the master and the sergeant of marines." " The facts above stated came out in evidence before the court. " * How this could have been the case, and such a sentence have been pronounced as that of which a faithful transcript has been given in the preceding page, is beyond our comprehension. All we can say is, that, as Captain Brenton calls the Carnation's first lieutenant " Dicker," instead of Deecker, and acknowledges that he has " unfortunately forgotten the name of the second, " his memory may have been equally treacherous respecting the conduct, and he actually appears not to know the name of the unfortunate master, whose memory he has so aspersed. On the 28th of November, as the British 16-gun brig-sloop Heureux, Captain William Coombe, was cruising off the north side of the island of Guadaloupe, information was received that seven vessels, some laden and ready for sea, lay in the harbour of Mahaut at the bottom of the bay of that name. Thinking it practicable to cut out these vessels, Captain Coombe resolved to head his boats in the attack. He had a pilot to carry the boats in, and a guide to conduct the storming parties to the two batteries, which mounted, one of them one, and the other two, long 24-pounders. In the dusk of the evening three boats pushed off from the brig ; and, after rowing for about six hours, lay upon their oars to await the setting of the moon. At 4 a.m. on the 29th they dashed on ; and, after a few minutes of desperate fighting, Captain Coombe, in the barge with 19 men, boarded and carried a schooner of two guns, and a crew of 39 seamen and soldiers. In the mean while Lieutenant Daniel Lawrence, assisted by Mr. Robert Daly, the purser, with the remainder of the party, * Brenton, vol. iv., p. 269. ^ back to top ^ |