1808	The Porcupine's Boats	55

seen coming down from the westward before a fresh breeze, the Porcupine recalled her boats, in order to go in chase ; but the former, before they could be cut off, succeeded in getting into the harbour along with the gun-boats.

On the morning of the 10th, observing that a large polacre ship, one of the three vessels which had last entered, lay further out than the others, Captain Duncan resolved to attempt cutting her out. Accordingly, as soon as it was dark, the Porcupine's boats, commanded as before, pulled towards the harbour ; and although the polacre mounted six long 6-pounders, with a crew of between 20 and 30 men, and, expecting to be attacked, had moored herself to a beach lined with French soldiers, and lay within pistol-shot of two batteries and a tower, and three gun-boats, Lieutenant Price and his men boarded and carried her. The next difficulty was to bring the vessel out. Here, although in consequence of baffling winds it was an hour and 20 minutes before the prize got beyond the range of grape, the British also succeeded. In this very gallant exploit, the Porcupine had none of her men killed ; but she had eight wounded, including (severely on the head and right leg) Lieutenant Price, also Mr. Butler, midshipman. For his good behaviour in this, and in several similar attacks by the Porcupine's boats. Lieutenant Price was promoted to the rank of commander.

On the 21st the Porcupine drove on shore near Monte-Circello a French polacre ship, which was afterwards completely destroyed by the boats under the command of Lieutenant Francis Smith ; and that without any loss, although the boats were under the fire of a tower, mounting two guns, within pistol-shot of the grounded vessel.

On the 8th of August the Porcupine chased another polacre ship into a harbour of the island of Planosa, near Elba, which. was defended by a tower and a battery. In the evening Captain Duncan sent the Porcupine's two cutters and jollyboat, under the orders of Lieutenant Francis Smith, accompanied by Lieutenant of marines James Renwick, master's mates Henry Parry and Edward Barry, midshipman George Dawkins Lane, and captain's clerk George Anderson, to endeavour to bring out or destroy the vessel. The boats went into the harbour with muffled oars, and boarded the vessel without loss or difficulty.

The ship was now found to be moored within 30 yards of a battery mounting six or eight guns, which immediately opened upon the boats a heavy fire of round and grape. To this was soon added the musketry of several French soldiers drawn up on the beach, and a fire from one of the polacre's guns which had been landed for her defence. In the face of all this, the British. brought out the vessel, which proved to be the Concepcion, mounting four guns, from Genoa bound to the island of Cyprus with bale goods.

This gallant exploit was not accomplished without loss : one

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