1808	Light Squadrons and Single Ships	56

seaman was killed, another seaman and the lieutenant of marines mortally wounded, the latter with three musket-balls, and seven men wounded, some of them also mortally. If we have not to add that, for this act of gallantry, as well as for his general zeal and ability in the service, Lieutenant Smith received the customary promotion, it is, we have reason to think, because Captain Duncan's letter on the subject to Vice-admiral Lord Collingwood miscarried, and the duplicate, sent some time afterwards, did not reach his lordship at all, in consequence of his death.

On the 26th of June, at daylight, the British 64-gun ship Standard, Captain Thomas Harvey, cruising off the island of Corfu, discovered and chased an Italian gun-vessel and a French despatch-boat. At 9 a.m., the wind failing, Captain Harvey sent the pinnace, with Lieutenant Richard Cull, and the eight-oared cutter, with Captain Edward Nicolls, of the marines, in chase. After rowing two hours, in very hot weather, the British approached the gun-vessel, and received from her a fire of musketry ; which the boats returned with their swivels, and on drawing near, with their musketry. As the two boats were advancing on each quarter the gun-vessel pulled short round and fired her long 4-pounder at the cutter, which happened to be the leading boat. Heedless of this, Captain Nicolls, dashed at, boarded, and carried, the Italian gun-boat Volpe, commanded by Enseigne de vaisseau Micheli Mangin, and mounting one long 4-pounder, with 20 men, well armed.

The pinnace immediately pushed on in chase of the despatch-boat, which was the Léger, having a well-armed crew of 14 men. The Standard's yawl, which had been previously sent to cut off this vessel, soon obliged her to run on shore. The French crew, on landing, formed on the rocks, and endeavoured to prevent the yawl's approach, but Lieutenant John Alexander succeeded in getting possession of the vessel, and, assisted by the two other boats, towed her off, under a smart fire of musketry from the shore. This little affair was effected without the slightest casualty on the part of the British, and without any known loss on that of the enemy.

When the news reached England of the failure of Sir John Duckworth's expedition to the Dardanells, the new ministry sent out an embassy under Sir Arthur Paget, to endeavour to restore peace, in concert with a Russian plenipotentiary, the celebrated Corsican chief, Pozzi de Borgo. To give weight to the negotiation, Vice-admiral Lord Collingwood, with a strong squadron, attended the ambassadors as far as the island of Tenedos ; where his lordship anchored, in company with the Russian fleet under Vice-admiral Seniavin. Learning, while here, that the Turkish fleet was outside the Dardanells, Lord Collingwood weighed and stood across to the island of Imbros, as a better station, with the prevailing winds, for getting at his enemy ; but, since the moment he had heard of the British

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