1808 - Seahorse and Badere, Zaffer

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1808 Seahorse and Badere-Zaffer 61

Lieutenant George Downie, first of the Seahorse, accompanied by Lieutenant of marines John Cook, went in the four-oared boat and took possession of the prize. Upon the arrival of the Turkish captain on board the Seahorse, he was sullen and sad, and seemed all amazement to think that he had been conquered, and his consort defeated or destroyed, by so small a ship. Unacquainted, apparently, with the forms of civilized warfare, Scandril had no idea of delivering up his sword in token of submission ; and, when told that he must do so, the Mahomedan commander complied with great reluctance, observing as his eyes bent upon the forfeited weapon, that it was a Damascus blade of great value.

Out of her 251 men and boys, the Seahorse had only five men killed and 10 wounded. A 24-pound shot through the middle of her mizenmast, and a few cut shrouds and holes in her sails, comprised all the damage which the British frigate received. The Badere-Zaffer had been very differently treated. Her mizenmast and fore and main topmasts, as we have seen, were entirely shot away : her mainmast had been struck by more than 20, and her foremast by 14, large shot ; and, to support either mast, very few shrouds were left. Besides this state of her masts and rigging, the Turkish frigate was so cut up in her hull, as with difficulty to be kept afloat. Her loss of men bore a full proportion to her damage, amounting to no less a number than 170 killed, and 200 wounded, many of them mortally.

Captain Stewart evinced no small share of gallantry in

 

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