1809	British and French Fleets	102

Basque roads, that the French were endeavouring to strengthen their position in Aix road by throwing up works on the south end of the Boyart [Boyard] shoal, the 38-gun frigate Amelia, Captain the Honourable Frederick Paul Irby, was directed to dislodge them. Accordingly, on the 1st of April, at 9 a.m., the frigate got under way and stood for the spot ; and at 10 h. 15 m. a.m., wearing round, fired a broadside and drove the French away. The Amelia then sent her boats and completely destroyed the works. In a day or two afterwards Captain Irby was detached to another part of the French coast.

On the 3d Lord Cochrane, in the Imp�rieuse, arrived in Basque roads, and delivered to Lord Gambier the board's letter to the admiral. Twelve of the fire-ships to be employed were at this time lying in the Downs waiting for a fair wind ; and six transports, to be fitted as fire-ships by the fleet, had been ordered to sail from Plymouth. The board of ordnance had also been directed, to send from Woolwich a ship laden with combustible matter, including a quantity of Valenciennes composition, [i.e., 50 parts nitre, 28 of sulphur, 18 of antimony, and 6 of rosin], also 1000 carcasses of an 18-pound caliber. The Plymouth transports not being likely to join for some days, Lord Gambier ordered eight of the largest transports of the 30 sail then in company, to be fitted as fire-ships in their stead; and it happened very opportunely, that three French chasse-marées, laden with tar and rosin, had recently been captured by the fleet.

With this supply of combustibles, and with such other materials as the fleet could furnish, the eight transports, and also, at the suggestion of Lord Cochrane, the Mediator frigate-storeship, were fitted as fire-ships ; the latter by her own officers and crew, and the former by the officers and crews of the line-of-battle ships. Three explosion-vessels were also equipped, under the immediate inspection of Lord Cochrane. On the 6th the �tna bomb-vessel anchored in the road, and on the 10th the 12 fire-ships from the Downs, escorted by the Beagle and Redpole sloops ; who had also under their charge the Cleveland transport, laden with Congreve rockets, the ingenious inventor of which had previously arrived in the �tna. Having already given a list of the line-of-battle ships, we here present a list of frigates and smaller vessels, employed on this expedition.

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