1809	Expedition to the Scheldt	137

Strachan hoisted his flag oh board the St.-Domingo, to be ready to stand into the river the instant the British batteries opened their fire. The force under the rear-admiral, assembled for this purpose, consisted of the:

On the 13th, at 1 h. 30 m. P.M., a fire was opened upon Flushing from 52 pieces of heavy ordnance, and in the evening from six additional 24-pounders. A division of bomb and gun vessels, under the command of Captain Cockburn of the Belleisle, who had removed for the purpose on board the 18-gun ship-sloop Plover, Captain Philip Browse, was stationed off the south-east, and a similar division, under Captain Owen of the Clyde, off the south-west end of the town ; both divisions maintaining an incessant and well directed fire. Owing to the scantiness of the wind, Sir Richard Strachan's squadron could not get, under way when the bombardment commenced on the part of the army ; but on the 14th, at 10 A.M., the ships, in the following order, St Domingo, Blake, Repulse, Victorious, Dannemark, Audacious, and Venerable, weighed and stood in. The St. Domingo, soon after she had opened her fire, grounded on the inner edge of the Dog sand ; and the Blake, in attempting to pass inside of her leader, of whose grounded state she was not aware was equally unfortunate. The remaining ships, by signal, then hauled off and anchored. In about three hours the St. Domingo and Blake got off and anchored with the others. At 4 P.M. the fire of the garrison ceased. A summons was immediately sent in ; but, no satisfactory answer being returned, the bombardment recommenced at night, and was kept up, without intermission, until 2 p.m. on the 15th, when the French commandant, General Monnet, offered to surrender. The terms of capitulation were agreed to in the course of the day, and at 3 A.M. on the 16th the ratifications were exchanged.

The loss sustained by the British, in reducing this important place was, comparatively speaking, of inconsiderable amount. The St. Domingo and Blake, being, from their having grounded, by far the most exposed, were the only ships of the squadron that suffered any loss, and that consisted of only two men killed on board the Blake and 18 (nine each) wounded between them, The Blake was several times set on fire by hot shot, and was

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