1809	Lieutenant Tailour in the Bay of Rosas	145

master's mates Henry William de Chair and William Plant; midshipmen James Dunderdale and Henry Lancaster, and captain's clerk John Oliver French. Topaze : Lieutenants Charles Hammond, James Dunn, William Rawlins, and David Lord Balgonie (Ville de Paris); lieutenant of marines William Halsted, master's mate Alexander Boyter, carpenter Thomas Canty, and midshipmen Joseph Hume, Hungerford Luthill, and Harry Nicholas. Volontaire: Lieutenants Dalhousie Tait, Samuel Sison, and honourable J. A. Maude (Ville de Paris;) lieutenants of marines William Burton and Duncan Campbell, master's mates John Bannatyne and Thomas Randall, midshipmen Richard Stephen Harness, Henry John Leeke, and John Armstead (Ville-de-Paris); and carpenter William Middleton. Scout: Lieutenants John Tarrant and Honourable William Waldegrave, and midshipman John Davy ; the two latter from the Ville-de-Paris, Tuscan: Lieutenant Pasco Dunn, master's mates John M'Dougall and Charles Gray (both from Ville-de-Paris), and midshipman John Stiddy. The names of the officers in the Philomel's boats do not appear in the Gazette.

Every suitable arrangement having previously been made, the boats, commanded by Lieutenant John Tailour, first of the Tigre, pushed off, with characteristic ardour, to execute the business assigned them. As if apprehensive that an attack would be made upon him, M. Bertaud-la-Bretèche had made every preparation to meet and repel it. The Lamproie was enclosed in boarding-nettings, and a gun-boat, or armed launch advanced ahead of her, to give notice of the enemy's approach : the bombards and xebec, and the batteries on shore, were also on the alert. The boats approached, the alarm-gun fired ; and, rending the air with their cheers, the British seamen and marines stretched out, each division of boats taking its allotted part.

The Lamproie was boarded at all points, and, notwithstanding a very spirited resistance, was carried in a few minutes. The Victoire, Grondeur, Normande, and a felucca armed with musketry, defended with equal gallantry, shared the same fate. All this was effected in the face of a heavy fire from the castle of Rosas, Fort Trinidad, and several other batteries, and of repeated vollies of musketry from troops assembled on the beach. Notwithstanding that the force opposed to the British was double what they had reason to expect, such was their alacrity in subduing it, that, at the opening of day on the 1st of November, every French vessel of the 11 was either burnt at her moorings, or brought off by the aid of a light air of wind from the land.

The loss sustained by the British was severe, but not more so than might have been expected from the opposition they experienced. It amounted to one lieutenant (Tait), one master's mate (Caldwell), 10 seamen, one sergeant and two privates of

* See p. 53.

^ back to top ^