1809	Diana and Zephyr	183

of these luggers, Captain Marshall, at 4 p.m., detached the Monkey, accompanied by the boats of the Lynx under Lieutenant Edward Kelly, to make an attack upon them.

On the approach of the brig, the luggers, the largest of which mounted four guns and four howitzers and lay with springs on her cable, opened a fire upon her. The Monkey reserved her fire until she had anchored about half gun-shot from them ; at which moment, owing to the intricacy of the navigation, the brig took the ground, but was presently got off without damage. The Monkey then opened her fire, and at the second broadside compelled the three luggers to cut their cables and run on shore. The Danes now attempted to scuttle their vessels ; but, by the well-directed fire of the 18-pounder carronade mounted in the Lynx's launch, they were prevented from doing so, and the vessels were promptly boarded, and their guns turned upon their retreating crews. The British then proceeded to get the three luggers afloat, and by 5 a.m. on the 13th, brought them all out without the slightest casualty. This was peculiarly fortunate, as a cask of powder was discovered on board the largest lugger, close to the fire-place, where it had been put by the Danes with the evident intention of blowing up the vessel.

On the 10th of September, in the afternoon, the British gun-brig Diana, of 10 long 6-pounders and 45 men and boys, Lieutenant William Kempthorne, standing into the bay of Amarang on the north end of the Dutch island of Celebes, discovered the Dutch brig of war Zephyr, of 14 long Dutch 6-pounders and 45 men and boys, commanded by Captain-lieutenant Gillet Van-der-Veld, lying at anchor close under a fort, with two cables fast to the shore. As the sea-breeze was blowing fresh into the bay, Lieutenant Kempthorne did not think it prudent to attack the brig in that position, but resolved to attempt cutting her out at night with the boats, when the wind would probably blow off the land.

The Diana, accordingly, beat about the bay, disguised as a merchant brig ; and, as soon as it became dark, Lieutenant Kempthorne detached the strength of his little crew to execute the hazardous service of cutting out the Dutch brig of war, keeping close after the boats with the Diana to be ready to give them support. After a fruitless search of two hours, the boats returned without having been able to find the brig. It immediately struck Lieutenant Kempthorne that, as the nigh was dark and hazy, and the land wind blew fresh, the Zephyr had made sail with the intention of sheltering herself under a strong fort in the bay of Monado at a short distance to the northward. The Diana immediately hoisted in her boats, and made all sail in that direction.

On the 11th, at daylight, the Dutch brig was discovered hull down ahead : but, although the Diana gained fast upon her, the Zephyr got under cover of the fort, when the British brig was still three miles off. As the sea-breeze had set in with

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