1810	Boats of Thames, &c. at Amanthea	257

Captain Prescott now set the example by pushing off with the Weazle's boats, having under him Lieutenant Thomas John James William Davis, Mr. George Cayme the master, and midshipmen William Holmes and John Golding. The boats of the Thames, under Lieutenants Edward Collier and Francis Molesworth, midshipmen Matthew Liddon, Christopher Wyvill, John Veal, John Murray, the Honourable Trefusis Cornwall, and William Wilkinson, Mr. William Mullins the boatswain, and Mr. James Beckett the carpenter ; and those of the Pilot, under Lieutenants Francis Charles Annesley and George Penruddock, Mr. Thomas Herbert the boatswain, and master's mate Thomas Leigh, promptly followed.

The marines of the Thames, under Lieutenant David M'Adam, were also landed, to cover the seamen while they were launching the vessels ; the ships all the time firing on the batteries, and on every spot where musketry was collected to oppose the party on shore. The Neapolitans had not only thrown up an embankment outside the vessels, to prevent the British from getting them off, but also one within them, to afford shelter to the numerous troops collected ; who, when driven from their intrenchments, still greatly annoyed the British from the walls of the town. At length every difficulty was surmounted and by 6 p.m. all the vessels were brought off, except one transport laden with bread, too much shattered by shot to float, and one gun-boat, two armed vessels, and two transport, that could not be got off the beach, but all of which were destroyed.

This very gallant and important enterprise was accomplished with so slight a loss on the part of the British, as one marine killed, and six seamen and marines wounded. The loss on the part of the Neapolitans nowhere appears ; nor, indeed, can we discover that any account of the affair has been published. The Moniteur of August the 5th contains an article, under the head of " Scylla, le 20 Juillet," announcing the departure of Captain Caraccioli, with a division of gun-boats, to meet and protect this convoy ; but, although accounts from the Neapolitan coast continued to arrive, no mention is made of the disaster that befel that convoy and those gun-boats.

In his letter to Rear-admiral Martin, giving an account of this affair, Captain Waldegrave, with a liberality and a modesty that do him great credit, thus expresses himself: " Gratified as I feel at an opportunity of testifying the gallantry and zeal of Captains Prescott and Nicolas, and Lieutenant Collier, together with all the officers and crews of the ships (more particularly those in the boats), for their sakes I cannot help regretting it should not have fallen to their lot to have been under the command of one, whose testimony would have greater weight in ensuring them that applause and reward to which such conduct so justly entitles them. " For his gallantry in the command of the boats, Captain Prescott was promoted to post-rank, and his

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