1812	Light Squadrons and Single Ships	56

with about 80 officers and men, commanded by Lieutenant Abraham Mills Hawkins, assisted by Lieutenant Thomas James Poole Masters, and Lieutenant of marines George Syder, to execute the service. Gaining information on shore, that the cutter had gone to a village on an arm of the sea about 35 miles distant over land, Lieutenant Hawkins detached one of the cutters, under master's mate James Crisp, to disperse some small-arm men collected on the shore, and, with the remaining three boats, proceeded for the creek in which the Danish cutter lay.

On the 2d, at 8 a.m., Lieutenant Hawkins discovered the vessel, which was the Danish cutter No. 97, of four 6-pounders and 22 men, lying at anchor in company with the Danish schooner No. 114, of six 6-pounders and 30 men, commanded by Lieutenant Buderhorf of the Danish navy, the commodore, and an American ship of 400 tons their prize. On the approach of the British boats, the Danish vessels presented their broadsides with springs on their cables, and were moored in a capital defensive position. The British, nevertheless, advanced to the attack, and at 9 a.m. received the fire of the Danes ; whom, however, Lieutenant Hawkins and his party, assisted towards the end by Mr. Crisp's boat, completely subdued, after a most sanguinary combat.

The British lost in this affair Lieutenant Syder, seven seamen, and one marine killed, Lieutenants Hawkins and Masters, assistant surgeon James Larans (mortally), the boatswain (William Hughes), one midshipman (Thomas Fowler, severely), nine seamen (one mortally), and two marines wounded ; total, nine killed and 16 wounded. The loss on the Danish side was also very severe ; amounting to 10 killed and 13 wounded, including the commander of the schooner and the cutter severely, and some other officers. Both the British and the Danes fought in the bravest manner, and between them sustained a loss, for which the prizes were a poor compensation. As a reward for his gallantry, Lieutenant Hawkins was made a commander in the ensuing December.

On the 4th of July, at 6 p.m., Calais cliff bearing south by east distant four miles, the British gun-brig Attack, Lieutenant Richard William Simmonds, observed a transport-galliot, a sloop, and a privateer come out of Calais harbour and endeavour to run alongshore. Knowing that the least manifestation of a pursuit would induce the vessels to put back or run themselves on shore, Lieutenant Simmonds made sail to windward, in the hope to decoy the vessels far enough from the French coast to enable him to cut them off. Having proceeded to a sufficient distance, the Attack detached the gig, with six men, commanded by Mr. Couney, the second master.

At midnight, when within half gun-shot of the French shore, the gig discovered the galliot in tow of the privateer.

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