1813	Boat Attacks, &c. in the Adriatic	175

On the 6th of January at 2 p.m., a division of the boats of the 18-pounder 36-gun frigate Havannah, Captain the Honourable George Cadogan, placed under the orders of Lieutenant William Hamley, attacked and carried the French gun-boat, No. 8, of one long 24-pounder and 35 men, although the vessel was prepared in every respect and was supported by musketry from the shore to which she had been made fast. Lieutenant Hamley had no expectation of meeting an armed vessel, until, upon opening the creek in which the gun-boat lay, the boats were fired upon, and desired by the troops drawn up on the beach to surrender. Three merchant vessels were taken at the same time ; and the British loss amounted to one master's mate (Edward Percival) killed and two seamen wounded.

On the 22d of March the boats of the Havannah, under the same commanding officer, assisted by Lieutenant of marines William Hockly, captured, under the town of Vasto, a large trabaccolo, mounting three long French 8-pounders, and destroyed a similar vessel laden with oil. On the 26th, Lieutenant Hamley, assisted again by Lieutenant Hockly, captured five armed trabaccolos and five feluccas laden with salt, near the town of Fortore. In both instances, the vessels were hauled aground, and were under the protection of a strong body of military and some guns on the beach. No greater loss, notwithstanding, was sustained by the British in either enterprise, than two men slightly wounded. On the 17th of June, in the morning, the boats of the same frigate, still commanded by Lieutenant Hamley, landed and brought off ; from under the town of Vasto and from the fire of eight guns, 10 sail of merchant vessels ; and that with no greater loss than three men slightly wounded.

On the 21st of December, 1812, the British 38-gun frigate Apollo, Captain Bridges Watkinson Taylor, accompanied by the brig-sloop Weasel, chased a trabaccolo under the protection of the tower of St.-Cataldo. As this tower was reputed to be the strongest between Brindisi and Otranto, Captain Taylor resolved to attempt its destruction. The boats of the two vessels were accordingly detached on that service, under the orders of Lieutenants George Bowen and Michael Quin. The enemy became so much discouraged at having Murat's Neapolitan colours cut down by the first shot from the Apollo's barge, that the tower was carried without the assistance of the ships or the slightest loss. It contained a telegraph, three carriage-guns, and three swivels, and was blown up.

On the 18th of January, 1813, Rear-admiral Thomas Francis Freemantle, the British commander-in-chief in the Adriatic, detached the Apollo, accompanied by the Esperanza privateer and, four gun-boats, having on board 250 troops under Lieutenant-colonel Robertson, to attack the island of Augusta. On the 29th the island surrendered ; and Captain Taylor bestows great praise

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