1816	England and the Barbary States	404

-Charlotte's fire, that her third broadside levelled the south end of the mole to its foundation : she then sprang her broadside, until it bore upon the batteries over the town-gate leading into the mole. Here gun after gun came tumbling over the battlements ; and when the last gun fell, which was just as the artillerymen were in the act of discharging it, one of the Algerine chiefs leaped upon the ruined parapet, and shook his drawn scimitar at the ship, whose fatally pointed cannon had so quickly demolished that which, by its brave defenders at least, had been considered impregnable.

The excellent position of, and the animated fire kept up by the Leander very soon cut to pieces the Algerine gun-boats and row-galleys ; whereby their intention of boarding the nearest British ships was entirely frustrated. Towards 4 p.m. the Leander, by orders from the admiral, ceased firing, to allow the Algerine frigate moored across the mole, at the distance of about 140 yards from the Queen-Charlotte, to be set on fire. Accordingly, the flag-ship's barge, under the command of Lieutenant Peter Richards, assisted by Major Gossett, of the corps of miners, Lieutenant of marines Ambrose A. R. Wolrige, and midshipman Henry M'Clintock, proceeded to execute that service. A gallant young midshipman, Aaron Stark Symes, in rocket-boat No. 8, " although, " as Lord Exmouth says, " forbidden, was led by his ardent spirit, to follow in support of the barge." His boat, being flat-bottomed, could not keep pace with the barge, and became exposed, in consequence, to a cannonade that wounded himself, and killed his brother officer and nine of the boat's crew. In about 10 minutes, Lieutenant Richards in the barge succeeded in boarding and setting fire to the Algerine frigate, and returned from the enterprise with the loss of only two men killed. The blaze was in a manner electrical ; and Lord Exmouth testified his approbation, by telegraphing to the fleet, "Infallible."

At 4 h. 15 m. p.m., the Algerine frigate in flames drifting out towards the Queen-Charlotte, the latter shifted her birth to let the vessel pass. At 4 h. 24 m. Rear-admiral Milne sent a message to the commander-in-chief, communicating, that the Impregnable had sustained a loss of 150 killed and wounded (including a third of the number by the bursting of a shell from the enemy's works), and requesting that a frigate might be sent to divert some of the fire from the ship. The Glasgow was immediately ordered upon that service ; but, the wind having fallen in consequence of the heavy firing, she was unable to do more than take up, after the lapse of nearly three quarters of an hour, a somewhat better position for annoyance than her former one. Here a short distance off the Severn, with her stern now towards that ship, the Glasgow became exposed to a severe raking fire from the fish-market and contiguous batteries ; which dismounted two of her quarter-deck carronades, and in a few

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