[36] It appeared that the brigadier of gendarmes had been invited by them to take a share of their dinner, on the very day that my letter had arrived. He handed Tuthill this letter, saying it was not an English but a German one, and, contrary to the usual custom, he did not break the seal or inspect it: of course, it was not perused until after dinner, and after he had departed.
[37] From Ashworth’s narrative in the Naval Chronicle, vol. xxviii., it appears that he, with Tuthill, Brine, and two others escaped on 8th December, 1808, by means of a rope just similar to that which O’Brien had employed. They got safely off, and reached Trieste in February.
[38] The reader will find in vol. v. of James’s Naval History many similar extracts from this same source.
[39] In order to realise the disparity of force, it is only necessary to give the list of the two squadrons—
Franco-Italian.
[The first three ships were of the French, the others of the Italian navy.]
| Favorite | 40 | guns | Commodore B. Dubourdieu. |
| Flore | 40 | ” | Captain J. Alexandre Péridier. |
| Danaë_ | 40 | ” | ? ? ? ? |
| Corona | 40 | ” | Captain Paschaligo. |
| Bellona | 32 | ” | Captain Duodo. |
| Carolina | 32 | ” | Captain Palicuccia. |
With the Mercurio brig (16 guns), a 10-gun schooner, a 6-gun xebek, and two gunboats.
British.
| Amphion | 32 | guns | Commodore William Hoste. |
| Active | 38 | ” | Captain J. A. Gordon. |
| Cerberus | 32 | ” | Captain Henry Whitley. |
| Volage | 22 | ” | Captain Phipps Hornby. |