“Rear Admiral Martin.”
LIST OF THE ENEMY’S SHIPS, &c. ENGAGED.
| Ceres, frigate | 42 | guns | 350 | men, severely crippled, escaped under the batteries |
| Fama, corvette | 28 | guns | 260 | men, lost her foretopmast, do. do. |
| Sparviere, brig | 8 | guns | 98 | men taken |
| Hannibal, cutter | 10 | guns | 80 | men, escaped |
| Eight gun boats | 1 | twenty-four pounder each | 40 | men each, escaped. |
| Total, | 96 | guns, and | 1108 | men. |
“J. B.”
In addition to these, it was afterwards known that Murat had in the morning embarked four hundred Swiss troops in the different vessels, in order to make sure of carrying the Spartan by boarding. They were dressed in red like English marines, and extended the whole length of the vessels in which they were embarked, with their muskets; a dreadful carnage must have been made amongst them.
Captain Brenton was wounded whilst standing on the capstan, the only place from whence he could see his numerous opponents. It was by a grape shot striking him on the left hip bone. As he did not at first feel the blow to be very severe, he concluded it to have been given by some of the ropes, which were falling in great numbers from aloft, as cut away by the shot. He jumped from the capstan, and came down on his right leg, but the left could not support him, and he fell; and then blood was seen to issue from his back. He instantly thought of Lord Nelson’s wound in the spine, and concluded from the little pain experienced, that his must have been the same. He was carried below, and on cutting out the shot, the surgeon discovered that the wound was not mortal.
When the action was over, the brig that had been captured was taken in tow, and proved to be Murat’s royal yacht, sent out for the purpose of strengthening the squadron. On the sea breeze setting in, Mr. Willes, the first Lieutenant, who had also been wounded, paraded the prize before the mole of Naples, and then made sail out of the bay. On the following morning the Success and Espoir joined, and their surgeons were found most welcome assistants to the surgeon of the Spartan, who had none of his own. His conduct indeed was most meritorious, and for the first week he was continually, night and day, passing from the sick bay to the Captain’s cabin, hardly known to take either rest or food.
The Spartan proceeded to Palermo, on her way to Malta; and the prize under Lieutenant Baumgardt was sent to Messina, in order to take Captain Hoste to head quarters, and from thence to proceed to Malta.
On the arrival of the Spartan at Palermo, an extraordinary order had been given that all vessels, from whatever place, should be put under quarantine, until liberated by order of the prime minister. This was the first instance since the Spartan had been upon the station. No sooner was the Admiral informed of the circumstance, than he sent off an express to the court, then at some distance in the country.
In the mean time Lord Amherst, the British Ambassador, embarked with the Admiral in his barge, and came off to the Spartan; and as they were prevented by the quarantine laws from coming on board, they both mounted the stern ladders as high as the cabin windows, where Captain Brenton having ordered his cot to be hung near them, had an opportunity of conversing with his kind friends. Such an instance as an Ambassador and an Admiral suspended on two rope ladders, hanging over the stern of a ship, was probably never seen before, nor is it likely to recur. It is only mentioned here, to shew their kind solicitude to afford comfort to their suffering countrymen, for this was their object; and as soon as they knew what means were the most likely to supply this, they returned on shore, and boats were sent off, not only with fresh meat, fruit, and vegetables, but with every delicacy from the Ambassador’s splendid table, for the use of the wounded. No pratique having been obtained that evening, Captain Brenton directed the first Lieutenant to weigh before day-light the following morning, and on the 10th they reached Malta, and were received in the most enthusiastic manner by all classes of persons, who seemed to vie with each other in testifying every possible act of kindness.