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The Turks had been occupied unceasingly, in adding to the number of their forts; some had been already completed, and others were

that twelve Turkish line of battle had been reported, that the Turkish ships, two of them 3-deckers, with fleet designed to make an effort nine frigates, were with their sails against us, to give them an opporbent, and apparently `in readiness, tunity, if such was really their infilled with troops: add to this, near tention, I continued to stand on two hundred thousand were said to and off during the day, but they be in Constantinople, to march showed no disposition to move. I against the Russians: besides, there therefore, as every hour was of imwere an innumerable quantity of portance, bore up at dusk with the small craft, with boats; and fire- squadron: we arrived off Point vessels had been prepared to act Pesquies towards the evening of the against us. With the batteries alone 2d instant ; but the day-light would we might have coped, or with the not admit of our attempting to pass ships, could we have got them out the castles, and the squadron came of their strong hold; but your lord- to anchor for the night; we weighship will be aware, that after com- ed in the morning, and, when I add bating the opposition which the re. that every ship was in safety outsources of an empire had been many side of the passage about noon, it weeks employed in preparing, we was not without the most lively should have been in no state to have sense of the good fortune that has defended ourselves against them as attended us. described, and then repass the Dardanelles. I know it was my duty, in obedience to your lordship's orders, to attempt every thing (governed by the opinion of the ambassador) that appeared within the compass of possibility; but when the unavoidable sacrifice of the squadron committed to my charge, (which must have arisen, had waited for a wind to have enabled me to cannonade the town, unat tended by the remotest chance of obtaining any advantage for his majesty's service), must have been the consequence of pursuing that object, it at once became my positive duty, however wounded in pride and ambition, to relinquish it; and if I had not been already satisfied on the subject, the increased opposi tion in the Dardanelles would have convinced me I had done right, when I resolved on the measure as indispensably necessary. I therefore weighed with the squadron on the morning of the ist; and as it

in a forward state. The fire of the two inner castles had, on our going up, been severe; but, I am sorry to say, the effects they have had on our ships returning, has proved them to be doubly formi. dable: in short, had they been al lowed another week to complete their defences throughout the channel, it would have been a very doubt, ful point, whether a return lay open to us at all. The manner in which they employed the interval of our absence has proved their assiduity. I transmit your lordship an account of the damages sustained by the respective ships; as also their loss in killed and wounded, which your lordship will perceive is far from trifling. The mainmast of the Windsor Castle being more than three quarters cut through by a gra nite shot of eight hundred weight,

W

we have found great difficulty in should our passage be opposed, saving it.

I have the honour to be, &c.
J. T. DUCKWORTH.

P.S. I am sorry to observe, that, in the course of this letter to your lordship, I have omitted to mention, that having placed the hon. captain Capel, in the Endymion, which had been advanced in the stream of the Bosphorus, for the purpose of ascertaining when the quadron could stem the current, and for a watchful observation of the movements of the Turks, as well as to facili. tate communication with the Porte, I feel myself indebted to that of ficer for his zealous attention and assiduity during the time he was placed in that arduous situation.

J.T. D.

Royal George, off Constantinople,
MY LORD,
Feb. 21.

I had the honour of transmitting to your lordship, by the late firstJieutenant of the Ajax, the various details relating to the transactions of the squadron till the 17th ult. Your lordship will from thence have been informed of my resolution of passing the Dardanelles the first fair wind. A fine wind from the southward permitted me to carry it into effect on the morning of the 19th. Information had been given me by his majesty's minister, Mr. Arbuthnot, and sir Thomas Louis, that the Turkish squadron, consisting of a 64 gun ship, four frigates, and several corvettes, had been for some time at anchor with in the Inner Castle; and conceiving it possible they might have remained there, I had given orders to rearadmiral sir Sidney Smith, to bring up with the Thunderer, Standard, and Active, and destroy them,

At a quarter before nine o'clock, the whole of the squadron had pass ed the outer castles, without having returned a shot to their fire (which occasioned but little injury). This forbearance was produced by the desire of his majesty's minister, expressed, to preserve every appearance of amity, that he might negociate with the strongest proof of the pacific disposition of our sovereign towards the Porte; a second battery on the European side fired also with as little effect. At half past nine o'clock, the Canopus, which, on account of sir Thomas Louis's knowledge of the Channel, joined to the steady gallantry which I had before experienced, had been appointed to lead, entered the narrow passage of Sestos and Abydos, and sustained a very heavy cannonade from both castles, with in point-blank shot of each. They opened their fire on our ships as they continued to pass in succession, although I was happy in observing that the very spirited return it met with had so considerably diminished its force, that the effect on the sternmost ships could not have been

So severe.

Immediately to the N. E. of the castles, and between them and Point Pesquies, on which a formidable battery had been newly erected, the small squadron which I have already alluded to were at anchor. The van division of our squadron gave them their broadsides as they passed, and sir Sidney Smith, with his division, closed into the midst; and the effect of the fire was such, that in half an hour the Turks had all cut their cables to run on shore. The object of the rear-admiral was then to destroy them, which was

most

most rapidly effected; as in less than four hours the whole of them had exploded, except a small corvette, and a gun-boat, which it was thought proper to preserve. I enclose to your lordship a statement of their number; and when I add also an account of the loss his majesty's ships have sustained, I cannot help expressing my satisfac. tion that we have sunered so slightly; as, had any of their stone shot, some of which exceeded 800 weight, made such a breach between wind and water, as they have done in our sides, the ship must have sunk; or had they struck a lower mast in the centre, it must evidently have been cut in two; in the rigging, too, no accident occurred that was not perfectly arranged in the course of next day. The sprit-sail yard of the Royal George, the gaft of the Canopus, and the main-top-sail. yard of the Standard, are the only spars that were injured. It is with peculiar pleasure that I embrace the opportunity which has been at this time afforded, of bearing testimony to the zeal and distinguished ability of sir Sidney Smith; the manner in which he executed the service entrusted to him was worthy of the reputation which he has long since so justly and generally established. The terms of approbation in which the rear-admiral relates the conduct of captains Dacres, Talbot, Harvey, and Moubray, which, from my being under the necessity of passing the Point of Pesquies before the van could anchor, he had a greater opportunity of observing than I could, cannot but be highly flattering; but I was a more im. mediate witness to the able and of. ficer-like conduct which captain Moubray displayed in obedience to

my signal, by destroying a frigate with which he had been more parti cularly engaged, having driven her on shore on the European side, after she had been forced to cut her ca bles, from under the fire of the Pompée and Thunderer. The 64 having run on shore on Pe quies Point, I ordered the Repulse to work up and destroy her, which captain Legge, in conjunction with the boats of the Pompée, executed with great promptitude and judg ment. The battery on the point, of more than thirty guns, which, had it been completely finished, was in a position to have annoyed the squadron most severely in passing, was taken possession of by the royal marines and boats' crews of the rear division, the Turks ha ving retired at their approach, and the guns were immediately spiked. This service was performed under the direction of captain Nicholls, of the Standard's marines, whose spirit and enterprize can never be doubt. ed; but as circumstances rendered it impracticable to effect the entire destruction of the redoubt, orders were given by sir Sidney Smith to captain Moubray, which I fully ap proved, to remain at anchor near the Pesquies, and to employ lieutenants Carrol and Arabin, of the Pompée, and lieutenant Lawrie, of the marines, to complete the demolition of the redoubt and guns; which when performed, the Active was to continue in the passage of the Dardanelles, till further orders.

At a quarter past five P. M. the squadron was enabled to make sail; and on the evening of the next day, the 20th, came to an anchor at ten o'clock, near the Prince's Islands, about eight miles from Constantino. ple, when I dispatched captain Ca

pel,

pcl, in the Endymion, to anchor near the town, if the wind, which was light, would permit the ship to stem the current, to convey the ambassador's dispatches to the Sublime Porte in the morning by a flag of truce; but he found it imprac ticable to get within four miles, and consequently anchored at half past 11 P. M. I have now the highest satisfaction to add, that the conduct of the officers and ships' companies of the squadron under my command, has fully supported the character of the British navy, and is deserving of my warmest culogium. Having endeavoured to pay just tribute to those whose duty necessarily called them into this service, I should feel myself very deficient if I omitted to mention that his majesty's minister, Mr. Arbuthnot, and lord Burghersh (who had requested to take a cruize with me), were amongst the most animated in the combat. To cap tain Blackwood, who, after the unfortunate loss of the Ajax, volunteered to serve in the Royal George, great praise is due for his able assistance in regulating the fire of the middle and lower decks; and when the Royal George anchored, he most readily offered his services to convey a message to the Endymion, of great moment, her pilot having refused to take charge of the ship. From thence he gave his assistance to arrange the landing of the troops from the sixty-four, and setting her on fire: indced, where active service was to perform, there was his anxious desire to be placed. His officers too requested to serve in the squadron, and their services, in passing the Dardanelles, met with approbation.

I have the honour to be, &c.
(Signed) J. T. DUCKWORTH.

A List of Turkish Ships and Vessels taken and destroyed at anchor off Point Pesquies, Feb. 19, 1807, within the Forts of the Dardanelles.

Burnt-One line of battle-ship, 64 guns; four frigates, three corvettes, one brig, two gun-boats. Taken possession of, one corvette, one gun-boat.

[The letter,, dated Feb. 28, mentions an unfortunate attempt of the marines and boat's crews of the Canopus, Royal George, Windsor Castle, and Standard, who, under the command of captain Kent, were sent to take a party of Turks who were erecting a battery on the island of Prota. Captain Kent had posi tive orders not to pursue the object if he found it attended with any hazard; but it appeared that the information of a few Turks only having remained on the island, was entirely false, as nearly a hundred of them had retired to an old convent, from loop-holes in the walls of which they defended themselves with musketry. In this affair we had lieutenant Belli, a young of ficer of the fairest promise, and four seamen, one officer, and one private marine, killed; two officers, three petty officers, and five seamen; one officer, two non.com. missioned officers, and six private marines, wounded.]

Return of Killed and Wounded on bourd his Majesty's Ships under the orders of Vice-admiral Sir John Thomas Duckworth, K. B. in forcing the Passage of the Dardanelles, on the 19th of February; at the Attack of Prota the 27th ; and on returning through the Dardanelles, on the 3d of March,

1807.

Royal

Royal George-Lieutenant G. L. Belli, six seamen, and two marines, killed; Mr. J. Forbes, first-lieutenant, slightly wounded; lieutenant N. J. Willoughby, badly wounded; Mr. G. Holbrook, slightly wounded; Mr. Furneaux, Mr. Dalrymple, Mr. John Alexander, Mr. Rouse, and Mr. Cotesworth, midshipmen, badly wounded; forty-five seamen, and eight marines, wounded.

Canopus-Captain Kent, of the marines, four seamen, and one ma rine, killed; Mr. J. Nichols, master's-mate, Mr. G. Wray, midshipman, and Mr. G. Moore, pilot, badly wounded; fifteen seamen, and eight marines, wounded; one since dead.

Pompee-Five seamen, wounded. Windsor Castle-Four seamen, killed; Mr. Wm. Jones, master'smate, slightly wounded; nineteen seamen wounded..

Repulse-Ten seamen, killed; Mr. J. Magui, master's-mate, lightly wounded; lieutenant Marshall, of the marines, dangerously wounded; four seamen, and eight marines, wounded.

Thunderer-Five seamen and one marine, killed; lieutenant J. Waller, badly wounded; licutenant Colby, and Mr. Moore, midshipman, slightly wounded; nineteen seamen and six marines, wounded.

Standard-Four seamen, killed, and four seamen, missing; lieutenant D. Harrington, badly wound. ed; lieutenant Fynmore, of the marines, ditto; Mr. W. Shorbridge, boatswain, and Mr. J. Haines, master's-mate, slightly wounded; Mr. Wm. Smith, midshipman, badly wounded; Mr. C. Jay, midship man, slightly; 42 seamen, and 7 marines, wounded.

Active-None killed; Mr. M. Palmer, boatswain, badly wounded; four seamen and three marines, wounded.

Endymion-Three seamen, killed; lieutenant J. Langdon, badly wounded; eight scamen, and one marine, wounded.

Meteor-None killed; lieutenant G. E. Ballchild, of the marine artillery, badly wounded; A. Foley, and T. Coombes, gunners, ditto; J. Brown, artillery gunner, slightly wounded; four seamen, wounded.

Total-Forty-two killed, 235 wounded, and 4 missing.

Surrender of Alexandria.-A Dispatch, dated Alexandria, 25th March, 1807, addressed to the Right Hon. W. Windham :

Alexandria, March 25, 1807.

SIR,

It is with much satisfaction I have the honour to inform you, that in the afternoon of the 20th current, the town and fort of Alexandria, with two Turkish frigates and a corvette, surrendered to his ma. jesty's arms by capitulation; and that they were taken possession of on the memorable morning of the 21st, by the troops under my command. You are already apprised of my having been detached on this service, with a body of troops from Messina, by his excellency general Fox, under convoy of his majesty's ships Tigre and Apollo; and the Wizard sloop was sent forward by captain Hallowell, to get intelli. gence from major Misset, whom I had been, by my instructions, directed to consult, as to the best plan of operations for effecting the

purposes

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