by John Marshall

“ Preparing to set out, we accidentally were joined by the Beaver sloop. Captain Charles Polly, who offered us her boats, to act in concert with ours: we accepted the reinforcement, under an impression that it would spare lives on both sides, and shorten the contest. At 9-30 P.M. we began the enterprise. Captain Pelly, an intelligent and spirited officer, did me the honor to serve under my command, as a volunteer, in one of the boats. We had near 60 men, including officers, headed by myself, in the foremost boat. ”

“ Two of the boats had broken adrift from us, and two had swamped alongside: the wind shifted again, and we made a push to extricate ourselves, but found the navigation so difficult that it required the intense labour of three days to accomplish it.
“The Atalante’s captain and four other Dutchmen are killed, eleven are wounded, and so dreadfully that our surgeon thinks every one of them will die. To the end of my existence I shall regret the captain; he was a perfect hero; and if his crew had been like him, critical indeed would have been our situation. ”

“ In 1805, Captain Bluett commanded the Wasp sloop, stationed at the Leeward Islands. On the 24th May, 1806, he captured le Napoleon French privateer, formerly H.M. armed cutter Dominica, which vessel had been run away with by her crew, and carried to Guadaloupe, from whence she was sent, with 73 sailors and soldiers on board, to attempt cutting out some British merchantmen lying in Rosseau bay. In the course of the same day. Captain Bluett witnessed the surrender of his prize’s consort, a national schooner of 3 guns and 65 men, to the Duke of Montrose packet and Cygnet sloop of war. ”