by John Marshall

“ In Mar. 1813, acting Commander Canning was despatched to the coast of Karamania, where he recovered possession of a polacre ship which had been piratically seized in the Adriatic, and plundered of all her cargo except two butts of oil. This ship he conducted to Smyrna.
On the morning of the 5th June, 1813, a most disastrous affair took place between the boats of the Kite and some pirates, assisted by the inhabitants of Kilidromi, a small island, situated near the entrance to the Gulf of Salonica. Of forty officers and seamen employed in the boats, twenty were killed and eighteen wounded [3] ”

“ They are as follow, viz. by fire-vessels, of which I would employ a certain number, not less than twenty, about 250 tons burthen each, to swim as light as possible, and as taunt and square rigged as the hulls will admit, grappling-irons, &c. with two fast rowing boats, towed one on each side, so that, in case of any accident happening to one, the crew may find resource in the other; one commissioned officer, one petty officer, and seven seamen in each; the whole to be under the command of a captain, either in a line-of-battle ship or a frigate ”

“ Duly considering the above circumstances, it appeared to me the most likely means to benefit our general commerce in these seas, if, by retaliating on our enemies, they might be brought to a more civilised mode of warfare, or driven from this neighbourhood as robbers and pirates. For these reasons, I gave to Lieutenant Williams the command of the Kite’s boats, having under him acting Lieutenant Booth, and Mr. Edgar, purser, whose services are always voluntary, with instructions to bring out the settee from Scio. ”

“ The boats left the brig about 2 o’clock this morning, and, I am happy to say, the service was accomplished in a masterly style, without the smallest accident or any kind of alarm. Before day-light, the Kite was under sail, with the privateer in tow, several miles distant from the port; her rudder was on deck, and sails unbent. I judged it prudent to see her part of the way out of the Archipelago. She is a very fine vessel, about a year old, mounting eight carriage guns, and four others in the hold; near 100 stand of muskets, complete with powder, &c. &c. &c.; seventeen men on board ”

“ The very great protection and encouragement afforded the enemy’s privateers in Scio, is a fact of such general notoriety, that it will be perfectly useless in me to dwell on that subject; but as the injury they have thereby been enabled to do our commerce can be equalled only by the impudence with which they boast of it, I need only mention one single instance, which happened about two weeks ago, among many others, of so flagrant a nature that it attracted the general attention of all concerned in English trade: I allude to the ship belonging to Mr. ”

“ Mr. Canning’s next appointment was, in Feb. 1804, to the Veteran 64, Captain (now Sir Richard) King, fitting out at Chatham, for the Boulogne station. In the ensuing year, he followed that officer into the Achille 74; of which ship he was fourth lieutenant at the memorable battle of Trafalgar. On his return to England, in Dec. 1805, he was appointed first of the Princess Charlotte frigate, Captain George Tobin, then at the Leeward Islands, whither he proceeded in the Mediator 44, taking with him an introductory letter to Rear-Admiral Cochrane, commander-in-chief on that station. ”

“ On the 25th Dec. following, in lat. 33° 18' N. long. 66° 12' W., la Creole sprung a leak, which soon gained on the pumps, although a number of invalided seamen and French prisoners worked cheerfully and hard at them, in conjunction with her crew. All the guns (except four kept for making signals) , and a large quantity of shot and ballast, were then thrown overboard, which, together with a thrummed sail under her bottom, had a temporary good effect. ”

“ The Tamar subsequently cruised with considerable success, and, together with numerous other prizes, captured the French ship privateer General Massena, of 16 guns and 150 men. Mr. Canning, who had been rated master’s-mate immediately after the above action, continued in her until about June 1801 ; when he was received on board the Leviathan 74, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Duckworth, at Martinique. ”

“ The man appears to have convinced the Turkish Ministers of his entire innocence. They think it not unnatural, that in the night he might mistake the English boats’ crews, imperfectly seen, for pirates or robbers, of whom they know there are a number in those seas. ”

“ The boats are then to put off, and make the best of their way to the commodore, which, from the confusion that must inevitably take place among the enemy, appears probable may be done with trifling loss on our part, particularly as the whole force to be engaged will not amount to 200 men. ”

“ On the surrender of the Danish navy, he was directed to assist Lieutenant Boyd (second of the Brunswick) in fitting out and bringing to England a prize 74, the preservation of which from impending destruction may justly be attributed to his foresight and perseverance. ”