by John Marshall

“ Lieutenant Gourly then mentioned how he intended to apply them, upon which his friend said, “I will not lend the money to you for any such purpose – I will lend it to the men myself – the loss of such a sum might greatly hurt a poor officer, but will not harm me if I were to lose it, which I am sure I shall not: there is the cash, tell the poor fellows I will trust them with double the amount if they want it.” In a few days afterwards, the Vanneau took these men to Leghorn, from whence they promptly remitted every shilling to their generous benefactor. ”

“ He replied, you shall have 250 soldiers sent on board your vessels immediately; make sail, and land them there. In three hours after this, these men were safely put on shore, and they soon got possession of a 2-gun battery, together with the heights above; the enemy flying into the town.
Meanwhile, Nelson was baffled in his attempt to effect a landing on the southern side of the island; the sand being so loose that the men who jumped on shore sunk almost to their knees at every step, the ascent very steep, and the enemy numerous and strongly posted. ”

“ Gourly served as midshipman and master’s-mate in several line-of-battle ships; and at the commencement of the French revolutionary war, we find him proceeding to the Mediterranean, with Lord Hood, in the Victory of 100 guns. On his arrival at Toulon, in Aug. 1793, he was promoted by that officer, and sent to command a floating battery, mounting four long 24-pounders and a 10-inch howitzer, stationed above all the shipping in the N.W. arm of the harbour. ”