by John Marshall

“ The exertions of Captain Stevenson and the navy have been extremely laborious and constant during this long march; they have done every thing that was possible to forward our supplies: and indeed, without their powerful aid, it would have been impossible to have proceeded. Your Lordship will recollect, that the river is extremely low at this season of the year, the mouth of the Nile impassable for days together, and the distance from Rosetta to Cairo between 160 and 170 miles. Captain Stevenson has been ably supported by Captains Morrison, Curry, and Hillyar, who were employed under him. ”

“ The ships, about eleven o’clock, were perfectly free from the fire of the enemy’s batteries and gun-boats; the men of war checking the movements of the latter. The prizes, named El Esmeralda and la Paz, are about 400 tons each, mounting 22 brass guns, 12 and 9-pounders, laden with provisions, stores, &c. supposed for Batavia, and on Dutch account: they were to have taken 300 troops of the regiment of Batavian Swiss on board from the island of Majorca. I found several Dutch officers on board El Esmeralda. The officers and several men of la Paz quitted her in boats during the action. ”

“ Captain Hillyarkept the enemy in check, on the left, by the occasional fire of the armed flat-boats on the lake, and the troops on that flank seem sensible of their utility, in preventing the enemy’s numerous cavalry from attempting to turn them where the isthmus widens into a plain. ”

“ The Racoon and Cherub, sloops of war, having joined the Phoebe at Rio Janeiro, and accompanied her round Cape Horn, Captain Hillyar, on his arrival off the Gallipago islands, despatched the former vessel to Columbia river, and proceeded himself, with the Cherub in company, to explore the gulf of Guayaquil, and the coasts between that and Valparaiso, at which latter place he anchored close to the American frigate, and three of her prizes, on the 8th Feb. ”

“ It is impossible to distinguish any particular officer, where all behaved equally well, each doing his utmost to keep the guns up with the line; which was, of course, difficult hi sandy uneven ground, when the troops pressed forward in their eager approach to, and ardent pursuit of the enemy. ”

“ In consequence of a summons having been despatched yesterday to the government storekeeper of Carang Sambang, about 35 miles distant on the road to Buitenzory, to deliver up some very valuable stores of coffee under his charge, a despatch was early this morning received from him, in which he says he is ready to deliver over the above property to any person sent for that purpose; but, he is very fearful if we do not send troops there immediately, the French, who are arriving in small parties, will, when they hear of our being in possession of Cheribon, destroy the stores, and disperse ”

“ Although it has not been our good fortune to have had it in our power to do any thing brilliant, yet, I hope, that having been able to secure so great a proportion of the enemy’s officers, and European troops, may contribute in some degree, to the speedy reduction of this important colony.”
Captain Hillyar sailed from Cheribon on the llth Sept. and the next day took possession of the fort at Taggall, together with the government stores about five miles distant from thence, which he found were capacious, and well filled with coffee, rice, and pepper. ”

“ The capitulation was ratified by the British commanders-in-chief on the 2d Sept. General Menou and his followers were allowed to return home upon the same terms as had been granted to the garrison of Grand Cairo, 312 pieces of cannon, 14,000 filled cartridges, 195,0001bs. of gunpowder, 1 ship of the line, 3 frigates, several corvettes, and numerous merchant vessels, fell into the hands of the allies, and Egypt was at length freed from the tyranny of those who had invaded that country as a preparatory step to the subversion of the British empire in India. ”

“ The Essex is completely stored and provisioned for at least six months, and although much injured in her upper works, masts, and rigging, is not in such a state as to give the slightest cause of alarm, respecting her being able to perform a voyage to Europe with perfect safety. ”

“ My Lord,– Knowing how anxious and desirous your Lordship was, as well as the service I should render to my country, by cutting out or destroying the two corvettes, lying in Barcelona road, mentioned in your Lordship’s letter to Captain Oliver ”

“ They are all mounted, seamen as well as marines, and a relay of horses is prepared for them half way. The Hesper arrived this morning, and I have appointed Captain Reynolds pro tempore, commandant of Cheribon.”
Sept. 7, 1811. “A party, detached from the seamen and marines under Colonel Wood, arrived last night, with nine waggons laden with money, and 30 prisoners, from the Bongas, a place half way between this and Carang Sambang, which they left in the morning at 6 o’clock, when our men were about to advance ”

“ Mar. and three days afterwards the British obtained another splendid victory on the spot, where they had halted after the battle of the 13th [3] . On the 25th a Turkish squadron formed a junction with the English fleet in Aboukir bay, and landed a body of troops, with whose assistance Colonel Spencer, at the head of a detachment from the army before Alexandria, succeeded in obtaining possession of Rosetta a place of considerable importance, situated near the western mouth of the Nile. The reduction of fort St. ”

“ I. p. 357. ↑ General Jamelle and his companions were taken prisoners by Captain Warren at the head of a few marines; See p. 572. ↑ The coffee alone, taken at Carang Sambang, was valued at 250,000 Spanish dollars. ↑ The Essex junior of 10-long-sixes, 10-eighteen-pounder carronades, and 95 men, part of whom are said to have been on board the frigate whilst engaged with the British. ↑ See Captain Thomas Tudor Tucker. ↑ The Phoebe mounted 26 long 18-pounders, 4 long 9’s, 14 thirty-two-pounder carronades, and 2 boat-guns; the Essex, 40 thirty-two-pounder carronades, and six long nines. ”