by John Marshall

“ I have ordered the burghers to do duty, and have landed the marines as a guard and protecting force, whilst we are employed in getting the corvettes ready to move down to the squadron. The whole of the country between this and Bremen is entirely free from the French, and in possession of the allies. ”

“ At 11-30, got the great guns to bear with round and grape, most of the time within pistol-shot; and as there was so little difference in sailing, my great object was to disable her in her sails and rigging as soon as possible, and which appeared to be the enemy’s principal aim likewise. At 12, his main-mast went overboard; and the rest of his sails and rigging being all cut to pieces, he hailed, and told me he had struck. ”

“ About this period; many Danish seamen arrived at Bremen, and it was considered probable that gun-boats were about to be equipped in the upper part of the Weser, where their preparations and movements could not be watched, and would therefore be unknown to Captain M‘Kerlie. In consequence of this, Admiral Young desired that, in the performance of his other duties, he would not on any account lose sight of the protection of Heligoland, which he was to consider as the chief object of his attention. ”

“ On the 6th June, 1800, when a successful attack was made upon the enemy’s shipping in the Morbihan river, he assisted in boarding and blowing up l’Insolente, an 18-gun corvette [1] ; on every other occasion of boat service he was always a volunteer. We must here insert an anecdote of Sir Edward Pellew and his enterprising protegé. ”

“ So highly did Admiral Young approve of Captain M‘Kerlie’s conduct on every occasion, that he continued him in the command of the Heligoland squadron, until the arrival of Captain Arthur Farquhar, with a large additional force under his orders, in Oct. ”