by John Marshall

“ I earnestly hope that the praiseworthy endeavour to form so noble and beneficial an institution, will every where meet with the warm support which it deserves. Nor have I a doubt that many a valuable rarity, now lying idle in the rooms of naval and military officers, will be readily forwarded for so useful a purpose. ”

“ The height of the walls measures, exclusive of the parapets, generally about twenty-two feet; the parapets of the front, across the high road, are twenty feet thick; and twenty-one heavy guns, in the curtain, enfilade the line of approach from La-Isla, which narrow causeway was at the same time flanked by a Spanish flotilla of gun and mortar-boats, under the command of Admiral Valdez, a patriotic officer, who had fought with great bravery at Trafalgar, but who is now an exile from his ungrateful country, and a resident of the British metropolis. ”

“ The main point, therefore, is to get the nautical portion completed as quickly as possible; and from weighing well the nature of the means at our disposal, I think the wishes of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty will best be answered by a coast journey as far as Derna, the eastern limit of the Bashaw’s dominions; and from thence the shore party to strike to the southward, and explore the regions of the Cyrenaica, and the desert of Barca, varying the direction of your interesting route according to existing circumstances, and the local value of the objects in view. ”

“ Lieutenant Smyth was soon afterwards appointed to a command in the Anglo-Sicilian flotilla, stationed at Messina, under the orders of his friend Brigadier Sir Robert Hall, with whom he had first become acquainted at Cadiz. This force consisted of heavy gun and mortar-vessels, rocket-boats, and armed scampavias, all well-appointed, and manned with 3000 organized native sailors. Such a formidable obstacle to invasion was one of the principal means by which 14,000 British and German troops had been enabled to hold the island of Sicily against Murat’s army, amounting to 38,000 chosen men. ”

“ Henry Beechey will be best exerted in passing from the desert of Barca, by Augila, and the petrified palm valley, to the Oasis of Siwah and Egypt, where, from his intimate acquaintance with the respective authorities, he will be enabled to procure the proper protection and necessary guards for returning along that part of the coast lying between Alexandria and Bomba. After which I would recommend the mountain track to Tripoli, by which she whole eastern division of the Regency will be completely investigated, and its antiquities, geography, and resources made known. ”

“ It was chiefly by the princely munificence of Alexander the Great, and his activity in collecting the rarities of earth, air, and water, that Aristotle was enabled to analyse, define, and demonstrate Nature’s mysteries, with such unexampled precision, as to place him at the head of natural philosophers. ”

“ The city and fortifications of Cadiz occupy the whole of a small peninsula, which is connected with the island by a narrow sandy isthmus, about four miles and a half in length, and forms its north-western extremity.
El Rio-de-Sancti-Petri is a channel of deep water, varying from 200 to 300 yards in breadth, with a strong tide running through it, and no where fordable at any time of the tide: it extends from the royal naval arsenal, in the inner harbour, to the ocean, and was defended by a number of batteries on both banks as well as by some Works on a small island near its southern outlet. ”

“ Assurément on ne pouvait confier une expédition aussi importante à un navigateur plus habile, plus expert, et plus zélé que le Capitaine Smyth. Il est muni à son bord d’une quantité de bons instrumens, sextans et circles de réflexion, horizones artificiels, théodolites, lunettes de toule espèce, garnies de micromètres, montre-marines, &c. ”

“ The city, with its immediate suburb, occupies a space of about ten thousand yards, the principal part of which is covered by a fine white sand, that, drifting with the wind along the beach, has been arrested in its progress by the ruins, and struck me at the moment as having probably been the means of preserving many specimens of art, which, from the numerous pillars, capitals, cornices, and sculptured fragments strewed around, I could not but suppose to have been extremely valuable ”

“ A considerable flotilla was preparing at San-Lucar; and the seamen originally trained to gun-boat service at Boulogne, and who had been employed on the Danube, in 1809, had already arrived to assist in the reduction of Cadiz. Eleven or twelve British and Spanish line-of-battle ships were lying as near to the city as the depth of water would admit; and at least 300 merchant vessels, of different nations, were crowded together between them and the shore. The enemy’s batteries in the neighbourhood of Matagorda were daily exchanging shot and shells with Fort Puntales ”

“ Captain Arbuthnot, was appointed to proceed to Egypt; but we are not aware why so noble a memorial of antiquity is not now decorating the British metropolis.
Captain Smyth was the senior naval officer at Gibraltar, in 1824, when a body of constitutionalists, under the command of Don Francisco Valdes, surprised Tariffa; and as they were known to have sallied from the rock, General Latour, commander of the French troops at Cadiz, and the Spanish General Don Jose O’Donell, were bitterly enraged. ”

“ Henry Beechey, was, as to what extent he is to excavate, and how he is to embark the produce of his labour. I recommended, at any rate, the examination of the theatres and stadium, as such edifices were never without valuable ornaments; and if he could muster enough for the cargo of a bombard or small vessel, to hire one at Bengazi, as the expence would be trifling to Malta; but that if the specimens appeared to be at all comparable to the chefs-d’oeuvre of Grecian art, to remain until instructions respecting them arrived ”

“ Seven more of the Guadalquivir flotilla were at the same time attacked by the British gun-boats; but having got within the bar before they were discovered, and being there protected by Fort Concepcion, several redoubts, and a corps of horse-artillery on the beach, they could not be prevented from reaching Puerto-Santa-Maria. In this affair, the Mors-aut-Gloria bore a very conspicuous part, and Mr. Smyth did not quit the point of attack until the falling tide had nearly left his vessel on the bar. ”

“ These shores offer but little after leaving Alexandria, until arriving at Saloume, a large bay, where a fleet might be secured from westerly gales; and from thence to Bomba nothing intervenes except Toubrouk, a really superb port, and by far the best on the whole coast of Barbary. It is two miles deep and one wide, with an outer road of five or six miles to the eastward, where is a reef of rocks two miles and a half long, carrying from 3 feet to 3 fathoms water, effectually breaking off the sea from that quarter. ”

“ Shortly after this, Sir Robert Hall was appointed to the command of the naval force on the lakes of Canada, when he addressed a most friendly letter to Lieutenant Smyth, of which the following is an extract, – “I have no doubt of your soon obtaining the step it is so natural you should be anxious for, because to the cool gallantry I have observed you possess, in presence of the enemy, you add the talents of an eminently scientific navigator, and therefore you are not likely to remain inactive during the peace that threatens us. ”

“ On the 2d of Jan. 1811, the Spaniards opened a new “Aguada” near the Porto Douro, and thereby enabled the British squadron to obtain fresh water without the risk of sending to Canteras; a service which had been attended with the loss of many boats in the channel between the two harbours.
On the morning of the 13th, a large gun-vessel was discovered lasking alongshore, between Rota and Fort Santa-Catalina: chase was instantly given by the “fire-eaters,” and she was soon driven on the rocks and destroyed, even in the teeth of the French batteries. ”

“ He had been particularly struck with the disorganised state of the Turkish marine, when he saw the Adventure come into port after a heavy gale (Mar. 1822) , in so different a style from their fleet, which on that occasion had lost two frigates, three corvettes, and a brig, with nearly 800 men, while almost every other ship and vessel suffered in spars, &c. When Captain Smyth succeeded in placing his large theodolite on the top of Pompey’s Pillar, the astonished Viceroy exclaimed to the Turkish officers around him, – “Look! do you wonder that these Christians excel us.” ”

“ Expeditions were also formed to act on different parts of the Andalusian coast, one of which effected a landing about four leagues to the southward of the Huebla river, and made an impetuous attack upon a strong corps of cavalry posted at the town of Moguer. The enemy, not being prepared for such a visit, soon fled from the town, but rallied in the neighbourhood, and attempted to regain their ground. Worsted, however, in every attempt, they ultimately retreated towards Seville; and the allied force returned to Cadiz with some prisoners, and a number of volunteers for the army. ”

“ They appear to me, indeed, incalculable with respect to the improvement of education in our professions, and to the acquirement and diffusion of information in every branch of science and literature, if the real objects of the institution be duly followed up; and such as cannot fail to raise the character of the professions, and to maintain the important advantage of uniting with the duties of the officer the attributes of the gentleman, which ought to be considered inseparable. ”

“ As whatever exists ought to be known, this will be a necessary operation; but from what I have seen, and from what I can collect, I cannot promise their Lordships that any naval object of importance is likely to reward the examination.
“The port, or rather bay of Bomba, proved to be the first place where a ship can possibly anchor, in winter months, to the eastward of Isa; and the two are the only safe anchorages for a squadron between Tunis and Egypt. ”

“ By understanding and managing their various prejudices, but few disputes occurred, until one evening at Tunis, shortly after intelligence had been received of the burning of the Turkish admiral’s ship, a party watering under Cape Carthage was attacked, and the boatswain nearly strangled. Aware that decisive measures only could check Moorish excesses, Captain Smyth made instant arrangements for placing the Goletta in a state of embargo ”

“ Such, my Lord, is the sum of the most direct and credible information I have been able to collect; besides which I have made many other enquiries, and have also constructed a map of the march of the said army, by inference; but I hope I have shewn your Lordship that this interesting portion of geography (seated so near to civilized Europe) need no longer remain a blank ”

“ While the French were employed in fortifying their numerous posts, the Spaniards were receiving considerable remittances from South America: and the British indefatigable in procuring ample supplies of provisions for the garrison of Cadiz, and in keeping up a constant communication with the south of Portugal, Tariffa, Gibraltar, and Tangier. ”

“ Lieutenant Smyth continued his important labours, in a borrowed Sicilian gun-boat, long after the British troops had evacuated the island; and during the progress of his survey, gave such satisfaction to the Admiralty, that he was not only advanced to the rank of Commander, Sept. 18th, 1815, but, says the Secretary, in a letter to Rear-Admiral Penrose, – “I am commanded by their Lordships to acquaint you, that they are much pleased with Captain Smyth’s zeal and ability, and that they are more particularly satisfied with the beauty and apparent correctness of his surveys and drawings ”

“ But a practical knowledge of Turkish character is a great requisite in the explorers; and they should suffer themselves to be imposed upon, even with their eyes open, in immaterial points, in order to gain the grand objects: for the Moors, in particular, being subtle and avaricious, and at the same time ignorant, are extremely addicted to petty chicanery.
“I have the honor to enclose a copy of the instructions I have given Lieutenant Beechey; and I hope, by the time of our arrival at Bengazi and Derna, the plague now raging there will have ceased ”

“ Inside the reefs are regular soundings of from 14 to 8 fathoms, and within the harbour there is not a shoal-bank, or danger of any kind, but a vessel may anchor at will, in from 12 to 5 fathoms. This harbour is particularly adapted for a squadron, as there are a number of fine sandy coves on each side, where boats, &c. may be hauled up to repair. Water I could not find, for it was unsafe to venture from the harbour hills – the whole country being in arms; but from the fissures in the mountains, branching out into wide fuimare, I am confident the winter streams are Abundant. ”

“ Beechey will probably be in Alexandria early in March, I propose submitting to Vice-Admiral Sir Graham Moore, that after completing the repairs, provisions, and water, it will be an object for me to meet the party there, in order that I may give them the coast chart to lay their surveys upon, and also that I may procure the necessary facilities to explore the unknown coast between Bomba and the Arabs’ tower. ”