disable them, and occasion their unseasonable return to port. If, therefore, this much-injured officer had declined fighting, instead of boldly meeting his enemies, he might have escaped capture, and the unmerited censure of a contemporary writer, by whom he has been cruelly treated. In the month of August following, two of those vessels, the Torche and the Faune, were taken by Captain Barton, in the Goliath of seventy-four guns, off Cape Finisterre. They had many of the Blanche's crew on board. In the fall of the year 1805, an expedition was planned against the Cape of Good Hope, which at the peace of Amiens had been delivered up to the Dutch. A squadron, under the command of Captain Sir Home Popham, sailed from England, having a body of troops on board, under the command of Major-general Sir David Baird. Putting into St. Salvador for water and refreshment, in November, they sailed on the 26th of that month; on the 3d of January, 1806, they made the Table land; and on the4 th anchored to the westward of Robben Island, which lies at the entrance of Table-bay. On the 5th, at three o'clock in the morning, the troops were in the boats, and prepared to land, but the surf ran so high as to prevent their approaching the shore. The capture of a colony, having been once related, affords little variety of incident to attract notice in its detailed operations on a second invasion; the same valour, the same skill and seamanship, were displayed on this occa " sion as when it was taken by Sir George Elphinstone, Sir James Craig, and Sir Alured Clarke. A detachment of troops was sent round to Saldanha-bay, under the command of Brigadiergeneral Beresford, escorted by the Diomede. On the morning of the 6th, the Highland brigade, composed of the 71st, 72d, and 93d regiments, effected a landing in Lospard's-bay, under the command of Brigadier-general Ferguson. The surf ran with tremendous violence, and the loss of one boat, with thirty-five men, of the 93d regiment, although a severe misfortune, was trifling to what might have been expected. The fire of the enemy's sharp-shooters, from the heights, was perfectly harmless. With the active assistance and co-operation of the navy, the troops, to the number of four thousand men, consisting of the 24th, 59th, 71st, 72d, 83d, and 93d regiments, completed their landing on the 7th, with two howitzers, and six light field pieces, and moved on towards the Cape Town. Ascending the Blue Mountains they discovered the enemy drawn up in two lines, and prepared to receive them; they had about five thousand troops, with some cavalry, and twentythree pieces of cannon, yoked to horses. This formidable array was almost instantly borne down by the impetuosity of our troops, headed by Brigadier-general Ferguson; the charge of our infantry. was irresistible, and the enemy fled with precipitation, losing in the action about seven hundred men. Our army, with all its valour, would have been deplorably situated, but for the exertions of Sir Home Popham, and Captain Byng (now Lord Torrington), who commanded the marine brigade; by these officers their supplies were forwarded in defiance of every obstacle of surf, burning sands, and privation of water. The battering train not having landed, the army took a position on the Salt river to wait its coming up; and while in this situation, a flag of truce from the enemy announced a desire to capitulate. The loss of our army was fifteen killed, and about one hundred and ninety wounded. The detachment sent to Saldanhabay did not arrive in time to share in the battle. Captain Hugh Downman, whose services in the Mediterranean have been mentioned, landed at the head of the bay, on the 6th, with the marines of the squadron, and two field-pieces, to await the arrival of Sir David Baird. The field-pieces and howitzers were landed by the boats of the Belliqueux and Raisonable. The Diadem, Leda, and Encounter gun-brig, covered the landing by an admirably well conducted fire of their great guns. Captain William Butterfield commanded the transports, and the Captains Cameron, Christopher, and Moring, of the Honourable Company's ships, Duchess of Gordon, Sir William Pulteney, and Comet, shared the dangers and the honours of the landing. Thus the Cape of Good Hope became again a British colony, and has so continued ever since. The despatches announcing the conquest were brought to England by Captain Downman, and were received at the admiralty on the 27th of February, 1806. |