midshipman and four lads, he was allowed to depart from the Royal George, for the purpose of endeavouring to effect an exchange of prisoners, promising that he would return, and again surrender himself, in case of failure: no exchange, however, took place; neither did the Turkish officer ever afterwards make his appearance, although, if we are not greatly in error, he had been sworn, on his own copy of the Alcoran, to do so. Mr. Harwell, the midshipman alluded to above, and his unfortunate juvenile boat’s crew, were detained on board the ship of the Capitan Bey until she was taken by the Russians, off Lemnos, July 1, 1807.
Another affair, in which Lieutenant Willoughby was the commanding officer, and one of the principal sufferers, is thus described by Sir John T. Duckworth:–
“At half-after two o’clock in the afternoon” (Feb. 27) “Sir Thomas Louis” (the third in command of the squadron) “sent to inform me, that he had received intelligence of a small number of Turks being still on the island, and requesting permission to send marines to take them; my reply was, that no risk whatever must be run, but if it could be effected without hazarding the people, it might; and a party of the Canopus’s marines was immediately sent on shore in consequence, with the most positive orders to Captain Kent, from Sir Thomas Louis, not to pursue the object if he found it attended with any hazard. At four o’clock the party on shore made the signal for assistance, and the marines and boats were directly ordered away from the Royal George, Windsor Castle, and Standard, with particular directions to bring off the Canopus’s people, but to avoid being drawn into danger. A little before sun-set, an officer was despatched with orders for the whole to return on board.
On the return of the boats, which was not until after dark, I heard with the deepest regret of the loss we had sustained, a list of which I herewith transmit[1]; and do most particularly lament Lieutenant Belli, a young officer of the fairest promise, who had never served but with myself. To account in some degree for this unlucky affair, it appears that the information of a few Turks only having remained on the island was entirely false, as nearly one hundred of them had retired to an old convent, from loopholes in the walls of which they defended themselves with musketry. The people of the Canopus had in the first instance advanced close under the walls, and in endeavouring to relieve them from their unpleasant situation, the others suffered.”
On this, as on the former occasion, Lieutenant Willoughby
- ↑ Total, 2 officers, 4 seamen, and 1 marine killed; 2 officers, 3 midshipmen, 6 seamen, and 8 marines wounded.
