In five minutes after this occurrence, Captain Elliot and the whole of his men were within the walls of the fort, he himself having been assisted over the drawbridge by a non-commissioned officer of marines. The French garrison (amounting, by the account of a prisoner, to 300 men) were completely taken by surprise:– some jumped over the parapets, and concealed themselves among the surrounding bushes; some defended themselves with becoming spirit; and others were taken in the barrack, without resistance; their arms, piled in front of the building, being previously secured by the British. The drawbridge was then hauled up, the guns towards the road loaded with grape, and those to seaward directed against the brig, which was immediately compelled to surrender.
No sooner had the enemy afloat announced their submission, by hailing, than Captain Elliot directed all the ordnance to be thrown over the walls, and a train laid to destroy the magazine and barrack. He then went off in a French boat and took possession of his prize, which proved to be le Nisus. a new brig, mounting 18 thirty-two pounders, with a complement of 150 men, many of whom had jumped overboard and swam to the shore on finding the guns of the fort turned against them. The remainder of the business on shore was conducted with great zeal and ability by Mr. Nathaniel Belhier, first Lieutenant of the Thetis.
Le Nisus had recently arrived at Des Hayes with a supply of provisions from l’Orient, and when captured was waiting a favorable opportunity to sail for France with a return cargo of coffee. Captain Elliot found her aground; but a breeze springing up, he got her off without difficulty; and she was afterwards commissioned as the" “Guadaloupe” sloop of war.
On the 18th Dec. 1809, Captain Elliot was present at the destruction of two large French frigates in Ance le Barque, together with a heavy battery by which they were defended[1]. We subsequently find him commanding the Hazard sloop, and greatly distinguishing himself, both afloat and on shore, during the siege of Guadaloupe, on the surrender of
