houses in his rear, obliged Captain Phillott to determine on returning; which was executed with the greatest coolness and order, though exposed to the enemy’s fire on both sides of the river, for more than ten hours, by which three men were killed and fifteen wounded, including amongst the latter, Captain Phillott (in two places, by a rifle-ball and buck-shot); Captain David Ewen Bartholomew, of the Erebus rocket-ship; Lieutenant Frazer, of the royal marines; and Messrs. James Everingham and Jonathan Haworth Peel, midshipmen of the Albion.
The Primrose was paid off at Woolwich, in Aug. 1815. A short time previous thereto, Captain Phillott was upset in his 4-oared gig, between Spithead and St. Helen’s, while hastening on board in order to take advantage of a fair wind up Channel, his brig being then under weigh, between the latter anchorage and the Owers.
This accident happened about an hour before sun set, owing to one of the boat’s crew being unable to raise his oar out of the water, and was attended with the loss of two lives. The tide was then running strong to the eastward, the wind blowing rather fresh, and the gig so far distant from any ship, vessel, or other boat, that, although she was under sail, no human being witnessed the disaster. Providentially, however. Captain Phillott and the three surviving men managed to get hold of her, and the mast having unclamped itself, they succeeded in righting her; but whenever any one attempted to get in she immediately turned over again. Having no other alternative, they were obliged to divide themselves and hang on by the opposite gunwales, each person using one hand as a paddle, in order to keep her head towards a gun-brig between them and the Primrose, which vessel approached so near that they could distinctly hear every order given; yet, notwithstanding their loud shouts for assistance, they had the bitter mortification of seeing her heave about, and stand away in another direction, without noticing them. When thoroughly exhausted, and entirely deprived of hope, they were at length picked up by a fishing boat, after full two hours immersion!!
The Primrose was one of the first sloops ordered to be com-
