Page:Royal Naval Biography Marshall sp4.djvu/314

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296
POST-CAPTAINS OF 1821.

After the renewal of hostilities in 1803, the Leda bore the flag of Rear-Admiral (now Sir Edward) Thornbrough, and was employed for some time in the North Sea, chiefly cruising off Goree, on which station she detained several homeward bound Dutch West Indiamen, and cut out and destroyed numerous vessels and boats, many of them intended to join the invasion flotilla at Boulogne. She was afterwards employed in watching the movements of the enemy at the latter place, and Mr. Lloyd appears to have been a constant volunteer in frequent nightly excursions along the coast, for the purpose of intercepting their armed craft proceeding to the same general rendezvous from the eastward. He also bore a part in several warm skirmishes with the land batteries, and particularly distinguished himself under Lieutenant Neil M‘Lean, in a most gallant but unsuccessful attempt to cut out a mortar-vessel, in the night of July 29th, 1804. This enterprise is thus described by one of the Leda’s officers;–

“Lieutenant M‘Lean, during the short time he belonged to the Leda, had, from his great anxiety to perform some exploit worthy of notice, been inshore with two boats every night that the weather permitted ; but the vigilance of the enemy had hitherto rendered his efforts fruitless. On the 29th July, he received a letter informing him that he was made a commander; but the whole of the Boulogne flotilla being then outside that harbour, he again requested Captain Honyman to let him have the same boats, and, together with his usual night companions, Mr. Lloyd (commanding one of the boats) Messrs. Lamont, Stewart, and Crawford, midshipmen, made for the weathermost vessel of the enemy’s outer line, moored near a battery to windward of the pier, full of troops (apparently dragoons), and in every way prepared for defence. The Frenchmen gave their qui vive before the boats could reach the vessel’s bows, and made considerable resistance after her boarding nettings were cut through, and the assailants had got on her deck, but were overpowered, notwithstanding their superiority in number, and the great advantage of their long and heavy sabres over the very short and light cutlasses then used in the British navy. Her deck being cleared, and cables cut, the prize was immediately taken in tow; but to the extreme mortification of the gallant captors, she was quickly hauled back between two larger vessels, by means of a chain or hawser fastened to her keel. Repeated vollies of musketry were now poured into her, and she was soon boarded on both quarters, by an overwhelming force. Lieutenant M‘Lean made a most heroic resistance, received several severe wounds, and at length fell, sword in hand, cheering