Some time subsequent to the capture of St. Paul’s, Lieutenant Lloyd, whose wound on that occasion was a very severe one, removed with Captain Rowley, into the Boadicea frigate, and assisted at the reduction of Bourbon[1], where he was left in charge of the signal posts, in order to watch and report the movements of the enemy’s squadron which blockaded that island after Captain Pym’s disastrous attack upon Mons. Duperré, in Port Sud-Est[2]. This arrangement led to the recovery of H.M. ships Africaine and Ceylon, and the capture of la Venus frigate, mounting 44 guns, and bearing the broad pendant of Commodore Hamelin, senior officer of the French force in the Indian ocean[3].
In the middle of Oct. 1810, Vice-Admiral Bertie arrived at St. Paul’s, and shifted his flag from the Nisus frigate to the then totally dismasted Africaine; directing Mr. Lloyd to join the latter ship, as first lieutenant, and to use every exertion in getting her ready for sea. This could only be accomplished by taking in a re-captured Indiaman’s lower masts, yards, sails, &c. On the 14th of the following month, she weighed, and proceeded off Port Louis, manned with 30 sailors, a company of the 87th regiment, and about 120 raw negroes lent from different plantations. Thus tolerably equipped, but most miserably manned, she cruised off the enemy’s principal harbour, in company with the Boadicea, Nisus, Ceylon, Nereide (late la Venus), and Staunch gun-brig, until the arrival of some other ships from India, to assist in a grand attack upon the Mauritius. The commander-in-chief then sailed for Roderiquez, to meet the several divisions of an expedition coming from Bengal, Bombay, and Madras, leaving Commodore Rowley in command of the squadron, and Captain Philip Beaver (just removed from the Nisus to the Africaine) to arrange the plan of debarkation.
The greatest obstacles opposed to an attack on this valuable colony with a large force, had hitherto “been con-
