any of their ships of war or privateers were at Santa Cruz, or in the neighbourhood of Teneriffe: she also visited Madeira for the same purpose, and was subsequently stationed between Cape Spartel and Larache. We next find her cruising on the coast of Catalonia, where she captured the Spanish privateer Secondo Cornelo, of 8 guns, pierced for 20 ; and assisted at the capture of about fifteen coasting vessels.
In Sept. or Oct. 1806, Captain Clavell joined the squadron employed in the Gulf of Venice, where he took and destroyed a great number of merchantmen, and, without any support, obtained possession of Cherso, an island near Flume (containing one of the finest harbours in the Adriatic), together with a number of French and Austrian shipping, some timber, and a quantity of army clothing. After the performance of this service, he accompanied the Unité frigate. Captain Patrick Campbell, to the attack of another island, St. Piedro de Niembo, which surrendered on the second day, himself and his first lieutenant (Edmund Milner) being the only persons wounded.
Captain Clavell was at Corfu when the Russian governor received instructions to give that island up to France, agreeably to an article in the treaty of Tilsit, but of which the British Minister, Speridion Foresti, Esq. was kept in profound ignorance until the arrival of part of the enemy’s troops intended for its future garrison. The Weazle was then returning thither with some important despatches from the senior officer off Venice, and but for a fortunate calm, at some distance from the harbour, she would in all probability have been captured. As it was. Captain Clavell had a very narrow escape, the first intimation he received of the real state of affairs being from a Greek, who accosted him when he was in the very act of opening the door of Mr. Foresti’s late residence, then occupied by the French General. The Greek’s first salute was – “For God’s sake where are you going, Captain?” and upon being told, he added, “His Excellency has been obliged to fly; the French General lives in this house now; and most of his officers are dining with him!” Captain Clavell, who had landed after dark, of course
