performed since you have been on the station of Upper Calabria, where I wish you to remain. If I had a brig, with a junior officer to yourself, I would send her to you. I shall not fail to appreciate the zeal and gallantry of Lieutenant Campbell, the other officers and men employed on this service, the merit of whom deserve every thing. I hope your prizes will be a small reward for their very good conduct: on the service of annoying the coast, which you are so very effectually doing, I should recommend by no means to incommode your ship with prisoners, unless they are Frenchmen. As to the natives, and Neapolitans, let them go off, making a merit of your humanity, as the great principle of the little war you are carrying on upon the coast, is as much as possible to facilitate the complete blockade of Corfu, which we must do, to secure to the British government the Ionian Isles, and to place them under the British flag, a thing of all others the inhabitants of these isles are desirous of. I shall send your information, as well as all the letters, to the commander-in-chief: the code of information is very clear, and well conceived, and eventually will be of service. I am, dear Sir, your very faithful humble servant,
“J. Toup Nicolas, Esq.”
On the 26th May, the boats of the Pilot captured and destroyed four settees, laden with commissariat stores, almost immediately under the town of Strongoli, where they were protected by a tower within half-musket shot of the beach, and by a detachment of troops at least 140 strong. In this affair she had only one man wounded. Between that period and Sept. 3, 1811, a number of other vessels were taken and destroyed, near Cape St. Mary’s, Cotrone, and Strongoli: on one of those occasions, the carpenter of the Pilot was severely wounded[1]. The next service performed is thus officially detailed:–