contest of about twenty minutes she surrendered, and proved to be the Africa, commanded by Josepho Subjado, in the service of the King of Spain, mounting 14 long 4-pounders and 4 brass 4-pr. swivels, having on board 75 seamen and 38 soldiers, from Algosamus bound to Malaga. Lieutenant Richardson, in whom I have much confidence, and all the officers and seamen of his Majesty’s sloop I have the honor to command, behaved with the same courage they have done on former occasions. During the action the brig, which, I have since learned, mounted 18 guns, stood in-shore and anchored. L’Espoir had 2 seamen killed and 2 wounded; the Africa 1 officer and 8 seamen killed, her captain, 2 officers, and 25 men wounded.”
“Captain Cuthbert, H.M.S. Majestic.”
The officer to whom this letter was addressed, when transmitting it to Earl St. Vincent, said, it was not in the power of his pen sufficiently to extol the meritorious conduct of Captain Sanders and his crew in the action, which he had himself witnessed, but at too great a distance to be able to assist l’Espoir[1].
Some time previous to this gallant affair, Captain Sanders had been sent to examine the Barbary coast for a watering place; and it is to him that we are indebted for the discovery of a valuable run of fine water in Mazari Bay, 6 or 7 miles to the eastward of Tetuan river, which has since been of infinite service both to his Majesty’s ships and the garrison of Gibraltar. In June following l’Espoir formed part of Lord Keith’s fleet, and joined in the pursuit of a French squadron under Rear-Admiral Perée, whose capture we have already recorded[2]. Subsequent to this event, Captain Sanders, being at Gibraltar, observed several Spanish gun-boats capture a merchant brig between Cabritta Point and Ceuta. Having obtained permission to that effect from the senior officer then present,
- ↑ It appeared by information afterwards received, that the Spanish vessels made sure of carrying l’Espoir into Malaga; also, that the brig which withdrew from the fight and anchored in-shore, was ultimately destroyed.
- ↑ See Vol. I. p. 267, and Vol. II. Part 1, Note †, at p. 276. We should here observe that Captain Bland, who commanded l’Espoir before the subject of this memoir, considered her as scarcely sea-worthy, her upper works in particular being in a most deplorable state. Captain Sanders, however, continued to command her for twelve months, and when off Cape delle Melle, with Lord Keith’s fleet, in June 1799, went in chase, although her starboard-side had been stove in and nearly laid flat on the deck by the Emerald frigate running foul of her during the preceding night.
