with a lieutenant’s commission, dated March 15th, 1813, and at the same time sent him a note couched in most gratifying terms.
Lieutenant Smyth was soon afterwards appointed to a command in the Anglo-Sicilian flotilla, stationed at Messina, under the orders of his friend Brigadier Sir Robert Hall, with whom he had first become acquainted at Cadiz. This force consisted of heavy gun and mortar-vessels, rocket-boats, and armed scampavias, all well-appointed, and manned with 3000 organized native sailors. Such a formidable obstacle to invasion was one of the principal means by which 14,000 British and German troops had been enabled to hold the island of Sicily against Murat’s army, amounting to 38,000 chosen men.
One of the first services in which Lieutenant Smyth appears to have been employed, was a confidential mission to the Court of Naples, then just wavering in its allegiance to Napoleon Buonaparte. Early in 1814, he proceeded to Palermo in command of the Scylla brig, having Sir Robert Hall’s flag on board; and while there, was exposed to a serious personal danger. In the night of the 19th of February, being on shore with the Brigadier, he received a report that the Scylla was in flames. The wind then blew a furious gale, with heavy torrents of rain, and he had the utmost difficulty in getting a boat launched from Porta-Felice. On rowing a little way out, he perceived a large ship in flames and adrift, and that his own vessel was riding in safety. Following the former, he was acutely distressed by seeing the men who went aloft to loose sails successively burnt, but had the pleasure to rescue one of the crew who had leaped overboard. The ship soon afterwards grounded under the citadel, and proved to be the Whitby transport, bearing the pendant of Lieutenant William Pitt, agent. On her taking fire, she was moored within the mole-head; but being promptly cut adrift, the violence of the wind drove her through two tiers of vessels, though on her way out, she rubbed the main channel off a ship with 1200 barrels of gunpowder on board! Lieutenant Smyth’s boat was the only one which put off during that fatal night and returned in safety; – four masters of
