was immediately levelled with the ground: the rock on which it stood was also blown up, and the road, filled with the fragments, thereby rendered impassable to artillery, without a heavy loss of men. The French garrison consisted of two officers and 69 men, of whom two were killed, seven wounded, and the rest taken prisoners.
In Aug. and Sept. 1808, the Imperieuse cruised on the coast of Languedoc, took three batteries, captured many trading vessels, threw rockets into the towns of Adge and Cette, destroyed the mud engines in the vicinity of the latter place, and the newly constructed semaphoric telegraphs at Bourdique, Pinede, St. Maguire, Frontignan, Canet, and Foy; together with the houses attached, fourteen barracks of the gens-d’armes, and a strong tower upon the lake of Frontignan. Besides keeping the coast in constant alarm, causing a total suspension of the enemy’s trade, and harassing a body of troops immediately opposed to him, it appears from Lord Cochrane’s official statement, that the comparatively insignificant force which he landed upon these several occasions, actually drew about two thousand troops from the fortress of Figueras to the defence of the French territory!
On the 13th of Nov. following, a fort near Barcelona was blown up, the city annoyed with rockets, and a small French vessel taken. Two days afterwards, the Imperieuse sustained considerable damage, and had one of her guns dismounted, whilst engaging some batteries. By his subsequent heroic defence of the castle of Trinidad, Lord Cochrane greatly retarded the progress of the French army; and he was pleased on this occasion, to make particular mention of Mr. Marryat, as will be seen by his official letter to Vice-Admiral Lord Collingwood, of which we shall here give a copy:–
