of half an hour, the French national ship Libre, of 40 guns and 280 men: twenty of whom were killed and wounded. On this occasion the Loire, although the first in action, had not a man hurt; her consort one mortally, two badly, and five slightly wounded.
For other services, in which Mr. Herbert participated while belonging to the Loire, we must refer our readers to the memoir of his enterprising and indefatigable captain, whom he appears to have successively followed into the Volontaire and Emerald frigates. In Mar. 1807, he was removed into the Hibernia 110, flag-ship of Earl St. Vincent; and about three months afterwards to the Confiance, in which ship he served until Oct. 19th, 1807; when he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant for his gallant conduct at the capture of a privateer on the coast of Spain, which service was thus officially reported by his commander, in a letter addressed to Admiral Lord Gardner, Aug. 18th preceding:–
“I have the pleasure to acquaint you, that in prooeeding to Oporto agreeable to my orders, I received information of a Spanish lugger privateer, lying in La Guardia, that had been committing great depredations on our trade on the coast of Portugal: it being calm, and we within a few miles of that port, I despatched the boats, under the command of Lieutenant William Hovendon Walker, assisted by Messrs. Herbert (master’s-mate), and Forder (midshipman), to cut her out, which they performed in a most gallant manner, two forts and the privateer being perfectly prepared to receive them, and the former having opened a heavy fire on our boats long before they reached the vessel, which was moored under them, and from the prisoners’ account mounted, the one four long 24-pouuders, the other six 18-pounders, with 150 troops. the lugger proves to be El Reitrada, of three guns and thirty men, one of whom was killed, several wounded, and the rest jumped overboard. I am happy to add, this service was accomplished without any loss on our side. Lieutenant Walker speaks in the highest manner of Messrs. Herbert and Forder, as also of all the seamen and marines of the party.”
Lieutenant Herbert’s first appointment was to the Cossack 24, Captain George Digby. On the 22d June, 1808, he was engaged as a volunteer in a very hazardous and important service at St. Andero, on the north coast of Spain, as will
