said, a few minutes before the explosion, that he should have no objection to remain on board, from an idea that the resistance of the vessel would be sufficient to occasion it to act laterally on the water only; whereas, the starboard side of the vessel was lifted bodily, then went to pieces; she then appeared to break in two by her own weight, so lifted; and, from the middle no longer holding her together, the masts, as she sunk again, fell over, and crossed each other; in short, in less time than you have taken to read these six lines, they were, as it were, as two felled trees would appear on the axe cutting the last fibre that held them upright, and the hull appeared a misshapen black mass floating on the surface, with the casks that were in her hold going astern. This news will, of course, get over to Boulogne, and deter them from lying in the outer road, which is what we want for our ultimate operation. That Imperial Battery must be erased from the list of obstacles somehow or other. I am casting this in my mind; but it can only be done by seizing a favourable moment of wind and tide; and, if I am to write to Ramsgate on every proposition, the precise time of practicability will be lost; yet this I am absolutely required to do previously to executing any object, as your lordship will see by the letters Lord Keith had sent from Romney, before I met him at Walmer; the contents of which I was at that time ignorant of. Copies of these shall be sent to you, in order that you may cause the necessary latitude to be given towards the execution of the operations in contemplation; otherwise you can have no satisfactory result beyond what might be expected from the ordinary cruising service. I am, my dear Lord, W. SIDNEY SMITH. I shall, of course, be punctually and correctly obedient. So I have answered. Lord Castlereagh to the Lords of the Admiralty. Downing Street, October 16, 1805. My Lords-Having directed a military survey to be made of the harbour of Boulogne, with the view of ascertaining how far it may be practicable to approach within such a distance of the basin as to bring it within the range of rockets of a combustible nature lately prepared by Mr. Congreve, and the report received being favourable, I am directed to convey to your lordships his Majesty's commands, that you do issue the necessary orders for causing an attempt to be made, supported by an adequate naval force, thereby to set fire to and destroy the enemy's flotilla in that harbour. I have the honour to be, &c., CASTLEREAGH. Lord Castlereagh to Sir Sidney Smith. Downing Street, October 21, 1805. My dear Sir-The success of Mr. Francis's experiment gives me great confidence in our means of annoying the enemy in their ports, with little comparative risk to ourselves. I am anxious to hear of the destruction of the Boulogne flotilla, if it was only for the purpose of liberating you for more important enterprises. I should be glad to hear when you calculate upon making the attempt. I cannot, upon reflection, wish you to risk much at present for the Imperial Battery. If it was in one of our harbours, if ten times stronger, I should encourage you to the attempt. If invasion at this moment was the order of the day, I should think it worth attacking, in order to expose the enemy's flotilla, when issuing from their port, more completely to our assault; but, under present circumstances, trusting to your rocket launches approaching near enough, notwithstanding this impediment, I am averse to your exposing your squadron, or what I value not less-yourself, for an object which you could not maintain under the fire of the enemy's batteries, and of which you could make no use. The advantage of its conquest must, under any circumstances, be of the negative description; and at present they do not seem to be required. I am, &c., CASTLEREAGH. Mr. Cooke to Sir Sidney Smith. Downing Street, October 23, 1805. Dear Sir-It being intended that the special services of Mr. Francis and Mr. Congreve, who are employed under your command, should be defrayed out of the moneys which have been directed to be imprested to you, I am desired by Lord Castlereagh to acquaint you that several sums, to the amount of about £3000, have been advanced to Mr. Francis from this Office, which, in order to bring them into a regular state of account, are to be ultimately paid from your imprest fund. I wish, therefore, that you would have the goodness to arrange with Mr. Francis that he should repay me the sums I have advanced him, and that he should, in lieu of these advances, receive equivalent sums from you. I have the honour to be, &c., Mr. Cooke to Sir Sidney Smith. E. COOKE. Downing Street, October 24, 1805. Dear Sir-Lord Castlereagh, under the circumstances of your letter, directs me to acquaint you that his lordship approves of the Nile cutter being purchased for Johnson for £2600. There will, however, be great difficulty in having her fitted and coppered in a king's yard. His lordship, therefore, wishes you would direct the equipment in a merchant's yard. I am, &c., E. COOKE. Lord Castlereagh to Mr. Robert Francis. Downing Street, October 24, 1805. Sir-I have spoken to Lord Barham on the subject of your letter. His lordship is disinclined to make the arrangement you suggest; but he is willing to facilitate your carrying out to the intended place of service, after the Boulogne operation is terminated, in Sir Sidney Smith's ship, any reasonable proportion of officers and men which may be required to man and conduct your boats, &c.; and, in case they should render service as volunteers in this new branch of naval warfare, they may rely on being rewarded and distinguished in their profession. If, therefore, Captain Secombe is disposed to an enterprise, a temporary arrangement might be made for his having leave of absence from Admiral Holloway; and he will have the chance of establishing claims to a more distinguished command, by this opportunity of rendering service. I am, &c., CASTLEREAGH. Mr. Cooke to Mr. Robert Francis. Downing Street, October 24, 1805. Sir I wrote yesterday to Sir Sidney Smith, stating that Lord Castlereagh wished that the sums you have received from me should be repaid by you to me; and that the amount thereof should be advanced to you out of the imprest which has been made to Sir Sidney for the services on which you are employed. You will be good enough to arrange this matter accordingly. I paid in to Mr. Davison, the other day, the remaining £1400, which you wished to have lodged at his house. I am, &c., E. COOKE. Lord Castlereagh to Lord Nelson.1 Downing Street, October 27, 1805. My dear Lord-Accept my particular thanks for your letters of the 1st and 2nd of October. I have given an official answer to that part of your correspondence which relates to the question of blockade, considering it would be most satisfactory to your lordship to receive a formal instruction on this point, for the direction of your conduct. With respect to the enemy's fleet in Cadiz, I hope your lordship will either have the glory of destroying it at sea, or that we shall find the means, sooner or later, of getting at them in port. I have not thought it desirable to send either Mr. Congreve or Mr. Francis to your lordship, till they have provided themselves with all the necessary means of giving effect to the respective modes of attack. Since your lordship sailed, the power of Mr. Francis's instrument has been satisfactorily ascertained by an experiment upon a large vessel purchased for that purpose, and which was approached in the usual manner, and the carcass thrown across the cable. The failure of the attack had hitherto been occasioned by the weight of the carcass being too great to be swept by the force of the tide under the bottom of the vessel; the explosion, in this case, acting perpendicularly, spent itself along the bow of the vessel, and did not penetrate the bottom. By the application of a sufficiency of cork, to correct the weight of the carcass, and to render it liable to the influence of the tide, it was, in the late experiment, so balanced as to be at once swept under the vessel; and, consequently, was placed in immediate contact with and under her bottom. The explosion taking place at the moment to which the lock was adjusted, it blew the ship into fragments, as your lordship will perceive by the enclosed official report. 1 Written before the intelligence of Lord Nelson's death, on the 22nd, could reach England. |