may thus be
vanquished, by our immortal hero, in a future and even distant age.

The French flotilla prepared at Boulogne had of late been considerably
increased by reinforcements from Calais; and it was found difficult for
the British cruizers to prevent, with certainty, or even safety, such
small vessels as these gun-boats from stealing along the shore. They
were, therefore, become extremely numerous, and it was judged prudent to
attempt lessening their number by capture or demolition. Every thing
being prepared with these intentions, his lordship, on the 1st of August
1801, being the third anniversary of his glorious victory off the Nile,
sailed from the Downs, and stood over to the coast of France.

On the 2d, having arrived off Boulogne, twenty four armed vessels were
perceived at anchor outside the port; the boasted gun-boats seemed, to
his lordship, incapable of being rowed, in the smoothest water, more
than a mile and a half an hour. The enemy, alarmed at the approach of
the British armament, were labouring hard to erect new batteries; but
the wind being too far to the northward for our bombs to go on the
lee-shore, this attack, by way of experiment, did not commence till the
4th. The following official account of it's success was immediately
transmitted to England, by his lordship.

"Medusa, off Boulogne,
4th August 1801.

"SIR,

The enemy's vessels, brigs, and flats (lugger-rigged) and a
schooner, twenty-four in number, were this morning, at day-light,
anchored in a line, in front of the town of Boulogne. The wind
being favourable for the bombs to act, I made the signal for them
to weigh; and throw shells at the vessels, but as little as
possible to annoy the town. The captains placed their ships in the
best possible position; and, in a few hours, three of the flats,
and a brig, were sunk: and, in the course of the morning, six were
on shore, evidently much damaged. At six this evening, being high
water, five of the vessels which had been aground hauled with
difficulty into the mole, the others remained under water. I
believe, the whole of the vessels would have gone inside the pier,
but for want of water. What damage the enemy may have sustained,
beyond what we see, is impossible to tell. The whole of this affair
is of no farther consequence, than to shew the enemy that they
cannot, with impunity, come outs