surgeon, and three men were wounded. As the wind and
current were against her, and there was a great deal of water in the
hold, she made but slow progress, and it was not till twenty-five
minutes past one p.m. that she got out of fire. She received 7 shot
between wind and water, besides 9 cannon, 14 grape, and 41 musket-balls
in the hull and bulwarks, and 7 cannon and grape in the funnel and
steam-pipe; while her boats, mainmast, and rigging were pierced through
and through by round shot.

HM steam-sloop _Alecto_, Commander FW Austen, had previously, early in
April, gone up, towing three heavily-laden schooners against a current
of three knots and a head wind. On approaching a place called Tonelero,
a number of workmen were seen throwing up batteries, clearly for the
purpose of annoying the convoy on their way down. Opening her fire on
them, she soon put the men to flight. She came up to the batteries on
the morning of the 6th, with a strong wind and current against her, and
the heavy schooners in tow. She had been accompanied all the way by a
squadron of cavalry, who kept pace with her in an easy walk, halting
every now and then. At two her crew went to quarters; and at forty
minutes past two, having before fired a few shot, her three guns and
rockets were got into full play. This was answered by the lower guns on
the batteries with round shot until she reached the narrowest part, when
the enemy opened with round shot and grape together. Their guns were
raking her at this time from head to stern in such a way that none of
her guns could be brought effectually to bear on them. In this state
she remained for twenty minutes, scarcely going ahead, and receiving the
fire of seven eighteen-pounders, several of which were pointed down on
her decks. During this time she fired away in return at the enemy, who
appeared abreast of her, every charge of grape and canister on board,
and was then reduced to round shot. For a few minutes, also, she
exchanged with them a sharp fire of musketry. She then went gradually
ahead, and as the river widened, and the current decreased in strength,
she drew out of shot, having been an hour and fifteen minutes under
fire.

Captain Austen, her commander, was the only person hurt, a spent
grape-shot having struck him a severe blow on the thigh. Commander
Mackinnon, then a lieutenant, who has written a most amusing account of
the affair, says "that in going into action the men appear