er the batteries of Cape La Hogue; and of the
Grappler, which was lost on the 31st, at the Isles de Choisey: the
crews of both these vessels were saved, but made prisoners.

The Diomede was sent to refit at Portsmouth; and, at the end of 1803,
Sir James's flag was flying on board the Cerberus, while he lived at
his own residence on shore with his family, carrying on the duty as a
port-admiral.

CHAPTER VI.

1804 to 1806.

Sir James continues in the command at Guernsey.--Proceedings of
his Squadron.--Letter from Lord Nelson, dated two days before
he was killed.--Capture and destruction of La Salamandre.--Sir
James's benevolent conduct at Guernsey.

The year 1804 is remarkable in the annals of the empire for the
extraordinary exertions made by the First Consul of France to collect
a powerful flotilla at the ports between Flushing, Cherbourg, and
Boulogne, with the avowed intention of invading England. The vessels
so collected were intended to convey the "Army of England," as it was
called by Bonaparte, across the channel. We have already mentioned the
fate of the Granville flotilla, after the attack made on it by Sir
James. Early in this year it was discovered that one of the vessels
belonging to it, a brig of 200 tons, had been driven on shore in the
Bay of Dillette, adjacent to Alderney; that the enemy had succeeded in
drawing her up to repair, and that she was nearly ready for launching.
The commander of the Carteret cutter, who first discovered this,
having represented it to Captain Bennet of the Tribune, (senior
officer of the detachment which Sir James had placed off Cherbourg,)
proposed to take advantage of the first nocturnal spring-tide, either
to launch her, if ready, or to destroy her. The Carteret was
accordingly reinforced by two midshipmen and ten men from the Tribune;
a landing was effected, and the guard defeated: but the brig was found
to have a plank out on each side of the keel, and she was therefore
destroyed. This service was performed with the loss of one of the
Carteret's men, Mr. Parker (a midshipman), and two men of the Tribune;
while the enemy's loss was five killed and ten prisoners, who were
afterwards released.[4]

[4] It is worthy of remark, that the French commanding officer,
who was killed, had in his pocket a watch belonging to the
commander of the Carteret, of which he had been robbed when
taken prisoner in 1800.

The Diomede, of f