e and bloody conflict, he also took possession of.
These two prizes had thirty-three officers and men killed, and
twenty-seven made prisoners, nineteen of which were badly
wounded. Lieutenant Trippe, of the Vixen, in No. 6, ran alongside
of one of the enemy's large boats, which he boarded with only
Midshipman John Henley and nine men, his boat falling off before
any more could get on board; thus was he left, compelled to
conquer or perish, with the odds of _thirty-six_ to _eleven_. The
Turks could not withstand the ardour of this brave officer and
his assistants; in a few minutes the decks were cleared, and her
colours hauled down. On board of this boat fourteen of the enemy
were killed, and twenty-two made prisoners, seven of which were
badly wounded. The rest of their boats retreated within the
rocks. Lieutenant Trippe received eleven sabre wounds, some of
which are very severe; he speaks in the highest terms of Mr.
Henley, and those who followed him. Lieutenant Bainbridge, in No.
5, had his latteen yard shot away early in the action, which
prevented his getting alongside the enemy's boats, but he galled
them by a steady and well directed fire, within musket shot;
indeed he pursued the enemy until his boat grounded under the
batteries; she was, fortunately, soon got off. The bomb vessels
kept their stations, although covered with the spray of the sea
occasioned by the enemy's shot. They were well conducted by
Lieutenants Dent and Robinson, who kept up a constant fire from
the mortars, and threw a great number of shells into the town.
Five of the enemy's gunboats, and two galleys, composing the
centre division, and stationed within the rocks, as a reserve,
joined by the boats that had been driven in, and supplied by
fresh men from the shore to replace those they had lost, twice
attempted to row out, to endeavour to surround our gunboats and
their prizes: I as often made the signal to cover them, which was
promptly attended to by the brigs and schooners, all of which
were gallantly conducted, and annoyed the enemy exceedingly, but
the fire from this ship kept their flotilla completely in check.
Our grape shot made great havoc among their men, not only on
board their shipping, but on shore. We were several times within
two cables length of the r