Another Gallant Action.

Manawatu Herald, 27 October 1896, Page 3

Another Gallant Action.

Our seamen of one hundred years ago reckoned no odds too many to tackle. A splendid account of the re -capture ot the 82-gun frigate Hermoine from under the guns of the forts Paerto-Oabello by the crew of the Surprise, a 21-gun frigate, under the command of Captain Edward Hamilton is given in ••Deeds that Won the Empire." From that account we take the following ; - It waß now night, bub a oouplo of lanterns shed a few broken rays on the massed seamen, with their wondering, upturned faces, and the tall figure of the silent captain. Hamilton explained in a dozen ourt sentences that they must run into port for supplies ; that if they left their station some more fortunate ship would havo the glory of taVing the Hermoine. " Our only chance, lads," he added, " is to cut her out to night !" At that sentence, with a keen ring in it, swept over the attentive sailors, they made the natural response, a sudden growling cheer. " I lead you myself," added Hamilton, whereupon came another cheer ; " and here are the orders of the six boats to be employed, with the names of the officers and men." Instantly the crews were mustered, while the officers, standing in a cluster round the captain, heard the details of the expedition. THE NIGHT ATTACK. Hamilton himself led, standing up in his pinnace, with a night glass fixed oo the doomed ship, and the boats followed with stem almost touching stern, and a rope passed from each boat to the one behind. Can a more impressive picture of human daring be imagined than these six boats, pulling silently over the black waters' and through the black night to fling themselves, nnder the fire of 200 guns, on a foe four times more numerous than themselves 1 The boats had stolen to within a mile of the Hermione when a Spanish challenge rang out of the darkness before them. Two Spaniih gunboats were on guard within the harbour, and they at once opened fire on the ohain of boats. There was no longer any possibility of mrprise, and Hamilton instantly thrtw off the rope that connected him with tbe next boat and shouted to the men to pull. The men, with a loud " Hurrah I" dashed their oars into tbe water, and the boat leaped forward towards the Hermoine ; but Hamilton's boats, two of them commanded by midshipmen— could not find themselves so close to a couple of Spanish gunboats without " going " for them. Two of the six boats swung aside and dashed at the gunboats ; only three followed Hamilton at the utmost speed ' towards the Hermoine. That ship, meanwhile, was awake. Lights flashed from every port, the sound of the drum rolled along the decks, the men ran to quarters. Hamilton, in tbe pinnace, dashed past the bows of the Hermione to reach his station, but a rope, stretched from tbe Hermoine to the anchor-buoy, caught the rudder of the pinnace and stopped her in full course, tbe coxswain reporting the boat " aground l n The pinnace had swung round till her Btarboard oars touched the bend of the Hermione, and Hamilton gave the word to " board." Hamilton led, and swung himself up till his feet rested on the anchor hanging from the Herraoine's cathead. It was covered with mud, having been weighed that day, and his feet slipping off it, Hamilton hung by the lanyard of the Hermoiue's foxeshroud. The crew of the pinnaoe, meanwhile, climbing with the agility of cats, had tumbled ovoc their own captain's shoulders, ss well aa the bulwarks of the Hermoine, and were on that vessel's forecastle, where Hamilton in another moment joined them. Here won sixteen men on board a vessell with a crew of 400 enemies ! Ham-* ilton ran to the break of the forecastle and looked down, and to his amazement found the whole crew of the Hermoine at quarters on the main deck, with battle-lanterns lit, and firing with the utmost energy at the darkness, in which their excited fancy saw the tali masts of at least

a squadron of frigates bearing down to attack them. Hamilton, followed by his fifteen men, ran aft to the agreed rendezvous on the Hermione's quarterdeck. The doctor, with his crew, bad, meantime', boarded, and forgetting all about the rendezvous charged upon the Spaniards in the gangway. (To be continued.) fc—— — ■—