CHAPTER XI. Fortuna, sævo læta negotio, et Ludum insolentem ludere pertinax, Transmutat incertos honores. HOR. CARM. lib. 3. ode 29. On our arrival in the Bay of Palermo, we learned the news of the French fleet from Brest having paffed the Straits of Gibraltar. Our fquadron did not anchor, but continued to stand on and off till the 20th, when Lord Nelson, in the Vanguard, joined, and we stood to the weftward. The fleet cruised near the islands of Levanzo and Maretimo for feveral days, during which time the Admiral received intelligence that induced him to return to Palermo; and on the 30th the fleet anchored off the Mole, in a line oppofite the Marino. As it was the nameday of his Sicilian Majesty, the fleet, in honour thereof, fired a royal falute. At this time a strange circumstance occurred here. In the veffel which brought to Palermo Mr. Wyndham, the British Minister at Florence, who had been driven from thence by the French, arrived Mr. A. an Irish gentleman, who was on his travels in Italy. Soon after Mr. Wyndham had left this veffel there came to Mr. A. a meffenger, who requested he would accompany him to Sir William Hamilton. He accordingly left the fhip; but the meffenger, who was a Sicilian officer, instead of conducting him to the Ambassador's, brought him to the prison, which being a large handsome building, was at first unobserved by him. But when he entered, and the gates clofed upon him, he found the nature of his lodgings. As he had never landed on any part of the Sicilian dominions, and had not made politics his ftudy, he was at a loss to know on what pretence he was thus deprived of his liberty. After remaining two or three days in this uncomfortable situation, he was liberated by the exertions of Mr. Wyndham, Lord Montgomery, and his other friends; but without the fatisfaction of knowing for what crime he had been so treated. Since he was fo permitted to live at his ease at Palermo, it may fairly be prefumed that no dangerous matter was alledged against him; and for the fervices rendered by his fellow-fubjects to the Sicilian monarchy, he was entitled at least to the fatisfaction of knowing the accufation that must have occafioned fuch harsh treat ment. In the mean time news had arrived from Syria of the gallant defence made by the garrison of Acre. The events of this unparallelled siege, and the immortal glory gained by Sir Sidney Smith by the well disposed order of his small force, against a powerful army of French, hitherto unchecked in its career, and commanded by a General, who, till now, was deemed invincible, will adorn the hiftoric page, that recites it, to the end of time." But it is my business to dwell only on what I faw, or what was particularly atchieved by the squadron in which I had the honour to be embarked. I shall only remark, that the loss of fome brave men well known to the world by their enterprising exploits, accompanied the recital. Captain Wilmot, who commanded the Alliance frigate, and Major Oldfield of marines, fell gloriously defending the outworks: the latter commanded the marines on board the Thefeus in the battle of the Nile. After the retreat of the French army, the Thefeus failed from the Bay of Acre. On her paffage fome loaded fhells (that were for fecurity placed in the cabin) by some accident exploded. Captain Miller, who commanded her, being then forward on the forecastle, and perceiving the fire that had broke out abaft, immediately made towards the place of danger to animate by his presence the endeavours of the people to extinguish it. Unhappily fome shells burft at the moment he Ꮒ h By the fame channel we were informed of an act of cruelty exercised by the French army on its march from Egypt into Syria that could fcarcely be credited, but which unhappily cannot be denied. Gaza was taken by storm, and the town was given up to plunder and destruction. The garrifon in the fort surrendered and became prifoners of war. Notwithstanding which, the whole of them, amounting to more than four thousand men, were put to death, because some of them were proved to have furrendered at El Arish under an engagement not to bear arms against the French. The bodies, collected in a heap, and weltering in their gore, foon brought on a peftilential diforder, which proved fatal to many of the French foldiers who were left to garrifon the place. Surely General Bonapartè must have forgotten the circumftance of the prifoners landed at Aboukir from the British fleet: they also had engaged not to bear arms till regularly exchanged, yet they were no fooner landed than they were formed into a regiment called the Nautic Legion, and inftantly began their operations against us. entered the cabin, and in an inftant this excellent officer was blown to atoms.' Captain Ralph Willet Miller was born at New York in 1762. He was the fon of a loyal gentleman there, who loft all his property by his adherence to the royal caufe. During the early part of Captain Miller's life he served in the West Indies, and was in most of the actions fought in that quarter by those naval heroes, Admirals Barrington, Hood, and Rodney, and was frequently wounded, particularly at the capture of the French West India iflands. He was at Toulon in 1793, and at the evacuation of that place was employed in the demolition of the French fleet, and twice nearly lost his life on that service. He was afterwards at the capture of the several strong posts on the island of Corfica, and frequently was employed on fhore at thofe places; he afterwards volunteered the dangerous service of setting fire to the French fleet in Gourgean Bay, and was appointed for that purpose to the Poulette fire-ship, but contrary winds prevented his exertions from taking effect. After various other services, we find him particularly noticed by Lord Minto for his eminent condu&t at Corfica: foon after which he was appointed to the Unitè, and in a short time afterwards was advanced to the command of the Captain, at the particular request of Lord (then Commodore) Nelfon. His conduct during the action on the 14th of February 1797, off Cape St. Vincent, was particularly mentioned by Sir Horatio Nelfon. While Rear-Admiral Nelfon commanded the in-fhore fquadron at the blockade of Cadiz, and frequently headed the boats in their attacks on the Spaniards in the bay, being once in imminent danger from the fuperior number and force of his opponents, Captain Miller, in his barge, bore down to the fuccour of his Commodore, and had the happiness to extricate him, and affifted him to capture the Spanish Admiral. On the expedition to Teneriffe he commanded the Thefeus, on board of which ship Sir Horatio Nelfon's flag was flying. Though the attempt was unsuccessful, it nevertheless adds a brilliant wreath to the laurels of those engaged in it. Here the gallant Admiral loft his arm. Captain Miller, more fortunate, escaped the showers of thot that were poured on the British boats, and landed with the first at the town of Santa Cruz, which was completely in the possession of the British seamen commanded by Captain Troubridge, though from exifting circumstances they agreed to evacuate it. Here too fell that gallant officer Captain Richard Bowen, who was raised for his merit by the Earl of St. Vincent. Captain Miller afterwards was twice engaged in fevere actions with the Spanish gun-boats in Algeziras Bay. When Admiral Nelson failed in pursuit of the French fleet to the thores of Egypt, Captain Miller was one of those selected by the difcerning eye of the Earl of St. Vincent to compose one of his squadron, and most ably did he acquit himself in that glorious action, as I have before related. When Sir Sidney Smith failed up the Mediterranean, he requested the Earl of St. Vincent to appoint Captain Miller to be under his command; accordingly at the fiege of Acre we find his fervices particularly noticed by Sir Sidney, who (whilft he directed the operations on shore) appointed Captain Miller to command the naval department. Soon after which this brave man loft his life, a life that had always As the fleet remained several days at Palermo, I took the opportunity of visiting several places that had escaped my observations before. Among the reft, the monaftery of St. Martino, fituated on the mountains about eight or nine miles from Palermo. Our road led through Monte Reale, a small town on an eminence which overlooks the capital, and is about three miles from it. The road to it is decorated at certain distances with fine marble fountains. At Monte Reale we faw the monastery of Benedictines. On the grand staircase is a good painting relative to the founding of the abbey. The cathedral, which is adjoining, is a great curiosity; the ornaments of the outfide are Saracenic, as in part alfo is the interior, which presents a grand difplay of the taste and munificence of the founder. Part of the fide walls, and the whole of the ceiling, are covered with Mosaic work, the ground of which is gold; the subjects represented on it are taken from paffages in the New Teftament. The whole has a folemn and grand appearance. The pavement also of Mofaic of a different kind is equally beautiful. The high altar is covered with filver richly emboffed; and on gala days it is ornamented with feveral fine images of the fame metal. From thence we proceeded on a rugged road up the mountains, till we arrived at the monaftery of St. Martino, which is a been dedicated to the fervice of his country, and employed in the exercife of every amiable, every. praiseworthy action. Captain Miller has left a widow and two young children, who have a penfion from government of one hundred pounds a year.. ASHMOLEAN OXFORD |