Page 258 - INDIANNAVYV1

22() HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY.
The ' Teignmouth ' lost eight men killed, and a large number
wounded, including Lieutenant Arrow, father of the late Sir
Frederick Arrow, Deputy-Master of the Trinity House, and
Lieutenant Hewett, of the Madras Army, who lost an arm.
In 1805, the Company's frigates, ' Cornwallis,' fifty-six, and
' Bombay,' thirty-eight, were made over to the Koyal Navy,
and the following "vessels were built in Bombay for the
Service :— 1805, ' Prince of Wales,' sloop-of-war, fourteen guns.
' Nautilus,' brig,
1806, ' Mercury,' sloop-of-war, fourteen guns ;
fourteen guns, and 'Sylph,' schooner, eight guns. 1807,
' Benares,' sloop-of-war, fourteen guns. 1809, ' Aurora,' sloop-
of-war, fourteen guns, and ten-gun brig ' Vestal.' 1810, ten-
gun brigs, ' Ariel,' ' Psyche ' and ' Thetis.'
The harbour or bay of St. Paul's, in the Isle of Bourbon,
having long been the rendezvous of French cruisers on the Indian
station, and afforded shelter to the valuable prizes made by the
enemy. Commodore Josias Rowley, of the sixty-four-gun ship
' Raisonable,' the senior officer of the British squadron cruising
off the Isles of France and Bourbon, concerted with Colonel
Henry S. Keating, commanding the troops at the adjacent
small island of Rodriguez, recently taken possession of by the
British, a plan for capturing the l3atteries and shipping at St.
Paul. This was carried into eifect on the 21st of September,
1809, by a combined military and naval force, including
the Bombay Marine cruiser ' Wasp,' Lieutenant Watkins.'*

* On the 16th September, 1809, sajs James, a detachment of three hundred and
sixty-eight ofRcers and men embarked at Fort Duncan, in tlie island of Rodriguez, on
board tlie thirtv-six-gun frigate, ' Nereide,' Captam Robert Corbet, eighteen-gun
sloop ' Otter,' Captain Willoughby, and the Hon. Company's cruiser, ' Wasp,'
Lieutenant Watkins ; and on the evening of the 18th joined, off Port Louis, in the
Isle of France, the rest of the squadron, consisting of the ' Raisonable,' thu'ty-six-
gun frigate ' Su-ius,' Captain Pym, and thirty-eight-gun frigate, ' Boadicea,'
Captain Hatley. On the 19th a force of six hunda-ed and four soldiers, sailors,
and marines, was put on board the ' Nereide,' when the squadron stood towards
I<ourbon, and, early on the following morning, arrived off the east end of the
island. On approaching the Bay of St. Paul, the ' Nereide,' to prevent suspicion,
preceded the other ships, and, at daybreak on the 21st, having anchored close to
tlie beach, the frigate disembarked the troops without causing any alarm, about
seven miles from St. Paul. The troops and marines, commanded by Colonel
Keating, and the detachment of seamen by Cajitain Willoughby, immediately
commenced a forced march, with tlie view of crossing the causeways that extend
over the lake, before the French could discover their approach. This important
object the British fully accomplished, nor had the French time to form in any
force until after Colonel Keating and his party had passed the strongest position.
By seven a.m. the troops were in possession of the first and second batteries, and,
immediately. Captain Willoughby. with his detachment of seamen, turned the
guns of those batteries upon the shipping, from whose fire, which was chiefly
grape, and within pistol-shot of the shore, the force had suffered much. A detach-
ment now marched and took quiet possession of the third battery, having previously
defeated the islanders in a skirmish. The enemy having been reinforced from the
hills, and by a party of one hundred and ten soldiers from the French fi-igate ' Caro-
line,' the guns of the first and second batteries were spiked, and the seamen sent to
man the third battery, which soon opened its fire upon the ' Caroline ' and her