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NILE
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(12) |
Hired cutter
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No details. |
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- 1800 Lieut. George ARGLES, Channel.
Under the orders of Capt. Sir Richard STRACHAN in CAPTAIN intercepting enemy supplies.
On 17 November 1800 an enemy convoy had taken refuge in the Morbihan under protection of batteries on either side.
By careful management NILE, the first vessel up, managed to keep a 20-gun ship corvette, the convoy Commodore, away from the north shore until MAGICIENNE forced her to take the ground in Port Navale. - A French privateer of 14 guns taken by NILE and LURCHER arrived in Plymouth on 24 November.
- Sir Richard signalled NILE and LURCHER to intercept a convoy going through the Teigmouse Passage on the 6 December but instead the French had rowed up along the shore and taken refuge under Fort Lamara.
Lieut. ARGLES watched for them all night but then left LURCHER off the Morbihan and sailed towards the Croisic where he saw a convoy of 15 or 16 sail.
He waited for them to get closer to St. Gildas and then stood out to signal LURCHER which, being to windward, turned them into the Villain where NILE was waiting for them.
NILE took five prizes and LURCHER four before the whole coast was alarmed.
The four largest were decked and capable of going to England but the others were not.
The only casualty in NILE was one man scratched by a splinter. - NILE's prizes were: MARIA JOSEPH, NOTRE DAME DE CONSOLATION, SAINT PIERRE and L'AMIABLE FRANCOIS, all taking brandy and wine from Bordeaux to Brest.
- On 9 February 1801 NILE brought into Plymouth the officers of the 14-gun REQUIN, Lieut. FOWELL, which had been wrecked on rocks in Quiberon Bay on the 1st.
All the crew were saved but twenty of them were taken prisoner when they got ashore.
On her cruise NILE drove ashore a large French cutter of sixteen 12-pounders and a lugger with twelve 9-pounders.
Lieut. ARGLES was forced to haul off when several batteries opened up on him and the French vessels were got off at the high tide and towed, badly damaged, into the Morbihan.
NILE sailed on the 18th. with dispatches for Ad. HARVEY's fleet off Brest. - 1801 Lieut. NEWTON, Plymouth.
On 10 April he took out dispatches and fresh stock for Ad. CORNWALLIS and at the beginning of May he fought a a gallant action in Douarnenez Bay with a large French cutter armed with 16 guns and full of troops.
The Frenchman tried to disable NILE in order to run her aboard using the troops to carry her but Lieut. NEWTON drove him off after two hours and he took shelter under a shore battery, apparently badly mauled and pumping out water.
NILE had only one man wounded out of her crew of 45 men.
In July, while the boats of NILE were attempting to cut out a brig from under the batteries at Douarnenez, Lieut. NEWTON was shot through the heart by a musket.
The fire was so heavy that the boats were forced to retire without further loss.
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