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On this, Lieutenant George Dare Dowell, R.M.A., of the Magicienne, calling out for a volunteer crew, jumped into the Ruby's gig, where he was joined by Lieutenant Haggard of the Arrogant, and together they pulled off, under a fire which grew hotter and hotter, to the rescue of the boat and men.
"What! and run the gauntlet of those two cruisers inshore there, as well as take our chance of falling in with the Magicienne and the Regulus, which we know are knocking about somewhere in that direction! Is that the best counsel you can give, Ben?" "Well, then, let's haul close in with the land, set fire to the ship, and take to the boats," answered Ben. "And what then?" sneered Farmer.
It consisted of the Ruby, commanded by Mr Hale, mate, and the boats of the Arrogant, commanded by Lieutenants Haggard and Woolcombe, and those of the Magicienne, under the command of Lieutenants King and Loady; Captains Yelverton and Vansittart, with Captain Lowdes, R.M., in command of a strong detachment of marines, going on board the Ruby, which steamer towed the boats.
One French frigate, the Brutus, was a razeed 64-gun ship, and now carried 46 guns. Then there were the Incorruptible, of 32 guns; the Magicienne, of 36; the Republicain, of 28; and the two corvettes, of 22 guns each. On we stood. Whatever the enemy did, we were not to fire till we got close up to them. There were to be no long shots with us.
On the twenty-ninth of the same month the Bundesrath was taken into Durban, about three hundred miles from Lorenzo Marques, under the escort of the British cruiser Magicienne. The German Government demanded the immediate release of the steamer upon the assurance made by the Hamburg owners that she carried no contraband.
We found here the Sampson, of sixty-four guns, the Magicienne and the Thorn, and some transports. This mole, or harbour, is formed by the high land of the island on the right hand going in, and on the left by a peninsula, joined by a narrow sandy isthmus to the island at the head of the mole. It is strongly fortified. The harbour is a fine one, and would contain the whole British fleet.
The Arrogant, Captain Yelverton, having been joined by the Magicienne, Captain Vansittart, proceeded with the Ruby gunboat along the coast to Kounda Bay, where a large body of Cossack troops were encamped. The Ruby and the boats of the two ships stood in, and dislodged the enemy with shells and rockets.
In February the gold was returned to the Bank of Durban because the ultimate destination of the consignment did not warrant the presumption that it was enemy's property. In November a French steamer, the Cordoba, was hailed by the British cruiser Magicienne. The Cordoba refused to recognize the signal to halt seventy miles out from Lorenzo Marques and was brought to by a blank shot.
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