sent off a despatch to Lieutenant De Courcy, commanding HM
brig _Charybdis_, stationed on the coast to protect British interests,
and which was fortunately then in the neighbourhood. Immediately on
receiving the communication, Lieutenant De Courcy came off the port of
Carthagena, and despatched a boat with an officer bearing a letter to
the commodore of the squadron, then at anchor inside, demanding the
release of Colonel Gregg and the other British subjects.

The Venezuelan squadron consisted of a corvette, a brig, and three
schooners of war. When the officer got on board the corvette, he found
the commodore, who treated him with great insolence, observing that, as
the letter was not written in Spanish, he could not understand it, and
therefore could not receive it, treating the threatened interference
with the greatest contempt. The unfortunate Colonel Gregg, it appears,
was shot, immediately after the application for his release had been
made; so that probably the commodore was acting under the orders of the
Government, who were little aware of the punishment they were about to
draw down on the head of the commander of their ships.

As soon as the British officer had returned on board the _Charybdis_,
and reported these circumstances, Lieutenant de Courcy determined to
compel attention to his communications. The _Charybdis_ was rated as a
six-gun brig, but she carried only one long gun amidships and two
carronades, and her full complement of officers and men was but
fifty-five. Nothing daunted, however, he boldly entered the port, and
was passing up to an anchorage, when, without any provocation, he was
fired into by the corvette,--the commodore's vessel,--and the forestay
of the _Charybdis_ was shot away.

This was an insult not for an instant to be borne, and, in spite of the
small size of his vessel and the apparently overwhelming force opposed
to him, he immediately took up a position, and opened his fire on the
corvette. His officers and crew enthusiastically supported him, and,
working their guns with a will, so rapidly was their fire delivered, and
so well was it directed, that in a short time the corvette hauled down
her colours and surrendered, when, on taking possession of her, it was
found that the commodore and twenty-five of his men had been killed.

In the meantime, a brig-of-war had been coming down to the assistance of
the corvette, followed by three schooners; and scarcely had the first
bee