t seven tartans from
under the very muzzles of the enemy's guns, though supported by
several armed boats sent from Cadiz to their assistance.

Captain Maxwell was actively employed on the coast of Italy until
1811, when we find him cruizing in the Adriatic, in company with the
Active, Captain James Alexander Gordon, and a 36-gun frigate, the
Unite, Captain Edward Henry Chamberlain. On the morning of the 28th of
November, the little squadron was lying in Port St. George, Island of
Lissa, when signals were made that there were three suspicious sail
south. The three frigates immediately got under weigh, and on the
morning of the 29th came within sight of the strange vessels, which
proved to be the Pauline, a 40-gun frigate, the Pomone, frigate, and
26-gun ship, Persanne. The French commodore, finding the English force
greater than he expected, bore up to the north-west, and the Persanne
separated, and stood to the north-east. The Unite was then despatched
in chase of the Persanne, and the Alceste and Active continued in
pursuit of the French frigates.

In the course of a couple of hours the Alceste commenced action with
the Pomone, but an unlucky shot soon afterwards brought down the
main-topmast of the Alceste, and she was compelled to drop astern. The
Active speedily ranged alongside of the Pomone, and after a spirited
conflict, the latter ship was compelled to haul down her colours and
surrender.

The Pauline, in the meantime, tacked, and poured her fire into the
Alceste, no doubt anticipating an easy victory from her disabled
state; but in this she was disappointed, for the fire was returned
with such effect, that after a warm conflict of two hours and twenty
minutes, the commodore made off to the westward, which, from the
crippled state of the Alceste, Captain Maxwell was unable to prevent.
In this action the Alceste lost twenty killed and wounded, the Active
thirty-five, and Pomone fifty. The gallant captain of the Active had
the misfortune to lose his leg, and his first lieutenant, William
Bateman Dashwood, had his right arm shot away: the command therefore
fell upon the second lieutenant, George Haye, who fought the action,
until her opponent surrendered.

In 1813, Captain Maxwell had the misfortune to be wrecked in the
Daedalus, and in 1815 was again reappointed to the Alceste. On his
passage home, after the loss of that vessel, he touched at St. Helena,
and had an interview with Napoleon Buonaparte, who, rem