e English
Channel and found herself off Swanage. It should be added that at that
time there was a kind of volunteer Preventive Guard at various places
along the coast, which was known as the "Sea Fencibles." The Swanage
"Fencibles" informed Mr. Comben, the cruiser's commander, that there
were three luggers hovering off the coast, and these volunteers
offered a number of their men to reinforce the _Swan's_ crew so that
the luggers might be captured. To this Comben replied with a damper to
the volunteers' enthusiasm: "If I was to take them on board and fall
in with the enemy we could not do anything with them."

So the _Swan_ sailed away from Swanage Bay to the eastward and at
midnight made the Needles. It now fell calm, but the luggers hove in
sight and approached by means of their sweeps. As they came on, the
cutter, instead of preparing to receive them in the only way they
deserved, did nothing. But one of the _Swan's_ crew, whose name,
Edward Bartlett, deserves to be remembered for doing his duty, asked
Comben if he should fetch the grape and canister from below. Comben
merely replied: "There is more in the cabin than we shall want: it
will be of no use; it is all over with us." Such was the attitude of
one who had signed into a service for the prevention of smuggling
craft. Instead of taking any definite action he waited despairingly
for the enemy to come on. He then issued no orders to his crew to
prepare to engage; he just did nothing and remained inactive under the
white cliffs. But if their commander was a coward, at any rate his
crew were determined to make a contest of it. They had actually to
urge him to fight, but the luggers were right close on to the cutter
before Comben had given the word. After that for three-quarters of an
hour the crew fought the ship, and were at their respective quarters
when Comben actually turned to the luggers and shouted to them: "Leave
off firing; I have struck." During the engagement he had shown great
signs of fear and never encouraged his crew to fight.

Seeing that they were led by a coward, the _Swan's_ crew also took
fright and thought it best to flee. They therefore jumped into the
cutter's boats and rowed ashore, leaving their valiant commander to
look after the _Swan_ as best he might. She was of course immediately
captured by the luggers, and as for Comben, he was taken prisoner,
carried to France, detained there, and did not return to England till
after seven years,