etaining the vessel and fitting her out as a Spanish frigate.

Many of the perpetrators of this horrible crime were afterwards captured
and executed. Had they contented themselves with wreaking their vengeance
on their captain, some excuse might have been offered for them when the
catalogue of his brutalities was published, but nothing could be said in
condonation of the cold-blooded murder of the other officers, including
even a midshipman and the young captain's clerk, neither of whom could
have in any way influenced their commander's conduct.

The _Hermione_, however, was of but little use to the Spaniards. Sir Hyde
Parker, in October, 1799, hearing that she was about to sail from Porto
Cabello, in Havana, detached the _Surprise_ under Captain Hamilton, to
attempt to obtain possession of her. On arriving off Porto Cabello he
found the _Hermione_, which was manned by four hundred men, moored between
two strong batteries at the entrance to the harbour, but, nothing daunted,
Captain Hamilton resolved to cut her out. At eight o'clock in the evening
he pushed off from the _Surprise_ with all his boats, manned by one
hundred officers and men.

Undeterred by a heavy fire, the boats made for the _Hermione_ and were
soon alongside. The main attack at the gangways was beaten off, but the
captain, with his cutter's crew, made good his footing on the forecastle,
and here he was joined by the crew of the gig and some of the men from the
jolly-boat. He then fought his way to the quarter-deck, where he was soon
reinforced by the crews of the boats that had at first been repulsed. In a
very short time, after some desperate fighting, the _Hermione_ was
captured. The cables were now cut and the sails hoisted, and under a heavy
fire from the batteries the frigate was brought off, though much damaged
both in rigging and hull. A few days later she anchored in Port Royal.

This feat stands perhaps unparalleled in naval history for its audacity
and success. The victors had only twelve wounded; the enemy lost one
hundred and nineteen killed and ninety-seven wounded. Captain Hamilton was
knighted for this achievement, the legislature of Jamaica presented him
with a sword valued at three hundred guineas, and on his arrival in
England after his exchange, for he was taken prisoner on his way home, the
common council of London voted him the freedom of the city. He was,
however, much injured in the attack, and was to the end of his life under
m