386

LIFE OF COLONEL MACERONI.

weak castles of those islands, and sent the garrisons to Sicily .The Neapolitan forces about Naples , which did not amount tomore than eleven thousand men, encamped on the promon-tory of Posilipo and on Capo di Monte. The whole affairwould, as it appears, have passed off as a vain pageant, hadnot Murat injudiciously sent orders for a squadron of vessels,consisting of one frigate, one corvette, thirty-eight gun-boats,anchored in safety under the guns of Gaeta, to repair toNaples . He could not resist the temptation of having somesort of a “ slap” at the English . Commodore Bauson, theNeapolitan commander, quickly obeyed the summons. Theking had his wish, but the result was very disagreeable. Inan action with an English frigate, a brig, and twelvegallies and gun-boats, this little Neapolitan squadron wasvery roughly handled. Eight of the gun-boats were sunk,five taken, and the frigate and corvette much damaged.The fact of their having actually passed through the wholeof the Anglo-Sicilian fleet, and of having defended them-selves against superior forces during eight hours, certainlywas very creditable to Bauson and his comrades. Theaction terminated close under the promenade of Posilipo ,within musket-shot of the shore ; I saw it from beginning toend ; and it was only by climbing up the hills to a convenientheight that my friends and myself could be safe from theshowers of shot and grape that fell peppering on the shore.The Neapolitan squadron got into Naples, —but with the lossof vessels above-mentioned, and one hundred and seven menkilled or wounded on board the frigate and corvette.The English vessels approached too near the batteries ofNaples , and must have suffered therefrom very severely. Isaw the brig lose her main-top-gallant-mast, and the thirty-two pounder shot from Castel Ovo might be seen to—tip-—tip—tip on the water, and enter them every round. The spectaclewas so interesting and animating to the entire population of