At daylight on the 30th May 1840, the _Dolphin_ being under easy sail
off Whydah, a brigantine was observed on the lee-bow. All sail was
immediately made in chase; but as the stranger increased her distance,
the cutter, a twenty-foot boat, with nine men, including the officer,
and the gig with six, were despatched at half-past six o'clock, under
command of Mr Murray and Mr Rees, to endeavour to come up with and
detain the chase before the setting in of the sea-breeze. Both boats
being soddened from constant blockading pulled heavily, and the crews
had been employed during a squally, rainy morning in trimming and making
sail; but after a harassing pull of two hours and a half under a hot
sun, they came up with the chase, the gig being rather ahead. The
brigantine bore down upon her, opening a sharp and continued fire of
musketry, which was returned, when both boats, after steadily reloading
under her fire, cheered and boarded on each quarter. The sweeps of the
brigantine were rigged out, which prevented their boarding by the
chains, thereby rendering it difficult for more than one or two to get
up the side at a time.
Mr Murray was the first on board; and though knocked back into the boat
with the butt-end of a musket, which broke his collar-bone, he
immediately clambered up the side again, in which act his left hand was
nearly severed at the wrist with the blow of a cutlass. Another cut was
made at his head, which he parried, cutting the man down. The bowman of
the gig was shot through the heart while laying his oar in, and the
bowman of the cutter in getting up the side. After a resistance of
twenty minutes, the vessel was captured, most of the crew running below,
firing their muskets as they retreated.
Mr Rees had previously proved himself a most zealous and active
officer, particularly in the destruction of the slave factories at
Corisco, by the boats of the _Wolverine_, Captain Tucker.