Note 35 — CHAP. XII. MY ENTRANCE INTO PARLIAMENT.

If a vessel were captured and destroyed, head money was awarded, as in the case of the Calcutta, which surrendered to the Impérieuse in the subsequent affair of Basque Roads. It was sworn to by others that she surrendered to the squadron; but that this was not the case is proved by the French government having shot her captain for surrendering to me alone; a sentence which was not likely to have been passed had he surrendered to eight or ten ships. In this case head money was awarded to Lord Gambier’s fleet, on which account I declined to touch a shilling of it.