Page:Royal Naval Biography Marshall sp1.djvu/59

 purpose of watching the enemy’s ports in the Channel. His post commission bears date Jan. 22, 1806.

In 1807, we find Captain Duff commanding the Muros of 20 guns, and convoying a fleet of merchantmen to Halifax; from whence he proceeded to the Jamaica station, and there made several captures.

Whilst cruising off the Havannah, in Mar. 1808, Captain Duff received information that the Spaniards were fortifying Bahia Honda; and, as that was the only port on the north coast of Cuba into which a British ship could run for shelter during bad weather, he considered it a matter of importance to destroy the enemy’s works: but, unfortunately, his pilot ran the Muros on a reef at the entrance of the harbour, and every effort to get her off proved useless. Fortunately, a small privateer was then in company, and with her aid Captain Duff was enabled to carry the whole of his officers and crew to three prize vessels which he had left at the Dry Tortugas, from whence they all returned in safety to Jamaica.

Captain Duff’s last appointment was, in 1813, to the President frigate, then on the Cork station, but subsequently sent to protect the north coasts of Ireland and Scotland against the American cruisers; on which service he continued to be employed until the termination of hostilities in 1815.

In 1819, Captain Duff published “, for giving greater effect to the fire of Artillery, more particularly at Sea, as submitted to the Right Honourable the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, on the 4th October 1813, with further illustrations and comparative, as lately recommended by , in his Book of the 4th February, 1818, and tried on board His Majesty’s Ship Liffey.” In this pamphlet Captain Duff says:

“I have hitherto had no reason to believe hut that I was the first to recommend the improved Sight, and to enforce the principle on which its efficiency depends; but my method of applying it was not so fortunate as to meet with the approbation of their Lordships, to whom it was presented about five years ago. This I learn by observing that the same Sight, though with additional apparatus, and applied in a different manner, on a plan of Major-General Sir William Congreve’s, was ordered for trial by the