Page:Royal Naval Biography Marshall sp3.djvu/125

  Brisbane being determined to destroy his sloop, rather than that she should be captured.

Oil the 19th Aug. 1796, Lieutenant Moubray joined la Virginie frigate. Captain Anthony Hunt. The manner in which he was employed from that period till the end of 1798, will be seen by reference. He returned to England in the same ship, from the East India station, under the command of Captain George Astle, Feb. 14, 1803; and was paid off at Deptford on the 12th of the following month.

Lieutenant Moubray’s subsequent appointments were, in April, 1803, to the Seahorse frigate. Captain the Hon. Courtenay Boyle, fitting for the Mediterranean; Nov. 4, 1804, to the Royal Sovereign, a first rate, bearing the flag of Sir Richard Bickerton, Bart.; and Oct. 5, 1805, to be first of the Polyphemus 64, Captain Robert Redmill, employed in the blockade of Cadiz.

The Polyphemus sustained a loss of 2 men killed and 4 wounded at the glorious battle of Trafalgar. During the tremendous gale that ensued, she took the Argonauta, Spanish 80, in tow, and anchored her in safety: she afterwards escorted Nelson’s flag-ship to the entrance of the Straits; and finally towed the Swiftsure, French 74, from her anchorage near Cadiz to Gibraltar. But for the assistance rendered by the Polyphemus to the small party in charge of that prize, the French would have been able to boast, that not one of their ships captured by Nelson’s fleet had entered a British port.

Captain Moubray’s commission as a commander bears date Dec. 24, 1805. He returned home in the Polyphemus about the end of Jan. 1806; and was appointed to the Rhodian brig, of 10 guns, fitting for foreign service, Jan. 27, 1809. he removed from that vessel to the Moselle, of 18 guns, on the Jamaica station, June 26, 1812; and continued to command the latter until Mar. 31, 1813. His promotion to post rank took place Aug. 12, 1812.

This officer married, in June, 1812, Eliza Pellew, eldest daughter of A. N. Yates, Esq. naval storekeeper at Jamaica,