Page:Royal Naval Biography Marshall sp4.djvu/408

 fire was at length extinguished.” Many of the prisoners, in endeavouring to swim to the Active, were drowned.

In Sept. following, Mr. Duff was sent to Malta in a prize, for the purpose of passing his examination; hut he was fortunate enough to regain the Active a few days before the severe action in which Captain Gordon lost his leg. On la Pomone striking her colours, he was sent with a few men to board and take possession of her; when owing to an accident, the boat was upset in lowering down, and he remained overboard a considerable time before another could be sent to rescue him, the whole of them being more or less disabled with shot. The total loss sustained by the Active, in the battles of March 13th and Nov. 29th, 1811, amounted to 17 killed, and 53, including 2 mortally, wounded.

A few days previous to the latter date, Mr. Duff had been appointed acting lieutenant of the Nautilus sloop, but he was not informed thereof until the arrival of the Active at Malta, to refit. There being then a vacancy in that frigate, occasioned by the recent promotion of Lieutenant William Henderson, he obtained an order to fill it, and continued to serve in her until she was paid off at Sheerness, in June, 1812. His first Admiralty commission bears date Nov. 14, 1811.

On the 14th Sept. 1812, Lieutenant Duff was appointed third of the Seahorse 38, fitting out at Woolwich, under the command of Captain Gordon, with whom we afterwards find him successively employed on the Jamaica station, off Iceland, and in the blockade of Cherbourg. On the 13th Nov. 1813, he assisted at the destruction of a French lugger privateer, of 16 guns and 72 men. On the 29th of the following month, he was appointed flag-lieutenant to Vice-Admiral the Hon. Sir Alexander I. Cochrane, K.B. who promoted him to the command of the Espoir brig of 18 guns, on the Halifax station, June 15, 1814.

The Espoir formed part of the naval force in the 