Page:Royal Naval Biography Marshall v3p1.djvu/271

  gallant and lamented officer, of whom we have spoken in the preceding memoir, entered the royal navy as midshipman, under the late Admiral Robert Man; and afterwards served on board la Virginie frigate. Captain Anthony Hunt, with whom he sailed for the East Indies in the beginning of 1798. We there find him joining the Suffolk 74, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Peter Rainier, who gave him his first commission, and in due time promoted him to the command of the Wilhelmina, formerly a Dutch 32-gun frigate, but then mounting only eighteen long nine pounders, two sixes, and one twelve-pounder carronade (used as a shifting gun), with a complement of 124 officers, men, and boys. In this ship he fought a very severe action with la Psyche French privateer (formerly a national frigate), mounting twenty-four long twelve-pounders, two sixes, and ten eighteen-pounder carronades, with a crew of 250 men and boys, commanded by Mons. Trogoff, who, in the eastern hemisphere, the chief scene of his exploits, bore the character of a brave, skilful, and enterprising officer. This affair took place on the 11th of April, 1804; and is thus described, by Mr. James, in the third volume of his naval history:–

“At 5-30, being on the larboard tack, the Wilhelmina passed about fifty yards to windward of the Pysché, then close hauled on the opposite tack. After a mutual broadside, accompanied on the part of the French ship by a bail to surrender, the Pysché tacked, and the Wilhelmina wore, each ship continuing to fire as her guns could be brought to bear. The plan adopted by the Psyché, of pointing every alternate gun upon the broadside at her opponent’s rigging, occasioned the Wilhelmina, from the loss of bowlines and braces, to come to the wind on the starboard tack with every sail aback. While she lay in this unmanageable state, the French ship passed under her stern, and raking the Wilhelmina, shot away the main-top-mast, badly wounded the main-yard, and did considerable damage to her rigging and sails.

“Having at length paid off and got before the wind, the Wilhelmina brought her larboard broadside to hear, and presently the Psyché evinced an intention to board her upon the quarter; but seeing that she was 