Page:Royal Naval Biography Marshall v3p2.djvu/58

 that frigate was paid off, after attending on King George IV. during his visit to Ireland, in 1821.

Mr. Hamilton next joined the Euryalus 42, Captain (now Sir Augustus W. J.) Clifford, fitting out for the Mediterranean station, from whence he returned home to pass his examination, in the summer of 1823. After this, he was received on board the Revenge 78, bearing the flag of Sir Harry Neale, who appointed him, in Sept. following, to act as a lieutenant of the Active, then commanded by Captain Andrew King, at Lisbon. His first commission bears date Dec. 1st, 1823; and his subsequent appointments were as follow: – Jan. 26th, 1824, to the Blanche 46, Captain William Bowen Mends, which ship conveyed Vice-Admiral Lord Amelius Beauclerk to the river Tagus, and afterwards proceeded to South America; – July 26th, 1825, to the Druid 46, recently launched at Pembroke, commanded by Captain Samuel Chambers, and about to sail on an experimental cruise; – and, Mar. 1st, 1826, to the Ganges 84, fitting out for the flag of Rear-Admiral (now Sir Robert) Otway.

Previous to the departure of the Ganges from Portsmouth, Lieutenant Hamilton was ordered to join the Blonde frigate, then on the point of sailing for Bermuda, where he was landed with despatches for Rear-Admiral (now (Sir Willoughby) Lake, commander-in-chief on the North American station. On his joining that officer, he received an order to assume the command of the Doterel sloop, at Halifax, which appointment was confirmed by the Admiralty in Nov. 1826.

The Doterel having encountered much bad weather in her passages across the Gulf Stream, and being examined for a refit, was found to have suffered considerably, and to be so defective, that it was considered necessary to dismantle and lay her up at Bermuda; Commander Hamilton consequently returned home from thence, with his officers and part of his crew, in the Queensberry packet, May 7th, 1827.

On the 2d of July following, Commander Hamilton was appointed to the Pelican 18, then in the Mediterranean; to which station he proceeded, as passenger, on board the 