Page:Royal Naval Biography Marshall v4p2.djvu/453

  posted him into the Mermaid dated Oct. 30th, 1795. The following John’s letter, addressed to Evan Nepean, Esq.:–

The late Admiral George Bowen, who was captain of the Carnatic 74, and witnessed Captain Otway’s conduct in destroying a Spanish guarda-costa, and saving the Trent and Ceres frigates from being wrecked in the Gulf of Mexico, subsequently wrote to him as follows:–

“Those ships (without any flattery or compliment) would never have got off the shoal had it not been for your prompt and personal courage and seamanship. I sent you all my boats, and took the liberty of suggesting to you, by one of the lieutenants I sent, that as long as the Spanish gun-boats’ heavy stern-chasers bore on the direction where the boats were towing out the anchors and cables, it would be impossible to save