in the Defence, another third rate, and whose patronage he ever afterwards enjoyed.
The dispute with Spain being settled without proceeding to hostilities, Mr. Tait next entered into the merchant service, and made several voyages previous to the commencement of the French revolutionary war; at which latter period he again joined his valuable friend Commodore Murray, whose broad pendant was then flying on board the Duke of 98 guns, but subsequently removed into the Glory, a ship of similar force. In April 1794, Commodore Murray being promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral, and appointed commander-in-chief on the Halifax station, Mr. Tait followed that officer into the Resolution 74, from which ship he was soon after appointed by his patron to act as a Lieutenant on board the Thisbe 28: his commission, however, was not confirmed by the Admiralty until june 1796; previous to which he had been removed into the Cleopatra of 32 guns.
In the latter frigate, commanded successively by Captains Charles V. Penrose[1], Charles Rowley, and Israel Pellew, Lieutenant Tait continued until Oct. 1797, when he joined the Venerable 74, at the particular request of his noble relative. Viscount Duncan, with whom he remained in that ship, and the Kent 74, until Jan. 1799, when he received a commission appointing him to the command of the Jane, an armed lugger, forming part of the force under his Lordship’s orders. The north coast of Scotland was at this time infested by numerous privateers; and the appearance of the Jane, sent thither to protect the trade, was at first productive of increased alarm, she being rigged in a similar manner to many of those marauders. Lieutenant Tait, however, with a laudable zeal, established a code of signals which had the effect of removing all uneasiness from the minds of those engaged in
- ↑ We are happy in this place to have an opportunity of correcting an error in our first volume. The Cleopatra, when assailed by a most furious hurricane, was commanded by Captain Penrose, whereas we have described her as having been under the command of Captain Pellew at that period. The Cleopatra brought Vice-Admiral Murray to England at the close of 1795, and subsequently formed part of the Western squadron, under Sir Edward Pellew, now Viscount Exmouth.
