The desultory kind of service in which the Cruiser was employed between April 1801, and June 1803, did not afford Captain Hancock any opportunity of particularly distinguishing himself. On the 14th of the latter month he assisted at the capture of two French armed vessels, as will be seen by the following official letter:–
Sir,– I this morning, in company with the Jalouse and Cruiser sloops, chased two French gun vessels on shore, on the east part of Cape Blanc Nez, and with the flood tide, ordered the two sloops to anchor, and endeavour to destroy or bring them off; sending our boats to assist in so doing. I am happy to inform you, that, after about an hour’s firing from them and the batteries, they were silenced, and taken possession of by the boats, under a heavy fire of musketry from the cliffs, by which Mr. Charles Adams, Mate of the Jalouse, has been badly wounded. They prove to be l’Inabordable schooner, and la Commode brig, each carrying three 24 pounders and one 18 pounder, and appear very fine vessels. I have the honor to be, &c.
“To Rear-Admiral Montagu.”
We next find Captain Hancock serving under the orders of Sir W. Sidney Smith, and having a brush with thirteen armed vessels, full of troops, which had come out of Flushing, apparently with an intention of carrying his brig by boarding, she then being moored off Blankenberg, in company with the Rattler sloop of war, commanded by Captain Francis Mason. When reporting his proceedings to the Commodore, he says, “I have to regret, from the shoal water, it was not in our power to close with the enemy, but am happy to add, that we have sustained no loss, although we continued the pursuit until both the shot and shells from the batteries at Ostend went over us, and no prospect remained of our making any further impression on them.”
This skirmish took place in March 1804, at which period the ports of Flushing, Helvoetsluys, and Ostend, were narrowly watched by a British force under the command of Sir W. Sidney Smith, whose broad pendant was then flying on board the Antelope of 50 guns; and whose accustomed anchorage was in the Stone Deep, about six leagues from the first named port, and at a still greater distance from Ostend. Off the latter harbour, Captain Hancock was stationed with
