The Egmont also formed part of Vice-Admiral Hotham’s fleet at the capture and destruction of l’Alcide, French 74, July 13, 1795. In the spring of 1796, Mr. Jackson accompanied Captain Sutton to the attack of a French squadron lying in the bay of Tunis, the result of which enterprise has been stated at p. 254 of our first volume; but we shall take this opportunity of mentioning, that the armed vessel brought out with the Nemesis and Sardine was a polacre of 20 guns: the one destroyed appears to have been a cutter.
Some time after this exploit, Mr. Jackson joined the Victory, a first rate, bearing the flag of Sir John Jervis, K.B. by whom he was made a Lieutenant, and appointed to the Alliance store-ship, in the autumn of 1796. At the close of that year he returned to the Egmont, as junior Lieutenant, and proceeded in her to Lisbon, where he obtained universal commendation for his exertions in saving the officers and crew of the Bombay Castle 74, which ship had struck upon the South Catchup, when about to enter the Tagus, in company with Sir John Jervis’s squadron, and was afterwards completely wrecked.
It appears from the various accounts we have received of that disaster, that Lieutenant Jackson was sent with the Egmont’s boats to assist in getting the Bombay Castle off; but that the impossibility of doing so soon became apparent, and a gale of wind, which commenced two days after the accident, convinced all present that her total destruction was at hand. At this alarming moment, when the least hesitation might have proved fatal to every one on board. Lieutenant Jackson volunteered, at the risk of his own life, to carry a letter to the commander-in-chief, and to point out the necessity of immediately removing her crew. This measure being agreed to by Sir John Jervis, all the boats of the squadron were despatched on the following morning (Dec. 24, 1796), and Lieutenant Jackson had the honor of leading them through a narrow channel, which he had passed on his way to the Admiral.
During Lieutenant Jackson’s absence, the Bombay Castle had parted asunder, and fallen over on her beam-ends; – the
