tire from office; the latter a just reward for his services in the St. Lucia and Hippomenes. The Patriotic Society at Lloyd’s also voted him a handsome sword (for the capture of l’Egyptienne), which is still in the possession of, and will, no doubt, be carefully preserved by his family.
On joining la Sagesse, at Jamaica, Captain Shipley found that ship in very bad repair, and the yellow fever causing dreadful mortality amongst her crew. He, however, took charge of a valuable fleet then about to sail for England; and after a very tempestuous passage, during which the frigate was with great difficulty kept afloat, arrived at Spithead early in 1805.
We regret that it is not in our power to obtain the Portsmouth paper in which a paragraph appeared expressing the gratitude of the crew of a West Indiaman that foundered in a heavy gale whilst under the convoy of la Sagesse. On this occasion. Captain Shipley, who never pressed his officers to enter upon any service of danger, finding that no one volunteered to go to her assistance, ordered a boat to be lowered, jumped into it himself, and by great exertions rescued the whole of the crew. This noble and disinterested action was of itself sufficient to stamp his character for humanity and intrepidity; he was often heard to declare that he derived more satisfaction from it than from any other act in his life; and, indeed, what could have been more gratifying than the reflection of having saved, at the risk of his own existence, the lives of so many of his fellow creatures.
La Sagesse being paid off in consequence of her very defective state. Captain Shipley was next sent to command the sea fencibles at Tralee, in Ireland, where he continued until the autumn of 1806, notwithstanding every endeavour to obtain more active employment. At the latter period, he was appointed, through the recommendation of Earl Spencer, to the Comus, a new ship, mounting 32 guns, with a complement of 145 men.
Towards the close of the same year. Sir Samuel Hood applied for the Comus to be attached to a squadron then under his orders, and about to sail on a cruise between Madeira and
