the Canary islands. Captain Shipley accordingly left St. Helen’s, in company with his excellent friend, on the 1st Jan. 1807; and was soon afterwards despatched to Mogadore, with permission to cruise as he pleased, after effecting the object of his mission.
A more decided proof of the esteem and regard of Sir Samuel Hood could not have been given; and although Captain Shipley had not the good fortune to make any capture of particular importance, his exertions to distress the enemy were by no means unavailing.
After cruising about six weeks on the coast of Barbary, the Comus proceeded to the Canary islands, where she intercepted several Spanish merchant vessels. In Mar. 1807, we find her boats attacking six brigs in the Puerto de Haz, the whole of which were captured and brought out, although moored close to the beach, and defended by the cross fire of three land batteries. She subsequently had a smart rencontre with some gun-vessels in the Gut of Gibraltar, but was not able to cut any of them off in their retreat to Algeziras. The capture of an armed felucca, in the port of Grand Canaria, by a small party belonging to the Comus, will be more fully noticed under the head of Captain George Edward Watts, whose admirable conduct on that occasion was worthy of the highest panegyric.
On his return to England, in July, 1807, Captain Shipley found himself appointed to la Nymphe frigate, then about to join the expedition destined against Copenhagen; and during the operations in that quarter he was actively employed cutting off the communication between Holstein and Zealand, on which service he underwent much mental and bodily fatigue, occasioned by his unwillingness to entrust the ship, in such an intricate navigation as that of the Great Belt, to any other pilot than himself. He was also indefatigable in his endeavours to obtain fresh provisions for the sickly part of la Nymphe’s crew; and often exposed himself to great risk in the furtherance of that object. On one occasion, having landed with a flag of truce, he was suddenly surrounded by a party of French soldiers, and with difficulty effected his escape. On another excursion of the same nature he owed
