his safety to the good offices of a female servant, who informed him that her master, notwithstanding his manifold professions of friendship, had sent for the military to arrest him.
On the 23d Dec. 1807, Captain Shipley sailed from Portsmouth, with an expedition bound to the coast of Portugal, under the orders of Sir Charles Cotton. The fleet having been dispersed in a gale, while passing the bay of Biscay, la Nymphe was sent from the mouth of the Tagus to Madeira, in search of the missing transports, with instructions to escort such as she might fall in with to Gibraltar. Captain Shipley, however, found none until his arrival at the latter place, from whence he proceeded with them to the Vice-Admiral, who directed him to assume the command of the squadron stationed in shore to watch a Russian force, then moored off Lisbon, under the command of Admiral Siniavin[1].
We now approach the fatal period which closed Captain Shipley’s short but highly honorable career.
Whilst at anchor off the bar of Lisbon, the lamented subject of this memoir spent a great portion of his time in administering to the comfort of the Portuguese emigrants who succeeded in escaping from French tyranny, and threw themselves upon the mercy of the British; giving them up his cabin, and affording them every accommodation in his power. This, however, was not the only object that engaged Captain Shipley’s attention, for his mind was principally bent on cutting out the Carlotta, a fine frigate of 44 guns; and he accordingly embraced every opportunity of obtaining information respecting her situation, the manner in which she was guarded hy night, and on other points connected with the enterprise in agitation. Not satisfied with the intelligence received from others, he twice rowed up the Tagus, accompanied by his brother, the present Rev. Charles Shipley[2], and reconnoitred every part of the river, from fort St. Julien to the anchorage
- ↑ See Vol. I. note † at p. 431 et seq.
- ↑ Mr. Charles Shipley had taken a cruise in the Comus for the benefit of his health; and embarked in la Nymphe for the same purpose, when she returned from the Baltic.
