to form a junction with the Spanish naval force at Carthagena, to embark troops at Toulon, and to act successively against Minorca, Ischia, Procida, and Sicily).
On his arrival off the N.W. end of Sicily, the wind being easterly. Captain Austen despatched Lieutenant Staines with the important intelligence, overland to the capital, where he arrived at nine o’clock in the evening of May 13, having performed a journey of at least 34 miles in two hours and a quarter, notwithstanding the road was very bad, and his horse so little used to such great exertion that it died the following morning. For his very zealous conduct on this occasion, Lieutenant Staines had the honor of receiving Nelson’s personal thanks on board the Peterel, and of being ever afterwards kindly noticed by that great hero.
Upon leaving the Peterel, Mr. Staines became third Lieutenant of the Foudroyant 80, bearing the flag of Lord Nelson, in which ship he assisted at the capture of two French Rear-Admirals, Messieurs Perrée and Decrès, Feb. 18 and Mar. 30, 1800[1].
After Nelson’s departure from Leghorn for England, June 1800, the Foudroyant received the flag of Lord Keith, under whom Lieutenant Staines served as signal officer during the whole of the Egyptian campaign. The superior medal of the Turkish Order of the Crescent (or more properly speaking, of the Star and Crescent) was presented to him for his services at that memorable period. On the 3d Dec. 1801, Lieutenant Staines was appointed to act as Commander of the Romulus troop-ship, during the illness of Captain John Culverhouse; and in her we find him employed conveying a detachment of the 64th regiment from Alexandria to Malta, where he rejoined the Foudroyant, Jan. 9, 1802.
On the 15th May following. Lieutenant Staines was promoted by Lord Keith into the Camelion brig; and this appointment appears to have been confirmed at home, July 24, in the same year.
- ↑ See id., p. 26; and Vol. I. pp. 378, 643, and See Vol. I. p. 779..
