In that vessel, Mr. Douglas assisted at the reduction of Bastia; and the Swallow lugger, to which he was then removed, bore a part in the subsequent operations against Calvi[1]. He afterwards commanded the Sincerity cutter, and served as second Lieutenant of the Bedford 74, Captain (now Sir Davidge) Gould, at the capture of the Ca Ira and Censeur, French line-of-battle ships, near Genoa, March 14, 1795[2]. On this occasion, the Bedford had 7 men killed, and 18, including her first Lieutenant (Thomas Miles) wounded. All her rigging and sails were much cut, and her bowsprit, fore-mast, fore-yard, main-top-sail-yard, and mizen-top-mast, shot away.
Mr. Miles being promoted in consequence of the above action, Lieutenant Douglas became first of the Bedford, previous to Vice-Admiral Hotham’s skirmish with the Toulon fleet, off the Hières islands, July 13, 1795; and he continued as such until her return to England, under the command of Captain Augustus Montgomery, in Oct. 1796. An account of her rencontre with a French squadron off Cape St. Vincent, is given at p. 610 of Vol. I, Part II.
Lieutenant Douglas’s next appointment was to the Repulse of 64 guns. The manner in which that ship effected her escape from the mutinous fleet at the Nore, is thus related by a contemporary:–
“The Leopard of 50 guns, under the command of Lieutenant Robb, (the Captain having, been sent on shore), had the distinguished honor of being the first to abandon the cause, after the infamous proposal of going over to the enemy was made known. This ship had been one of the most violent: * * * * *
“The example of the Leopard was soon followed by the Repulse of 64 guns; but this ship lay too far to the westward, to weather the Nore sand, and gain the river Thames; she was therefore obliged to ran for Sheerness harbour. Unfortunately, the tide at that moment did not serve, – it was about three o’clock, and there was not sufficient water to carry her over the shoal, – this the pilot in vain represented to the seamen, who, in this ship were nearly all in favour of the government; and flying suddenly from one extreme to the other, insisted upon the cables being cut and sail made: this was done; but as the pilot had foretold, the ship grounded very soon