Page:Royal Naval Biography Marshall sp2.djvu/86

Alexander Hood, had the dispute with Holland been followed by a declaration of war; and in which case Mr. Swaine was to have accompanied those officers to the East India station. After being borne for some time as a supernumerary on the books of the Sandwich guard-ship, Mr. Swaine joined the Lowestoffe frigate, Captain Edmund Dod, employed on Channel service^[1]. During the Spanish armament, he served under the first Lord Gardner,then commanding the Courageux 74.

At the commencement of 1791, Mr. Swaine was removed to the Discovery, Captain George Vancouver, a vessel then about to sail for Nootka Sound, in order to obtain formal restitution of the territories recently seized by the Spaniards; and afterwards to explore the N.W. coast of America^[2]. During this very interesting, but tedious and perilous voyage, he was instrumental in saving the lives of Captain Vancouver, Lieutenant Peter Puget, a midshipman, and a boat’s crew, when treacherously attacked by a party of Indians; on which occasion several of the English were severely wounded, and the whole would doubtless have been sacrificed, had not the boat he commanded opportunely arrived to their assistance. The following is the account given by one of Vancouver’s companions^[3].

“We generally landed at some sequestered spot to cook our dinner; and upon one occasion, we were certainly in the most imminent danger of being murdered. Our boat was in the mouth of the river” (named after Sir A. Mackenzie); “we had been employed in taking soundings; and the other boat, which had been in company during the morning, had separated to survey a small bay, at a little distance. A point of land lay between us, and we thought it might take them a considerable time to rejoin; we, therefore, determined to land, and dine at a spot which seemed sheltered, and free from any savages. On nearing it, a few were discovered; but, from them, Vancouver thought there was nothing to fear. We ac-

1. Captain (afterwards Rcar-Admiral) Dod died at Exeter, Dec. 18, 1815, aged 81 years.
2. See Vol. II, Part I, p. 200 et seq. N.B. Mr. Swaine had joined the Discovery previous to the altercation between the courts of London and Madrid, but left her again in consequence of the expected Spanish war.
3. The late Captain John Stewart, who died Oct. 26, 1811. See Nav. Chron. Vol. xxvlii, pp. 1–47.