turn, to England he joined the Recovery, and from that vessel removed with Lord Hervey into the Raisonable, of 64 guns, in which ship he was present at the relief of Gibraltar by Earl Howe; and in the partial action off Cape Spartel, Oct. 20, 1782[1]. Some time after this event, a dangerous conspiracy among the seamen was crushed by the noble conduct of Lord Hervey and his officers, for which they received the thanks of the Board of Admiralty.
In the ensuing peace, Lieutenant Lee served successively in the Swallow sloop, and Centurion, of 50 guns, the latter bearing the flag of his friend Rear-Admiral Affleck, on the Jamaica station; by whom he was advanced to the rank of Commander, in the Serpent sloop of war. During his continuance in the West Indies, the merchants of the Bahama Islands, to whom he had rendered some essential services, returned him their public thanks.
The Serpent returned to England in company with two other men of war, as convoy to a large fleet of merchantmen; and Captain Lee, on his arrival, had the gratification of receiving a piece of plate from the underwriters, &c. at Lloyd’s, as an acknowledgment of the attention he had paid to their interests[2]. He was afterwards employed in the defence of Nieuport, under the late Admiral Mc‘Bride[3]; and on his return from that service promoted to post rank, by commission dated June 7, 1794.
Our officer’s next appointment was to the Hind, of 28 guns, stationed in the Channel. From that vessel he removed into the Greyhound frigate, and again visited the West Indies. He subsequently commanded the Assistance, of 50 guns, and in her had the misfortune to be wrecked between Dunkirk and Gravelines, March 29, 1802; from which period we find no mention of him until the spring of 1805, when he obtained the command of the Courageux, a third rate; and on the 4th Nov.
- ↑ See pp. 17, 106.
- ↑ Captains Alms and Brown, who commanded the other convoying ships, received similar tokens of approbation from the same body.
- ↑ On the 31st Oct. 1793, Rear-Admiral M‘Bride, in conjunction with Generals Grey and Dundas, sent to the relief of Ostend and Nieuport, obliged the French to abandon their situation before those places, and retire to Dunkirk.
