Lord Robert Manners[1] supposing that Count Byland, who commanded her, knew nothing of the war, sent Lieutenant Nowell on board to inform him. The Count appeared greatly surprised at the information, and at first considered it as a jest; but being undeceived, he said, that it was the second time he had been placed in a like situation, and that he was determined to fight his ship as long as she would swim. Lieutenant Nowell, however, assured him that resistance would not avail; and remarked that the Count would be blamed for the useless sacrifice of lives that must ensue. Being at length convinced of his error, he intimated that he would not strike until he had discharged his guns; whereupon our officer desired permission to see that they were pointed clear of the British ships, and their coins and beds taken out, saying that in such case he would communicate the Count’s wishes to Lord Robert Manners, and if approved of, the Resolution would fire a gun clear of him, when he might discharge his broadsides. To this the Dutch commander assented, and on Lieutenant Nowell’s return to the Resolution, he was desired to proceed with the affair according to his own arrangement, which had no sooner been carried into effect than two other line-of-battle ships, the Gibraltar and Prince William, opened their fire on the Dutch frigate, whose crew very prudently went below, and thereby avoided the slaughter which such a precipitate act would otherwise have occasioned. The ship, however, sustained so much damage thereby, that it took Lieutenant Nowell many days, with the carpenters and best seamen from the Resolution, to set her to rights.
After the surrender of the Dutch colonies of St. Eustatia, St. Martin’s, &c, our officer was appointed to the Swallow sloop, in which vessel he returned to England for the purpose of joining Sir Chaloner Ogle; but on his arrival, in the summer of 1781, finding that that officer was not likely soon to hoist his flag, he obtained an appointment as first Lieutenant of the Hercules, 74, in which ship he again visited the West Indies, and had the good fortune to contribute very materially towards the defeat of Count de Grasse, in the battles of April 9 and 12, 1782[2].
- ↑ Sir Chaloner Ogle had recently returned home, being promoted to a flag.
- ↑ See note, p. 35, et seq.
