The high opinion entertained of Lieutenant Nowell’s conduct in the above action, may be inferred from the circumstance of his gallant commander declining to go to sick-quarters until assured by Sir George B. Rodney that no other person should be appointed to act for him during his absence. Whilst at Jamaica refitting, the Hercules narrowly escaped destruction; and the impending evil appears to have been averted solely through the exertions of the subject of this memoir. Perceiving a large navy store-ship, which lay between the Hercules and the dock-yard, to be on fire, he sent a Midshipman on board her with orders to cut away her anchors, that she might be retained in her situation until scuttled; but some other officers who had arrived to her assistance, thought proper to cut her adrift and tow her towards Port-Royal; the inhabitants of which place cast off her shore-fast, when, with her sails loose and all in flames, she ran a-board the Hercules, giving her the stem at the main-chains. Lieutenant Nowell had previously caused water to be thrown upon his rigging from the engine, and buckets in the tops, and stationed men with spars ready to bear her off. Fortunately the force with which she struck the Hercules caused her to rebound, and her sternway being increased by the assistance of the spars, she drifted a-stern, and crossing the hawse of the Namur went on shore between Fort Augusta and Salt Pan Bay[1]. Had not Lieutenant Nowell changed the position of the Hercules in the first instance, by heaving her a-head to her anchor, the burning vessel must have fallen athwart her bows; and from the crowded state of the harbour, the destruction of that ship would have been attended by that of many others, particularly of the Duke and Ville de Paris, which were lying close to her[2].
The Hercules continued on the West-India station until the peace of 1783, when she returned to England, and was put out of commission. On his arrival in town Lieutenant Nowell
- ↑ Now called Port Anderson.
- ↑ The event alluded to above occurred during the night, which may account for a number of men belonging to the Hercules, principally waisters, many of whom had behaved uncommonly well in the late battle, jumping overboard whilst their shipmates were booming off the cause of their alarm.
greatly increased by the use of pike-staves fitted as rammers and sponges, in lieu of the unwieldy ones furnished by government. The credit of this invention is due to Admiral Savage.
