Captain Otway was subsequently detached to the West Indies, under the orders of Sir R. J. Strachan, in pursuit of a French squadron; and whilst on that service encountered a most tremendous hurricane. In 1807, he went to the Mediterranean, and during the winter of that year assisted at the evacuation of Scylla, a fortified rock in the Faro of Messina, the garrison of which was embarked under a smart fire from the enemy on the Calabrian shore. He was afterwards entrusted with the command of a squadron employed in co-operation with the Spanish patriots on the coast of Catalonia, and received the thanks of the junta of Gerona for the assistance afforded by him during the siege of that city, and for taking possession of the fortress of Rosas, by which the French were compelled to retire from Castalon, a town of some importance, situated five miles from the coast.
Soon after this latter event, Captain Otway was appointed to the Malta, of 80 guns, off Toulon, which ship he paid off at Plymouth in Dec. 1808. About the month of May following, he obtained the command of the Ajax, a new 74; and towards the latter end of the same year, escorted a large fleet of merchantmen to the Mediterranean. During the greater part of the winter, he cruized with a squadron under his orders off the island of Sardinia, and made several captures.
On the 20th July, 1810, the Ajax, in company with the Warspite and Conqueror, 74’s, Euryalus frigate, and Sheerwater brig, forming the in-shore squadron off Toulon, had an affair with a French three-decker, five other line-of-battle ships, and four frigates, which reflects the highest credit on all concerned. The enemy came out of port for the purpose of liberating a frigate in Bandol; and owing to the situation of the Euryalus and Sheerwater, had nearly cut them off, when Captain Blackwood, the senior officer, brought to in order of battle, with the Warrior, Ajax, and Conqueror, engaged the headmost ships of the French line, and notwithstanding their great numerical superiority, compelled the whole to tack and stand back to their port, followed for some time by the British squadron, whose commander, in his public letter to Sir Charles Cotton, made the most flattering report of Captain Otway’s spirited and judicious conduct on the occasion.
On the 13th Dec. following, the Ajax assisted at the de-
