and on his passage captured la Refleche French privateer, of 12 guns and 67 men. In the month of February following, he was present at the reduction of Trinidad; and on the 17th July, in the same year, obtained the rank of Post-Captain. His next appointment was to the Andromache frigate, in which he was employed principally on the North American and Jamaica stations until the summer of 1804, when he was removed into the Cleopatra, of 32 guns, and subsequently ordered to Halifax.
On the 16th Feb., 1805, Sir Robert fell in with, pursued, and after an anxious chase, which continued throughout the night, and during the greater part of the next day, came to close action with la Ville de Milan, a French frigate of the largest class, mounting 46 guns, with a complement of 360 men, besides a number of troops passengers. The battle commenced at half past two P.M., both ships trimming sails, steering sometimes close to the wind, and at others about three points free, during which the Cleopatra had greatly the advantage. About five, having shot away the Frenchman’s main-top-sail yard, she forged a-head, although the mizen-topsail was a-back, and both jib-stay and haliards gone; finding neither fore nor main clue-garnets left to haul the courses up, the running rigging cut to pieces, so as to render it impossible either to shorten or back a sail, the main standing and spring-stays shot away, and the main-mast only supported by the storm-stay-sail-stay, Sir Robert was induced to cross the enemy’s bow, and by hauling up to have raked him; but in the act of doing so an unfortunate shot disabled the wheel, and the rudder being choked at the same time by splinters, &c. the Cleopatra became ungovernable. The French commander, availing himself of her situation, with the wind upon his quarter, gave her the stem, running his head and bowsprit over the quarter-deck just abaft the main rigging, and under the cover of a heavy fire of small arms attempted to board, but was driven back. Most of the Cleopatra’s sails lying partly a-back, and entangled as she was with so heavy a ship, going almost before the wind, and much sea running, Sir Robert saw no prospect of saving his vessel, or the numerous wounded men who were then below. He however directed the fore-top-mast-stay-sail and sprit-sail-top-sail to be set;
