liam Henry, now Duke of Clarence; was made a Lieutenant in Nov. 1790; and a Commander, April 4, 1796.
In May 1797, Captain Bazely, at that time commanding the Harpy of 18 guns, fell in with, and after a close action of fifty minutes, compelled a French national brig of eighteen long 9-pounders, and a lugger mounting 14 guns, to run on shore near Dieppe; the buildings at which place, particularly the Custom House, were much damaged by his fire. The Harpy, whilst performing this service, was exposed to several batteries; and in consequence of the wind dying away, a considerable time elapsed before she could obtain a clear offing. Captain Bazely subsequently captured two of the enemy’s privateers, one mounting 4 guns, the other armed with swivels, muskets, &c., and rowing thirty-two oars. He also re-captured two British coasting vessels.
The Harpy formed part of the squadron sent against Ostend in May 1798[1]; and Captain Bazely’s exertions during that disastrous expedition, were duly noticed by Sir Home Popham in his official despatches to the Admiralty.
From this period we find no particular mention of Captain Bazely till Feb. 5, 1800; on which day, in conjunction with the subject of the preceding memoir, he acquired great reputation by his gallant behaviour in action with la Pallas; during which the Harpy was for some time on board the French frigate, her bower anchor having hooked the enemy’s fore-rigging. At the close of the contest, Captain Bazely received a severe contusion in his side, occasioned by the recoil of a gun, the breeching of which had given way.
After repairing the damages sustained by his brig, Captain Bazely succeeded in getting between la Pallas and the French coast; thereby preventing her from escaping into St. Maloes, and obliging her to close with the British squadron, which had just hove in sight to leeward.
Having already alluded to an erroneous statement in the Naval Chronicle, said to have been written by an officer of the Loire, we shall content ourselves with observing in this place, that the surrender of la Pallas was announced to the Harpy by an exclamation which neither of her consorts were
