Erasmus entertaining a great friendship for Mr. Ommanney, availed himself of so favourable an opportunity to promote his interests by applying for and obtaining permission to appoint him a supernumerary Lieutenant of the Lion. This accordingly took place on the arrival of the embassy at Madeira. Shortly after their departure from Funchal, Lieutenant Cox of that ship died, and Sir Erasmus appointed his protegé to succeed him. His commission was confirmed by the Admiralty in May 1793.
The Lion being paid off on her return to England about Sept. 1794, Mr. Ommanney readily accepted an offer made him by Captain (now Sir Robert) Barlow to become his first Lieutenant, in the Aquilon; and he continued to serve with that distinguished officer till May 1795, when he was appointed to the Queen Charlotte, a first rate; in which ship he assisted at the capture of three French 2-deckers off l’Orient, on the 23d of the following month[1].
Lieutenant Ommanney was promoted to the, rank of Commander in Dec. 1796; and happening to be on half pay when the mutiny broke out at the Nore, he lost no time in tendering his services towards its suppression. His offer being accepted, he held the command of a gun-vessel equipped to act against the refractory seamen, until the spirit of rebellion had subsided in that quarter; and was afterwards sent with two other Captains to Deal, in order, should such a measure be necessary, to take the command of some vessels lying in the Downs, whose crews still behaved in a disrespectful manner to their officers; but happily the sailors there soon followed the example of those at the Nore, and returned to their duty.
In Dec. 1797, Captain Ommanney was appointed to the Busy, a new brig of 18 guns, fitting at Chatham for the North Sea station, where he cruised with considerable activity. In Aug. 1799, being off Goree, in company with the Speedwell brig, he discovered a fleet of merchantmen running alongshore under the convoy of a Swedish frigate. While the Busy ran alongside the man of war and prepared for action,
- ↑ See note at p. 54; and Vol. I, p. 246. – N.B. Mr. Oramanney was sent at the close of the action to assist Lieutenant Alexander Wilson, now a superannuated Rear-Admiral, in conducting one of the prizes to an English port.
