whilst employed in a boat at the mouth of the above river, he was upset in a heavy surf, but preserved himself by superior swimming: his companion, a Mr. Robinson, and most of the boat’s crew, unfortunately perished.
The Phoenix returned to England in 1793; and Mr. Hill was soon after removed into the Boyne, a second rate, bearing the flag of Sir John Jervis, under whose auspices he first went to sea, and by whom he was almost immediately promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, in the Zebra sloop of war, commanded by Captain Robert Faulknor, and forming part of the fleet sent to reduce the French West India colonies. The services of the Zebra during the campaign of 1794, were very conspicuous, and are too well known to require repetition. It is therefore unnecessary to say more, than that Lieutenant Hill was on all occasions the constant associate of his gallant commander, both on shore and afloat[1].
The Rev. Cooper Willyams, from whose work we have already made one or two extracts, thus relates a melancholy accident, which occurred in one of the land batteries, during the siege of Fort Louis:
“Captain Faulknor of the Zebra, who commanded in the battery, being provoked by the interference of an artillery officer, and one of the seamen not obeying him with alacrity, was provoked to strike him with his sword; which unfortunately wounded him mortally, and he died in a few minutes. Captain Faulknor was acquitted by the court-martial that was instantly summoned to investigate the matter; and the circumstance of its happening in the heat of action, when the least disobedience of orders involves the most fatal consequences, as well as that it appeared there was no premeditated intention of killing the unfortunate man, but was a blow given from the impulse of momentary passion, the sentence was confirmed and approved.”
On this sad occasion, Lieutenant Hill, then at Point Negro
- ↑ See Vol. I. note at p. 859.
got up with the French together, and both were concerned in the action with la Resolu, a 12-pounder frigate, though she only fired at the Phoenix.” – It will be remembered by our readers, that the Hon. East India Company was at this time engaged in a war with Tippoo Saib, which ended only with his life, and the destruction of Seringapatam, the capital of his dominions; and as the French and Dutch were known to be favorable to that chieftain, and suspected of supplying him with warlike stores, it became the duty of our naval commanders to watch them very narrowly.
