them immortal honour. Exposed to the most imminent danger, they eagerly boarded the burning ships, to rescue from inevitable destruction that enemy to whom they had just before been opposed. While engaged in this glorious service, one of the largest of the ships blew up, spreading its wreck to a vast extent, by which qne of the English gun-boats was sunk, and another considerably damaged. A piece of the falling timber struck a hole through the bottom of the barge in which was Captain Curtis his coxswain was killed, and two of the crew wounded: the rest were saved from perishing by the seamen stuffing their jackets into the hole, which kept her afloat until relieved by other boats. Nine of these battering ships were burnt; the tenth shared the same fate, as it was found impracticable to bring her off. Rear-Admiral Moreno left his flag flying, and it was consumed with the ship.”
Shortly after this celebrated event, the San Miguel, a Spanish two-decker, was driven under the walls of Gibraltar, and captured by the garrison[1]. This ship being commissioned by Sir Charles H. Knowles, Mr. Tinling served in her till the conclusion of the war.
During the ensuing long peace we find him successively employed as Midshipman and Master’s-Mate, in the Ganges and Bedford, third rates; Aquilon frigate; Formidable, of 98 guns; and Spitfire sloop of war; under the respective commands of Captains Sir Roger Curtis, Robert Mann, Robert Montagu, Henry Nicholls, and John Woodley.
On the 28th Dec. 1792, Mr. Tinling joined the Queen, a second rate, fitting for the flag of Rear-Admiral (afterwards Lord) Gardner, with whom he proceeded to the West Indies, where he served for some time as acting Lieutenant of that ship; but his appointment to her not being confirmed, he was subsequently removed into the Orion 74, in which ship he assisted at the defeat of the French fleet under M. Villaret de Joyeuse on the 1st June, 1794[2].
A vacancy at length occurring in the Queen, Lieutenant Tinling was appointed to fill it, at the particular request of Sir Alan Gardner; and on the 23d June, 1795, we find him
- ↑ See Vol. I, note † at p. 114.
- ↑ We believe that Mr. Tinling was fourth Lieutenant of the Orion in the great battle of June 1, and preceding actions of May 28 and 29, 1794. His commander, the late Sir John Thomas Duckworth, was one of the Captains who were specially named by Earl Howe, as having particular claim to his Lordship’s attention. To this it is only necessary to add, that the Orion was much cut up by the enemy’s fire, and sustained a loss of 29 men killed and wounded.
