Page:Royal Naval Biography Marshall v4p2.djvu/376

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354
commanders.

tain Cockburn had exchanged, on the 5th June preceding, for the purpose of bringing to England, from Bengal, the Marquis Wellesley (late governor-general) and suite.

The Howe was paid off in Feb. 1806; between which period and Sept. following, Mr. Powney served under Commodore Owen and Captain J. W. Loring, in the Clyde and Niobe frigates. On the 13th of the latter month, he was made lieutenant into the Bergere sloop. Shortly after joining that vessel, which was successively commanded by Captains the Hon. Granville Proby, Thomas Whinyates, and James Boxer, he gave great offence to the papists of Malta, by an act of indiscretion committed during a religious procession, and in consequence of their complaint he was tried by a court-martial, and sentenced to be placed at the bottom of the list of lieutenants. May 8th, 1808. But for this unfortunate occurrence, he would now, in all probability, have been an old captain.

Mr. Powmey’s next appointment was to the Zenobia 18, Captain Alexander Richard Mackenzie, on the North Sea station, where he served for a considerable period. In that vessel he was present at the siege and capture of Flushing, and bore a part in all the subsequent operations of the Walcheren expedition. On the 19th May, 1813, he was appointed second lieutenant of the Endymion frigate, Captain Henry Hope, fitting out for the North American station, where he assisted at the capture of the Perry letter of marque, Dec. 3d, in the same year; the Meteor schooner, of three guns and thirty-one men, Feb. 7th, 1814; and the Mars privateer of 15 guns and 70 men. Mar. 7th, following. The Meteor was taken by the boats of the Endymion, off New York, and Lieutenant Powney’s conduct on that occasion obtained him honourable mention in the London Gazette.

The Endymion formed part of the squadrons under Rear-Admiral Griffith (afterwards Sir Edward G. Colpoys) and Captain (now Rear-Admiral) Sir Thomas M. Hardy, in an expedition to the Penobscot river, and at the capture of the islands in Passamaquoddy Bay[1]. In the course of these