this responsible command, Captain Ayscough received a letter from Rear-Admiral Martin, under whose orders he was still serving, wherein we find a passage worded as follows:–
“I must confide in your zeal and judgment, to take such station, and to act in such manner, as may appear to you most likely to interfere with, or defeat the plans of the enemy.”
The station taken by Captain Ayscough, was to the northward of the Faro, where he moored his ship with hawsers to the shore, keeping springs on her cable, and her top-sail-yards constantly at the mast-heads, so that she was always ready to act on any emergency. The anxiety he experienced during the time he held that important command, with every thing left to his own discretion, will readily be conceived by our readers; and we shall therefore only add, that he spent the greater part of every night upon deck, kept the squadron under his directions in the most perfect readiness for immediate battle, inspired the troops in and about Messina (principally foreigners in British pay) with the greatest confidence, and effectually deterred Murat from attempting to gain a footing in the island, which he would soon have over-run, had it been possible for his formidable flotilla and numerous transports to have eluded the vigilance of British seamen. Whilst thus employed in the defence of Sicily, the boats of Captain Ayscough’s squadron destroyed two Neapolitan gun-vessels and thirty-four craft of different descriptions, fitted for the conveyance of troops.
After the breaking up of Murat’s camp. Captain Ayscough was sent, with seven men of war under his orders, to reconnoitre the coast between Naples and Civita Vecchia, it having been reported that a French armament had touched at the latter place on its way to the Neapolitan capital.
Finding that this was a mere rumour, Captain Ayscough returned to Sicily; and there received a letter from the Right Hon. Charles Yorke, then First Lord of the Admiralty, who informed him that he was “by no means unapprized of his zeal and activity as an officer,” and that he would take an opportunity of recommending him to Sir Charles Cotton “for an exchange to a larger frigate.”
