after that gentleman’s rencontre with Linois, the particulars of which will be given in another part of this work[1]. The pursuit of the French squadron being abandoned by Captain Ferrier, in order to afford protection to a fleet of such great national importance, Captain Dobbie returned to Madras in a country ship, and resumed the government of the naval hospital, after an absence of two months.
Previous to Vice-Admiral Rainier’s departure from India, in Mar. 1805, he appointed the subject of this memoir to the Arrogant, guard-ship and sheer-hulk at Bombay, where the Fox was at that time undergoing a thorough repair. On Captain Dobbie’s arrival there, he was ordered by Sir Edward Pellew, the new Commander-in-chief, to superintend the repairs of that frigate, as also her subsequent equipment; and for the latter purpose 100 sailors, impressed from a fleet of Indiamen, were placed under his command. On the 26th Sept. she was hauled out of dock and commissioned by him, agreeable to an order sent by Sir Edward from Madras, directing him to act as captain of her.
A few days afterwards accounts arrived of the noted French privateer Bellone being on the coast. Captain Dobbie immediately applied to the government for a party of soldiers to do duty as marines, and offered to go in pursuit of the enemy. After some delay his request was complied with, and a party of native militia, commanded by civilians in the Company’s service (volunteers on this occasion), embarked on board the Fox. He also transferred the warrant officers and one master’s-mate of the Arrogant to his frigate; and thus manned, without one commissioned officer, he put to sea on the 14th Oct. and continued cruising on the Malabar coast till the end of Nov., without meeting the object of his search, but at the same time feeling a grateful conviction that the enemy had been prevented by his zeal and activity from committing any further depredations in that quarter[2]. He had likewise the
- ↑ See Captain Robert Meyrick Fowler.
- ↑ The Bellone was captured in July 1806, by the Powerful 74;– see Vol. I. p. 642. She was afterwards the Blanche, a 28-gun frigate, in H.M. navy.
