Immediately after that conquest, Lieutenant Percy was appointed to the command of l’Espoir brig; and on the very same day, Jan. 13, Sir Home Popham wrote an official letter to the Admiralty, informing their Lordships that he had sent him to take possession of the Bato, a Dutch 68, in Simon’s bay; and, if possible, to move her into safety, as she was totally abandoned, and it was “strongly reported that the enemy had not completely succeeded in his attempt to destroy her.”
This “strong report,” we conclude, must have caused great disappointment to Captain Percy; for, on his arrival in Simon’s bay, he found nothing more than an absolute wreck on which to hoist his pendant; and as l’Espoir had sailed for England with the commodore’s despatches, he certainly would have had no other alternative than that of returning home as a passenger, or of serving as a volunteer during the subsequent expedition against Buenos Ayres, had not the very unexpected capture of a fine French frigate enabled Sir Home Popham to give him another command. The manner in which that opportunity was afforded will be seen by his commodore’s public letter, dated on board the Diadem, in Table bay, Mar. 4, 1806:–
“At 9 o’clock this morning, a ship was discovered coming from the southward, under a press of sail, and soon after two more, one of which the signal station on the Lion Rump reported to be of the line, and an enemy; upon which I directed the Diomede and Leda to slip, and keep on the edge of the south-easter which had partially set in on the east side of the bay.
“At 11, the headmost ship hoisted French colours, and stood towards the Diadem; and, by this time, I was satisfied, from the judicious manoeuvres of the ships in the offing, that they could be no other than the Raisonable and Narcissus[1].
“At noon, the French ship passed within hail of the Diadem, when we changed our colours from Dutch to English, and directed her to strike, which she did immediately, and I sent the Hon. Captain Percy, who was serving with me as a volunteer, to take possession of her. She proved to- ↑ A 64-gun ship and a frigate, commanded by Captains Josias Rowley and Ross Donnelly, who were then on their return from False bay to the commodore’s anchorage.
