On the 4th Dec. 1799, Mr. Spencer quitted the Camilla in order to join the Queen Charlotte, a first rate, bearing the flag of Lord Keith, on the Mediterranean station; and in April following, he was appointed lieutenant of the Guillaume Tell, French 80, recently captured by the Lion, Foudroyant, and Penelope. He shortly afterwards removed to the Camelion brig, Captain Frederick Lewis Maitland.
In that vessel, Lieutenant Spencer proceeded to Aboukir bay, where he commanded one of the armed launches employed in covering the debarkation of the British troops under Sir Ralph Abercromby[1]: he subsequently led the other gun-boats up the lake on the left flank of the army; and continued there until after the defeat of General Menou, Mar. 21, 1801. An account of the operations in which he was engaged during that period will be found at pp. 852 et seq. and 385 et seq. of our second volume.
In Sept. 1801, the Camelion’s cutter and jolly-boat, commanded by Lieutenant Spencer and Mr. Charles Royer, master’s-mate, succeeded in bringing off from the beach near Tarragona, a Spanish felucca mounting two 6-pounders and two swivels: the guns of two other feluccas, similarly armed, were at the same time thrown overboard, it being found impossible to get them afloat under the heavy fire of musketry that was kept up by a number of soldiers assembled on the shore, in addition to their crews. It is proper to remark that those three vessels, intimidated by the appearance of a single 6-oared boat, had run aground before Mr. Royer formed a junction with Lieutenant Spencer. The manner in which the Camelion was employed at the commencement of the late war, will be seen by reference to p. 84 of Suppl. Part I.
Lieutenant Spencer’s next appointment was, Sept. 18, 1803, to the Triumph 74, Captain Sir Robert Barlow; and on the 2d Dec. following, Lord Nelson was pleased to honor him with the command of le Renard schooner (stationed at Malta), mounting ten 12-pounder carronades and two long
- ↑ See Vol. I. Part I. note † at p. 259 et seq. and note * at p. 313. N.B. Lieutenant Spencer’s launch was stationed on the right of the line.
