Captain John Chambers White, with whom Mr. Badcock returned to England, in the Kent 74[1].
We next find him serving under Captain George Martin, in the Barfleur 98; from which ship he was removed to the Neptune, of similar force, commanded by Captain Thomas Francis Freemantle, whom he rejoined, after a short leave of absence, just in time to bear a part at the glorious battle of Trafalgar[2].
Twelve days after that ever memorable event, Mr. Badcock was appointed acting lieutenant of the Melpomene frigate, Captain Peter Parker. His first admiralty commission bears date Jan. 29, 1806. The following are extracts of a journal, by Captain Parker, of his proceedings during a tremendous gale of wind, in which the Melpomene lost her rudder, main-top-mast, &c. sprung her fore and main lower yards, and had her main-mast dreadfully shattered:–
“We parted from the fleet, under Lord Collingwood, on the 8th Dec. 1805; the Orion 74, Endymion frigate, and Weazel brig, accompanied us. We were going to scour the Mediterranean, in quest of a squadron of frigates, under the command of Jerome Buonaparte, who was reported to have sailed from Genoa. The weather continued pretty moderate until the 11th, when we captured a Spanish settee, laden with stores, and took her in tow for the purpose of conveying her to the commodore, who was to windward; but at 11
p.m., in a violent squall, we cut her adrift, and afterwards scuttled her. On the 12th, made Majorca; carried away the larboard bumpkin, and found the main-yard sprung; lowered it down, and fished it. 13th, owing to the violence of the gale and the heavy sea, bore up, with the Weazel in company; ship labouring very hard. 14th, lost sight of the Weazel, as we had before done of the Orion and Endymion. 15th, at 9
p.m. came on a most tremendous squall, with thunder, lightning, rain, and sleet; clewed all up. At about 9-15, the main-mast was struck by lightning; the fluid exploded by the pumps, and hurt an officer and a sailor
[3]. 16th, wind more moderate, and steady; examined the main-mast, found it severely splintered in many places, particularly about the hoops and in the wake of the trusses, where copper had been nailed on. Stood towards Barcelona, in hopes of rejoining the Orion. 17th, at 9
a.m. the sea rising all around us, with water-spouts and flashes of lightning in every direction; furled all the sails, and prepared for
