clared that the preservation of the ship was in a great measure owing to the efforts of Mr. Fraser.
Commodore Johnstone having, in the mean time, completed the number of his Lieutenants, Mr. Fraser was induced to accept a commission for the St. Carlos, a 50-gun ship, armée en flute, attached to the armament; he was consequently in the skirmish in Porto Praya, when M. de Suffrein surprised the British squadron[1]; soon after which event he was removed into the Romney, bearing the broad pendant of his patron, with whom he returned to England.
We next find our officer serving as first Lieutenant of the Panther, in the action with the combined fleets, after the relief of Gibraltar in 1782, by Lord Howe. He was afterwards removed into the Ruby, of 64 guns, one of the ships detached from the fleet and ordered to the West Indies. On the passage out, falling in with an enemy’s squadron to windward of Barbadoes, the Ruby, after an action of 48 minutes within pistol-shot, took the Solitaire, of equal force, which had 38 men killed, and above 40 wounded, though the Ruby had not a man killed, and but a few slightly wounded.
Soon after the arrival of the Ruby in the West Indies, Lieutenant Fraser joined the Formidable, bearing the flag of Admiral Pigot; but in consequence of peace taking place, he had the mortification of returning to England without any further advancement. He afterwards accompanied Sir R. Hughes in the Adamant to the Leeward Islands, where he continued until the Autumn of 1786. It was on this station he had the good fortune of acquiring the acquaintance and friendship of the late Lord Nelson, who then commanded the Boreas frigate; which continued till the lamented death of that great officer.
In the month of June, 1787, Mr. Fraser was appointed to the Colossus, of 74 guns, which ship he fitted out for the late Sir Hugh C. Christian; and the armament taking place in October, of which Admiral Pigot was to have the command, he removed Lieutenant F. from the Colossus, to be first of his own ship, the Royal Sovereign, at Plymouth. Thus, when the armament ceased, he, on the 1st. Dec. in the same year, at length obtained the rank of Commander, but remained un-
