in the actions fought by la Minerve with two Spanish frigates, when on her way to Porto Ferrajo with Commodore Nelson, in the month of Dec. 1796, was highly applauded by that hero, as will be seen by an extract from his official letter to the Commander-in-Chief, inserted at p. 521 of this volume; where the reader will also find an account of those actions, and the manner in which la Minerve was employed from that period until the close of the battle off Cape St. Vincent, Feb. 14, 1797.
On the 28th May in the latter year, Lieutenant Gage distinguished himself at the capture of la Mutine, a French corvette, cut out of the bay of Santa Cruz by the boats of the Lively and Minerve[1]. He was soon after advanced to the rank of Commander, and appointed to the Speedy sloop of war; but, as we have reason to believe, never joined that vessel. His post commission bears date July 26, 1797.
We next find our officer commanding the Terpsichore frigate, and accompanying a squadron sent under the orders of the present Sir T. B. Thompson, to take possession of some French vessels lying at Tunis; a measure adopted in consequence of a previous breach of neutrality committed there by the enemy and connived at by the Bey, who, with the duplicity so peculiar to his countrymen, appears also to have sanctioned, if not invited, this retributive proceeding on the part of the British. After executing the service on which it had been sent to Tunis, the squadron cruised about the Balearic Islands, and on the south coast of Spain, where it made several captures.
In May, 1798, when Sir Horatio Nelson was sent from the fleet off Cadiz to ascertain the object of an armament preparing by the enemy at Toulon and Genoa, the Terpsichore was placed under that officer’s orders. She accordingly proceeded with him to the Gulf of Lyons; but unfortunately parted company there during a heavy gale of wind[2], and being afterwards taken off the rendezvous by a senior officer, on the presumption that Nelson, from the disabled state of the ship bearing his flag, had been forced to return to an
- ↑ See Sir Thomas Masterman Hardy, in our next volume.
- ↑ See p. 181.
