the reduction of Bastia, in the island of Corsica[1]; and in 1795 we find him commanding the Santa Margarita, of 40 guns and 237 men, on the Irish station, where, in company with the Cerberus frigate, he captured le Jean Bart, a French, corvette of 18 guns.
At day-break on the morning of the 8th June, 1796, the Santa Margarita, being to the westward of Scilly, fell in with two frigates and a corvette, to which chace was immediately given. At 1 P.M. the strangers commenced, with their stern-chasers, a quick and well directed fire; which, from its destructive effects on the sails and rigging, greatly retarded the progress of their pursuers. At 4 o’clock the sternmost ship, finding it impossible to escape, bore round up and endeavoured to rake the Santa Margarita, which design, however, was baffled by a most skilful manoeuvre of the British commander, who not only evaded the intended salute, but placed his ship with great gallantry close alongside of his opponent, and in less than 20 minutes compelled him to strike. The prize proved to be the Tamise, of 42 guns and 306 men, 32 of whom were killed and 19 wounded, several of them mortally. The Santa Margarita had only 2 men killed and 3 wounded[2]. The other French frigate was taken after an arduous chace and gallant action, by the Unicorn[3]. The corvette effected her escape.
Towards the latter end of October in the same year, Captain Martin captured the French privateers, le Buonaparte of 16 guns and 137 men, and le Vengeur of 18 guns and 110 men. Early in 1797, he was appointed to the Tamar frigate, stationed in the West Indies, where he cruized with considerable success, intercepting in a few months no less than nine privateers, carrying in the whole 58 guns, and 519 men. Our officer returned to England in the Dictator, 64; and soon after his arrival obtained the command of the Fisgard, of 46 guns and 281 men, in which ship, on the morning of the 20th Oct. 1798, being off Brest, he fell in with an enemy’s
- ↑ See p. 254.
- ↑ The Tamise had formerly been the British frigate Thames; during the 20 months she had been in the French navy, she had been a very active cruizer.
- ↑ See p. 388.
