From Carlisle Bay, Sir John T. Duckworth proceeded to St, Kitt’s, where he commenced watering and refitting his ships; intending, as he heard nothing of an enemy in that quarter, to return as expeditiously as possible to his proper station. On the 1st Feb., however, Captain N. D. Cochrane arrived in the short space of twenty-four hours from St. Thomas’s, with intelligence of a French squadron being at St. Domingo. Sir John T. Duckworth, reinforced by Sir Alexander Cochrane with the Northumberland and Atlas 74’s, a frigate and two sloops, immediately sailed thither; and on the 6th, attacked and defeated the enemy, capturing three sail of the line, and destroying a 3-decker and an 84-gun ship. In this action the Canopus had 8 men killed and 22 wounded. After refitting at Jamaica, she sailed in company with the Spencer, Donegal, and the prizes, for Plymouth, where she arrived at the latter end of April.
For his conduct in the battle off St. Domingo, Captain Austen received a gold medal, the thanks of both Houses of Parliament, and a vase, value one hundred pounds, from the Patriotic Fund at Lloyd’s. He left the Canopus June 22, 1806, and did not serve again till the beginning of April 1807, when he was appointed to the St. Albans of 64 guns; in which ship he convoyed five East Indiamen to the Cape of Good Hope, from whence he returned home in company with the Lion 64, and a valuable fleet of Chinamen. In the ensuing year, we find him escorting another fleet from St. Helena to England; and subsequently a number of transports, having on board about 2000 troops, commanded by General Anstruther, to the coast of Portugal, where this reinforcement was landed just in time to assist at the battle of Vimiera; after which Captain Austen superintended the embarkation of the wounded men belonging to Sir Arthur Wellesley’s army, and conducted them in safety to Oporto. On his return to Spithead, he was ordered to the North Sea; but soon after removed from that station, in consequence of his ship requiring to be docked. The next service he performed, was that of superintending the debarkation at Portsmouth of those brave troops who had survived Sir John Moore’s disastrous campaign in Spain.
In April 1809, Captain Austen sailed with seven of the
