Chatham, where he remained but a short time. In April, 1776, Captain Suckling, then Comptroller of the Navy, presented him with a warrant appointing him Master of the Hornet sloop, fitting at Woolwich for the Jamaica station, of which vessel the late gallant Lord Collingwood was then Lieutenant.
Mr. Cooke continued in the Hornet until Feb. 1, 1778, when he joined the Glasgow, a 20-gun ship, commanded by the late Admiral Sir Thomas Pasley, Bart., with whom he afterwards removed successively into the Sibyl frigate, and Jupiter of 50 guns, of which latter vessel he was appointed a Lieutenant immediately after the action between Commodore Johnstone and M. de Suffrein, in Porto Praya Bay, April 16, 1781[1].
In May 1782, the Jupiter was ordered to convey Admiral Pigot to his command in the West Indies; and soon after her arrival there, was sent on a cruise off the Havannah, where she captured several of the enemy’s vessels. Hostilities ceasing soon after, she returned to England, and was put out of commission July 28, 1783.
During the Dutch and Spanish armaments, in 1787 and 1790, Lieutenant Cooke served under the flag of Sir John Jervis, afterwards Earl of St. Vincent, in the Hannibal, 74, and Prince, a second-rate. At the commencement of the French war in 1793, he was appointed first Lieutenant of the Weazle sloop of war; and in November following, to the Woolwich troop-ship, attached to the armament under Sir John Jervis, then about to sail for the West Indies, where he was removed into the Undaunted frigate; and on the 5th May, 1794, promoted to the rank of Commander, in the Inspector of 16 guns.
Whilst in this latter vessel, Captain Cooke was employed co-operating with the army in the re-occupation of Gaudaloupe, &c.; affording protection to the trade of the Virgin Islands; and in various other services, requiring considerable
- ↑ The attack made on Commodore Johnstone’s squadron, by M. de Suffrein, we have already described in oar memoir of Admiral Sir Henry Darby (vol. 1, note at p. 268, et seq.); the Jupiter was on that occasion opposed to a French 74, which she obliged to cut and sheer off; indeed, throughout the whole of the affair she was very materially distinguished for the power and force of her fire.
