1793, into the Falcon brig. Being appointed, next, to the Impregnable 98, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Benj. Caldwell, he was afforded an opportunity of participating in that ship in Lord Howe’s actions of 28 and 29 May and 1 June, 1794. On the last-mentioned occasion, although but a Junior Lieutenant, he contrived greatly to distinguish himself by his alacrity in going aloft, with the late Sir Chas. Dashwood, then a Midshipman, and lashing the foretopsail-yard, which had been shot in the slings, to the cap; by which means the ship was enabled to wear in pursuit of the enemy. So well pleased was the Rear-Admiral at the performance of this essential service, without which the topsail could not have been again set, that he returned him his thanks publicly on the quarter-deck; and, on shortly afterwards shifting his flag to the Majestic 74, took him with him as his First-Lieutenant – a post which, with a degree of modesty and good feeling highly creditable to him, Mr. Otway had declined filling on board the Impregnable, from a fear of creating jealousies, detrimental to the service, among his messmates, all of whom were senior to himself. His personal as well as his professional merit having thus strongly recommended him, he was in the course of the same year appointed by Rear-Admiral Caldwell, who had been directed to assume the control of naval affairs in the Leeward Islands, Commander of the Thorn sloop of 16 6-pounders. In that vessel Capt. Otway, in April, 1795, had the good fortune to capture La Belle Créole, a large schooner, sent by the notorious Victor Hugues, from Guadeloupe, to assist in carrying into execution a plan that had been concerted between himself and the disaffected inhabitants of St. Pierre, Martinique, for the burning of that town and the massacre of all those who were inimical to them. The detection thus afforded of the diabolical conspiracy was considered of such importance that the French Royalists united in presenting Capt. Otway with a gold-hilted sword, valued at 200 guineas. On 25 of the following month he fell in with, and after a spirited night action of 35 minutes, during which the enemy made two ineffectual attempts to board the Thorn, succeeded, much to his praise, in capturing, the French corvette Le Courrier National, of 18 guns (8 and 6 pounders) and 119 men, 7 of whom were killed and 20 wounded, with a loss to the British of their Commander and 5 out of 80 men wounded.[1] During the Carib war in the island of St. Vincent, Capt. Otway was actively employed in co-operation with the army, particularly in an attack made upon Owia, which place was surprised and taken by the Thorn and a party of soldiers belonging to the 60th Regt. He afterwards landed his crew, and, in conjunction with a detachment of troops, stormed the strong post of Château Bellair, the loss of which obliged the enemy to retire into the interior of the country. His abilities and zeal having already attracted the attention of Sir John Laforey, the new Commander-in-Chief, Capt. Otway (who on the occasion last named had been slightly wounded, and had had 25 of his people killed and wounded) was by him promoted, 30 Oct. 1795, to a Post-vacancy in the Mermaid 32. While cruizing soon afterwards off Lebaye, in the island of Grenada, in company with the Favorite sloop, Capt. Jas. Athol Wood, he landed with a party of seamen and marines from both vessels, and, under the covering fire of the latter, stormed, carried, and levelled with the ground a battery which had been erected by the revolutionary enemy in a position for scouring the beach and intercepting all communication between the shipping and a body of English troops who lay pent up in a block-house. Not long after this affair several regiments arrived from England, and were disembarked in the neighbourhood of the same place; but scarcely had they commenced operations, when the appearance of two French vessels, having on board considerable reinforcements, induced the General in command of the British forces to decide upon immediately re-embarking. Perceiving, however, that the result of this measure would be the total loss of the island, Capt. Otway peremptorily refused his acquiescence in it, observing “that he had landed the troops at a great risk[2] by the General’s desire, and that they must now fight it out, as he would not embark a man.” Having thus taken upon himself an awful amount of responsibility, he galloped up a height on which were posted some field-pieces under the command of an artillery officer, ordered their fire to be opened on the enemy’s vessels, and by that means compelled them to cut their cables and stand out to sea with the soldiers still on board. They were pursued with great promptitude by Capt. Wood, but escaped in consequence of the Favorite unfortunately losing her foretopmast. A general attack was then made by the British troops, led on by Brigadier-General Campbell, who charged the enemy on Pilot Hill, and gained a thorough victory. Thus to the resolution and intrepidity, and the judgment and exertions,[3] of one man was Great Britain in the main indebted for the preservation of the island of Grenada. Capt. Otway’s next exploit was the defeat, 8 Aug. 1796, under the batteries of Basseterre, Guadeloupe, of La Vengeance, a French frigate mounting 52 guns, sent by Victor Hugues for the express purpose of either capturing or sinking the Mermaid. The action, which lasted upwards of three hours, although attended with no casualty whatever to the British, was productive of a loss to their opponent of at least 12 killed and 26 wounded; and so exasperated was Victor Hugues at its result, that, on the return of the beaten Vengeance to her anchorage, he broke the French Captain’s sword, and deprived some English prisoners at Basse-terre, who had cheered on witnessing the issue of the combat, of water for the space of 24 hours. In the month of April, 1797, the Mermaid, in company with the Hermione, Quebec, and Penelope frigates, had a smart affair with the forts at Jean Rebel, St. Domingo, and aided in a manner that obtained her Commander the thanks of his senior officer at the cutting out of 12 sail of merchantmen.[4] Exchanging soon afterwards into the Ceres 32, Capt. Otway captured, in the boats of that frigate, La Mutine French privateer of 18 guns and 90 men, lying at anchor in a creek at Puerto Rico, and drove on shore and burnt another vessel of the same name and force. When in chase, in the early part of 1798, of a guarda-costa, the Ceres, with her consort the Trent 36, unfortunately took the ground near the Havana, a circumstance which enabled the hostile vessel to place herself in a very annoying posture. The advantage she had thus gained was however brief; for Capt. Otway, throwing himself into one of the boats sent by the squadron to their assistance, made instantly towards her, followed by five others, and in a few minutes boarded, carried, and burnt her. She mounted 6 long 24-pounders and 4 smaller guns, and bore the broad pendant of a Commodore of flotilla. The Ceres, being almost immediately afterwards got afloat, assisted in extricating the Trent, the command of which frigate, on the proximate death of her Captain, was bestowed upon the gallant subject of the present narrative, as a reward for the great exertions he had displayed in rescuing her from her perilous position. At the commencement of 1799 Capt. Otway landed on the south side of the island of Puerto Rico, and surprised a battery of 6 24-pounders, under the protection of which lay an enemy’s schooner, whose capture was in consequence secured. In the execution of this service he displayed his accustomed tact, and, although he had but 1 man killed, was under the necessity of putting 20 of the enemy to the sword. A few weeks subsequently, being in the same vicinity, in company with the Sparrow cutter, he discovered two French privateers, each mounting 18 guns, together with a Spanish brig of 10 guns and some coasting
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