On his return to Rio Janeiro, Captain Bowles was transferred with his officers and crew to le Ceres, a fine French frigate recently captured by two of Rear-Admiral Dixon’s cruisers[1]; and in that ship he returned to England, in June 1814.
Captain Bowles subsequently accepted the chief command on the South American station, and proceeded thither with a broad pendant in the Amphion frigate, accompanied by the Hyacinth of 26 guns, in May 1816. The force under his orders was afterwards increased by the arrival of the Andromache frigate, three other post ships, and two sloops of war[2].
Whilst on that station. Commodore Bowles removed into the Creole 42, which frigate had been sent from England to replace the worn-out Amphion.
The able manner in which he protected British commerce during a period of more than three years, will be seen by the following copy of an address which he received from the merchants, &c. when succeeded by Sir Thomas M. Hardy, at the commencement of 1820:
“Sir,– We are commissioned by the subscribers to the British Commercial Room, and on the part of other British residents in this city, to request your acceptance of some memorial of the high esteem and respect with which your conduct during the long period you have commanded on this station has impressed us; for the ready and obliging attention you have so uniformly shewn to our representations; the promptitude with which you have on all occasions asserted our rights, and protected our interests, in a foreign country, under a newly established government and the zeal and judgment with which you have invariably acted to promote the trade of Great Britain, in every part of this continent within the limits of your station. If acceptable to you, it is proposed that this testimony should be in the form of a piece of plate, with a suitable inscription, to record our acknowledgment of the obligations your countrymen in these parts of the world hold themselves under to you, which will be presented as soon as possible after your arrival in England. With much respect, we subscribe ourselves. Sir, your very obedient and humble servants,
(Signed)On behalf of the meeting,
- ↑ See Captain Philip Pipon.
- ↑ Blossom, Tyne, Favorite, Slaney, and Icarus.
