After accompanying Sir Erasmus Gower to and from China[1], Mr. Philip Carteret removed with that officer into the Triumph 74, which ship formed part of the squadron under Vice-Admiral Cornwallis, off Belleisle, on the memorable 16th June, 1795. In the running fight which then took place, the subject of this memoir received a slight wound; but his name did not appear in the list of casualties, as Sir Erasmus Gower made no report of the Triumph’s loss or damages[2].
Shortly after this event, Mr. Carteret was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, in the Imperieuse frigate, commanded by Lord Augustus Fitz Roy; and we subsequently find him serving as such on board the Greyhound 32, Britannia a first rate, and Cambrian of 40 guns, under the respective commands of Captains James Young, Israel Pellew, Richard Lee, the Hon. Arthur K. Legge, and George H. Towry. His com-
- ↑ See Vol. II. Part II. note †. at p. 636.
- ↑ See id. 913.
to proceed on a voyage of discoveries, under the command of Captain Samuel Wallis. The Swallow 16, was ordered to accompany her until they should have cleared the straits of Magellan. On the 12th April, 1767, they entered the Pacific Ocean, and separated. The Dolphin steered to the westward, and the Swallow to the northward. Captain Wallis returned to England in May, 1768; the sufferings and diseases experienced by Captain Carteret and his crew have been related, though but imperfectly and faintly, in the account written by the late Dr. Hawkesworth. We have only room in this place to remark, that the Swallow had been nearly 20 years out of commission, and some considerable time previous to her being fitted for this voyage, she had been slightly sheathed with wood to preserve her bottom from the worms; but being nearly 30 years old, she was totally unfit for foreign service. The Dolphin, on the contrary, had been sheathed with copper, and had received every necessary repair and alteration that her former commander, the Hon. John Byron, had pointed out as wanting. Captain Carteret strongly represented the age and defects of his vessel; but the only reply he obtained from the Admiralty, was “that the equipment of the sloop was fully equal to the service she had to perform.” These are curious facts, and we record them as such, for the future naval historian. Captain Carteret obtained post rank in 1771, was made a Rear-Admiral in 1794, and died at Southampton, July 21, 1796.
