The Peterel was at that time commanded by the Hon. Philip Wodehouse, and subsequently by the late Lord Proby. Towards the latter end of June, 1797, Lieutenant Staines obtained permission from the latter officer to attack a French privateer, which had violated the neutrality of Tuscany, by taking forcible possession of several merchant-vessels that had arrived at Castiglione from Elba, under the protection of the Peterel. Two boats, containing 20 officers and men, being placed under his orders, he rowed up to the enemy, boarded, and succeeded in carrying her, after a sharp conflict, in which 6 of his party were wounded. Lieutenant Staines, on this occasion, was personally opposed to the French commander, who died soon afterwards in consequence of his wounds. The vessel thus taken mounted 2 long guns and several swivels, with a complement of 45 men.
In Sept. 1798, the Peterel, then at Gibraltar, under the command of Captain Digby, was charged with despatches from Earl St. Vincent, and ordered to land them at Faro, on the coast of Portugal, in order that they might be forwarded to England by the Lisbon packet. In the execution of this service, Lieutenant Staines had a very narrow escape, the Peterel’s jolly boat, in which he was proceeding to the shore, being upset by a heavy sea near the bar of Faro, by which accident 4 men, including the pilot, were drowned, and himself and the only other survivor exposed to the most imminent peril for upwards of four hours.
From the account given us by a gentleman who formerly sailed with the subject of this memoir, it appears that one of the unfortunate sufferers perished immediately the boat capsized, and that Lieutenant Staines had considerable difficulty in getting clear of the others, they having caught hold of his coat-tail, and thereby increased his personal danger. Disentangled at length from these poor fellows, and being an excellent swimmer, he succeeded in reaching the boat; but, although he contrived to right her several times, and as often got into her, she was again and again turned over by the tremendous breaking sea. In this desperate situation, the Lieutenant managed to pull off his coat, and lash it to a thwart,
