chief mate. On his arrival in England, he passed the usual examination, and immediately afterwards joined the Director 64, Captain Thomas West, under whom he served until his promotion into the Repulse 64; at the close of the Spanish armament.
In April, 1791, Mr. Evans received an appointment to the Racehorse sloop, Captain David Mackey; and on that vessel being paid off and re-commissioned, after the Russian armament, he was appointed first Lieutenant of her, at the particular request of the same commander.
From this period. Lieutenant Evans served in the Racehorse, under Captains Mackey, George Hope, and James Leakey, until the commencement of the French revolutionary war, when he was removed into la Concorde frigate. Captain Thomas Wells.
The following anecdote of a British sailor, appears to us worthy of being here recorded:–
Shortly after Lieutenant Evans joined la Concorde, he was sent with a boat’s crew to innpress men from the homeward bound Baltic fleet. The first ship he boarded was searched for a considerable time before any of the crew, who had concealed themselves, could be discovered; but at length, ten prime sailors were found stowed away in the run: one of them was immediately recognised by Lieutenant Evans, with whom he had formerly served in the Racehorse; and on his saying “I am very glad to see you, William Search,” the poor fellow surlily replied, “I am very sorry to see you though!” After a little conversation, however, he became more good humoured, and consented to enter for the frigate:– “Then,” continued Lieutenant Evans, “as I know you to be a good man, you shall go with your shipmates in my boat, board the next ship, and get all you can for me.” – “That’s what I will,” said the tar, “come along my boys:” – away they went, and the boat soon returned with seven other men. From that moment, William Search constantly served in the same ships with Lieutenant Evans, until, through his recommendation, he was at once promoted from Rear-Admiral Rainier’s flag-ship, to be boatswain of a 64, on the East India station.
In one of her cruises, la Concorde encountered a heavy gale of wind, and the ship laboured so exceedingly, that only the quarter-masters and gunner’s crew would venture to go aloft: seeing this, Mr. Evans, then junior Lieutenant, took the lead, followed by a single midshipman, for the purpose of
