Shortly after this appointment, and during a dark night, Captain Bowker fell in with a French coasting convoy, consisting of twelve sail, eight of which he had the good fortune to capture and destroy.
In Feb. 1807, the blockading squadron, then under the command of Commodore Keats, being blown off the land, and the Atalante being the first of the inshore division to regain her station. Captain Bowker observed two French ships under weigh in Basque roads, and all the other men of war at that anchorage with their top-sail-yards at the mastheads braced up ready for casting. Not one of his fellow-cruisers being then in sight, and fearing the enemy would effect their escape, if not intimidated from coming out, he instantly adopted the expedient of hoisting flags and firing guns, as if making signals to the British squadron: this stratagem perfectly succeeded – the Frenchmen, already under sail, let go their anchors, and the whole were soon in the same order as though a start had never been contemplated.
After the performance of this service, Captain Bowker proceeded to place his brig in a proper position for watching the enemy’s motions during the night, but in doing so the Atalante unfortunately got aground, through the ignorance of the coasting pilots; and at day-light next morning, the enemy, instead of sending boats to rescue her officers and crew from their deplorable situation, inhumanly opened a heavy fire of great guns and musketry upon them, which was kept up till two British frigates arrived to their assistance, and succeeded in taking them from the wreck.
On the 23d of the following month, the minutes of the court-martial, assembled to enquire into the circumstances attending the loss of the Atalante, being received at the Admiralty, and Sir Charles Cotton having interested himself in behalf of his old follower, their lordships were pleased to confirm Captain Bowker’s commission as a commander, at the same time appointing him to the Epervier brig, then employed at the Leeward Islands, from whence he was obliged to return home, for the recovery of his health, in Feb. 1808.
