you value your town, and the lives of thousands; he has given me sixty minutes to decide; you see, Sir, that thirty of them are elapsed.” The mob now grew outrageous. “You shall have him,” exclaimed one of them, “but it shall be in quarters!” Captain Nowell instantly drew his sword; and, sternly looking at the President, said; “Sir! order that fellow out of my sight, or he dies!” The President did so; and, after a few more threats from Captain Nowell, that he would return without him, poor Perkins was led from his dungeon, at the door of which, and in his sight, was planted the rack on which it had been intended that he should be tortured the very next morning.
Captain Russell saw him led into the Ferret’s boat; then wore with the ship’s head off the land; secured his guns; and carried a most adventurous and enterprising officer, and good man, in triumph to the Commander-in-Chief at Jamaica, to whose prayers the sanguinary democrats of the new French regime had refused him[1].
Having remained the usual time on the Jamaica station, the Diana returned to England, and was paid off; after which Captain Russell commanded the St. Albans, of 64 guns, but does not appear to have had any further opportunity of distinguishing himself. On the llth Jan. 1796, he was appointed to the Vengeance, 74; in which he served at the capture of St. Lucia and Trinidad, and at the subsequent unsuccessful siege of Porto Rico[2].
In the spring of 1799, he returned to England, and joined the Channel Fleet. Having remained for some time in that service, the Vengeance, being much out of repair, was paid off; and, on the 23rd April, 1800, Captain Russell was appointed to the Princess Royal, a second rate, in which ship he remained until advanced to the rank of Rear-Admiral, Jan. 1, 1801.
Soon after the commencement of the late war, we find our officer serving under the orders of Lord Keith[3]. About the
- ↑ Mr. Perkins was afterwards made a Post-Captain, and died at Jamaica, Jan. 27, 1812.
- ↑ See Note at p. 112, et seq.
- ↑ About this period Rear-Admiral Russell received the following epistle from his old acquaintance Lord Nelson, written in the style that was most
