was assembled under the command of Earl Howe; but the misunderstanding with the Court of Madrid having been accommodated, it was dismantled at the end of the same year; and Captain Domett immediately appointed to the Pegasus, in which frigate he again served on the Newfoundland station, and soon after his return from thence proceeded to the Mediterranean as Flag-Captain to the late Admiral Goodall, in the Romney of 50 guns, where he continued until the commencement of the war with France, in 1793, at which period he was again applied for by his old friend and patron, to be his Captain in the Royal George, a first rate, attached to the Channel fleet under Earl Howe[1].
During the partial action of May 29, 1794, and the decisive battle of June 1st in the same year, full account of which is given in our memoir of Lord Gambier[2], the Royal George was exposed to an incessant and fierce cannonade, by which her foremast, with the fore and main topmasts, were shot away, 20 of her men killed, and 72 wounded. On the return of the victorious fleet to port, Admiral Hood was created an Irish peer, by the title of Lord Bridport; and some time after succeeded Earl Howe, as Commander-in-Chief.
At the dawn of day on the 22d June, 1795, his Lordship’s look-out frigates made the signal for an enemy’s squadron, consisting of twelve ships of the line, two of 56 guns, eleven frigates, and two corvettes, attended by some smaller vessels. His Lordship soon perceived that it was not the intention of the enemy to meet him in battle; consequently he made the signal for four of the best sailing ships, and soon afterwards for the whole of the British fleet, to chace, which continued all that day and during the night, with very little wind. Early on the morning of the 23d, six of the English ships had neared the enemy so considerably as to be able to bring them to an engagement about six o’clock. The battle continued nearly three hours, and then ceased, in consequence of the greater part of the French squadron having worked close in with port l’Orient, leaving three of their line-of-battle
- ↑ Captain Cooke, of the Bellerophon, who fell at Trafalgar, was first Lieutenant of the Royal George, under Captain Domett.
- ↑ See p. 75, et seq.
