Atalante sloop, in the East Indies. On the 31st May in the same year, he obtained post rank; and early in 1794 was appointed to the Hector of 74 guns, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral (now Sir George) Montague; from which ship he afterwards removed with that officer into the London, a second rate. He subsequently commanded the Venus of 32 guns, forming part of Rear-Admiral Harvey’s squadron in the North Sea.
In the spring of 1796, we find Captain Halsted in the Phoenix, a 36-gun frigate on the same station, under the orders of Admiral Duncan, who, having received intelligence that a small Dutch squadron had sailed from a port in Norway bound to the Texel, despatched him, with the Leopard, Pegasus, and Sylph sloop, in quest of them. Early in the morning on the 12th May, the enemy were seen to leeward, consisting of a frigate, three brigs, and a cutter. Captain Halsted immediately gave chace, upon which the brigs bore up, and were followed by the Pegasus and Sylph. The frigate was closely pursued by the Phoenix. At a quarter past eight A. M., the British frigate being close up on her weather quarter, she hoisted Dutch colours, upon which Captain Halsted ordered a shot to be fired across her; and ranging up to windward, commenced a close and brisk action, which continued about twenty minutes, when she struck; and proved to be the Argo of 36 guns and 236 men; 6 of whom were killed, and 28 wounded. The Phoenix had 1 man slain and 3 wounded.
Two of the brigs, the Echo of 18, and De Gier of 14 guns, were driven on shore by the Pegasus and Sylph, to the eastward of the Texel. Admiral Duncan with the squadron chased the other, which was taken possession of by the Sylph; she proved to be the Mercury, of 16 guns and 85 men. The next day the cutter was brought into the fleet; she was the Duke of York buoy boat, taken on the 11th by the Argo. The Phoenix was afterwards stationed on the coast of Ireland, where she captured several of the enemy’s large privateers. In the summer of 1800, she was employed in the blockade of Cadiz, under Sir Richard Bickerton, and from thence proceeded to the Mediterranean, where Captain Halsted was entrusted with the command of a squadron of fri-
