near enough to hear, “Ne tirez pas encore. Messieurs, nous sommes a vous;”and that when Captain Bazely paid his respects to Captain Newman on board the Loire, that officer expressed himself much indebted to the Fairy and Harpy for driving the enemy down to him[1].
Captain Bazely’s next appointment was to the Antelope of 50 guns; in which ship he continued during the absence of Sir W. Sidney Smith, from May till Nov. 1804. In Aug. 1805, he obtained the permament command of that vessel, and shortly after hoisted the broad pendant of Commodore Smith, off Boulogne. From December following till Nov. 1807, the Antelope was employed as a private ship, cruising off the Texel, escorting the East India trade to and from St. Helena, and conveying the Earl of Caledon and his suite to the Cape of Good Hope.
At the latter date, Captain Bazely’s health had become so much impaired in consequence of the injury he sustained in the action with la Pallas, as to render it necessary for him to resign the Antelope. He therefore came on shore, and during the ensuing three years, regulated the Impress service between Margate and Folkestone. On the 9th May 1814, he was appointed to the Bombay 74; in which ship, after bringing the British garrison from Madeira to England, and for some time carrying on the port duty in the Downs, we find him cruising off the Western Islands in the spring of 1815. He subsequently accompanied Lord Exmouth to the Mediterranean; and in August following, conveyed the Queen of Sardinia and three Princesses, with their attendants, from Cagliari to Genoa. For this service her Majesty presented
- ↑ The ambiguous terms in which Captain Newman’s letter to the Admiralty was penned, operated very much against the interests of Captain Bazely; but at length, through the praise-worthy exertions of Captain Horton, who laid a copy of the Fairy’s log before the Admiralty, and amply stated what his superior had omitted, Earl Spencer became fully satisfied that the Harpy’s commander had, by his meritorious exertions, entitled himself to promotion, and accordingly signed a commission, advancing him to the rank of Post-Captain, April 8, 1800. We may here be permitted to add, that the French Captain was conveyed to the Loire by Lieutenant Watson of the Harpy – a convincing proof, if one were wanting, that “the little black brig” could not have been at too great a distance from la Pallas, to assist in subduing her.
