The Otter formed part of the light squadron attached to Lord Nelson’s division, in the sanguinary battle off Copenhagen, April 2, 1801[1]; immediately after which Captain M‘Kinley was appointed, pro tempore, to the Bellona 74, her commander, Sir T. Boulden Thompson, having lost a leg on that occasion.
After refitting the Bellona, Captain M‘Kinley was superseded by Captain Thomas Bertie of the Ardent 64, and ordered to conduct the latter ship to England. In October following he received a commission for the Pelican sloop of war; and on the 20th of that month sailed for the West Indies, with despatches relative to the treaty of Amiens. Immediately on his arrival at Jamaica he assumed the command of the Abergavenny 54; and in July 1802, we find him removing into the Ganges of 74 guns, in which ship he returned home, June 21, 1803[2].
His next appointment was to the Roebuck 44, fitting for the Leith station, where he met with a very serious accident, a full powder horn having exploded close to his face, whilst superintending the exercise of his newly raised men, and deprived him of sight for several weeks.
The Roebuck continued as a guard-ship at Leith from the summer of 1803 till June 1805, when she received the flag of Rear-Admiral Billy Douglas in Yarmouth Roads. At the commencement of 1806, Captain M‘Kinley removed into the Quebec, a 32-gun frigate, employed cruising off the coast of Holland. In June following he was appointed to the Lively 38; and shortly after we find him senior officer on the Lisbon station, where he rendered an essential service by bringing away the British factory, and all the English merchant vessels lying in the Tagus, at a time when General Junot was rapidly approaching with a powerful French army to take possession of the Portuguese capital. For his conduct on that station he was presented with a piece of plate, accompanied by the following gratifying letter:
- ↑ See id. note * at p. 365, et seq.
- ↑ Captain M‘Kinley’s post commission bears date Oct. 20, 1801.
