act against Spain, in the event of a rupture with that country. He obtained the rank of Lieutenant Nov. 22, 1790.
In the ensuing spring Mr. Tobin was appointed third Lieutenant of the Providence of 16 guns, commanded by Captain William Bligh, under whom he served during the bread-fruit expedition in 1791, 1792, and 1793[1].
Previous to his return from that service he received letters from England, informing him that Captain Horatio Nelson, (who had a few years before married a Nevis lady, related to his mother) had kept the third Lieutenancy of the Agamemnon 64, open for some time, in hopes of his joining her; but little calculating on the subsequent greatness of that officer, Mr. Tobin was rather pleased than otherwise at being out of the way of accepting the offer, and particularly so when, a few months afterwards, he found himself second Lieutenant of the Thetis, a fine frigate, commanded by the Hon. Alexander Cochrane, who had already proved himself a very zealous and active officer, and with whom he continued upwards of four years[2].
The Thetis, after cruising for some time, in the winter season, on the coast of Norway, was attached to a squadron under the orders of Rear-Admiral George Murray, with whom she proceeded to the Halifax station in May 1794. The cap-
- ↑ The Providence sailed from Spithead in company with her tender, the Assistant brig of 6 guns, commanded by Lieutenant Nathaniel Portlock, Aug. 2, 1791; and proceeded to Otaheite, for the purpose of taking on board a cargo of bread-fruit and other plants for the use of the West India colonies. The object of this voyage was accomplished in the most satisfactory manner, 300 plants being landed in excellent order at the island of St. Vincent, and the remainder at Jamaica, in Jan. and Feb. 1793. Captain Bligh returned to England in Aug. following, bringing with him two of the natives of Otaheite, one of whom died soon after his arrival.
- ↑ The following extracts from Nelson’s letters to his wife, will serve to corroborate what we have said respecting the intended appointment of Lieutenant Tobin to the Agamemnon:– June 13, 1796, “What is become of George Tobin? he is a fine young man: it is a pity he has not got more forward.” July 12, 1797. “I am sure the time is past for doing any thing for George Tobin; had he been with me he would long since have been a Captain, and I should have liked it, as being most exceedingly pleased with him.” See Clarke and M‘Arthur’s Life of Nelson, 4to edit. Vol. I, p. 290: and Vol. II, p. 28.
