been prevented from entering the abdomen, in consequence of its striking one of the short ribs on the left side.
On the 7th Dec. 1776, the rope-houses in Portsmouth dock-yard were wilfully set on fire, by a miscreant commonly called “Jack the Painter,” and considerable damage was done before the flames could be extinguished. Shortly after this diabolical act, whilst Mr. Daniel was looking at the men employed clearing the camber of the pitch, tar, and other combustible articles that had been thrown into it for security, the sheers erected for that purpose gave way, struck him on the back of the head, and knocked him down apparently lifeless. The effects of this accident are still felt by him on all occasions of exertion.
Mr. Daniel removed from the Royal Academy to the Prince of Wales, a second rate, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Barrington, April 16, 1778; and shortly after proceeded to the Leeward Islands, where he was placed under the care of the late Sir Charles Thompson, who at that period commanded the Boreas of 28 guns; in which ship Mr. Daniel saw much active service, and was twice engaged with the enemy[1]. On the 7th May 1780, he joined the Sandwich of 90 guns,
- ↑ On the 18th Dec. 1778, the Boreas made a gallant attack upon a French convoy from Marseilles, bound to Martinique; and after an action of more than six hours, during which she was successively exposed to the fire of two 74’s, two frigates, many armed merchantmen, and the Diamond Rock, Pigeon Island, and other land-batteries, succeeded in capturing a ship and a polacre with valuable cargoes, driving several others on shore at the entrance of Port Royal, and compelling six or seven sail to bear up and surrender to part of the British fleet which had by this time arrived from St. Kitts. In the following year she captured, after a short but spirited action, le Compass, a large ship, armed en flute, laden with colonial produce from Martinique, bound to Europe, with a complement of 200 men, and having on board about the same number of invalids, &c., from the French army and shipping. The Boreas had 4 men killed and several wounded during the action, and about 20 others much burnt, by an explosion of gunpowder on board le Compass after her surrender. The enemy’s loss was likewise very severe.
About this latter period Mr. Daniel was nearly drowned whilst employed on a watering party, and had a narrow escape from assassination whilst lying in an exhausted state in a hut to which he had been taken in a state of suspended animation.
