Samuel’s broad pendant was afterwards removed into the Centaur of similar force.
After assisting at the reduction of St. Lucia and Tobago, in 1803, Lieutenant Nourse was promoted to the rank of Commander in the Cyane sloop of war. On the 2d Jan. 1804, he re-captured an English coast of Guinea trader; and in the course of six weeks from that period, we find him capturing three French privateers, carrying in the whole 30 guns and 236 men. His post-commission bears date April 30. 1804.
In our memoir of Captain Frederick L. Maitland we have noticed the capture of le Braave, a French privateer on the Irish station, Mar. 16, 1804. This vessel was purchased by the merchants of Barbadoes, presented by them to Government, commissioned as a post-ship, and placed under the command of Captain Nourse, who on the fourth day of his first cruise, Oct. 17, 1804, after a chase of 13 hours, and an exchange of bow and stern-chasers, captured the Napoleon, French privateer, of 18 guns and 150 men. A few days afterwards l’Heureux, of 10 six-pounders and 80 men shared a similar fate; and on the 8th April, 1805, la Desirée, of 14 guns and 71 men, was added to his list of prizes. This latter vessel, a fine schooner, after being decoyed within musket-shot, had the temerity to return his fire, by which she suffered a loss of 7 men killed and wounded.
Captain Nourse subsequently commanded the Frederickstein, Volontaire, and Severn frigates, on the Mediterranean and North American stations. The following account of a novel proceeding, extracted from the Naval Chronicle, may not prove unacceptable to those who have never before heard it related:
