seek an opportunity of returning to the King’s service: it was some time, however, before he succeeded in accomplishing his intention.
The first man of war which Mr. Farquhar joined in India was the Hobart, a ship-sloop, commanded by Captain B. W. Page; from which he was soon removed into the Suffolk 74, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Rainier, commander-in-chief on that station. In the early part of 1796, we find him assisting at the capture of the Harlingen, Dutch national brig, of 14 guns and 45 men[1]; also at the reduction of Amboyna and Banda, on which latter service he held the rank of Lieutenant, in a Dutch armed vessel under his command[2].
Mr. Farquhar subsequently served as a supernumerary Lieutenant on board the above mentioned brig, which had been purchased for government, named the Amboyna, and commissioned by Lieutenant Dobbie. His good conduct as commanding officer of that vessel, when attacked by a large party of Ladrones, near Macao, will be noticed in the memoir already referred to. He was afterwards appointed in succession to the Swift sloop of war, and Carysfort and Heroine frigates, in which latter ship he returned home, as first Lieutenant, under the command of the Hon. John Murray, in July 1798.
From this period, Lieutenant Farquhar appears to have been actively employed in the Superb 74, AEolus 32, and Acasta 40, on the Channel, Mediterranean, Baltic, and North Sea stations, until advanced to the rank of Commander, April 29, 1802.
Captain Farquhar’s first appointment after this promotion was, Jan. 16, 1804, to the Acheron bomb, in which vessel he made a most heroic defence against an enemy of overwhelming superiority, on the 4th Feb. 1805, as will be seen by reference to our memoir of his gallant colleague, Captain Richard Budd Vincent, at p. 917 et seq. of this volume. It is scarcely
- ↑ See memoir of Captain William Hugh Dobbie.
- ↑ Amboyna surrendered, without resistance, Feb. 16; and Banda, Mar. 8, 1796. The public property taken in those islands consisted of 147,787 rix-dollars, 515,940 pounds weight of cloves, 84,777 ditto of nutmegs, and 19,587 ditto of mace; besides merchandise and stores to a large amount.
