to Portsmouth, May 17, 1802. His promotion to post rank took place on the 29th of the preceding month.
From this period we lose sight of Captain Otter till the autumn of 1807, when he obtained the command of the Proserpine, mounting 40 guns, with a complement of 250 men, in which ship he shortly after conveyed Lord Leveson Gower, the British Ambassador to the court of St. Petersburgh, from Gottenburgh to England. His capture by a French squadron, off Toulon, is thus described by one of the officers then under his command:
“On the evening of the 27 Feb. 1809, the Proserpine was at her station off Cape Side, and had in the day reconnoitred the French fleet in the roads and inner harbour; two frigates had been making a short excursion, but went in again towards dusk and anchored. Several sail of small coasting vessels were out, and running down alongshore towards Marseilles, which induced Captain Otter to run in and endeavour to cut some of them off; failing, however, in that attempt, and having little wind, we stood off again for the night, and strict orders were given to keep a very sharp look out, and to stand in again in time to catch some of them in the morning. Having the middle watch to keep, I went early to bed; the ship was nearly becalmed, at about 5 or 6 miles from the Cape, and on my relieving the deck, I found her, as near as I could guess, in the very same place, and not a breath of wind; it was as fine a moonlight morning as I ever saw; but the moon being to seaward, prevented us from seeing vessels that then might be running along shore, and our ship being between them and the moon, gave them a decided advantage. Mr. Brown, the Master, who died afterwards in France, was the officer of the watch, and kept a constant good look out. Mr. Carslake, first Lieutenant, had left orders for the men to scrub their hammocks on the main-deck, and that the mate of the watch should occasionally attend to the same; this caused me sometimes to quit the deck for a few minutes. At 4 o’clock, I asked Mr. Brown how I should mark the log; he answered, ‘head round the compass’ I then called Mr. Rigby, second Lieutenant, to relieve Mr. Brown, and on coming up again I heard a man, at the look-out on the larboard gangway, sing out, ‘I think I see a vessel, Sir.’ Mr. Brown took a glass, and on looking, told me he thought she looked like a man of war: he ran down to the Captain, and I went and called all the officers: when I got on deck again I looked through my glass, and plainly discovered two ships, with all sail set, very close to us, yet I could scarce make them out with the naked eye. All hands were immediately called, and we in vain (it being calm) attempted to escape the enemy, who were coming up fast, with a fine land breeze: we made the private night signal, but they returned no answer.
“At length we got a little breeze, and as Captain Otter knew the ship
