of the war. His vigilance as senior officer of the sloops, and other vessels composing the in-shore squadron employed in the blockade of Alexandria, and co-operating with the Turks at the capture of Damietta, was highly meritorious, and procured him the esteem of Sultan Selim, by whose command he was knighted, and invested with the insignia of a K.C. of the third class, on the 8th Oct. 1801[1]. His post commission bears date April 29, 1802.
Captain Dick’s next appointment was to the Jamaica, of 24 guns, in which ship he was employed on the Channel and Newfoundland stations from 1803 till 1807. He then removed into the Penelope frigate; and after serving for some time in the Channel, was ordered to join the squadron in America, under the orders of Sir John B. Warren, by whom he was selected to convey Major-General Sir George Prevost to Barbadoes, and escort thither four chosen regiments destined to assist at the reduction of Martinique[2]. The landing of the main body of the army employed on that occasion is thus described by the officer to whom the superintendence of the debarkation had been committed:
“Sir,– I have the honor to inform you, that at day-dawn of yesterday, the division of transports carrying the army under the command of Lieutenant-General Beck with, were four leagues to windward of the Carvel rock. I immediately bore up for Bay Robert, being joined in my way thither by the Ethalion, Forester, Ringdove, Haughty, and Eclair, the Eurydice having joined me the preceding evening.
“The weather was uncommonly windy and squally, and there was a very considerable swell as far out as Loup Garou. Neither of the small frigates (the Cleopatra or Circe) had joined to go in with the transports; and not knowing what opposition might be made to a landing, I determined to enter the Cul de Sac with all the men of war, that I might effectually protect the troops, if occasion required, which I could not possibly have done had I anchored as far out as Loup Garou. Having therefore placed boats with flags on the edges of the shoals, I led in with the Acasta, followed by the Penelope and transports, and anchored the whole of them about noon.
“This decision, I trust Sir, you will approve, as it enabled me to land the first and second brigades, amounting to 4500 men, with a certain proportion of artillery and horses before sunset, which I could not otherwise have done; and this morning by 7 o’clock all the reserve were landed.
