Rio Janeiro to England; and Astraea frigate, fitting out for the Cape of Good Hope. On the 20th of May, 1811, he bore a part in an action with a French squadron, near Madagascar, which ended in the capture of la Renommée, of 44 guns and 470 men; and led to the recovery of the settlement of Tamatave, the liberation of a detachment of H.M. 22d regiment, and the surrender by capitulation of la Néreide frigate, armed and manned precisely the same as her late consort, la Renommée[1]. In the following year, he was ordered home for the recovery of his health, and he appears to have afterwards served under Captains Lucius Curtis and T. R. Ricketts, in the Magicienne 36, and Vengeur 74; the latter ship forming part of the expedition against New Orleans. On the 8th of Jan. 1815, he was employed in the boats which dashed across the Mississipi, with a detachment of troops, seamen, and marines, as a diversion in favor of the general attack upon the American lines[2]. His first commission bears date Mar. 10th following; at which period he was serving on board the Tonnant 80, flag-ship of Sir Alexander Cochrane.
Mr. Beechey’s appointments as a lieutenant were, – Sept. 13th, 1815, to the Niger 38, Captain Samuel Jackson, C.B.; in which ship he continued till she was condemned and laid up, at Halifax, from whence her officers and crew returned home in a transport: – Jan. 14th, 1818, to the Trent hired brig, commanded by Lieutenant (now Sir John) Franklin, and fitting out for the discovery of a northern communication between the Atlantic and Pacific, under the orders of Captain David Buchan, whose proceedings have been related in p. 86 et seq, of this volume: – Jan. 22d, 1819, to the Hecla sloop, Captain (now Sir W. Edward) Parry, with whom he penetrated to longitude 113° 54' 43" west from Greenwich, within the Arctic Circle[3]: – and lastly, Jan. 23d, 1821, to the Adventure sloop, Captain William Henry Smyth, who was then preparing to resume his survey of the northern
