the Pearl River to save a soldier of the 95th regiment, who would have been drowned but for the humane exertions of Captain Hope. I am. Sir, &c.
“To John Barrow, Esq.”
Commander Hope returned home in the Ramillies 74, Captain Sir Thomas M. Hardy, and was not again employed until his present Majesty came into office as Lord High Admiral, by whom he was appointed to the Terror bomb, intended for the Mediterranean station, Jan. 12th, 1828. Before he could join this ship, she had been stowed under the Superintendence of the dock-yard officers at Portsmouth, and so completely crammed with stores as to render it necessary, on going out of harbour, to caulk in all her ports; the commissioner, Sir George Grey, refusing to allow any portion of them to be re-landed without orders from the Admiralty, and Commander Hope having positive instructions to sail without delay. In this encumbered state, he proceeded to sea on the 29th of the same month, trusting that he should soon cross the Bay of Biscay, and get into fine weather. On the 9th Feb., he took his departure from the Lizard, and after experiencing very bad weather, during which many stores were thrown overboard to save the ship from foundering, made the Rock of Lisbon on the 17th, with a fine breeze blowing from the N.W. On the following morning, the land near Cape St. Vincent was seen, bearing S.E.b.E., distant ten or twelve leagues. The wind suddenly shifted to S.b.W., and freshened fast. At 9, the Terror wore off shore, under close-reefed top-sails and fore-sail. At noon, it was blowing a perfect hurricane, but the ship was still under her main-top-sail and storm-stay-sails, in order, if possible, to claw off-shore. At 1-30 p.m., Captain Hope found it absolutely necessary to haul down the latter sails; and at 3, to take in the main-topsail also, the wind having then shifted to W.S.W., with a most tremendous sea; the masts complaining, and the ship straining greatly. To steady her, the storm-stay-sails were again set, which had scarcely been effected, when a heavy sea made a clean sweep of everything moveable on her
