in Nov. 1797. He afterwards served under Captain (now Admiral) Lawford, in the Romney 50, stationed off Dunkirk; and assisted in detaining a Swedish convoy, of which mention has been made in p. 497 et seq. of Vol. I. Part II. In Jan, 1799, he obtained the command of the Alert cutter; and in March following, we find him appointed first lieutenant of the Mars 74, flag-ship of the Hon. Rear-Admiral Berkeley, under whom he continued to serve, off Brest and Rochefort, until that officer was compelled by severe indisposition to resign his command. As the war was then evidently drawing to a close, the following could not do otherwise than inspire him with sanguine hopes of speedy promotion:
“My dear Admiral, – * * * * I told you distinctly, that no promotion would be made before a peace took place, and that, if I was then at this board, Lieutenant Love should be included in it. * * * *.
“The Hon. Rear-Admiral Berkeley.”
Lieutenant Love was first of his old ship the Formidable) during the mutiny at Bantry Bay, and was charged with the unpleasant duty of seeing the fatal sentence of a court martial partly carried into effect; one of the ringleaders having been sent for execution on board the Formidable, during the absence of Captain Richard Grindall, who had obtained leave to reside on shore until the trials were over. After the performance of this melancholy duty, the signal was made for the squadron under Rear-Admiral Campbell to weigh, and the Formidable was the first ship that anchored at St. Helen’s. She subsequently accompanied that officer to the West Indies, and returned with him from thence in Sept. 1802. During her absence from England the expected grand promotion took place, and Mr. Love had the mortification to find that, notwithstanding Earl St. Vincent’s promise, and although his messmate, the third lieutenant, was made a commander, he himself was not included. After the renewal of hostilities, he was the bearer of the following letter from Rear-Admiral Berkeley to the Chairman of the Transport Board:
