faction to lay a statement of your very persevering, and at length fortunate, exertions for the general good, before the merchants and others interested in the trade, as well as before the Committee of the Patriotic Fund, to whose notice we consider you to possess a considerable claim. We have the honor to be very respectfully, yours, &c.
Robert Ross was born in Scotland; but as that fact could not be proved on his examination, he escaped the punishment his monstrous crimes deserved.
In Oct. I8O7, the Driver sailed from Halifax, accompanied by the Mullet schooner and thirteen sail of merchantmen, bound to the West Indies. In crossing the Gulph Stream, the wind then blowing violently from N.W., she was struck by a most tremendous sea, which stove in the two foremost ports on the starboard side, and cleared her deck of boats, booms, &c. Whilst lying on her beam-ends, in the trough of the sea, it was proposed to cut away the lower masts; but this her commander would not assent to: instead thereof, the cables being still bent, a bower anchor was let go, by which, and cutting away the topmasts, a service voluntarily undertaken by Lieutenants Stanly and Sandford, the ship was brought nearly head to wind, and enabled to weather the storm. The Mullet was never afterwards heard of.
In Sept. 1809, Commander Love was appointed to the Tisiphone sloop, stationed off Lymington, to guard the Needles Passage; and on the 22d June, 1811, his tender captured le Hazard, French privateer. In April, 1813, he was superseded, the Admiralty having resolved that in future no officer should hold a stationary appointment upwards of three years. The following testimonials were granted to him by the successive commanders-in-chief at Portsmouth:
“Dear Love, – I have not heard a word about any ship being in preparation to take the place of the Tisiphone; and as I am bound to say you have conducted the business of your station with great propriety, I should certainly be very glad if you were to continue in it. If any change takes place, and an opportunity should offer for my saying a word in your favor, I will certainly avail myself of it. Believe me very sincerely yours.
