Commander Scriven was next employed on the Halifax station, where he destroyed the famous American privateer Syren, much superior in force to the Telegraph. This marauder was fallen in with under Cape May, on her return from a six months cruise, with a valuable collection of plunder from many prizes taken and burnt in the British and St. George’s Channels. An action of forty minutes, in which the Telegraph sustained no loss, was terminated by the sinking of the enemy.
Commander Scriven was nominated a C.B. in Sept. 1815, and about the same time removed to the Heron 18, the officers of which sloop, on his supercession in July, 1816, presented him with a handsome silver vase, bearing a complimentary inscription. On the 20th Dec. 1817, he was appointed to the Erne 20; and shortly afterwards, he nearly lost his right hand, whilst exerting himself to save that ship from impending destruction, in Dublin bay. On the 1st June 1819, he had the misfortune to be wrecked on one of the Cape Verd Islands, from whence he was conveyed with his officers and crew, in a Portugueze vessel, to Barbadoes. On his return home, in the Columbo transport, Aug. 14th, 1819, he found that his name had been included in the list of officers promoted to post rank only two days before; but owing to the loss of the Erne, for which he appears to have been censured by the sentence of a court-martial, on the 20th of the same month, his commission was cancelled; and he had the mortification to pass the remainder of his days without any further employment.
During the time that this gallant gentleman commanded the Arrow and Telegraph, he captured no less than 5047 tons of the enemy’s shipping. In the course of his services he was twice wounded, without reporting it. He is represented by those who knew him as an officer who ever studied the comfort and happiness of his inferiors. Cool in the midst of danger, and never indulging in passion of invective, it was a general observation of his officers and men, “how happy we all are;” and a smile was ever to be seen on the countenance of each. The unfortunate winding up of his professional ca-
