der Wilson, was the Alexander, formerly a British 74. On his return from her to the Prince of Wales 98, he was sent for by Rear-Admiral Henry Harvey, who, to his great astonishment, told him that the lieutenant had written a letter in his favor, stating that it was in a great measure owing to his exertions that the said prize was got safely into port: the Rear-Admiral, after expressing entire approbation of his conduct, added, “if you continue to behave well, I shall always be your friend,” – a promise which that distinguished veteran, to whom he was previously but little if at all known, made a point of conscience and honor to perform, notwithstanding Mr. Debenham had, in the interim, fallen under his displeasure, by beating no less a personage than his own cook. On giving the young man a lieutenant’s commission, he observed, “I will not let my personal anger stand in the way of fulfilling a promise made to one in every other respect deserving!”
The Invincible, to which ship Mr. Debenham was then appointed, had previously lost all her lieutenants, except one, by yellow fever; both he and her captain had suffered severely from the same dreadful disease; the master and half of the ship’s company had fallen victims to it. Of the remainder of the crew, several were Irish seamen, liberated from French prisons in the year 1796, after having been well tutored how to act as apostles of rebellion in the British fleet[1]. Often, on board the Invincible, ropes were found to be cut, without any one but the recreants themselves knowing how or by whom ; but they were such as only marked the malevolence of the wretches, without doing any harm. On the arrival of a ship from England, with intelligence of the general mutiny at Spithead, the Invincible was lying in Fort Royal Bay, Martinique. Shortly afterwards, while Captain Cayley was dining with the Admiral, and Lieutenant Debenham carrying on the duty of the ship as commanding officer, the men, instead of going aloft to furl sails when ordered, began to cry
- ↑ See Memoirs of T. Wolfe Tone, by his son.
