numerous wounded were consequently great sufferers. In order to relieve them as much as possible, Lieutenant Cumby, who, with the other commissioned officers was most anxiously engaged on deck, directed Mr. Woodriff to do what he could; whereupon he conceived the idea of nailing capstan bars and other spars longitudinally upon the deck of the captain’s cabins at such a distance from each other as only to admit one bed between two bars tightly. This experiment succeeded, for the fine fellows were thus rendered as comfortable as they possibly could be, in so disabled a ship, in such bad weather, at sea. In addition to the approbation and thanks of his commander and the surgeon, Mr. Woodriff, when attending the removal of the sick and wounded to Gibraltar hospital, had the gratification of hearing those gallant men utter many expressions of gratitude for the relief he had afforded them, and for his constant endeavours to alleviate their sufferings.
In Oct. 1807, the petty officers and crew of the Bellerophon were turned over to the Bedford 74, Captain James Walker, previous to which Mr. Woodriff had been entrusted with the charge of a watch. On the 11th Dec. following, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant; and soon afterwards appointed to the Polyphemus 64, Captain Peter Heywood, in which ship he continued only for a few months, in consequence of her being ordered to hoist the flag of Vice-Admiral B. S. Rowley, commander-in-chief on the Jamaica station; by one of whose followers he was superseded about May 1808. In the course of the same year he received an appointment to the Achille 74; and, while waiting at Plymouth for an opportunity to join that ship, we find him very active in subduing a fire which had broken out in the hemp-house, threatening the adjacent stores, &c. with destruction.
On the 19th Mar. 1809, being then still at Plymouth, Lieutenant Woodriff was appointed second of the Solebay frigate, commanded by Commodore E. H. Columbine, who, on being nominated governor of Sierra Leone, with orders to examine the windward coast of Africa, had applied for him to assist in the surveys and drawings.
The Solebay arrived at Gorée on the 24th June 1809, when
