by John Marshall

“ I hope to see him alongside a French 80-gun ship, and he cannot be better placed than in the Canopus, which was once a French Admiral’s ship, and struck to me. Captain Austen I knew a little of before; he is an excellent young man. ”

“ On the 3d Feb. 1799, Lieutenant Austen was promoted to the rank of Commander, in the Peterel sloop of war at Gibraltar. In this vessel he was employed affording protection to the Mediterranean trade, carrying despatches, and occasionally cruising amongst the Balearic islands, on the coast of Catalonia, and in the gulfs of Lyons and Genoa, where he captured and destroyed upwards of forty vessels of various descriptions. Whilst performing these services, the Peterel was repeatedly exposed to a heavy fire from the enemies’ batteries ”

“ At the renewal of hostilities in 1803, Captain Austen was appointed to embody and command a corps of Sea Fencibles at Ramsgate, where he remained ten months. In May 1804, he received a commission for the Leopard, a 50-gun ship, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Louis, with whom he served during the remainder of that year, off Boulogne; and afterwards removed into the Canopus of 80 guns, on the Mediterranean station ”