by John Marshall

“ Lieutenant Spencer managed to attract the attention of his people, divested himself of his coat and boots, dived through the surf, and swam on board. He then got a spring well secured on the cable, cut, and ran to a safer anchorage. The danger attending this manoeuvre appeared so great, that the bows and fore-channels of the Eagle were full of men, with ropes in their hands, ready to assist the schooner’s crew.
On the 8th Mar. following, the Crafty had one of her carronades dismounted in an action with several Spanish gun-vessels belonging to the Algeziras flotilla ”

“ In Oct. 1825, the following trials were made by Captain Spencer, near his residence on the coast of Dorsetshire. On the 3d, the wind then blowing a fresh gale at S.W. and S., with a high sea, three cases were lashed under the thwarts, and one outside each gunwale of a 4-oared boat. She was then filled with water, rowed with the plug out into the heaviest sea, and laid broadside to the surf, which broke over her with so much violence, as to render it difficult for the men to avoid being washed overboard ”

“ The Blanche becoming vacant, from Captain Montague of the Cornwallis being obliged to go home in consequence of ill health, I am induced to nominate Captain Richard Spencer of the Samarang, to the command of the Blanche, for his highly judicious and gallant conduct at the capture of Amboyna, and afterwards his capturing the Recruteur Dutch sloop of war, of 12 guns, and the fort and island of Pulo Ay, single-handed, in the Samarang. ”