by John Marshall

“ Young and another lad, named Quintal, came alongside in the same canoe; and so eager were they to see the ship, that they both jumped on board together, when their little bark went adrift and capsized, but she was soon picked up and towed back by another. “I then,” says Sir Thomas Staines, “for the safety of their boats, found it necessary to direct that one person should remain in each, and desired Quintal to go into his, leaving Young on board to inspect the ship. ”

“ Between this period and the month of Aug. 1804, Captain Staines was most actively employed along the coasts of Italy and Provence, from Genoa to Marseilles; off which latter place he not only offered battle to a large corvette and a brig of war, but actually chased them back to their strongly protected anchorage. During this cruise the Camelion and her boats captured ten vessels, destroyed one under the batteries at Port Maurice, assisted at the capture of three others, and brought off a raft of spars and timber from the beach near Hieres. ”

“ Smith, whom we shall hereafter call John Adams, assured Sir Thomas Staines, that, since Mr. Fletcher Christian’s death, there had not been a single instance of infidelity in the married women, nor of doubtful chastity in the others, and that he was equally ignorant of any attempt at seduction on the part of the males. They were all made to labour while young in the cultivation of the ground ”

“ Scarcely had the enemy’s flotilla been thus disposed of, when Captain Staines observed a flag of truce flying in a battery on Point Mesino. His boats on arriving there found 15 French soldiers ready to abandon their post, which afforded the commanding officer an opportunity of spiking the guns (four 42-pounders) , destroying the carriages, and bringing off all the powder, the deserters of course accompanying him. The same night. Captain Staines annoyed the enemy’s frigate, corvette, and gun-boats, in Pozzuoli bay, by throwing shot and shells among them. ”

“ Captain Staines executed that service with the same ability and judgment which he has shewn upon every other occasion; and by turning the enemy, and preventing them getting round the point of Baiae, they were brought to action by our gun-boats, supported by the Cyane and Espoir. Eighteen of them were taken and four destroyed. No language, which I am master of, can convey to your Lordship an adequate idea of the gallantry, judgment, and good conduct displayed by Captain Staines * * * * * *. ”

“ Christian’s Otaheitan wife bore him a son, the first child born on the island, who was soon afterwards deprived of both his parents, the mother dying a natural death, and the father being shot by a Toobouaite, whilst he was digging in his own yam plantation. The cause assigned for this act of violence was his tyrannical conduct on all occasions, but particularly in taking the wife of an islander to himself, shortly after the dissolution of his own female partner. ”

“ Thus terminated the miserable existence of this ill-fated young man, who was neither deficient in talent, energy, nor connexions, and who might therefore have risen in the service, and become an ornament to his profession. ”

“ Captain Staines appears to have commenced active operations against the enemy, on the 24th June, by driving twelve gun-boats, each mounting a long 24-pounder, into the bay of Pozzuoli. In the course of the same day and the ensuing night, his boats cut out two polacre ships from under different batteries, and one of them was found to contain a detachment of troops, intended to reinforce the garrison of Procida. ”

“ For ten months from this period, the Cyane was almost constantly employed on the south coast of Spain, assisting the patriots, and annoying their oppressors. Whilst on this service she was repeatedly engaged with the enemy’s batteries, and her boats made several captures.
On the 8th May, 1809, Captain Staines captured a bombard, and drove another vessel on shore near Naples. Two days afterwards, in company with the Alceste frigate, he engaged a French convoy at Terracina, on which occasion two gun-boats were destroyed by shells thrown from the Cyane. ”

“ From Dec. 1804 until April 1805, he was principally employed affording protection to the Levant trade; and we subsequently find him accompanying a large homeward bound fleet as far as Gibraltar. On the 15th June, 1805, whilst in the Straits, he was attacked by a flotilla of Spanish gunboats; but on seeing the Camelion get out her sweeps, and a light breeze springing up at the same time, the enemy retreated without doing her any damage.
Captain Staines was next stationed off Carthagena, under the orders of Captain George Digby, commanding the Beagle sloop of war ”

“ On the 24th, I anchored to the northward of the said islands; and on the morning of the 25th, a landing was effected on the island of Ischia under cover of H.M. ships Warrior and Success [15] , H.S.M, sloop Leone, and several gun-boats, without the loss of a man, and the whole taken possession of, except a strong insulated castle, off the S.E. part if the island, which did not surrender till the 1st instant, after batteries had been erected and opened against it. The island of Procida capitulated on the evening of the 25th ”

“ In case this application should meet with, as we doubt not it will, your approbation, we beg leave to add, that from the highly honourable character of Sir Thomas Staines, and from the useful services he has always so willingly lent to British interests here, we conceive him most peculiarly qualified in every respect to promote the commercial interests of our country, and to maintain and protect its character.
“We have the honor to subscribe ourselves, with the greatest respect, your most obedient servants ”

“ Their agricultural implements were made by themselves, from the iron supplied by the Bounty, which, with great labour, they beat out into spades, hatchets, &c. Adams kept a regular journal, in which was entered the nature and quantity of work performed by each family, what each had received, and what was due on account ”

“ Staines continued as first Lieutenant until Oct. 16, in the same year, during which period he was present at the capture of three French frigates and two brigs of war [6] ; also of an armed galley, a transport brig laden with brass guns and ammunition, and twenty merchant vessels, most of which were cut out from the enemy’s harbours by boats under his own directions. It is worthy of remark, that the gentleman who succeeded him as senior Lieutenant of the Peterel was killed in a boat attack, near Barcelona, on the third day after Mr. ”

“ For his very zealous conduct on this occasion, Lieutenant Staines had the honor of receiving Nelson’s personal thanks on board the Peterel, and of being ever afterwards kindly noticed by that great hero.
Upon leaving the Peterel, Mr. Staines became third Lieutenant of the Foudroyant 80, bearing the flag of Lord Nelson, in which ship he assisted at the capture of two French Rear-Admirals, Messieurs Perrée and Decrès, Feb. 18 and Mar. 30, 1800 [8] . ”

“ He also speaks very highly of the conduct of Lieutenant James Hall, first of the Cyane, and of every officer and man under his command. * * * * * * Captain Staines has lost his left arm out of the socket, and is wounded also in the side, but he is in a fair way of recovery. Lieutenant Hall is likewise severely wounded in the thigh and arm, but there ia every reason to hope he will do well [16] .”
The loss and damages sustained by the Cyane, in this last action is thus described in the journal now before us:
“Two men killed; the Captain, 2 Lieutenants, 1 Midshipman, and 16 men wounded. ”

“ His next appointment was, May 7, 1812, to the Briton frigate; but being at sea when it took place, he did not join her until the 17th June following.
Between the latter period and Dec. 1813, Sir Thomas Staines cruised with his usual activity, in the Bay of Biscay, where he captured the Sans Souci French privateer of 14 guns and 120 men; la Melanie letter of marque; the Joel Barlow, an American vessel of the same description; and six unarmed merchantmen. He also recaptured an English ship and two brigs; drove on shore two coasting traders ”

“ A few days after this flattering entertainment, Sir Thomas Staines was appointed to the Hamadryad of 42 guns, in which ship we find him successively employed convoying a transport to the banks of Newfoundland (on her way to Quebec,) cruising off the Western islands, escorting some troops, &c. ”