by John Marshall

“ Fitton.” “To Commander R. Tucker.”
“On the second day after my departure from Jacquemel,” says Commander Tucker, “the Surinam sprung her fore-top-mast, had all her lower-rigging stranded, and pitched with so much violence that the casks in the ground-tier literally fell to pieces, leaving all the other contents of the hold in dangerous motion. Thus circumstanced, I steered for Curaçoa, and was there busily employed in refitting my ship, when private information from the island of St. Thomas led me to believe that Great Britain and Holland would, ere long, be again declared enemies. ”

“ My men, I should observe, were sent to Jamaica soon after the surrender of the Surinam, the enemy hoping that an equal number of Dutch sailors would have been exchanged for them; instead of which, however, only a receipt for the number was returned; as I had pointed out to Sir John T. Duckworth the probability of H.M. late sloop being instantly sent to cruise against our trade. At length the enemy conceived it a good plan to send me, with my officers and the receipt, to Barbadoes ”

“ Lieutenant Tucker accompanied Rear-Admiral Totty to the Baltic and West Indies, in the Zealous 74, and their old ship, the Saturn. On the 28th May, 1802, he was appointed acting captain of the Excellent 74, bearing the broad pendant of Commodore (now Sir Robert) Stopford; and we subsequently find him commanding the Hornet and Surinam, sloops, in which latter vessel he was sent by Commodore Samuel Hood, to demand the liberation of two British officers, who had imprudently thrown themselves into the power of the brigands at St. ”