by John Marshall

“ In the summer of 1806, Captain Vansittart sailed for England, in company with the Surveillante frigate, Hercule 74, an armed schooner, and a large fleet of merchantmen. When off the Havannah, a number of Spanish vessels were discovered, under the protection of a 74-gun ship and two gun-boats. ”

“ Captain Vansittart on this occasion exhibited a noble spirit of disinterestedness, by destroying the whole of those valuable prizes, in order that the convoy might not be detained, although the Spaniards offered to bring off from the shore in the course of twelve hours a sum sufficient to ransom them. A few days after this event, he obtained intelligence that six French ships of the line were cruising to intercept the homeward bound fleet; this squadron was subsequently seen, but successfully avoided through the able management of Captain Bligh and his brother officers. ”

“ On the llth Oct. 1811, Captain Vansittart, being on a cruise to the westward, with the Saldanha frigate under his orders, fell in with and captured the famous French ship privateer le Vice-Amiral Martin, of 18 guns and 140 men; a vessel which, by the superiority of her sailing, and the dexterity of her manoeuvres, had often escaped from other British cruisers, and committed great depredations on our commerce. ”