574 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1809. 



cupation of cruising, but was not 

 concerned in any advantage more 

 material than the capture of five or 

 six privateers of insignificant force, 

 and of a valuable French ship, out- 

 ward bound, fromBourdeaux to St. 

 Domingo, called the Formidable. 

 On the return of the iEolus to Eng- 

 land, Mr. Pasley had the satisfac- 

 tion to find that he had been pro- 

 moted, during his absence, to the 

 rank of commander, and was ap- 

 pointed to the Albany sloop of war, 

 a vessel employed in convoying 

 ships to and from the port of Mil- 

 ford. After some continuance in 

 that sloop, he removed into the 

 Weasel, in which he had before 

 served as a midshipman, and pro- 

 ceeded to the coast of Guinea. 

 From the Weasel he was appointed 

 to the Pomona, of 18 guns, and was 

 ordered to Greenock, on the im- 

 press service, in consequence of the 

 apprehended rupture with Spain 

 respecting the Falkland islands. In 

 1771; he was promoted to the rank 

 of postcapt., and being appointed 

 to the Seahorse, of 20 guns, he sailed 

 to the West Indies, where he ren- 

 dered material service during the 

 contest with the Caribs. Having 

 returned to England the ensuing 

 year, and the Seahorse being put 

 out of commission, he continued 

 unemployed tilll776. He was then 

 appointed to the Glasgow, and sent 

 out to the West Indies, to convoy 

 thither a valuable fleet of merchant- 

 men, consisting of 120 sail. This 

 charge he executed so much to the 

 satisfaction of all concerned, that 

 he received the thanks of the cities 

 of London, Bristol, and other ports, 

 and a handsome piece of plate was 

 presented to him, as a more sub- 

 stantial proof of the approbation 

 of the merchants. On his return 



to England, capt. Pasley performed 

 a similar service; and with the ex- 

 ception of the present, he had the 

 satisfaction of receiving similar ho- 

 nours. Soon after his arrival in 

 England, he was appointed to the 

 Sybil, of 28 guns, and sent with 

 admiral Edwards on the Newfound- 

 land station. In 1780, he was pro- 

 moted to iheJupiter of 50 guns, and 

 at the commencement of the ensu- 

 ing year, sailed with commodore 

 Johnstone on a secret expedition. 

 In the attack made on the British 

 squadron by M. de Suffrein,in Porto 

 Praya Road, the Jupiter was par- 

 ticularly distinguished for the power 

 and force of her fire ; and amidst 

 the torrent of abuse which was un- 

 deservedly thrown on some persons 

 concerned in that encounter, the 

 conduct of captain Pasley wasvery 

 justly applauded by all parties. — 

 The subsequent operations of the 

 British squadron were, as it is well 

 known, confined to the capture of 

 a fleet of Dutch India ships, sur- 

 prised in Saldanha Bay. On its re- 

 turn, the Jupiter was, in May 1782, 

 ordered to proceed to the West In- 

 dies with admiral Pigot, who was 

 sent out to supersede lord Rodney, 

 in the chief command of the fleet 

 employed in that quarter. The 

 Jupiter, soon after her arrival, was 

 ordered on a cruize off the Havan- 

 nah, and capt. Pasley had the good 

 fortune to take five out of thirteen 

 vessels which he fell in with. The 

 crew of one of these prizes, how- 

 ever, having risen on the English 

 that were put into her, succeeded 

 in their attempt, and carried her 

 into the Havannah, where they in- 

 formed the Spanish admiral of the 

 situation of the Jupiter, which had 

 struck upon a shoal. He accord- 

 ingly dispatched a ship of 84, and 



another 



