EARLY CAREER OF MR. NOBBS. 171 
Roebuclc, through the interest of Rear- Admiral 
Murray; by whose means he was, in 1813, 
placed on board the Indefatigable, naval store- 
ship, the master of which was Captain Bowles. 
In this vessel the young sailor went to New 
South Wales, and Van Diemen's Land. Having 
quitted Van Diemen's Land and visited Cape 
Horn, and from thence proceeded to the Cape 
of Good Hope, he returned, after a short stay 
at St. Helena, to England. He then left the 
navy. After residing at home a few months, 
he received a letter from his old commander, 
offering to procure him a berth on board a ship 
of eighteen guns, designed for the use of the 
patriots in South America. He accepted this 
offer, and left England early ;j in 1 1816, ' for 
Valparaiso ; but the Royalists having regained 
possession of that place, he could not enter it 
until 1817. He afterwards held a commission 
in the Chilian service, under, Lord Cochrane, 
now Earl of Dundonald, and became lieutenant 
in consequence of his services.* 
Among other important ^ adventures which 
took place during this period, and in which 
Mr. Nobbs bore a part, was the courageous 
enterprise of cutting out the Spanish frigate 
Esmeralda, of forty guns, which was lying in 
the bay, under the batteries of Callao, in Peru. 
The capture was accomplished late at night on 
the 5th of November, 1820. An address from 
Lord Cochrane had been delivered to the marines 
and seamen, which concluded with an injunc- 
tion, that the Chilenos should act with valour, 
" and that the English should do as they had 
