would be unjust, however, to dismiss the subject, without observing, that the officer, to whom this memoir immediately relates, derived ample experience and profit from the situation in which he was placed. Acting so immediately under the eye of such distinguished Commanders as those whom we have mentioned, he could not but acquire a portion of their skill, and imbibe a sentiment of emulation, which opened to him a prospect of the brightest and the happiest results. We cannot consider Sir Samuel Hood as otherwise than extremely fortunate in having been thus stationed. Favoured by nature with an excellent constitution, a brave and martial spirit, fortune seems to have indulged him with an opportunity of turning those advantages to the best account. On the 31st of January, 1782, five days after the second action at St. Kitts, Mr. Hood was promoted to the rank of Commander, and appointed to the Renard sloop, by the present Lord Viscount Hood. This appointment took place, it is worthy of remark, when he had scarcely passed his twentieth year; a presumptive proof that, joined to his family interest in the Navy, he had given sufficient indications of future eminence. Captain Hood's command of the Renard appears to have been rather nominal than real. At the period of his appointment, that vessel was lying as a convalescent ship at Antigua; and, revolting from the state of inactivity to which such a service would have condemned him, he remained as a volunteer on board of the Barfleur. "The warrior's wish arose within his soul, As Fancy pictur'd scenes of radiant hue; Captain Hood was in the Barfleur at the well-remembered actions of the 9th and 12th of April, 1782, in which his noble relation so conspicuously and eminently distinguished himself*; and, on the 19th of the same month, he was also at the capture Vide NAVAL CHRONICLE, Vol. I, page 389; and Vol. II, page 20, of the French squadron in the Mona Passage, consisting of le Jason, le Caton, l'Aimable, and la Ceres*. This was the last engagement in which Captain Hood was concerned during the war.-When the preliminaries of peace were signed, he took the opportunity of going over to France, where he remained until the year 1785. On his return to England, he was appointed to command the Weazle sloop of war, in which he proceeded to Halifax. He was there employed in surveying the coasts and harbours on that station; where, for the vigilance and activity of his services, he was rewarded, by the Commander in Chief at Halifax, with a Post Captain's commission †, and appointed to the command of the Thisbe frigate. Captain Hood remained at Halifax until the latter end of 1789, when the Thisbe was ordered to England and paid off. In the month of May, 1790, he was appointed to the com mand of the Juno frigate, in which he proceeded to Jamaica. Whilst on this station, nothing particular occurred until the beginning of February, in the following year, when Captain Hood, in a manner the most honourable to his character as an officer and as a man, had the satisfaction of saving the lives of three men from a wreck, at sea. His ship was then lying in St. Ann's Harbour; and, in the height of a gale of wind, which increased to an absolute hurricane, a wreck was descried from the mast head, with three people upon it, over whom the waves broke with such unremitting violence, that it appeared scarcely possible to rescue them from their dreadful situation. The Juno's cutter and launch had been previously dispatched to. the assistance of a vessel in the offing; so that Captain Hood had nothing but his own barge, with which to attempt the preservation of his unfortunate fellow creatures. From the extreme apparent danger, the crew evinced the greatest reluctance to descend into the barge, until Captain Hood undauntedly leaped in, exclaiming-I never gave an order to a sailor in my Vide NAVAL CHRONICLE, Vol. II, page 22. Dated May 24, 1788. life, which I was not ready to undertake and execute myself! The barge then pushed off; and, through the most determined perseverance, Captain Hood had the happiness of succeeding in his gallant and meritorious effort. This was an action worthy even of Lord Nelson himself! -The following extract of a letter, dated Feb. 3, 1791, from a gentleman at St. Ann's, to the Printer of the Kingston Daily Advertiser, contains the only authentic narrative of this transaction, which has ever appeared; and is now, we believe, for the first time published in this country: Yesterday morning a ship in the offing under sail standing in, and having a signal of distress, Captain Hood, of the Juno, now lying here, sent a sailing boat (the launch) out to her, and which returned with an account that it was the Fame, Captain Moyze, of Bristol, which had been blown out of Spring Garden, where she parted four cables, and had not an anchor or cable on board. It was surprising with what expedition Captain Hood supplied her wants; for notwithstanding the extreme badness of the weather, it blowing very hard, and the sea being very high, he sent out an anchor and cable by two sailing boats, (the launch and cutter,) which could not, after delivering the anchor, regain this port, and we entertained some fears for their safety. We have however been just now informed, that they got safe into Runaway Bay, about nine miles to leeward. This morning our feelings were arrested by a most distressing scene-a signal of distress—a white shirt fastened to a piece of the shallop's mast, about six feet high, was seen about a mile at sea, With the glass we could plainly discover some people on the wreck of a small vessel, water logged, and scarcely tenable; the sea breaking over her with great violence, we could give her no assistance, having no craft here that durst venture out. The Juno's two sailing boats, (the cutter and launch,) as I have already told you, being wind bound at Runaway, and Captain Hood having no other boat but his barge, which no one on shore imagined could have lived in so turbulent an ocean as the wreck was in. Captain Hood however, as an encouragement to his bargemen, leaped himself into her, to undertake an affair of humanity, at the great risk of his own life. The spectators you may suppose were numerous; our distress was increased, instead of being allayed, by the bold attempt, for we expected every moment to see the barge and her crew perish, the sea running mountains high, and with incredible violence; but it pleased the Almighty to favour the attempt, and to protect the brave and humane Captain Hood and his men: in less than half an hour the barge reached the wreck, which had now driven almost on the roaring reef; one of her crew had been drowned before Captain Hood came up with her; the remaining three were saved, but they were so exhausted, that they were not able of themselves to get into the barge; and in two minutes more, but for the assistance of Captain Hood, must have perished on the reef. It required great management to keep the barge from filling, having been obliged to go so near the reef, to rescue the poor wretches from death, that she was amongst the breakers. The wreck it seems was a Turtler, belonging to Montego Bay, and had upset about two miles from where the people were taken out of her. You may form some idea of the violence of the sea from the wreck's being overset and righted again several times. So highly was the Government of Jamaica impressed with a sense of the humane and adventurous conduct of Captain Hood, upon this occasion, that it immediately passed the following Resolution: HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY, Resolved, nem. con., that the Receiver-General do forthwith remit to the agent of this island, the sum of one hundred guineas, for the purchase of a sword, to be presented to Captain Samuel Hood, of His Majesty's ship Juno, as a testimony of the high sense which this House entertains of his merit, in saving (at the manifest peril of his own life, in a violent gale of wind, off the port of St. Ann, on the 3d-inst.) the lives of three men, discovered on a wreck at sea, and who must inevitably have perished, but for his gallant and humanc excrtion. Ordered that the Clerk of this House do transmit to Captain Samuel Hood, a copy of the foregoing resolution. By the House, GEORGE WRENCH, Clerk to the Assembly. Captain Hood returned to England, in the Juno, in the course of 1791; having, however, previously received the following letter, containing the unanimous thanks of the Humane Society of Jamaica, for his philanthropic exertions: SIR, THE Humane Society of Jamaica, ever ready to acknowledge those acts of benevolence, which do honour to their institution, have at their last general meeting unanimously voted that the thanks of the Society should be transmitted to you, for your humane and courageous exertions at St. Ann's Bay, in saving the lives of your fellow creatures at the imminent risk of your own. This, Sir, I do in behalf of the Society, taking this opportunity of wishing you a prosperous and safe voyage, to enjoy in the arms of your relatives, that happiness which must ever attend a benevolent and brave Man. I have the honour to be, Samuel Hood, Esy, With esteem and respect, Sir, Some time after his arrival in England, Captain Hood was presented with the sword, which had been voted to him by the Government of Jamaica, accompanied by the following elegant and classical letter -- SIR, London, February 17, 1792. IN obedience to the commands of the Assembly of Jamaica, I have the honour to present you with a Sword, the value of which is greatly increased by their unanimous resolution of the 22d Feb. 1791, of which the following is a copy. Resolved, nem. con., that the Receiver-General do forthwith remit to the agent of this island the sum of one hundred guineas, for the purchase of a sword, to be presented to Captain Samuel Hood, of His Majesty's ship Juno, as a testimony of the high sense the House has of his merit, in saving (at the manifest peril of his own life, in a violent gale of wind, off the port of St. Ann, the 3d instant) the lives of three men, discovered on a wreck at sea, and who must inevitably have perished, but for his gallant and humane exertion. on In obedience to the commands of the Committee of Correspondence, I have ordered an Inscription to be engraved, which I hope will meet with their approbation, which is as follows: SAMUELI HOOD OB TRES CIVES SUO EXEMPLO, ET SUO PERICULO SERVATOS D. D. D. SPQ. JAMAICENSIS. MDCCXCK |