until the period of their reduction. The king acknowledged these services by presenting him with a snuff-box enriched with diamonds, and at the same time conferring on him the rank of commander of the order of St Ferdinand and of Merit, which rank was confirmed by his British majesty. The Zealous was paid off in the month of May, 1800, and Sir Samuel Hood was appointed to the Courageux, of 74 guns, in which he was for some time actively employed in the channel fleet. This ship afterwards formed part of a detached squadron at Ferrol and Vigo, until January, 1801, at which period he was removed into the Venerable, also of 74 guns. In April he escorted a fleet of Indiamen beyond the Cape de Verdes. On his return he joined Sir James Saumarez off Cadiz, and after making several captures on that station, was in the action off Algesiras, which did not terminate with that success which both the plan and execution deserved. However, Sir James Saumarez, hearing that the French admiral, Linois, had been reinforced with a Spanish squadron of five sail of the line, determined, notwithstanding the crippled state of his own ships, to pursue and attack the enemy. A glorious victory, in which Sir Samuel Hood had the honour of bearing a distinguished part, was the consequence. In this victory the Venerable had 30 killed, and 100 wounded. On his arrival at Gibraltar, Sir Samuel Hood, in common with the other captains of the fleet, received the thanks of the admiral. He had afterward the satisfaction of receiving the particular thanks of the admiralty in addition to the general vote of thanks from parliament for his great and extraordinary exertions. He returned to England in the month of November, 1801; and, on the signature of the preliminaries of peace, his ship the Venerable was paid off. His services were, however, too valuable and important for him to be permitted a long enjoyment of repose. In the month of October, 1802, he was appointed a joint-commissioner for the government of the island of Trinidad; and, on the death of Rear-admiral Totty, commander-in-chief on the Barbadoes and Leeward Island station. At the commencement of the late war, Sir Samuel Hood, in conjunetion with General Grinfield, commander-in-chief of the army, captured the islands of St Lucia and Tobago, made prisoners upwards of 1200 of the enemy's troops, and totally destroyed their trade in that quarter of the globe. They also, within the period of three months, took the valuable colonies of Demerara, Issequibo, and Berbice. Eight months after, Sir Samuel compelled the settlement of Surinam to surrender, and subsequently reduced the island of Martinico to the greatest distress. In addition to these distinguished captures, Sir Samuel Hood took and destroyed a great number of the enemy's privateers and ships of war, which afforded the most ample security and protection to our trade. For these numerous and important services, his majesty was most graciously pleased to bestow upon him, as a distinguishing mark of his royal favour, the insignia of the order of the Bath. On the arrival of Rear-admiral Cochrane in the West Indies in 1805, Sir Samuel Hood returned to England, and was soon after made a colonel of the marines. Early in 1806 he was appointed to the Centaur, and placed under the orders of Earl St Vincent, who gave him the command of seven sail of the line and some smaller vessels, and de. |