Charles Austen's Family
| |
|
CHARLES JOHN AUSTEN [1] continued
... orders,in pursuit of a Neapolitan squadron supposed to be in the Adriatic.
Subsequently to the surrender of Naples Capt. Austen, who had detached the 'Undaunted' to scour the coast, instituted a close blockade of the harbour of Brindisi – and soon induced both the castle and two of the enemy's largest frigates, then lying in the port, to hoist the colours of their restored monarch.
Having acquired the unqualified approval of Lord Exmouth throughout the whole of these operations, he was next despatched in search of a French squadron; but a cessation of of hostilities intervening, he turned his attention to the suppression of piracy in the Archipelago – which he effected completely by the capture of two pirate vessels in the port of Paros.
On February 20th 1816 the 'Phoenix' was unavoidably wrecked near Smyrna, a disaster solely attributable to the ignorance of her pilots; Capt. Austen, who was therefore fully acquitted of all blame on the occasion, afterwards joined, June 2nd 1826, the 'Aurora' of 46 guns – in which frigate he proceeded, as second-in-command, to the Jamaica station – where his efforts in crushing the slave trade were most successful.
On the paying off of the 'Aurora', in December 1828, it was found that during the two years and a half of her service under Capt. Austen's command, she had not lost a single man, by sickness or for any other reason – and so favourable was the official report of her state of discipline and efficiency ...
[180]