Glover, the commander of the Janus of forty-four guns, died on the 21st
of March, and that Sir Peter Parker had appointed Captain Nelson to
succeed him. This kind promotion, he has been often heard to say,
certainly saved his life. He immediately sailed to Jamaica, on board
the Victor sloop, that he might take possession of the Janus; and hope,
that never entirely abandoned him, began again to invigorate his heart.
His spirits, however, were always beyond his strength; though that, when
in full health, was by no means feeble, as his country's enemies had
many subsequent opportunities to experience.
The air of Jamaica, though far less unwholesome than that which he had
just quitted on the Spanish main, is not very invigorating to European
constitutions; and, instead of it's restoring him, he every day grew
worse and worse. Sir Peter Parker, therefore, kindly invited him to make
a home of his penn, which is the name of a West Indian villa; where he
received the most friendly attentions from Lady Parker, and the
skilfullest medicinal aids. All, however, proved ineffectual. His
extreme anxiety to get on board the ship to which he had been so
honourably appointed, tended now to augment his indisposition; and he
was reluctantly compelled, like his worthy friend, Captain Locker, to
depart for England. This, too, unwilling to resign his ship, he
positively declared, till the last, he never would do, while a single
person could be found who was of opinion that he might possibly recover
without quitting the island. No such person was obtainable; and,
accordingly, in a state of the most extreme debility, towards the close
of this year, he returned home, in his majesty's ship the Lion,
commanded by the Honourable William Cornwallis, the now celebrated
admiral; whose kind care and attention, during their passage, greatly
contributed to preserve his valuable life.
On his arrival in England, though then barely in existence, and almost
wholly without the use of his limbs, such was the excessive ardour of
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