On the 3d of March 1778, Sir Peter Parker, who had, on the preceding 29th of January, been promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral of the White, arrived at Port Royal, in the Bristol of fifty guns; having been appointed to succeed the brave old Admiral Gayton, as commander in chief on the Jamaica station, who was desirous of retiring to England.  He, accordingly, sailed; and, attended by his usual good fortune to the last, added another American capture, of considerable value, on his passage; making, in all, two hundred and thirty-six prizes.

The character which Lieutenant Nelson had acquired, occasioned him soon to be taken notice of by Sir Peter Parker; who immediately appointed him third-lieutenant of his own flag-ship, the Bristol.  The pleasing manners of Lieutenant Nelson, added to his manifest spirit and talents, so perfectly gained the esteem of the commander in chief, as well as of his amiable and excellent lady, to whom he had been kindly introduced on shore, that he was promoted, in the course of a very few months, by the regular gradations, to be first-lieutenant, and even enabled to conclude his services in that rank.

On the 8th of December, in this very year, he was appointed, by Sir Peter Parker, Commander of the Badger brig; in which he was, shortly after, ordered to protect the Musquito shore, and the Bay of Honduras, from the depredations of American privateers.  So ably did he acquit himself in the discharge of this duty, and so greatly had he endeared himself to the settlers during the short time he was among them, that they unanimously voted him their thanks for his services, and sensibly expressed their regrets at the necessity of his quitting the station.

While he commanded the Badger, being at anchor in Montego Bay, Jamaica, his majesty’s ship the Glasgow, of twenty guns, Captain Thomas Lloyd, came into the bay.  At six o’clock in the evening, about two hours and a half after it’s arrival, the steward going down into the after-hold, with a lighted candle in his hand, for the purpose of clandestinely drawing some rum, carelessly set fire to the whole; and, notwithstanding every effort was immediately made by Captain Lloyd, his officers, and crew, the ship was entirely consumed.  No sooner, however, did the humane and generous commander of the Badger perceive the nature of the disaster, than he hastened to the dreadful scene; and, by his unceasing exertions, and astonishing presence of mind, the crew were saved from the flames.  At his suggestion, the powder was instantly ordered to be thrown overboard; a measure to which all the other ships in the harbour, and even the town itself, probably owed their preservation.  The inhabitants, indeed, were thrown into great confusion on the occasion:  for the ship’s broadside lay towards the town, and all the guns were loaded; so that they went off as the fire approached them, and damaged several houses, but happily did no other execution.  The only life lost, by this dreadful accident, was that of the master; who had been snatched out of the flames, miserably scorched, and died next morning on board the Badger.  From the smallness of this vessel, it had no place to shelter such a number of men; and the constant rains experienced while sailing for Port Royal, greatly affected the health of the ship’s company, who fell sick very fast:  but, at length all the sufferers were landed in safety.