of the customs at
Falmouth, he removed to the village of Flushing, which is separated from
Falmouth only by a narrow creek, and which had peculiar attractions for
him from family associations.

During this period he went out in command of his brother's armed lugger,
the _Hawk_, in search of a notorious outlaw, Wellard, who commanded an
armed smuggler in the Channel, and who was at length killed in action
with the _Hawk_, and her consort, which captured his vessel. Active
occupation, indeed, was essential to his comfort, and he found a life on
shore most irksome. At length, in 1786, he commissioned the
_Winchelsea_, for the Newfoundland station. Among her midshipmen was the
late gallant Sir Christopher Cole,[2] to whose pen the reader is
indebted for the following animated sketch of his service in that
frigate:--

"I joined the _Winchelsea_ under Captain Edward Pellew's command in
1786, recommended to him by my brother. Captain Frank Cole, who
told me, 'You are going to serve under a gallant and active
officer, and one of the best seamen in the navy, who, if he live,
must one day be at the head of his profession. Make a friend of
him by your good conduct, and you will do well.' The _Winchelsea_
was manned with good seamen, with scarcely a landsman on board; and
the first lieutenant, senior master's mate, and boatswain, were all
excellent practical seamen; so that the midshipmen and youngsters,
to the number of nearly thirty, could not be in a better situation
for obtaining a knowledge of practical seamanship. We soon found
that the activity of our captain would not allow us an idle hour,
and there was so much kindness of heart, and cheerfulness of
manner, blended with daring exertion in the performance of his
duties, that we were all happy to imitate his example to the best
of our abilities. In the course of our passage to Newfoundland we
encountered much blowing weather, and at all hours of the day or
night, whenever there was exertion required aloft, to preserve a
sail, or a mast, the captain was foremost at the work, apparently
as a mere matter of amusement; and there was not a man in the ship
who could equal him in personal activity. He appeared to play
amongst the elements in the hardest storms, and the confidence this
gave to those under his command, on many occasions, is not to be
described.