 In 1793 he was serving in the Mediterranean aboard the frigate HMS "Aigle" (36 guns) and in 1794 was appointed captain of the fleet (chief of staff to the commander-in-chief).Towards the end of 1794 he returned to England with Samuel, now Viscount, Hood and was thereafter a resident commissioner of the Navy Board, serving in Corsica, Malta, Gibraltar and Halifax, Nova Scotia.A commissioner's post was considered equivalent to the rank of rear admiral, but was only given to officers who had ended their active service.