4 - gun ▁ship , ▁York ▁was ▁a ▁small ▁third ▁rate ; ▁this ▁combined ▁with ▁her ▁unusual ▁build ▁resulting ▁from ▁her ▁conversion ▁from ▁a ▁merc ant ile ▁craft ▁to ▁a ▁war ship ▁to ▁make ▁her ▁a ▁slightly ▁ung ain ly ▁and ▁awk ward ▁ship . ▁ ▁Career ▁Captain ▁John ▁Fer rier ▁commission ed ▁York ▁in ▁April ▁ 1 7 9 6 . ▁He ▁then ▁sa iled ▁her ▁for ▁the ▁Le ew ard ▁Islands ▁on ▁ 4 ▁January ▁ 1 7 9 7 . ▁ ▁She ▁spent ▁much ▁of ▁her ▁early ▁career ▁in ▁the ▁Car ib bean ▁Sea . ▁ ▁On ▁ 8 ▁February ▁ 1 7 9 8 , ▁ ▁she ▁captured ▁the ▁small ▁American ▁sch oon er ▁F ancy ▁near ▁St ▁Thomas . ▁York ▁had ▁to ▁fire ▁ 1 5 ▁sh ots ▁before ▁the ▁sch oon er ▁h ove ▁to , ▁and ▁when ▁the ▁board ing ▁party ▁from ▁York ▁arrived , ▁they ▁found ▁ 1 2 ▁French ▁passengers ▁ab o ard , ▁who ▁were ▁in ▁the ▁act ▁of ▁throwing ▁five ▁b ags ▁of ▁money ▁over board . ▁York ▁brought ▁F ancy ▁into ▁M ôle - Saint - N icol as ▁where ▁she ▁was ▁condem ned ▁as ▁a ▁prize . ▁Appar ently ▁she ▁had ▁also ▁been ▁carrying ▁ 2 5 , 0 0 0 ▁dollars ▁of ▁gold ▁hidden ▁on ▁board ▁but ▁that ▁most ▁of ▁it ▁had ▁been ▁sm ugg led ▁ash ore . ▁ ▁In ▁June – J uly ▁ 1 7 9 9 , ▁York ▁captured ▁Santa ▁Dor val , ▁a ▁Spanish