mond ▁Wal c ott ▁Sym pson , ▁of ▁W ink ton , ▁Ham pshire . ▁He ▁joined ▁the ▁Royal ▁Navy ▁in ▁ 1 8 0 2 ▁as ▁a ▁First ▁Class ▁volunte er ▁on ▁HMS ▁B len heim ▁in ▁which ▁he ▁sa iled ▁to ▁the ▁West ▁Ind ies . ▁He ▁then ▁transferred ▁in ▁ 1 8 0 4 ▁to ▁the ▁newly ▁commission ed ▁HMS ▁L ively , ▁which ▁in ▁company ▁with ▁Med usa , ▁ ▁and ▁Am ph ion ▁captured ▁three ▁Spanish ▁b ull ion ▁ships ▁and ▁s ank ▁a ▁fourth . ▁▁ ▁He ▁then ▁sa iled ▁under ▁his ▁friend ▁Sir ▁Samuel ▁H ood ▁on ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁different ▁ships ▁until ▁H ood ' s ▁death ▁in ▁ 1 8 1 4 , ▁taking ▁part ▁in ▁the ▁second ▁Battle ▁of ▁C open hagen ▁in ▁ 1 8 0 7 . ▁Prom oted ▁to ▁signal - lie utenant ▁on ▁HMS ▁Cent aur ▁in ▁ 1 8 0 8 ▁he ▁was ▁involved ▁in ▁the ▁capture ▁and ▁burning ▁of ▁the ▁ 7 4 - gun ▁Russian ▁ship ▁V se vol od ▁off ▁R ager ▁Vik , ▁the ▁Russian ▁naval ▁base ▁in ▁Est onia . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 2 3 , ▁command ing ▁HMS ▁Ty ne ▁and ▁in ▁company ▁with ▁HMS ▁Th ra cian , ▁Wal c ott ▁was ▁sent ▁in ▁search ▁of ▁pir ate ▁ships ▁off ▁the ▁coast ▁of ▁Cuba ▁and ▁discovered ▁the ▁Zar ag oz ana , ▁a ▁not orious ▁pir ate ▁sch oon er , ▁which ▁they ▁captured ▁after ▁a ▁gun f ight