Whakaotihia te rerenga e whai ake nei: I riro a Kapene George Johnstone i te tīmatanga o te tau 1779 a i mahi ia i te Channel English. I te ahunga whakamua a Johnstone ki te commodore i te Paenga-whawha o taua tau, ka riro a Kapene Robert Nicholas hei rangatira o "Romney", ahakoa i noho ia hei waahanga o te roopu a Johnstone ka rere i tana peera whanui. Whai muri i te whakahoutanga i hoki mai ia ki te moana i te tau 1779 hei rangatira mo Sir John Ross, me Johnstone ano hei rangatira. I uru ia ki ngā mahi i te Channel i te wā o te
I ngana ia ki te whakaeke i a Wīwī me Paniora, i muri mai ka rere ia ki Lisbon. I te 11 o Noema 1779 ka mau ia ki te 34-kanui Spanish frigate "Santa Margarita", i muri mai ka tangohia ki te kaipuke moana hei. I te hokinga mai o Johnstone ki te pou o te commodore i te marama o Tihema 1779, ka tukuna te whakahau ki a Kapene Roddam Home, ahakoa i noho tonu a Johnstone ki runga. I te 1 o Mei 1780, i uru a "Romney" ki tetahi aitua me te kaipuke o te roopu "Sartine". I mau a "Romney" i nga kaipuke Parani e rua i waho o Cape Finisterre i te Hōngongoi, te 38-gun i te 1 o Hōngongoi, me te 18-gun "Perle" e rima nga ra i muri mai i te 6 o Hōngongoi.