Captain's career

Out of curiosity I sent an email to the Dutch department of Defense to ask what they had in their archives about my ancestor. I got a letter back within a week with copies of their archives. It wasn't much, but it contains enough information to reconstruct his career. I suppose that if I want to learn more I'll have to track down the archives of the Rotterdam Admiralty (the Dutch navy consisted of five separate admiralties, a consequence of the federalist structure of the Republic) some day. Don't know what I'll find there though, as they are apparently badly damaged due to a fire in the 19th century.

Anyways, the career of Gerardus Oorthuys (Sept 10 1741- August 23rd 1812):
1758-1760: cadet in the regiment of his father (who had been killed during the siege of Bergen op Zoom, 1748)
1760: Midshipman
1763: Promoted to lieutenant extra ordinaris, commanding the snauw Zephyr on an expedition to suppress the slave revolt at Berbice (Guyana). When his division left for Holland, he stayed behind to help defuse a revolt that was about to break out at Demarara. Returns to Holland via Lissabon 1764.
1765: Granted leave with retention of rank, went on several voyages to the East Indies with the Dutch East India company.
1777: Promoted to lieutenant (dated 1768)
1779-1781: XO, later commanding Den Briel (36)during which the battle at Cape St.Marie took place (pt1, pt2).
1782: (contradictory information) Commanding either the Wassenaer (64) [apparently incorrectly reported Goes (54)].
1783: Promoted to captain
1783-1786: sailing to the East Indies in the squadron of J.P.Braam to restore order in Malacca Straits. Combat at Malacca, Riouw and Selangore.
1793: In command of a squadron of 14 Dutch and English gunboats at Willemstad, escorting 22 transports carrying troops to attack the invading revolutionary French army.
1794: Transferred to Brakel (56), division commander escorting a convoy to the East Indies. When the fleet entered Plymouth, they were embargoed and later captured by the English (having been discharged as 'unrevolutionary' by the new Batavian Republic, and a supporter of the House of Orange, he probably was not too sad about that situation). Some reports from Oorthuys of William V, then in England, remain in the Royal Archives.
1796: Released and returned to Holland.

Family legend says he hated the French, but he was, oddly enough, awarded a Legion d'Honneur for unknown reasons. Perhaps the French government of the Netherlands was attempting to enlist the old sailor for service against England?
The defense department also notes that "Oorthuys never cursed, a rarity among naval officers at the time"(!)