[3] Narborough was promoted to lieutenant in 1664 and in 1666 to Captain,[citation needed] for gallantry in an action against the Dutch fleet off the Downs in June of that year.

Having made landings at various points the expedition finally arrived to the heavily fortified Corral Bay on late December 1670.

[5] There the expedition established contact with the Spanish garrison whose commanders were highly suspicious of Narborough's intentions despite England being at peace with Spain.

[5] The four English hostages and a man known as Carlos Enriques were left behind and ended up in the prisons of Lima where they were subject to lengthy interrogations, as the Spanish struggled to find out the goal of Narborough's expedition.

A narrative of the expedition was published at London in 1694 under the title An Account of several late Voyages and Discoveries to the South and North.

He conducted himself with conspicuous valour at the Battle of Sole Bay in May 1672,[6] after the death in action of his superior, Sir John Cox, and won approbation.

In 1675 he was sent to suppress the Barbary piracies, and by despatching gun-boats into the harbour of Tripoli at midnight and burning the ships, he induced the Dey to agree to a treaty.

Departing in September 1686, Phips located a valuable wreck in February 1687 and returned to England with treasure valued at over £200,000, which gained him approbation and a knighthood.

Narborough had bought the Knowlton Court estate, near Dover, from the executors of Sir Thomas Peyton, and so was buried in St Clement's Church.