In 1797, after a period of service in HMS "Royal Sovereign" and following promotion to commander in HMS "Chichester", Hollis was sent to the Cape of Good Hope. There he was given command of guardship HMS "Jupiter" and tasked with putting down a mutiny at Robben Island by the crew of HMS "Crescent". Hollis advanced on "Crescent" subdued the crew without conflict and towed the ship back to Cape Town, where the ringleaders of the mutiny were tried and convicted. As a reward, Hollis was given command of HMS "Tremendous" on the station and then the frigate HMS "Vindictive", in which he escorted an East India Company convoy back to Britain. He was subsequently given command of HMS "Thames" in June 1801 and the following month participated in the Algeciras Campaign, firing on the French ship of the line "Formidable" during the Second Battle of Algeciras. He subsequently participated in a number of raids on the Spanish coastline before being sent back to Britain with his ship.