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Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mithode. y errata Id to nt ne pelure, ipon A 12 3 32X 1 2 3 4 5 6 r- I M ?w&;yr r* ^:4 ROYAL NAVAL BIOGRAPHY; OR, iHemoiti^r of tf)e ^ttWt^ OF ALL THE FLAG-OFFICERS, SUPERANNUATED REAR-ADMIRALS, RETIRED-CAPTAINS, POST-CAPTAINS, AND COMMANDERS, Whose Names appeared oa the Admiralty List of Sea-Officers at the commence- ment of the year 1823, or who have since been promoted ; Illiutrated by a Series of HISTORICAL AND EXPLANATORY NOTES, Which will be found to contsun an account of all the NAVAL ACTIONS, AND OTHER IMPORTANT EVENTS, FROM THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE LATE REION, IN 1760, ■'A TO THE PRESENT PERIOD. WITH COPIOUS ADDENDA. By JOHN MARSHALL (b), LIEUTENANlrt'l^HE ROTAL NAVY. -?- "Fmllures, however frequent, may admit of extenuation and apology. '*much is always laudable, even when the enterprise is above the strength that undertakes it. "To deliberate whenever I doubted, to enquire whenever I was ignorant, would have protracted "the undertaking without end, and perhaps witlxiut improvement. ( saw that one enquiry only " gave occasion to another, that bool< referred to book, that to search was not always to And, and "to And was not always to be informed ; and that thus tu pursue perfection, was, tike the flrst "inhabitants of Arcadia, tu cliase the sun, which, when they had reached the hill where lis " leetned to rest, waa still belield at the same disunce from them.'* Johiuon. VOL. III.- PART II. Hoi^Ott: PRINTED FOR LONGMAN. REES, ORMB, BKUWN, AND OKEEN. PATERNOSTER ROW. 1832. " T :• r/' ! ■'■''';■" ■ft: T' I ^ ,^'"/ ^v» i »'i o;i /*, ■'*> :,>'*! r •^nT ■lit- v!^ : J ^ •a IS. IS : >3 •■■I'-'.^'J ■a «8 ffi Chancery L..U.. '.*) ^♦'V.'I^Wlfif-- / CONTENTS OF VOL. III.— PART II. CJPTAINS. ' . Page Anson, Hon. William >> 21 Astley, Sir Edward W. Corry 81 Baynes, Robert Lambert - 42 Bennett, Thomas - - 58 Best, Hon. Thomas - 158 Blight, William - - 153 Bourchier, Thomas - 15 "Tkowyer, William Bohun - 124 Boyle, Courtenay Edmund William - - - 126 Brace, Francis - - 15 Bridges, Philip Henry - 17 Burgess, Samuel - - 162 Campbell, Alexander - 29 Campbell, James - -- 41 Campbell, John Norman - 20 Carter, Thomas Wren - 165 Cavendish, Hon. George John 161 Courtenay, George William Conway - - _ 27 Crawford, Abraham - 77 Crole, Charles - . 24 Cuppage, William - - 158 Dalling, John Windham - 22 Davies, Lewis - - 18 Dench, Thomas - - 39 Dickinson, Richard - 31 Drinkwater, Charles Ramsay 159 Dundas, John Burnet - 41 Duntze, John Alexander - 110 Eliot, Henry Algernon - 147 Elliot, Charles . • 57 Fletcher, William - . 80 Foote, John - _ . 1£ Fuller, William Stephen - 39 Furneaux, John - 80 Gabriel, James Wallace 166 k 4S3 Gordon, Charles (ft) - „; j ; 29 Gossctt, Henry - . .mL^-Jy? Page 159 38 30 Graham, Charles Grant, Sir Richard Grey, Hon. Frederick William Hamilton, William Alexan - derBaillie - - - Hastings, Thomas Haye, George Hayes, George Hoare, Richard Hobson, William Hope, David _ - - Hoste, Thomas Edward Hotham, George Frederick Ingestrie, Right Hon. Viscount Irby, Hon. Charles Leonard Jervoise, William Clarke 43 & 446 Johnstone, George James Hope 14 Jones, Jenkiu ... Jones, Theobald Jones, William (c) - Keith, Hon. William King, Philip Parker Leigh, Jodrell Lewis, Francis James Lloyd, George Lushington, Stephen Lyons, John - - - Mainwaring, Rowland Manners, Russell Henry Martin, George Bohun Mason, Thomas Monck Maxwell, George Berkeley Michell, Frederick Thomas Mildmay, George William St. John ... Morier, William Napier, Henry Edward O'Brien, Joseph (A) - ^JPajjetj^Charles Henry 47 157 78 110 13 42 111 125 40 21 1 56 53 51 51 200 8S 151 56 88 139 126 80 30 31 160 124 50 111 164 87 88 .4- CONTENT**. Pape 76 1G5 43 52 1(>6 138 54 37 145 76 Rowley, Richard Freeman 125 & 453 Parsons, Robert White Pasley, Sir Thomas Sabine Pennell, Follett VValrond - Polkinjrhorne, James Price, Samuel PriJham, Richard Purcell, Edward Purchas, William Jardine - Reynolds, John Richards, Peter Ryves, Georfre Frederick - 154 Sandoni, Williams - - 24 Scott, George - - 124 Scott, James - - 22 & 445 Smith,! George Sidney - 52 Smith, Henry (a) . > - 87 ■ l ■{ r/;i ■ .n">i' ' .'Tie'l I v. m Bremer, James John Gordon $ Devonshire, John Ferris Gosling, George ADDENDA. 436 180 444 .'. COMMANDERS. Agassiz, James John Charles Allen, Charles -j^r Balfour, William Bamber, William Richard 'Baugh, Henry -, - '^Beecroft, Charles - " - '■fielchier, Nathaniel ,(■,,[- ^ Bennett, Charles ^'SBevians, William -JBirkhead, Henry Hatchings ' Bissell, William * filennerhassett, Goddard - ^Boger, Richard '"Brown, George '"",«» ,;'-" *■' Burgess, William '-;'-'.■'"'& •»urt, Edward '-i^'i'- -"i^'- ' ButS Henry Samuel '"'"'«"' • Carew, Henry ^ o '^/' ' Clirtier, John Henry '^ rS- \ *tartwright,John i^'^'i'' ^;<*liilcott,John .'^"i''^^.'^ -Child, John ;"^<.';:"'i'' *' Claridge, Charles i "I'*^ ..i'' ^,. 22 Talbot, Charles -«.:I.«' 161 Thornc, James ixtiv! - 8i Tozer, Aaron - ' - 110 Travers, Eaton Stannard - 90 Vernon, Octavius H. C. V. 14 Waldegrave, Hon. WilUam (6) 4S Watling, John Wvatt - 131 Wellesley, Hon. William - 77 Wcstplial, Philip - •■ 139 Wigston, James - - 15S Wilson, John (i) - - 159 WooUcombc, George - 156 Yeoman, Bernard - 142 ■ '>,- jij;-"'.. .-J- Vi'.ii ;i;!;'. ;'l j;ori.!ii''b')H <.i-.n!u!(T .lliH worLaA ,')-yboH, iuii-jivji'I .(itJitiTa)!! i[ij'j«ij5. i7oH Roberts, Samuel '''^^^'U^'^'J^ 5 Schouiberg, Alexander WiliiiotlS^ Westphal, Sir George Augustus 185 cJ0)sf. ,-;:.>a!JiU iiuxfiijl U .Uituu// ,ij" 297 Clarke, Samuel 391 Clyde, Charles 348 Colquitt, Goodwitt ",-.•[[; //•^ 248 406 Compton, Henry, „;,;;^,;^-, 2|9 367 Coote, William ,^;, -.,„.i,,3, 384 393 Cowan, Malcolm - , r 298 401 Coxen, Henry Conyngham 394 411 Crofton, Ambrose 7 , .- 485 261 Croker, Walter ,..,-;'*jf' 1'!^. 227 253 Cunningham, Thomas - 394 379 Cutfield, William - - 367 370 Dalby, Thomas - - 251 249 Dalton, James Robert - 396 396 Davey, George "» !i;7f ^3 250 Davies, John (a) -*,joC , 25^ 366 Davis, Henry , ,51...-^' 406 267 Deacon, Henry - '- ^48 265 Dickinson, Thomas (a) - 260 292 Douglas, John - - *97 409 Drummond, Sir John Forbes 967 296 Dyer, Thomas Swlauerton df)6 292 Edwards, John (a) yi ,j; ' #49 350 Edwards, John («) f. „;,^ ,,,■; Jfe2 ^6 Ellis, James - ,;t{„( ,7^i,„,^7 .0 4»v ^ ■*'■- , .4 TuvA § Now Rciir-AamirHlp.'i'>it"oH .u!ol ^fUsdrti»;M 'ilgC 152 23 22 161 ai no 90 14 49 I'M 77 139 15$ 159 156 142 ,1' /nil mot 174 itus, l^ , ,aivn> I -''•'' 417 Fowell, Samuel - ■'' ;•'•"' 366 Ortllovvay, James - >''-J •'•" 345 Garrett, Edward William Giiscoyne, John Gibson, John Sanderson Gilmour, David Martin, John Henry 'I' Mather, William '^^'--''*. nTKiHufli. Godench, James Grant, Gregory Grant, James Grmnby, Arthur Halliday, Francis Alexander Halsted, George Halton, Thomas Harison, George Haynes, Joseph Heddington, Thomas Hext, William Hill, Thomas Hodge, Andrew Hoffman, Frederick Hoy, Joseph _ - - Hughes, William James - Hurdis, George Clarke Hutchinson, Edward Irvine, Charles Chamberlayne Irwin, James James, Jacob Jeffery, Samuel - -.r- Johnson, Joshua • * Jones, George Jones, Henry Jones, John '■ • Judd, Robert Hayley '■ Kelly, William (a) ^ Kempe, Nicholas • Kempthorne, Samuel 'Kennedy, Alexander {a) Kiilwick, Edward Lamb, Philip Landless, William " Larkan, John Layman, William Lea, John Robert Leach, James ■ Love, William Luce, John Luke, George (a) • Lyne, Philip Lyne, Thomas ' M'Farland, James M'Gwire, William Mackay, David ; M'Kellar, Peter Manderson, James Manley, John - Marshall, .lames Nasmyth Marshall, John Houlton i0111. .iif.-i in >Tv Simmonds, Joseph Slaughter, William Smith, John Langdale Smith, William Henry Smith, William Robert Smyth, John Spread, John Matbiaa Sutton, George Manners - Thickncsse, John Thompson, Henry Clements Thomson, Andrew - - 250 Thomson, Henry -.^i/r 296 Tookey, Ranceford - 295 Tucker, Robert 311 TurnbuU, George 264 Vivion, Thomas 248 Warburton, Benjamin 249 Waring, Henry - » 345 Wells, Thomas , ' '.' ',"''''" 295 Whipple, John 290 Whorwood, William Henry 40« Wildey, Henry ff ".-4 322 399 269 293 248 292 382 371 260 412 381 45b 350 368 371 260 321 401 321 3ri6 260 400 294 295 345 249 252 344 407 397 416 369 298 396 413 344 396 382 322 268 349 287 369 293 401 260 385 394 403 365 ■1 371 399 f CONTENTS. Williams, Edward (a) Williams, Edward (&) Williams, Robert Willoughby, Digby Worth, John Pafe 2t>i 344 290 298 & 455 393 Wray, Henry Wrench, Matthew Wybom, John Young, Robert Benjamin Yule, John Page 2S1 262 3M 40S 344 ERRATA. 1 Page 23, line 17, /«r Aon, rnuf Anne. f - ' 32, — — 8, /of Dicinitm, read Dickinson. 57, 15 from the bottom,/or Elliott, read Elliot. — — 68, — — 3, after wounded, rtatl About 100 of the enemy were miidtf prisoners. 76, — — 8, far Agents, read Agent. 126, l,ybr Edward, ren/ EDBtuND. — — 127, — — 7 from the bottom, /or enemy's, read enemy. 140, 3 yfor 173 read 174. — — 142, 2,ybr Humphreys, read Humphrey. ■ ■ 161, — — - 2,/br Downham^ read Bownham. 280, h/of torn, read from. 385, 7 from the bottom, for number of men, read number of wounded men. —— 336, note at the bottom, <|^cr p. tnwr« 331. 1 '\f>^Vfvr.,\ ."::■. ^. ^^-sbst. ' [ • <*»i,i(»*i-';-»i«itwi^ ■ ..;»■•'''■ .'. ^li- ■A»i-i\..\tik>- V ■• . .. .■ ' ,1 . . ■ ' ■ ■ n'"**' '" '.*• >' .■-VA ^^^ *. wi->,Y.rt»M't ROYAL NAVAL BIOGRAPHY. CAPTAINS OF 1827. {Continued). HON. CHARLES LEONARD IRB¥,ta^«^ Member, .^f 'the. Geographical Society of London. TJ TouRTH an3'* youngest' son of Frederick, second Lord Boston, by Christiana, only dHughter of Paul Methneii, of Corsham Houae^>(}Qt^ik8y JELisq.^ ,.iiftff«*t *&: a^jaii t -^ \^\ ■■—-■ This officer entered 'lEtie royal havy7*May"23(r^*l^n^'lig midshipman on board the Narcissus frigate. Captain (after- wards B^ear-Adn^jiral), P^rcy Fraser; which ship, it appears, was driven ashore on the coast of Holland, and would, pro- bably, have been wrecked, but for the prompt and" effectuid assistance she received from the Jalouse sloop, then com- manded by Lord Boston's second son, the Hon. Frederick Paul Irby, whose services have been recorded in Vol. IL Part r. pp. 488—500. During the peace of Amiens, Mr. Charles Irby served under Captain Fraser's successor, the present Vice-Admiral Donnelly, with whom he visited the Barbary States, Malta, Sicily, Sardinia, Toulon, Genoa, Leghorn, Naples, the Grecian Archipelago, and Alexandria. He subsequently saw much active service on the coasts of Italy and Provence, and assisted in capturing I'Alcion French corvette, and many trading vessels. VOL. III. FAUT II. B ! 2 CAPTAINS OF 1827. In 1805, the Narcissus was attached to an expedition sent against the Cape of Good Hope; and while proceeding thither, in advance of the fleet under Sir Home Popham, she captured the French privateer brig Prudent, of 12 guns and 70 men; retook the English merchant ship Horatio Nelson, mounting 22 guns, with a cargo of rum, tobacco, slaves, ivory, &c. j and drove ashore, in the midst of a heavy surf, where all her masts soon went by the board, a ship of 32 guns and 250 men, having on board the ordnance and stores of I'Atalante frigate, recently wrecked in Table Bay. She also intercepted a Dutch sloop, bound with naval stores from Cape Town to a line-of-battle ship in Simon's Bay. After the reduction of the above colony, the Narcissus proceeded to the Rio de la Plata, from whence she brought home despatches, announcing the conquest of Buenos Ayres, and specie to a considerable amount, forming part of the captured property. Towards the end of Sept. 1806, Mr. Charles Irby followed Captain Donnelly into the Ardent 64 ; which ship escorted a reinforcement of troops to the little army in South America, and formed part of the squadron under Rear-Admiral Stirling, at the siege of Montevideo. During the operations against that fortress, her captain commanded the seamen and ma- rines employed on shore ; and the subject of this sketch was wounded, while serving in an advanced battery. . On the surrender of the citadel of Montevideo, which made but little resistance after the storming of the town. Captain Donnelly was again charged with the official despatches, and the Leda frigate ordered to convey him to England, Mr. Charles Irby also returned home in the same ship, April 11th, 1807 ; and remained on shore from that period till July fol- lowing; when, his health having been re-established, he joined the Theseus 74, Captain (now Sir John P.) Beresford, employed in the Bay of Biscay. We next find him serving under Captain Donnelly, in the Invincible 74, on the North Sea station, where he remained till promoted into the Sirius 36, Captain Samuel Pym, Oct. 13th, 1808. In this ship. Lieutenant Irby again proceeded to the Cape ^?: (lition sent proceeding tphani, she guns and tio Nelson, CO, slaves, heavy surf, ship of 32 and stores Bay. She stores from r. Narcissus ihe brought ;nos Ay res, part of the by followed lip escorted th America, ral Stirling, ons against en and ma- sketch was tvhich made i^n, Captain atches, and land. Mr. April 11th, ill July fol- blished, he Beresford, lim serving the North the Sirius to the Cape I CAPTAINS OF 1827. 3 of Good Hope, from whence she was sent to join the squadron employed in the blockade of Mauritius. On the 21st of Sept. 1809, she assisted in an attack upon St. Paul's, Isle Bourbon, the result of which was the capture of la Caroline French frigate, of 46 guns and 360 men, a national brig pierced for 16 guns, and several merchant vessels ; the recapture of two British East Indiamen, with cargoes valued at three millions of dollars, and other property to an immense amount, out of the hands of the French j and the destruction of all the de- fences of the only safe anchorage in the island *, Lieutenant Irby quitted the Sirius in May, 1810 ; returned home in the Leopard 50, Captain James Johnstone; and was appointed to his old ship, the Narcissus, commanded by Captain the Hon. Frederick William Aylnier, in the month of December following. After a cruise off the Canary Islands, we find him proceeding in that frigate to Newfound- land, and from thence, along " the bleak coast of snowy Labrador," to the mouth of Hudson's Bay. The Narcissus was paid off in Mar. 1812 ; and Lieutenant Irby subsequently served under Captains Lord William Stuart, Clotworthy Upton, and Sir E. T. Troubridge, in the Conquestador 74, and Sybille and Armide frigates, on the Channel, Irish, and Halifax stations. Previous to his leaving the latter ship, he assisted in capturing an American pri- vateer, of 17 guns and 100 men ; and a French letter-of- marque, of 16 guns and 60 men. In Sept. 1814, he assumed the conmand of the Thames 32, armed en flute, into which ship he iiad been promoted by the Admiralty on the 7th of June preceding. The Thames was attached to the unfortunate expedition against New Orleans, and Captain Irby continued to com- mand her till May, 1815, when, being in a bad state of health, he was superseded at his own request. In the sum- mer of 1816, after having unsuccessfully endeavoured to obtain an appointment in the armament fitting out against Algiers, he left England, with the intention of making a tour • See Vol. II. Part II. p. 716. 11 2 "0 4 CAPTAINS OF I827. on the continent of Europe, accompanied by his old friend and shipmate, Captain James Mangles, R. N. This journey our travellers were led to extend far beyond their original design. Curiosity at first, and an increasing admiration of antiquities as they advanced, carried them, at length, through several parts of the Levant, which Lad been but little visited by modern ti'avellers, and gave them more than four years of continued employment. Jn 1823, they ])r'mtei], for privn/e distribution, an account of their " Travels in Egypt and Nubia, Syria, and Asia Minor, during the years 1817 and 1818." The volume consists of six letters. The first, dated at Cairo, Sept. 27, 1817, relates to a voy- age up the Nile, in company with Messrs. Beechey and Bel- zoni, for the purpose of opening the great temple at Ebsambal, near the second cataract ; and which object they accom- plished, after twenty- two days' hard labour, Aug. 1, 1817. The average height of the thermometer in the shade during the operations was 1 12" of Fahrenheit ; and, for the last five days, their food consisted of only doura and water, the Nubians having cut off their supplies, in order to prevent them from completing their explorations. On the 5th of August, Captain Jrby had his hand badly cut in wresting a dagger from one of the native boatmen, who, while foaming with rage, was in the act of stabbing Belzoni ; by whom the model of the great temple was afterwards exhibited afc the Egyptian Hall, Piccadilly. " Mr. Bankes," says the writer of this letter, *' was the first Englishman who ever succeeded in gaining the second cataract: he travelled in 1815. In 1816, Mons. Drovetti, the ci-devant French Consul in Egypt, succeeded in reaching it, with his two agents, llifaud and Cailliaud ; these travellers, together witli Sheikh Ibrahim, mid ourselves, are all that have reached thus fur. Bclzoni had his wife with hiui in man's clothes." The second letter contains the journal of a route across the Desert, from Grand Cairo to El Arish and Ga/a; along the seacoast of Syria lo Latachia ; and from thence to An- tioeh and Aleppo, at wi>ich lutti'r place ihry arrived on the 25lh of Nov. 181 7. During the second portion of this ^1 i old friend far beyond II increasing irried them, Lch had been them more 1823, they ;ir " Travels dm'ing the ■ six letters. ;es to a voy- ley and Bel- it Ebsambal, hey accom- Aig. 1, 1817- hade during for the last d water, the • to prevent 1 the 5th of wresting a hile foaming r whom the ibited at the s the writer er succeeded 1815. In sul in Egypt, Rifaud and h Ibrahim, ir. Bd/oni oute across a/a ; ahMig lence to An- ivod on tiie tion of this CAPTAINS OF 1827. ^ j-onmey, they also visited the vilhige of Eden, the cedars of Lebanon, and the splendid ruins of Bualbec. The third letter transports us from Aleppo to Hamah (the Epiphania of the Greeks ajid Romans), situated near the west bank of the Orontes ; Palmyra, the ancient Tadmor, founded by Solomon ; and the delightful city of Damascus, where the writer and his friend remained from the 10th till the 23d of February, 1818. Previous to their arrival there, they had been thirty-eight days and nights without pulling their clothes off, or ever sleeping on a bed. The fourth and fifth letters are occupied with various tra- vels throughout the Holy Land, of extraordinary interest. Among other places visited by the writers were Panias, near to which is the source of the Jordan ; Tiberias, situated close to the Lake of Gennesaret ; O'n Keis, the ancient Gadara, in the country of the Gadarcnes ; IJysan, supposed to be the Bethshan of scripture ; Djerash, formerly a splen- *" ade out for Zantc, cannot be proved to contain enemy's property; besides which, the vessel that captured her is not furnished with the proper document from the Govern- ment of Napoli di Romania, without which no Greek vessel of war is suf- fered to cruise, according to the agreement between the (Government of (ireat Britain and that of Greece. It becomes, therefore, my duty to demand her of you, and if you refuse to give her up I shall use force to take or destroy her. At the same time the Government of Great Britain being at peace with Greece, I am desirous to avoid as much as posfiblc firing into your houses ; but as circumstances may occur to render it im- r^ i ill 11 f; |! 10 CAPTAINS OF 1827. possible for me to prevent it, for humanity's sake I desire you will send your women and children to the mountains. If you agree to give up to me your galliot, and the cargo of the Ionian schooner, I have no objection to your sending a supercargo of your own to Zdnte on board the Ionian vessel, nor that your galliot should go there under Greek colours, and mannpd i)y her own crew, provided both sail under my custody. If the authorities at Zante conceive you had a right to capture this vessel, you well know that both she and her cargo, as well as your own galliot, will be returned to you. I likewise recpiire satisfaction for the Ionian captain's property, who was killed off Prodano, and on which subject you have already had communications from the Vice-Consul of Kitries, Signor Pasqualigo. " If you do not comply with my request, I shall be obliged to begin firing : I give you two hours to consider. (Signed) " Charles Leonard Irby." In consequence of this letter, Signor Giovanni Mavronucali waited upon Captain Irby, and consented to send his galliot and the Ionian vessel to Zante in company with the Pelican : the former was afterwards liberated by an order of the British Government, and sent back with a strong remonstrance to the Greeks. Early in March, 1827, Captain Irby, then at Corfu, reported to his commander-in-chief as follows : " On the morning of the 2d instant, having heard that Cipriotti the pirate had his rendezvous at Scropho, and had been there a week pre- viously, I took the gig and cutter with Lieutenant Smith (who had de- stroyed two boats there during our last cruise), in order that I might myself form a judgment as to the practicability of an attack by boats, if Cipriotti should still be there ; the Pelican passing outside of Oxia, as there was too little wind for her to pass through the narrow channel be- tween it and Scropho. On opening the passage, a bovo, answering the description I had had of Cipriotti's, was perceived to leeward, and chased by the brig and boats j the latter keeping close in shore to cut her off, while the brig necessarily kept outside of her on account of the shallow- ness of the water. On getting within range, chase guns were fired by the Pelican, and muskets by the boats, to bring her to, which she did not obey, but got her sweeps out and made every effort to escape. On the pinnace and gig approaching her within pistol-shot, she opened a very heavy and destructive fire on them, though both boats had English jacks in their bows, and the Pelican her ensign displayed. Perceiving that the boats would suffer greatly, I ordered them on board, but am sorry to say not until they had two marines killed, and two seamen mortally wounded ; bolh Licuteuaals (Messra. SuiitU and Daniel F. Grant), Mr. Case the CAITAINS OF I827. 11 carpenter, one seaman, and one marine severely wounded. The bovo shewed Turkish colours ; but as she persisted in not bringin^-to, I con- sidered myself justified in destroyinj]^ her, and accordingly iipproached her (on her running- ashore on the shoals off Missolunghi) as near as the sliallow water would admit oF, and anchoring in three fathoms, was enabled to bring the broadside to bear, which was fired until she appeared to be a wreck. Hereupon the boats were again despatched, under Lieutenant Smith (who though severely wounded in the hand could not be prevailed upon to leave his duty), to bring out the remainder of the crew, and set her on fire, which was effected : seventeen were brought on board, besides a number who cither escaped in her boat or waded on shore : we heard of four being killed, including her captain, and two mortally and severely wounded. " On examination, she proved to be Turkish (and amongst her papers is a firman from the Grand Seignior), from Prevesa bound to Misso- lunghi, having four guns and a great quantity uf small arms. These dis- astrous circumstances would not have occurred but for the obstinacy of her captain, who would not bring to, or permit us to examine him, though we were under English colours, and which led me confidently to believe she was a pirate. " I regret the return of killed and wounded, but it was unavoidable. I have much satisfaction in reporting the spirited conduct of Lieutenants Smith and Grant, and the officers and men employed on this occasion, al- though the result has been so dearly purchased. I have the honor to be, &c. (Signed) " Charles Leonard Irbv.'* . " To Fice-Admiral Sir Edward Codrington, AT. C. B." The conduct of Captain Irby throughout this transaction appears to have been perfectly proper, and that of the Turk, who had so pertinaciously resisted the scrutiny of a British man-of-war, either grossly ignorant or extremely mis* chievous. On the 25th of June in the same year, the com- mander of the Pelican addressed another official letter to Sir Edward Codrington, of which the following are extracts : *' Sir, — In consequence of the information we received at Zante, that Nicolo Siutto, the pirate, was actually at Scardamoula, where he was hauling the plunder he had taken from an Austrian trabaccolo off Valona, I proceeded to that place, to demand restitution of the property ; but heard nt Modon that his vessel had again sailed. On the 12th, I stood for Kitries, in order to gain intelligence from the Vice-Consul there. Signer Pasfjualigo, who informed me that Sciutto had not only plundered the Austrian, but also an English vessel off Paxo, and that the cargo was eiill in store at Scardamoula. I immediately directed Pasqualigo to go -^ 1 1 i 1 ! i i ,1 1 1 \ Itl t ^ 12 CAPTAINS OF 1827. on board a Greek schooner of war, the captain of which otlercd to accom- pany Hs. We sailed together, and arrived oH'Scardainoida in the evening; 1 sent Pasqualiffo on shore to demand the restitution of the phnider lalien from the English and Austrian vessels, and say if they did not deliver it up, I would fire on the town in the morning; — recommending them lo send their women and children out of the way. Pasqualigo returned ahout ten, to say the Governor was absent in the mountains, and no decisive answer could be obtained that night. On the following morning, the 1 3th, I sent him again, giving the inhabitants two hours more to retire, as I observed the women had not left the place, at the expiration of which time I opened a fire on the houses, but hud scarcely discharged six :$hot, and the Greek schooner one, when a party came running to the beach with a white flag, which I answered, and ceased firing; — the object of the flag was to say that the governor had not yet returned ; a letter had been sent to him, but no answer was come. I gave them another hour, then hauled down the truce and recommenced firing, when a letter was brought from Governor Dionysio Murzius, one of the Kphori of Sparta, acknow- ledging that Slutto had landed his plunder at Scardamoula ; that it was not in his power to prevent him, and that it was all sold, or sent into the interior of the country ; begging me to desist from firing into the place. Having been informed, however, that some of the English goods were actually in his own house, which was pointed out to me, where three ginid were planted with their tompions out, all ready to fire. I opened on that particular spot, and with such precision that every shot told ; — one, a 32-poundcr, went through the small room in which the plunder was lying. Upon this, he sent off again, to consent to deliver up all that remained ; but on landing, 1 am sorry to say, 36 small bales of Manchester cotton was all that could be found. I afterwards sent Lieutenant Su)ith, with Signor Pa3({ualigo, to examine the custom-house, at some distance on the beach, where they could see nothing but a small (piantity of corn. I have little doubt, Dionysio Murzius has an interest in the plunder that is brought to Scardamoula, though he declares he has not, and that he has not sufficient force to prevent their landing and sending it into the interior. I am sorry to add, from Pasqualigo's information, that NIcolo Siutto's vessel is now gone to sea, with regular papers from the Greek senate, at Poros, by which means it will be difficult for any man-of-war to recognise her, unless from precise information, or plunder found on board. Not- withstanding the warning I had given, I regret to say one boy was wounded by our fire, and some of the houses are very much shattered. The cotton was put on board an Ionian vessel ; and as the masters of others lying at Kitries declared it impossible to leave the port, for fear of pirates, I offi^red them convoy to Zante. On arriving off Kitries, on the 14th, I was told that a piratical mistico had taken an Ionian schooner into Petuladi, and that the crew had escaped with their plunder, after running both vessels on shore, and cutircly dismantling them. I proceeded to that place, and \l CAI'TAFXS OF 1827- 13 I'crcd to act'om- in the evening ; e plunder taken id not deliver it cudinir them i(» returned about and no decisive J morninji;, the ore to retire, as ration of which larged six shot, g to the I>caeh lie object of the letter had been ther hour, then er was brought parta, a^-know- la ; that it was )r sent into the into the place. sh goods were lere three guns Dpcned on that told ; — one, a ider was lyin^-. ;hat remained ; Chester cotton Smith, with istancc on the corn. I have under thut is d that he has ,0 the interior. icolo Siutto's ■eek senate, at T to recognise board. Not- was wounded The cotton thers lying at ates, I offered th, I was told Petuladi, and ; both vessels lat place, and having ancliorcd within gun-shot of the shore, sent the boats armed under Lieutenant Smith, with the marines, to command the surrounding heights : he found both vessels lying near the beacli, within a reef of rocks, scuttled, full of water, and quite dismantled ; the schooner on her beam-ends, with ^ily her larboard gunwale above water. Lieutenant Smith cut away their !ower-masts, and as the mistico was so situated that there was no possi- bility of her being got off again, he destroyed her to the water's edge. From thence I returned to Kitries, and took the vessels under my charge for this port, whence I shall return to my former cruizing ground off Sa- pienza. (Signed) " CiiA** Leon'>- Irhy." On the 2d of July, Captain Irby was promoted to tlie command of the Ariadne 26, but he did not (juit the Pelican till Sept. 27, I827. In the meantime he had detained a schooner, the master of which acknowledged having taken some money from a Cephalonian vessel j and brought out from Port Pagagna another piratical cruiser, which had plun- dered an Austrian merchantman. After the battle of Nava- rino, he was requested by Sir Edward Codrington to bring home the Genoa 74, the command of which ship he assumed on the 1.5th of Nov. 1827, J^nd retained until she was paid off at Plymouth, Jan. 21, 1828. Captain C. L. Irby married Frances, daughter of John Mangles, of Hurley, co. Berks, Esq. Agents, — Messrs. Goode and Claike. h. RICHARD HOARE, Esq. Passed his examination, at Plymouth, in Mar. 181.3 ; and was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, in the Dragon 7^, Captain Robert Barric, on the North American station, Nov. J 3th following. His subsequent appointments were, — Aug. 30, 1815, to the Madagascar 38, Captain Francis Stan- fell j — Oct. 31st, in the same year, to the Phiieton frigate, commanded by the same officer; — Jan. 7, 1818, to the Blossom 2G, Captain Frederick Hickey ; — Feb. 9, 1821, to the Niemcn, Captain E. R. Sibly;— and, July 19, 1822, to the command of the Dotercl 18, on tljo Halifax station. His commission as Captain bears date July 7, 1827. n (f ' i ri! ' it; ii; iii 14 CAPTAINS OF 1827- This officer married. Mar. 15, 1823, Matilda Ottley, youngest daughter of Rear-Admirul (now Sir William C.) Fahie. His lady died on the 27th of Sept. 1826. GEORGE JAMES HOPE JOHNSTONE, Esq. Obtained the rank of Lieutenant, Oct 30, 1821 j and subsequently served under Captains W. A. Montagu, H. E. P. Sturt, and Sir Charles Burrard, Bart., in the Phaeton frigate, and Revenge 78. He vi^as appointed flag-lieutenant to Vice-Admiral Sir Harry Neale, G.C.B., Dec. 26, 1824; promoted to the command of the Alacrity sloop on the Me- diterranean station, Sept. 17, 1825*; and advanced to the rank of Captain^ July 8, 1827. OCTAVIUS H. C. VENABLES VERNON, Esq. Is a son of the Right Hon. Edward Venables Vernon, D.C.L., Archbishop of York, Primate of England, &c. &c. &c.t He -was made a lieutenant, Jan. 11, 1814; appointed to the Amelia frigate, Captain the Hon. Granville Proby, fitting out for the Mediterranean station. Mar. 27, 1815 ; and to the Sir Francis Drake, flag-ship at Newfoundland, May 2, 1818; promoted to the command of the Drake sloop, Feb. 3, 1820; appointed to the Britomart of 10 guns, June 5, 1824; and removed from that vessel into the Primrose 18, on the Ja- maica station. May SO, 1825. He subsequently visited Vera Cruz, Tampico, Havannah, New York, Washington, Philadelphia, and Baltimore ; brought home the Biitish Chargd d'affaires, and upwards of a million of dollars, from Mexico, in July, 1827; and was advanced to the rank of Captain, on the 7th of the following month. * See Commander Richard S. Tiuscutt. t Sec Supp. Part III. p. '3(>S. CAPTAINS OF 182/. 15 itikla Ottley, William C.) m X >NE, Esq. I, 1821 ; and Montagu, Fl . the Phaeton ag-lieutenant 3c. 26, 1824; ) on the Me- vanced to the ^ON, Esq. rnon, D.C.L., ;c. &c.t He )inted to the y, fitting out and to the Jay2, 1818; eb. 3, 1820; , 1824; and 'f on the Ja- ently visited [Washington, the Bi'itish [dollars, from the rank of FRANCIS BRACE, Esq. We first find this officer serving as midshipman on board the Clyde frigate, Commodore (now Sir Edward W. C. R.) Owen ; and afterwards under his uncle, Captain (now Rear- Admiral) Edward Brace, in the Berwick 74, of which ship he was appointed a lieutenant, on the Mediterranean station, Feb. 5, 1813. His subsequent appointments were, — Oct. 14, 1814, to the Menai 26, Captain W. O. Pell;— April 15, 1815, lo the Pique frigate. Captain the Hon. A. Maitland;— July 16, J816, to be flag-lieutenant to Commodore Sir Robert Hall, on the Lakes of Canada; — and, Sept. 15, 1817, to the Sybille 48, fitting out for the flag of Rear-Ad- miral Sir Home Popham, under whom he served in the West Indies, until promoted to the rank of Commander, Dec. 7> 1818. His commission as Captain bears date, Aug. 14, 1827; ^t which period he commanded the Gannet sloop, in the Mediterranean. JgentSy — Messrs. Atkins and Son, THOMAS BOURCHIER, Esq. Passed his examination in Mar. 1808; obtained his first commission on the 26th of Aug. following ; and was a lieu- tenant of the Victorious 74, Captain (now Sir John) Talbot, at the close of the war in 1814. His subsequent appoint- ments were, — April 29, 1815, to the Tenedos frigate, Cap- tain Hyde Parker; and, Aug. 12, 1819, to be flag-lieute- nant to Sir Thomas M. Hardy, on the South American station; where he was promoted to the command of the Beaver sloop, Sept. 9, 1822; removed into the Eclair, Oct. 21, 1823; and appointed Captain of the Menai 26, in Sept. 1827. He also appears to have commanded the Volage 28, for a short period, in the Pacific. u^g-ew/s,— Messrs, Maude & Co. IG CAPTAINS OP 182/. ' i n JOHN FOOTE, Esq. Obtained the rank of lieutcn:mt in Maj', 1801 ; and had the misfortune to be wounded and taken prisoner while commanding a gun-boat, manned by the Queen 98, and sent from Gibraltar to afford protection to a convoy passing through the Gut, in Oct. 1806. The following is a copy of his oflBcial letter to Rear- Admiral Purvis, by whom he had been sent on that service : *' Tvwn of TiirJfu, Oct. 26th, 180C. ** Sir, — With heart-felt anguish I acquaint you of the capture of H. M. gun-boat Hannah^ yesterday forenoon, by a Spanish privateer, of 4 guns and 70 men. " Being off Cabritta Point, I discovered a latlne- ringed vessel in the middle of the Gut, a few miles to leeward of me, towing a merchantman towards the Spanish coast ; and conceiving it my duty to endeavour to regain her, I made all sail after them. Upon coming within gun-shot, I perceived the enemy was a large three-masted vessel, of much superior force to the gun-boat ; I therefore, after exchanging a few shot, and find- ing she knew her superiority, by casting off the tow, and tacking after mc, endeavoured to escape; — she soon, however, got so close as to do execu- tion with her grape ; and our ammunition being nearly expended, I deter- mined to try the event by boarding her j but on coming alongside, such a number of men jumped into us, as obliged us to act on the defensive. After fighting on the deck about ten minutes, I looked around, and saw scarce an Englishman standing, and another privateer coming up close to us ; I therefore determiiied to save the lives of the few brave fellows that were left, by striking the British flag. I send this by Mr. Spargo, mid- shipman, to whom I am indebted for writing il, (being wounded in my left arm, and the doctor having bled me in the other) as well as for his gallantry in the engagement; and I cannot finish without saying how much I owe to the bravery of young iMr. Millett, midshipman, and the whole of the guu-boai's crew. I iierewith enclose a list of killefl, &c. (Signed) " John Foote." ** This contest," says Lord Colling wood, honorable to Lieutenant Foote and his men ;' were slain, two drowned, and eleven wounded. We next find this officer serving as flag-lieutenant to Sir Richard Bickerton, at Portsmouth ; where he continued until promoted to the command of the Rapid sloop, Sept. *29th, 1813. His subsequent appointments were,— Oct. 9th, 18H, i< vi'as highly of whom six CAPTAINS OF 1827. 17 1801 ; and liad prisoner while 'en 98, and sent convoy passing ng is a copy of ' whom he had Oct. 26t/i, 1806. e capture of H. M. rivateer, of 4 guns i>ffed vessel in the ing a merchantman y to endeavour to if within gun-shot, of much superior few shot, and find- d tacking after me, ose as to do execu- expended, I deter- alongside, such a t on tlie defensive. around, and saw oming up close to brave fellows that r»Ir. Spargo, mid- ig wounded in my as well as for his ;iiout saying how diipman, and the of killed, &c. John Foote." " was highly of whom six iitenant to Sir ontinued until I,, Sept. 29th, )ct. 9th, 18H, to the Goldfinch of 10 guns, which vessel, after having been employed on " special service," was paid off at Sheer ness, in Dec. 1815 :— and, May 12th, 1827, to the Britannia 120, bear- ing the flag of Earl Northesk, and commanded by Captain Edward Hawker, at Plymouth. He was advanced to his present rank on the 29th of Sept. 1827. PHILIP HENRY BRIDGES, Esq. W£ first find the name of this officer mentioned in an official letter from Captain (now Sir Frederick L.) Mtiitland to Admiral Sir John Colpoys, reporting the capture of the French national brig Venteux, by two boats belonging to the Loire frigate, close under the batteries of I'lsle de Bas, June 27th, 1803 * : the following is an extract : — " Mr. Bridges has served his time, and passed for Lieutenant nearly a year; of whose conduct Mr. Temple speaks in the highest terms, together with that of every officer and man under his command." On the 4th of the following month, Mr. Bridges was pro- moted to the rank of lieutenant ; and in Jan. 1804, the Com- mittee for managing the Patriotic Fund '* resolved that a sword of Thirty Pounds value, with a suitable inscription, should be presented to him, as n token of the sense enter- tained of his distinguished merit." He subsequently served under Captains the Hon. George Elliot, George Saycr (a), and Samuel Leslie, in the Hussar, Leda, and Theban, frigates, on the East India station ; where he was appointed acting commander of the Zebra sloop, Dec. 8th, 1815 ; and pro- moted to the command of the Challenger 18, in Nov. 1816. His last appointments were, — in 1818, to act as captain of the Trincomalee 46, which ship he brought home from Bom- bay, and paid off in April 1819 ;— and, July 24th, 1827, to the Prince Regent 120, bearing the flag of Sir Henry Black- wood, and commanded by Captain the Hon. George Poulett, * Sec Vol. II. Part II. p. 911. VOL. in. FART II. IS 18 CAPTAINS OF 1827. at ChAtham, where he was serving when advanced to his present rank, on the 29th of Sept. following. Agent f — J. Hinxman, Esq. LEWIS DA VIES, Esq. A Companion of the Most Honorable Militari/ Order of the Bath ; Knight of the Rot/al French Order of St. Louis; and Knight {2d class) of the Imperial Russian Order of St. Anne. « This officer is a brother of the late Lieutenant- Colonel Davies, (known throughout all India by the appellation of ** 2Hger Davies" from his frequent daring encounters with that ferocious animal,) who was assassinated in May 1827) at Mominabad, by a party of the Nizam's third regiment of native horse, while endeavouring to quell by remonstrance a spirit of insubordination which some of that corps had mani- fested. Mr. Lewis Davies passed his examination in May 1808, obtained the rank of lieutenant in Sept. following ; and was promoted from the Seringapatam frigate. Captain Charles Sotheby, to the command of the Rose sloop, on the Mediter- ranean station, Jan. 26th, 1826. The Rose was attached to the combined force under Sir Edward Ccdrington, and sustained a loss of three men killed and fifteen officers and men wounded, at the battle of Navarin, Oct. 20th, 1827*. On the second day after that memorable event, we find Mons. De Kigny writing to the British Vice- Admiral as follows :— *' Sir, — I hasten to do myself the honor to inform your Excellcnry, from a detailed report made by Captain Hugon, of the Armide, that tlie excellent manotiivrc of Captaia Davies, when the Rose came and reso- lutely cast her anchor witliin pistol-shot of two furkish corfettes, relieved the Armidc in a few minutes from her unfavorable position ; and it is my doty, and at the same time a great pleasure to nie, to assure your Excel- lency, that on this occasion Captain Davies did every thi«ig that could be expected from a brave and experienced officer. I am, with the highest consideration, your very fuitliful servant, (Signed) " H. De Rigny, Rcar-Adiuiral."^ • See Suppl. Part H. pp. 3-'9--334. CAPTAINS OF 1827. 19 vanced to his he Bath ; Knight '{2(1 class) of the ;enant- Colonel appellation of icounters with in May 1827, d regiment of emonstrance a irps had mani- in May 1808, nng ; and was iptain Charles i the Mediter- rce under Sir ree men killed le of Navarin, at memorable British Vice- our Excellcnrjr, Vrmide, that tlie came and rcso- rvettes, relieved tn ; and it is my ure your Excel- g that CfHild i)e vith the highcDt ar-Adiuiral."" It appears, from other accounts, that I'Armidc, previous to her being supported by the Rose, was exposed to the undi- vided fire of no less than five of the enemy's ships ; and that Commander Davies received some personal injury by the explosion of a Turco- Egyptian bi-Alot. On the day after the action, he was promoted to the vacancy caused by the death of Captain Bathurst, of the Genoa ; but ordered to continue in the command of the Rose, and sent with despatches to Smyrna. " If times had hec/i chivalrous," says Sir Edward Codrington, ** and I had had chivalrous power, I should have knighted him on the field of battle" The other rewards bestowed upon Commander Davies were a Companionship of the Bath, the Cross of St. Louis, and the Order of St. Anne. Among the wounded on this occasion were Lieutenant Maine Lyons, Messrs. Douglas Curry (third son of Cap- tain Richard Curry, R. N.,) and M. Williams, midship- men, of the Rose. The former officer lost his leg, and only survived four days : — we have a melancholy satisfaction in transcribing a letter subsequently addressed to his nearest male relative, whose own gallant services are already known to our readers : — H. M. S. Rose, Malta, Nov. 29/A, 1827. " Dear Sir,— Your brother's loss is deplored by all who knew him, for his kindness of heart and evenness of temper ; but he was chiefly admired for his cool self-possession in danger; he was often under fire from pirates, when in command of the Rose's boats, and was always successful; but it was at the battle of Navarin that he pre-eminently distinguished himself, in command of the boats, by towing a fire-vessel clear of u French line-of-battle ship, under a dreadful fire of grape, which must have insured his promotion had he survived. Yours, (Signed) " L. Davies." •* To Captain Edmund LyonB, R. N." Captain Davies subsequently commanded the Ariadne 28, which ship he brought home from the Mediterranean, and paid off at Plymouth, in May 1828. •<\i I < 2 r*t* m^ 1 ■' ■ H'h I II' hill 20 CAPTAINS OF 1827. JOHN NORMAN CAMPBELL, Esq. /4 Companion of the Most Honorable Military Order of the Butk. This officer was made a lieutenant in June, 1807; from which period we find no mention made of him until his appoint- ment to the Snake eloop, Commander Joseph Gape, April $th, 1815. He subsequently served under Captains Francis Stanfell and Francis A. Collier, in the Phaeton and Liverpool frigates, on the St. Helena and East India stations ; com- manded the seamen employed on shore in the attack upon Ras-al-Khyma, in Dec. 1819*, and acted for a short time as captain of the Dauntless 24, vice the Hon. Valentine Gardner, deceased. His promotion to the rank of commander took place Nov. 28th, 1820; and his next appointment was. May 14th, 1827, to the Albion 74, Captain John Ac worth Oni- manney, which ship formed part of the combined force under Sir Edward Codrington at the battle of Navarin, and sustained a loss of ten killed and fifty wounded. ' The officers and other gentlemen of the Albion whose names appeared in her surgeon's report of casualties were. Captain Cornelius James Stevens, R. M., and Mr. Edwai'd R. Foster, volunteer, slain / — Messrs. William Lloyd (mate), Frederick Fludyer Gray (midshipman), and Thomas Adding- ton (boatswain), severely wounded ; — and Commander Camp- bell, Lieutenant John Gooch D'Urbuu, the Rev. Edmund Winder (chaplain), Assistant-surgeon W. F. O'Kane, and Mr. James Stewart (clerk), j/j^/i/Zy woM/irfec/f. For his conduct on this occasion, Commander Campbell was advanced to the rank of Captain, by commission dated back to Oct. 22d, 1817 ; and nominated a C. B. on the 13th of the following month. ' :• ' . ■' •• ■•• ' ...I.;, ,»p»f>.. ■<„.,< i • See Snppl. Part IV. pp. 223— 22;., 1^ ^ili Jj^.^ t Mr. F. F. Gray lust his r\^\\X arm, and his eldest brotlior was ut the same time severely wounded un hoard the Genoa. 8ee p. ',V2. I r I < >i ^M' .'inir ) I (* ¥ ■^'i# CAPFAINS OF I827. 21 , Esq. of the Buth. , 1807; from ;il his appoint- 1 Gape, April ptains Francis and Liverpool tations ; coni- e attack upon I short time as ntine Gardner, nmander took [lent was. May Acworth Om- ed force under , and sustained Albion whose isuatties were, Mr. Edwai-d Lloyd (mate), omas Adding - mander Camp- Rev. Edmund O'Kane, and ider Campbell mission dated (. on the 13th ■■ -,»r'-. I'otlior was ut the ». \V2. '' ': r HON. WILLIAM ANSON, A Companion of the Most Honorable Military Order of the Bath ; Knight of the Royal French Order of St. Louis ; and Knight {2d class) of the Imperial Russian Order of St. Anne. This officer was the fourth son of Thomas, first Fiscount Anson (grand-nephew of the celebrated naval commander and circumnavigator, in whose person the family of Anson was first ennobled) by Anne Margaret, second daughter of Thomas Wenman Coke, of Holkham Hall, co. Norfolk, Esq., and was born on the 26th of Feb. 1801. He was made a lieutenant in April, 1822; appointed to the Tribune frigate. Captain G. H. Guion, fitting out for the Mediterranean station, in the month of November following ; promoted to the command of the Brisk sloop, Jan. 26th, 1326 ; and advanced to the rank of captain (by commission dated back to Oct. 22d, 1827) ; nominated a C. B. (Nov. 13th, 1827), and decorated with the above mentioned foreign orders, for his conduct at the battle of Navarin ; on which occasion his purser, Mr. licnry Campling, was killed while assisting the surgeon in dressing an amputation. The total loss sustained by the Brisk was one killed and three wounded. Captain Anson died at the scat of his eldest brother, (now Viscount Anson), Shugborough, co. Stafford, Oct. 19, 1830. RIGHT HON. HENRY VISCOUNT INGESTHIE, A Companion of the Most Honorable Military Order of the Rath ; Knight if the Royal French Order of St. Louis; Knight {2d class) of the Imperial Russian Order of St. Anne ; and M. P. for Hertford. This olhcer is the eldest son of Earl Talbot, by Frances Thomasine, eldest daughter of Charles Lambert, of Beau Park, CO. Meath, Esq., and was born on the 8tli of No- vember, 1803. He was made a lieutenant in Jan. 1^24 j appointed to the Blonde frigate, Captain Lord Byron, June 7th following; promoted to the command of the Philomel sloop, Oct. 18th, 1826 ; advanced to the rank of captain, &c. r^ < J22 CAPTAINS OF 1827 AND 1828. &c. the same as the preceding ofl&cer, for his conduct at Navariii, on which occasion the Philomel had one marine killed and seven men wounded ; and chosen M. P. for Hert- ford, in 1830. Viscount Ingestrie brought home the official despatches an- C Ku^ ^^ nouncing the defeat of the Turco-Egyptian fleet. He married, Nov. 8th, 1828, Sarah Elizabeth, only surviving daughter of Henry, second Marquis of Waterford. ^;§'c/i/*,— Messrs. Stilwell. • iV WILLIAM SYMONDS, Esq. * Was made a lieutenant in Oct. 1801 ; promoted to the rank of commander, from the Royal George yacht, Oct. 4th, 1825 ; appointed to the Columbine, an experimental sloop of war, built according to a plan of his own, Dec. 4th, 1826 ; and advanced to the rank of captain, Dec. 5th, 1827. j4gents, — Messrs. Stilwell. JOHN WINDHAM DALLING, Esq. Served as midshipman under the late Captain Sir William Hoste, in the Amphion frigate ; obtained the rank of lieu- tenant in Oct. 1810 } and was made a commander in June 1814. His subsequent appointments were, — Jan. 7th, 1817, to the Nimrod of 18 guns; and, April 18th, 1826, to the Baleigh 18 ; in which latter sloop he was serving on the Mediterranean station, when advanced to the rank of cap- tain, Jan. 2d, 1828. Agents, — Messrs. Stilwell. . , JAMES SCOTT, Esq. This officer was slightly wounded while serving as mas- ter's-mate of the Pompce 74, and employed on shore under the orders of Commodore (now Sir George) Cockburn^ at the ■BiUika 'mmm lis conduct at id one marine I. P. for Hert- despatches an- ;. He married, ig daughter of mioted to the acht, Oct. 4th, lental sloop of Bc. 4th, 1826 ; 1827. CAPTAINS OF 1828. reduction of Martinique, in Feb. 1809 *. He passed his ex- amination in Oct. following ; obtained a commission on the 16th of the ensuing month ; and commanded a boat belong- ing to the Marlborough 7"^, at the capture of four formidable American privateers, in the Rappahannock river, April 3d, 1813 f. We afterwards find him serving under Captain Charles B. H. Ross, in the Sceptre and Albion, successively the flag-ships of Rear-Admiral Cockburn, whose aid-de- camp he appears to have been in the expeditions against Washington and Baltimore ; during which he was frequently recommended to the favorable notice of Sir Alexander Coch- rane, commander-in-chief on the Halifax station J. He was promoted to the rank of commander in Oct. 1814; appointed to the Thistle of 12 guns, Jan. 21st, 1816 ; to the Hiurlequin ]8, fitting out for the Jamaica station, Nov. 6th, 1824; and advanced to his present rank, Jan. 8th, 1828. Captain Scott married. May 3d, 1819, Caroline Annf heiress of the late Richard Donovan, of Tibberton Court, co. Glou- cester, Esq. ^gentsj — Messrs, Maude &Co. Esq. n Sir William rank of lieu- mder in June »n. 7th, 1817, 1826, to the rviiig on the rank of cap- nng as mas- shore under iburn, at the aOHN FITZ-GERALD STUDDERT, Esq. Was made a lieutenant in Jan. 181 1 ; appointed to the Chat- ham 74, bearing the flag of Rear- Admiral M. H. Scott, on the North Sea station, Aug. 24th, 1812 ; promoted from the Raven sloop, to the rank of Commander, Aug. 12th, 1814; and appointed to the Champion sloop, fitting out for the East India station, June 1st, 1824. During the last three months of the Burmese war, he was entrusted with the charge of keeping the navigation open between Rangoon and Prome; and after its termination, he appears to have assisted iu withdrawing the British army from the dominions of Ava. On the 1st of April, 1826, we find him, in conjunction with t I i See Suppl. Part I. p. 422 ct scq. f See Id, p. 365. t SeeSuppl. PurtlV, pp. 9— 17. • 'ill! il:l \iii 24 CAPTAINS OF 1828. three other commissioners, taking formal possession of th6 ceded provinces *. His advancement to the rank of Captain look place Jan. lOtli, 1828. Jigenty — J. Copland, Esq. CHARLES CROLE, Esq. Is related to the Earl of Egrcmont. He passed his exa- mination in Aug. 1811 ; obtained a commission in Oct. 1813; and served during the remainder of the war with France, in the Rodney 74, Captain Charles Inglis. We afterwards find him proceeding to the West Indies, in the Araxes frigate, Captain George Miller Bligh ; and subsequently serving as flag-lieutenant to Sir Home Popham and Sir Charles Rowley, successively commanders-in-chief on the Jamaica station, where he was promoted into the Icarus of 10 guns. May 6, 1822 ; and removed from that vessel to the Surinam 18, on the 19th July following. His last appointment was, Nov. 9th, 1827, to the Columbine 18, on the Halifax station, which sloop he commanded until advanced to the rank of Captain, Jan. 26th, 1828. j4gent, — John Chippendale, Esq. WILLIAMS SANDOM, Esq. Commenced his naval career at an early age, under the auspices of Captain the Hon. Charles Elphinstone (now Vice Admiral Fleeming), with whom he served on various stations in the Diomede 50, and Egyptienne frigate. In 1806 he was an acting lieutenant of the Pompde 74, bearing the flag of Sir W. Sidney Smith, on the coasts of Naples and Calabria ; and in the following year we find him accompanying the ex- peditions against Constantinople and Copenhagen f . During the bombardment of the latter capital, he was actively em- ployed in the Tigress mortar- vessel ; and after the surrender of the Danish navy, he received an appointment to the Ley- • Sea Appendix to Vol. III. Part 1. pp. 96, 1 16, and 115. t :^oe V ol. 111. Part I. p. 70 et siq. 'i^ CAPTAINS OF 1828k •Jo session of the ink of Captain assed his exa- i in Oct. 1813; ith France, in fterwards find raxes frigate, tly serving as arles Rowley, naica station, guns. May 6, iritiam 18, on ?nt was, Nov. station, which ik of Captain, , under the ne (now Vice ious stations 1806 he was f the flag of lid Calabria ; ying the ex- I f. During actively eni- le surrender to the Ley- 115. den 64, Captain William Cumberland, which appears to have been confirmed by the Admiralty, April 30th, 1808. On the 6th of July, 1809, Lieutenant Sandom, then second of the Bonne Citoyenne sloop. Captain William Mounsey, assisted in capturing la Furieuse French frigate, under the circumstances detailed in p. 24 et seq. of Suppl. Part II. The charge of this noble prize, and 120 of her late crew, being confided to him, he was scarcely ever ofT her deck, from the moment that she was first boarded until her arrival at Hali- fax, a period of twenty-five days. The difficulties he had to encounter in conducting a ship of such magnitude, almost totally dismasted, and extremely leaky, with no more than 37 persons to assist him, can readily be imagined. His inde- fatigable exertions were duly acknowledged by Captain Mounsey, and called forth the approbation of Sir John B. Warren, then commander-in-chief on that station. • •■ Lieutenant Sandom's next appointment was, we believe, to the Fawn sloop. Captain the Hon. George Alfred Crofton. The following paragraph appears in the Naval Chronicle, vol. 26, p. 60: — " Lieutenant Williams Sandom has been tried by a court-martial, for a breach of the second article of war. The Court agreed that the charge originated in a malicious combination, and did adjudge him to be most fully acquitted. — Admiral Hargood, President." We have before stated, that the command of the Furieuse was conferred upon Captain Mounsey immediately after her capture ; but that she could not be repaired and got ready for commissioning before Nov. 1811. Lieutenant Sandom was then appointed second of that fine frigate, in which he served for nearly four years, on the Mediterranean and North American stations. Among other official letters writ- ten by his captain, during this period of active warfare, we find the following : — • " Furieuse, Ponza, May V)th, \S\3. " Sir,— I beg to inform you, that on the 7th instant, the hoats of this ship, under Lieutenants Croker and Sandom, who volunteered their ser- vices, with Lieutenants Whylock and Davics, R. M,, in a most gallant manner, succeeded iu cutting out an armed xebec, of two 6.pounders, from uucfer the tower and batteries of Orbitello, where she had run (■ I I ^m 26 CAPTAINS or 1828. 1 ":\ asliore. Nothing could surpass the undaunted and detertnuied spirit with which she was hove off and towed out, under a most galling fire from the forts, her crew, and soldiers with musketry on shore, l)y which, I am sorry to say, Mr. Webb, midshipman, is dangerously wounded, and three other persons severely. Lieutenant Croker speaks in the highest terms of Lieu- tenant Sandom, tlie officers, seamen, and marines, employed on tha occa> sion. I have the honor to be, &c. (Signed) " Wm. Mounsev." *' Hon. Cnpt. Duncan, H.M.S. Imperieuse.'* On the 8th of Oct. following, when reporting the capture of a French convoy at Marinelo, near Civita Vecchia, Captain Mounsey again made honorable mention of Lieutenant San- dom, " who; although sick, rendered him the greatest assis- tance in placing the ship, and by a well-directed fire obliged the enemy's troops to change their route, whilst the boats* crews and marines were re-embarking.'* The other services in which Lieutenant Sandom partici<- pated, while serving under Captain Mounsey, have been noticed in p. 2/ et seq. of Suppl. Part IL His subsequent appointments were, — in 1815, to the Iphigenia frigate. Cap- tain Andrew King, fitting out for the £ast India station, whence he returned home in the Cornwallis 74 ; — Sept, 7th, 1818, to the Spencer 76, flag-ship of Sir Josias Rowleys on the Irish station ;— Oct. 27th, 1819, to be first of the Liflfey 50, Captain the Hon. Henry Duncan ; — in 1821, to the Apollo frigate, then preparing for the reception of His Majesty George iV.; — and, Sept. 6th, 1822, to the Sparrowhawk sloop, Captain Edward Boxer, fitting out for the Halifax station. On the 26th of Dec. in the latter year, he was promoted to the rank of commander, through the kind exertions of Cap- tain Duncan, whose favorable notice he had first attracted while serving in the Furieuse, and who, in speaking of him, says, " I Jlatter myself I have brought fonvard an ojficer who willy if opportunity offers^ do credit to the service." In May 1824, Captain Sandom commissioned the iEtna bomb, destined to act against Algiers ; which vessel was at Spithead, fully manned and equipped for service, on the eighth day after she went off the stocks at Chatham. He subsequently counnauded the Bustard and Espiegle,* 18 -gun 5 '% CAPTAINS p» 1828. 27 errumed spirit with ailing fire from the y which, I am sorry ed, and three other liest terms of Lieu- doyed on tha occa- ^M. MOUNSKY." ng the capture ecchia, Captain lieutenant San- greatest assis- ted fire obliged bilst the boats' andoni partici- ey, have been J is subsequent a frigate, Cap- India station, 4 ;— Sept. 7th, as Rowleys on ftheLiffey50, to the Apollo His Majesty owhawk sloop, alifax station. promoted to tions of Cap- first attracted iking of him, ird an officer service." ed the iEtna essel was at rvice, on the latham. He iegle,* 18 gun m sloops; the Magnificent, receiving ship; and the Druid frigate, on the West India station, from whence he returned home in the autumn of 1829. His commission as Captain bears date Mar. 23d, 1828; and was transmitted to him through his first naval patron, together with the copy of a letter from Mr. Barrow, expressing the Lord High Admiral's approbation of the exertions used in re-equipping the Es- piegle at Port Royal, when there was a probability of her services being immediately required ; and which Vice- Admiral Fleeming had been pleased to notice and represent. j^gentf — J. Woodhead, Esq. GEORGE WILLIAM CONWAY COURTENAY, Esq. Son of Clement Strafford Couitenay, Esq. (who served in the old 92d regiment during the contest between Great Bri- tain and her revolted colonies, and who raised the Cheshire Fencibles, at the commencement of the French revolutionary war,) by Elizabeth, eldest daughter of Sir Robert Cunliffe, Bart., of Acton Park, co. Denbigh ; and sister to the present Sir Foster Cunliffe, Bart. He is also nephew to the late Captain George W. A. Courtenay, who gloriously fell, while commanding the Boston frigate, in action with a French ship of superior force, near New York, Aug. Ist, 1793*. His paternal grandmother, Lady Jane Stuart, was sister to the celebrated Earl of Bute, who resigned the high office of First Lord of the Treasury in 1763, after having been a minister of the crown for twenty-six years. Mr. G. W. Conway Courtenay was born at Beach Hall, near Chester, in June 1794; and entered the royal navy early in 1806, under the patronage of Earl St. Vincent, who placed him with his nephew, the present Rear-Admiral William Parker, C. B., then commanding the Amazon 38, attached to the Channel fleet. In this frigate, Mr. Courtenay saw much active service on the coasts of France and Spain ; and he appears to have been • Sec Suppl. Part 1. pp. 35—39. 28 CAPTAINS OF 1828. i' M I'll frequently employed in her boats when detached to harass the enemy. We subsequently find hhn in the Victory of 100 guns, and Bellerophon 74, bearing the flags of Sir James Saumarez and Sir Richard G. Keats, commanders-in-chief on the Baltic and Newfoundland stations; from which latter ship he was promoted into the Crescent 38, Captain John Quilliam, July 19th, 1813. His other appointments as Lieu- tenant were, — April 27th, 1815, to the San Josef 114, Cap- tain Jeffery Raigersfeld ; — June 9th, 1817» to the Tigris 42, Captain Robert Henderson ;— Mar. 15th, 1818, to the Iphi- genia 42, Captain Hyde Parker, fitting out for the Jamaica station ; — Aug. 12th, 1819, to the Beaver 10, Captain Richard Saumarez ; — Feb. 1st, 1820, again to the Iphigenia, which ship was afterwards employed in the Mediterranean ; — and, lastly. Mar. 22d, 1822, to the Cyr^ne 20, Captain Percy Grace, fit- ting out for the coast of Africa. On the 26th Dec. 1823, Lieutenant Courtenay, after having gallantly conducted two rather desperate boat affairs, was promoted to the command of the Bann 20, employed in the suppression of tho slave trade. Early in the following year, he became the senior officer of the African squadron, and, in the Owen Glendower frigate, most actively co-operated with the military forces opposed to the Ashantees. We sub- sequently find him, in the Bann, capturing two Brazilian ves- sels, with 728 slaves on board *. On tLc 17th April, 1827, Commander Courtenay was ap- pointed to the Fairy sloop, fitting out at Chatham for the West India station, where he appears to have been removed into the Arachne 18, on the 12th Sept. following. His pro- motion to the rank of Captain took place April 14th, 1828, on which occasion he received a commission appointing him to the command of the Magnificent, receiving ship at Jamaica. He has recently brought home, and paid off, the Mersey 26. ^gentSj — Messrs. G»oode & Clarke. • The total number of slaves taken by the squadron under Commodore Charles Bullen, C.B., between April 1824 and June 1827, was 10,814. Several vessels laden with dry goods for barter were aUo captured by that active officer and his zealous assistants. chcd to harnsd the Victory of gs of Sir James landers-in-chief >m which latter , Captain John ments as Lieu- osef 1 14, Cap- . the Tigris 42, 18, to the Iphi- or the Jamaica /aptain Richard nia, which ship I } — and, lastly, rcy Grace, fit- ly, after having at affairs, was iployed in the following year, fquadron, and, y co-operated ees. We sub- Brazilian vcs- enay was ap- [itham for the been removed ig. His pro- 14th, 1828, on Dinting him to p at Jamaica, le Mersey 26. . (11- .' ■ der Commodore J27, was 10,814. captured liy that r VPTAIN3 OF 1S23. 39 ALEXANDER C iMPBELL, Esq. Was made a lieutenant in .?ept. 1 '^; and minaii'^ d the boats of the Pilot sloop, Captain lin Ton Xicolas, at the capture and destruction of numero small v ->sels, on the coasts of Calabria, between April 1811, and July 1812*. On the 4th of June, 1813, he assisted in capturing a French armed brig, with a valuable cargo, from Marseilles bound to Tunis t« This officer's next appointment was. May 17th, 1815, to the Shark sloop, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral John E. Douglas, at Jamaica ; where he was promoted to the com- mand of the same vessel, Oct. 6th following. In Aug. 1825, he commissioned the Cyrene 20, fitting out for the East In- dia station ; from whence he brought home the Bombay, a new 84, Sept. 12th, 1823. His advancement to the rank of captain took place, April 17, 1823. AgentSf — SirF. Ommanney and Son. -. ..i CHARLES GORDON {b), Esq. Was made a lieutenant in July, 1818 ; appointed to the Tagus 42, Captain J. W. Deans Dundas, on the 11th of the following month ; to the Active 46, Captain Sir James A. Gordon, Jan. 12th, 1819; to the Ariadne 26, Captain C. R. Moorsom, Mar. 29th, 1822 ; and to the command of the Cad- mus sloop, on the South American station, April 1 7th 1827. His first commission as commander bears date Jan. 6th, 1826; and he obtained his present rank, April 17th, 1828. ilgcw/*,— Messrs. Maude and Co. .(/ * See Suppl. Part IV. pp. 60—64, and (lel«\.\\ci bottom line of p. 62. t bee id. p. 05. .■ "'I ''tr- < U'-^ ■■ <■ 30 CAPTAINS OF 1828. i K GEORGE BOHUN MARTIN, Esq. /i Companion 0/ the Most Honorable M'dUary Order of the Bath ; li'nifrfit of the Royal French Order of St. Louis; and Knight (2b.-^ «< jijg humble Petition to your Honour of the Petty officers, to ,I»«M Seamen, and Marines, of His Majcsty'u ship Genoa. ** With gratitude they thank your Honour for the able manner in which you led them to action, and most heroically supported them in it, and hope your Honour will long live to enjoy the merited rewards of yorr noble conduct. " Your petitioners beg leave, with all humility, before they leave the station, to express to your Honour their fccliiigH of sincere regret fur the loss of their late lamented Commander, whom they ever found a fiither and a friend j and your petitioners, with all humility, beg to express their joy at finding his loss supplied by tiieir present worthy comnumdcr. -irr.- • The first anniversary of the accession of King George IV., which was comtncmorated by the promotion of the st-nior lieutenants of all the (liiix- ships elmploycd on foreign stations ; and also of twelve midshipmen who hud pMsed their examinations previous to Jan. I'^IG. t CAPTAINS OF 1823. 33 George Cock- eying T 'ore they leave the lincere rc;;ret tor the ^T found a father and to express their joy iinniander. ; A orge IV., nhich wrts livnts of nil the liab- le inidahipincn who " Tliey had before found him, as an officer, active and able in the exe- cution of his duty, as well as pfentlemanly in command ; but they have now found him, in the moment of danger, a leader under whom they ahould never fear any enemy. " They therefore humbly solicit your Honour to represent their feelings to His Royal Higlmess the Lord High Admiral. " And your petitioners hope that your Honour will permit Captain Dickinson to take the ship home, as captain, in the event of her going to England. " We are, honoured Sir, your most obedient and humble servants, •' The Crew of His Majesty's Ship Genoa.** " To rice Admiral Sir E. Codrington, K. C. D. 8fc. 8fC." We have elsewhere stated, that Commander Lewis Davies, of the Rose sloop, was promoted to the vacancy occasioned by Captain Bathurst's death ; and that the Genoa returned home under the command of Captain the Hon. C. L. Irby, by whom she was paid off, at Plymouth, in Jan. 1828. Com- mander Dickinson, who had not then served the full time necessary to qualify him for a captain's commission, was ap- pointed, on the 3d of tliat month, to the Wasp sloop j and advanced to his present rank on the 13th of May following. In the meantime he had been nominated a C. B., and decorated with the Cross of St. Louis, and the Order of St. Anne. We subsequently find him applying for permission also to wear the Russian order of St. Wladimer, and his late commander- in-chief writing an official letter on the same subject, of which the following is a copy : — "^'2, Eaton S'luure, June Mlh, \9,20. " Sir, — In obedience to the directions of the Lords Commissioners of die Admiralty, in your letter of the 8th 'f this nionth, I have the honor to in- form their Lordtthips, that the mistake of two distinct Russian Orders leaving got into the possession of Captain Dickinson, appears to me to have arisen from one of them having been sent to the Mediterranean through Count Hciden, without its having l)cen known that another had iKicn conferred upon him in England through Count Lieven. " As I understand that the (iovcrnment do not think the Commanders nerving in the Asia and Albion entitled to cither of these Russian dis- ||iictiou8, I cannot but regret that Captain Dickinson shouhl have been flitced in this respect above those two otliccrs ; since I have every rMton tit approve (as I do most highly) of the conduct of CapUin Baynci VOL. III. PAKT II. D !■!■•: , 'A H ill '•' ffl '!■ t !j:| III rif !.( 5^1,. ', xii 34 CAPTAINS OF 1828. Captain Campbell, and have no reason to approve of the conduct of tlue Genoa, from the time of the cotnmaiul of hci having devolved on Captain Dickinson. As it is probable that the selection of Captain Dickinson for the distinction in question, may have arisen from Captain Bathurst having been reported, in the return signed by Captain Dickinson and the surgeon, as killed in the action, it is incumbent on me to inform their Lordships, that Captain Dickinson himself conducted me down to Captain Bathurst, in the cockpit of the Genoa, at eight o'clock in the evening of the 20th of October, several hours after the battle was over, and that both he and the surgeon must have heard Captain Bathurst calmly and collectedly descrlb* ing to roe what had passed upon deck before he was wounded. In fact, Captain Dickinson, when subsequently reproved by me for having made this false return, acknowledged his recollection of having bo conducted inc into the cockpit, and of Captain Bathurst not having expired until about three o'clock in the morning of the 21st. I have the honor to be, &c. ,,. (Signed) "Edward Coduington." J , " To the Secretary of the Admiralty** In consequence of this letter, the Board of Admiralty di- rected Captain Dickinson to return the order of St. Wladi- mer, that the mistake of two honorary distinctions having been sent to him might be explained to the Russian ambassador. On the 17th of the following month, Sir Edward Codrington again wrote tj their Lordships' secretary as follows : **Sir,— In obedience to the desire of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, that I should slate specifically all the points of Ciiptain Dick- inson's conduct with which I was dissatisfied during the period of his being in temporary command of His iM:ij(.'sty's ship Genoa, in order that the same may be investigated before a court-marlinl, (a measure which their Lordships are pleased to consider due as well to the charactt of Captain Dickinson as to the interests of the public service), I have the honor to state for their Lordships' information, that from not making pro- per use of her springs directed by my order of the 19th of October, 182', to be placed on the anchors, the broadside of the Genoa was not directed ' to her regular opponent in the Ottoman line, and that in such a position, 'she could not fire any of her guns except those of her stern and quarters Without endangering the Asia, and others of the allied squadron on her •" larboard side, and Albion and others on her starboard side { that, conse- quently, shot which injured the Asia, and which came in that direction, were appftrently fired by the (icnoa, and that the Genoa did positively fire ^ into the Albion, probalily (according to her log-book) mistaking that ship for one of the Ottoman fleet, although the All)ion had an English ensign at lier uiast>head to prevent such mistakes ; — that Captain Dickintoo bav> of the conduct of tlife g devolved on Captain Captain Dickinson for iptain Bathurst having inson and the surgeon, iiform their Lordships, [) to Captain Bathurst, evening of the 20th of d that both he and the nd collectedly descrlb- ms wounded. In fact, me for having made aving BO conducted me ng expired until about lie honor to be, &c. >WARD CODUINGTON." d of Admiralty di- der of St. Whidi- ictions having been issian ambassador. Idward Codrington s follows : Commissioners of the lints of Captain Dick- ing the period of his p Genoa, in order that Liul, (a measure which ell to the cliaractL of ic service), I have tlic from not making pro- 9th of October, 1827, cnoa was not directed lat in such a position, ler stern and quarters lied squadron on her ird side j that, consc- me in that direction, noa did positively fire ) mistaking that ship lad an English ensign uptain DickinsoD hav. CAFFAINS OF 1828. 35 ing been reproved by me for not using the Genoa's springs, and liaving accounted for it by his inability to get the men from their guns for that purpose, it was nevertheless asserted in the ship's log.book that the springs were used ; — that the account of the battle given in the Genoa's log-book erroneously implies, that she had three Ottoman ships of the line opposed to her on her starboard side, three 60-gun frigates on her larboard side and a-head, and a double-banked frigate astern ;•— that (Jap- tain Dickinson returned Captain Bathurst as killed, and procured the sur- geon's sit^nature to that return, knowing that he did not die until many hours after the battle was over, and that be retained his faculties to give orders during the whole time of the battle ; and that by this mis-statement he gained an honorary (listinction which might not otherwise have been conferred on him ;— that the reiittal of t'le Genoa for leaving Navarin, and engaging the batteries, if requisite, was unjustifiably tardy; and that the same slackness prevailed on her way to Malta ; — that the Genoa's mizen- mast was suffered to go by the board on the 21st, the day after the battle, for want of being properly secured ;— that the Genoa continued firing after the battle was over, at the risk and to the probable injury of the allied ships, until hailed from the Asia to cease. " In farther addition to the statement in my former letter, which was confined to the object of getting Captains Baynes and Campbell placed at least upon a level in honorary distinctions with Captain Dickinson, I have now, in obedience to their Lordships' pleasure that I should state speci- fically all the points of Captain Dickinson's conduct with which I was dis- satisfied, to inform their Lordships of an insta icc of insubordination, of which I would gladly have avoided the exposure. '• That Captain Dickinson himself presented to me a letter iu the natjire of what is called a ' round robin,' purportifig to come from the crew of the Genoa, and desiring that I would appoint him in preference to any other officer to succeed Captain Bathurst as Captain of the Genoa : and it in due to myself to explain, that I was then induced to rernniuish the report- ing to his Royal Highness the Lord High Admiral this instance of insub- ordination, which your letter has now made it incumbent on me to bring forward, by Captain Dickinson's strongly expressed contrition for errors which he said he had fallen into inadvertently; his own entreaties that I would overlook them being supported by Captains Ommanney, Spencer, and others, who imited with me in an anxious desire to avoid the exposure of such misconduct in this individual instance, on an occasion where a zealous execution of the service was the general characteristic of the three combined squadrons. I have the honor to be, &c. (Signed) " Edward Codrinoton." In another letter, dated June 24th, 1829, Sir Edward as- serts, that " owing to the Genoa not using her springs, the fire of her own opponent would not have been silenced but for the u 2 j^nN^H^ ' 1 ! 1 ! t .■If: I III 36 CAPTAINS OF 182B. eJtfertiorts of the other British ships ;" and that, " although less injured than the Asia, the Albion, la Syrene, or tht Azof, she was the last ship of the combined fleet ready to leave Navarin, even after having had a whole watch of the Glasgow frigate to assist her. It did not appear to uie," continues the Vice-Admiral, " that any benefit would be deri?ed to the service from my publicly reporting at the time this inferiority ot conduct evinced in the Genoa after she fell under the coni- IBIind of Captain Dick'nson, more particularly as 1 had had t|>e pleasure of exprei^ijing my marked approbation of the niftuner in which that ship had taken up her station under Qap4;ain Bathurst." .-TJ?« public investigation which took place in consequence of the above allegations commenced on the 26th Aug. and ^ill^^^^pt terminate until Sept. 17th, 1829, when the Judge iH^dvpcat^ pronounced as follows:-— , ^' *'*' The Court are of opinion, that the cMrg-es have not been proved ti^^mnst Captain Richard Dickinson. ', . i ti » . ^,** That the charge stating that the account of the battle given in the Genoa's log-book, ' erroneously implies that the Genoa had three Ottoman ships' of the line opposed to her on the starboard side, three fiO-gun frigates 6h '\i^ larboard side and a-head, and a double-banked frigate astern,' it f^lml»U8 and groundless. ''^ ■ r-* «(rt1ilJl»t the return made by Captain Dickinson, * thai Captain Bathurst W^ii killed in action, knowing that he did not die until many hours after the^i^tlle was over,' whs made without the sli<;hte8t uppearanve of any im- proper motive. ** iTiat the charge, stating, * that the Cenoa continued firing after the ftftttle xvai over, at the risk, and to the probable injury of the allied ships, nutil Iraited from the Asia to cease,' is t'e,iatious. r^r^' That ' the letter presented by Captain Dickinson to Sir E')<' : uu*«o^oii t Sec Suppl. Part III. p. 369. S8 CAPTAINS OF 1828. I' Oct. 13th, 1813, from the Erebus to the Carnation sloop, Captain George Bentham, fitting out for the Jamaica sta- tion ; — Mnr. 25th, 1827, to the Alert sloop. Captain John Smith* J — and, Sept. 5th, 1817, to be first of the Scamauder frigate, Captain William Elliot, C. B., employed at the Leeward Islands. His commission as commander bears date Dec. 7th, 1818; from which period he remained on half- pay for nearly six years. We next find this officer commanding the Esk 20, on the African station, where he captured nine Brazilian, Dutch, and Spanish vessels, with 2249 slaves, between July 17th, 1825, and Feb. 8th, 1827. He subsequently assisted in com- pleting the establishment at Fernando Po ', conveyed stock from St. Helena to Ascension ; and brought home a quantity of gold dust and ivory, with which he arrived at S pithead May 1st, 1828. His promotion to the rank of captain took place on the I6th of the same month. Mrs. Purchas, to whom he was married in Aug. 1820, is the youngest daughter of the late William Hills, of Chancery Lane, London, Esq. SIR RICHARD GRANT, Knt. Was made a lieutenant in Oct. 1805 ; but we find no further mention made of him previous to June 1813, when he was appointed first of the Blenheim 74, Captain Samuel Warren. He subsequently served under Captain Edward Pelham Breii- ton, in the Royal Sovereign of 100 guns ; and as first of the Tonnant 80, bearing the flag of Sir Benjamin Hallowell, on the Irish station. His commission as commander bears date Nov. 7th,> 1818 ; and he appears to have obtained the honor of knighthood, on the presentation, we believe, of a civic address, in the summer of 1820. On the 17th of May, 1827, he was appointed to the Hussar 4G, Captain Edward Boxer, bearing the flag of Sir Charles Ogle, on the Halifax station j and, at Sec Suppl. i art IV. p. 417. :f CAPTAINS OF 1828. 39 latlon sloop, Jamaica sta- 'aptain John le Scamauder oyed at the nander bears lined on half- sk 20, on the ilian, Dutch, in July 17th, isted in com- nveyed stock ne a quantity 1 at S pithead ■ captain took Purchas, to gest daughter 3ndon, Esq. T. nd no further when he was iiiel Warren, 'elhani Bren- s first of the owell, on the ars date Nov. le honor of civic address, 827, he was 3xer, bearing !on i the expiration of twelve months from that period, promoted to the command of the Tyne 28, which ship he paid off, at Portsmouth, June 11th, 1830. ' *...- urgent, — J. Hinxman, Esq, ■ '^ '■»; WILLIAM STEPHEN FULLER, Esq. ^ Deputy Lieutenant 0/ the County of Sussex. This officer is the second son of John Trayton Fuller, of Brightling, co. Sussex, Esq., by Anne, daughter of the first Baron Heathfield, and a coHateral descendant of the equally renowned Sir Francis Drake. He obtained his first commis- sion in Nov. 1808; was made a commander in June 1815; appointed to the Wellesley 74,, Captain (now Sir Frederick L.) Maitland, May 19th, 1827 j and advanced to his present rank on the 19th of May, 1828. Should his eldest brother (who was created a baronet in July 1821,) die before him, and without leaving male issue, he will succeed to that title, and become possessed of the estates cf the Eliott and Drake families. His youngest brother. Rose Henry Fuller, Esq., is a Commander, R. N. Agents, — Messrs. Cooke, Halford, and Son, UtV and, at THOMAS DENCH, Esq. Was made a lieutenant in 1801 ; promoted from the Hibernia 1 10, bearing the flag of Sir Charles Cotton, to the command of the Blossom sloop, off Lisbon, April 24th, 1808 ; and removed into the Nautilus sloop, Aug 18th following. In May 1809, he brought home despatches from Oporto, announcing the evacuation of that city by the French army, under Marshal Soult * ; and we subsequently find him cap- turing the following privateers, on the Mediterranean station : Lc Brave, of 5 guns and 112 men, July 21st, 1812; la Lconilde, of 14 • See Suppl. Part iV. p. 105. ;! £i lii,; 40 CAPTAINS OF 1828. guns and 83 men, Feb. 7tli, 1813; and le Colombc> of 4 guns and 40 men, on the 24th of May following. He continued in the Nautilus until Nov. 1814; and was advanced to the rank of captain on the 4th of June, 1828. Agents, — Messrs. Chard. GEORGE FREDERICK HOTHAM, Esq. . Was made a lieutenant into the Minden 74, bearing the flag of Sir Richard King, on the East India station, Dec. 7th, 1819; appointed to the Euryalus 42, Captain (now Sir Augustus J. W.) Clifford, fitting out for the Mediterranean, Oct. 22d, 1821 ; and promoted to the rank of commander. Mar. 25th, 1822. His next and last appointment was, April 28th, 1827, to the Parthian 10, which vessel he lost on the coast of Egypt, May 16th, 1828. In the ensuing month, he was tried by a court-martial, off Navarin^, aijtd sentenced as follows: — ♦" by Isabella, daughter of William Robertson, of Richmond^ CO. Surrey, Esq. ,.,. This officer was made a lieutenant in April, 1815, and subae* quently appointed as follows : — July 18th, 1815, to the Lace- daemonian 46, Captain Samuel Jackson, C. B., then dismant- ling at Portsmouth ;— Sept. 18th following, to the Tagus46, Captain J. W. Deans Dundas, fitting out for the Mediterranean station ;— Dec. 28th, 1816, to the Myrmidon 20, Captain Robert Gambier, with whom he returned home from thcfiW towards the close of 1818;— Nov. 25tb, 1820, to the Ntei^j^ii 28, Captain Edward R. Sibly ; from which ship he wa$ urp-^ moted to the command of the Argus 18, on the Halifax suU tion. Mar. 20th, 1823 ;— Mar. 9th, 1827, to the Wcazle 10^ fitting out at Plymouth ; — and, Jan. 2d, 1828, to the Rale^glt 18, then in the Mediterranean. His promotion to thiiVaifld of captain took place July 8th, 1828 ; and he married, Dec, 30th in the same year, Caroline, third daughter of the Rev. John Jeffreys, Rector of Barnes, co. Surreyi^ «>i'«u.iainwv> ^i'en/s,— Messrs. Maude & Co. --.•^'i .'"»•*• ^'*-' '*'^^ "" icwili * nij .;f 1821, to the Tyhe 26, Captain James Kearney White, then in the West Indies : — and, Jan. 30th, 1823, to the comi- mbnid of the Lioii schooner, employed in the suppriession bif pl'fk6y 6ii the coast of Cuiba. He obtained the rimk of coni- liidhd^i', Mar. 18th, 1824 ^ and we afterwards find him in the 'Ferr6t and Scylla sloops, on the Jamaica station. His com- ' missldii^^S c'aptain bears date July 9th, 1828. 'f']"'^ ^,. ' -:^^;.^-M^ssi^: Atos ^ Son. '?t'^\ ' fl . T; "' • See pp. 33 awd 35. CAPTAINS OF 1828. 43 f tHeBalii. ' obtfiinec\ |4ie lubsequently; go74,lH'ting. ;c. 24» 182?, iwn, ithen \\} 3 the rank pf io ,Bl -^'i yiii FOLLETT WALROND PENNELL, Esq, Son of William Pennell, Esq., His Majesty's Consul- General at Rio Janeiro. This officer was born in Feb. 1804 ; and entered the royal navy, as midshipman on board the Impregnable 104, bearing the flag of Viscount Exmouth, at Plymouth, in Feb. 1818. He subsequently served under Captain the Hon. Fleetwood B. R. Pellew, and Commodore Sir Edward W. C. R. Owen, in the Revolationnaire frigate, and Gloucester 74, on the Mediterranean and West India stations ; wa« promoted from the latter ship into the Pyramus 42, Captain Francis New- combe, C. B., Sept. 1st, 1824 ; appointed to the Rainbow 28, Captain the Hon. Henry John Rous, at Chatham, July 30th, 1825 ; removed to the Cyr^ne 20, Captain Alexander Camp- bell, Dec. 19th following; and advanced to the command of the Fly 18, on the East India station, Nov. 13th, 1826. His commission as captain bears date July 14th, 1828. m ad |)*tfmoted n, Nov. l|.th, eb.3d,^l'Bl8, el, ^ttlrig biU distinguished essel J— Aug. arney White, , to the comi- uppresslori <^f rank of com- id him in the , His coin- h>fifi aldj^ioni WILLIAM CLARKE JERVOISE, Esq. This officer entered the royal navy early in 1800, as mid- shipman on board the Triumph 74, Captain (afterwards Sir Eliab) Harvey ; and subsequently served under Captain (now Sir Thomas) Foley, and the late Captains Joseph Baker and W. H. Ricketts Jervis, in the Elephant, Ganges, and Robust, third rates, on the Jamaica station, from whence he returned home in the summer of 1802. He then joined the Lapwing 28, Captain Andrew Skene, and was in that frigate when she captured the Henrietta, a valuable French mer- chantman. We next find him again serving under his old friend Captain Harvey, then commanding the Temeraire 98, in which highly distinguished ship he bore a part at the me^ morable battle of Trafalgar *. His first commission, appoint- 7'.5^ • • See Vol. I. p. 274 et seq. ; and Suppl. Part III. p. 1/6 et seq. H inm « CAI^TAIN S OF If^. ing liim senior lieutenant of the Curleux sloop, Captain John Sherriff, bears date Aug. 8th, 1806, and was conferred upon him as a reward for his conduct on that glorious occasion. He afterwards served under Captains Christopher Laroche and Murray Maxwell, in the Uranie and Alceate frigates, and was highly spoken of by the latter officer for bis gal- lantry and zeal in an action with a formidable Spanish flo^ tilla, near Cadiz, April 4th, 1608 *. Previous to this he had witnessed the occupation of Madeira, by the forces undec llear-Admiral Sir Samuel Hood, and Major-General Ikres*> fprd. In the summer of 1808, trC find him accompanying jJeutenant Allan Stewart, first of the AlcC^tc, with a Yuesi^age from Cf^ptain Maxwell to the French oflftCet commanding ' at the mouth of the Tiber ; who, di'sf-Cgaffdinjg- the sanctity 6f a ^iig of truce, detained him and his c6'm^t(ri?b^i confined' jbhebi for several weeks in a dungeon, and aSsdVedthem thk they would be dealt with as spies. At length, they weremntchStl to Verdun; from whence Lieutenant J^rWji^C escaped t6 the coast of Holland, where he was betrayed whilst in the 'act of embarking, and again ordered into COhfiricment'.' '^"^' f"""b On this occasion, he appears to have been tr^lnsferred to ■the fortress of Bitche, in Lorrairie^, where his' treafment was somewhat similar to that experienced by Mt: (how CaKitain) ibonatH. O'Brien, and described in p.- ^69 c^^A^vcif Snppl. In the beginning of 1814, the allied hiiving dared id pollute the sap red territory of France, all the British ' Ca'ptivee were oridered to be remioved further fi-bin thti frontier^ and kept within, the walls of their' respective jjri^Sorts.' Many, how- i'\i ' (Bver, contrived to escape at thi^ IJeriod; and kmongst them ' j was Lieutenant JervoisC, who got Safely to the Roompot, His and n;om thence ireturned home in the Colossus 74 ^'promotion to the r^nk of commander took place on the 2^th '''oT lugust folio wing/'''' '''"' ">•'. ■^' '"».' w >h:iuiijj^-.xii'jil I' '"• ; • ^> ' ! o1 bria ,fl xflilji; Sec Vol. II. p. 801 et seq. !fOi-ii'0f) Hub J!0 Jiwbno'j jjnji .'r^MiU) .-(l ,,1 .JOi+»i(kvj(j(}/J rill t See Suppl. Part I. p. »7'i«"i^ ?9S 1 •"Is Captain J6lin tnferred "upuii ous ocoasion^ pher Laroche ;e3te frig^es, • for bis gal- Spaniah floN :o this he had forces under eneral B^res^ iccompaiyyin^ tth a mesi^age nimandingiat sanctity 6f a johfirted'thetti Hem thk they ivere' marchotl Sckped t6 the t in the -act 6f I bdi! jrnob Tansferred to featmient was liow Caj^tain) *^v of Snppl. red ii pollute aptivea were er^ and kept Many, hoW- nongst them \e Roompot, us 74. His on thei2^th » jbdO'j jjnij r^^-Q ,, [(Captain Jepvpi^^, , §i^b^equ,ently commanded tne Dispatcn sloiop, oil thp, AAe^UsriTW^^" i station. Hi^ next appointment was, July 28thi^ 183^,. t^,,^he p^n^pjra 18, fitting out for tlie East Indies^ , , On tlie 14th of X)ec< following, being then off the Canaries, the Pandora was caught in a white squall, which laid her down, and filled thei waist with water. On the 19th of the same month, she was obliged to cut away two anchors, and throw several guns overboard, in a dreadful storm from S.W.J and, l^vng heavily laden, her fate was fpr many hours doubtful, . On the 16th of Mar. 1820, she parted frpm her only remaining anchor, in a S. E. gale at the Cape pf Good Hope, ?^n4 wa^ again placed in imminent d^ng^jr. On the 23d, June, 182/, the following letter was addressed to her commander, by Captain Janie^ John Gprdpp , Bremer, C. B., of the Tamar 26, thpn.^t Mad^^g t ; . < ** Sir,-r.Having tiansmitM to Rear- Ajdmiral, Gage an uccount of the proceedings of the de^qhi^^entsj^rpm tl^is ship and the Pandora, which wer^, liaii,d(?4n^n,dQf,^yo^ur cpnjmand, at.Bui'burra, on the lUhJapy^ary. las|, X,aii>, directed by the Rear-Ad tniral to offer to you his thanlj;!^, |p.r jypur exeytipiis and conduct on that occasion, and to request you will convev his approbation to the ofl&cers, seamen, and marines of the Pandora. ^ ,^^^ j^^^^^ .^^^ ^ ^^ ^^ . ^. ^^^^ ^ ^^ ^^^ ^^^ ^ il i 4 t J iiii 46 CAPTAINS OF 1828, f^' It is wilh' ffielingfi of great satisfactton tbai I falil tiiis part of my duty ; and I trust 1 tnay add to tboM of tbeooBar^v luander -in-chief," my own thanks for the ready attentton which at all times, during our long cruise, marked the Fan*^ dora, as well as my warmest acknowledgments for the able and cordial assistance I experienced from yonrself on^mllt occasions. I have the honor to be, &c. ■■■^n'rr-.'t* vdi b'liioii Jmn-yniav. n ■£ (Signed) - ,|,," J. J. GoRDOfi BftttMBft.*' liv/ ■, ^'- ' • - , 1,' Captain Bremer's official report of the proceedings of 4hei Tamar and Pandora will be found in p. 436 e/ seq* On the 6th Aug. 1828, Captain Jervoise was promoted 'to* the command of the Success 28, in wbidh ship we findihirti sailing from New South Wales^ on his return to Madras, Oct. 27tb, 1829. For the account of hit subsequent pco'^ ceediogs the reader is referred to pp. 446-->-453. 'im^^wH 5'i; ,j«I Ai'M ,i!in;- ;of;ia-i3 Jijjiijoin'jazo nsi no Vu-.fi oJ I'ioHb b«c p;! !H ;?07^ni:Oad.toJ ,t>SHl -f:A,-it;t>il ],.) ,,..t WILLIAM ALEXANDER BAILLIE HAMILTON* Era. Third son of the late Rev. Charles BaiUie Hamilton, (wha was a great-grandson of Thomas, sixth Earl oi Haddington,) by Lady Charlotte Hamilton, sister to Alexander, tenth and present Earl of Home, one of the representative peers of Scotland, Lord Lieutenant of Berwickshire, and Colonel of the militia of that county.^ borj-trn'Oon-j iiurjn! J'n'tton '^•il This officer was born at Normttiby, co. York, June 6th, 1803$ and being permitted to choose his profession, he embarked as midshipman on board ^>he Rochfort 80, Captain Sir Archibald Q. Dickson, Bart., early in 1816. We subse- quently find him at the Royal Naval College, from whence he was discharged, about tlie close of 1819, into the Vigo 74y iitting out for tlie flag of Rear-Admiral Lambert. The firit ship in which he went to sea, however, was the Aotrve 46^ CapJ^p k>ir Jaoi^a A. QjM'dou, under wlwui lie served uMil I firUll iSnt: t)f tbe ooBSki*^ y attentibn sd the Fa«H^ for the ' able rself oniidlt lings of tkef )Fomoted'toi ve &nd< ibirti to Madras, rqueilt pto*< oj .t'lorip bar. 3d.t OJ i>S8l ^. won) iflirni rONi £m). lilton, (who addington,) tenth Bnd e peers of Colonel of June 6th, esBion, he 0, Captain We Bubse- )in whence leVigo 74> The firtt Aotifve 46> jrved uMil d'v^kiMs at' 1828. <^ tbiM Mge^ ^trtsM^ ptf^d 'oft, after attending dn King Gebrgis TV. d«*ing his visit to Ireland, iw 1821. J ■ • "'^^ < t ''^ <-- '^ **^ Mr. Hamilton next joined the Euryaltts 42, Chptairi (now Si(r Augustus W. J.) Clifford, fitting out for the Mediterranean sttttfon, from whence he returned home to pass his exaniinft!^ tibn, in the summer of 1823. After this, he was received on board the Revenge 7^* bearing the flag of Sir Harry Neate, who Appointed him, in Sept. following, to act as a lieutenant of the Active, then commanded by Captain Andrew King, at Lisbon. His first commission bears date Dec. 1st, 1823; and his subsequent appointment' were as follow : — Jan. 26th,' 1824, to the Blanche 46, Captain William Bowen Mends, which ship conveyed Vice^Admiral Lord Amelius Beauclerk to the river Tagus, and afterwards proceeded to South Ame- rica;— July 26th, 1825, to the Druid 46, recently launched at Pembroke, coinnranded by Captaui Samuel Chanxbers, and about to sail on an experimental cruise; — and, Mar. 1st, 1826, to the Ganges 84, fitting out for the flag of Rear- Ad- miral (now Sir Robert) Otway. Previous to the departure of the Ganges from Portsmouth, LieuttenMTt'Hltmilton was ordered to join the Blonde frigate^ then on the point of sailing for Bermuda, where he was landed witfi despatches for Rear- Admiral (now (Sir Willoughby) Luke, commftnder<4fi->chief on the North American station. On his' joining tiiat officer, he received an order to assnmc the command of the Doterel sloop, at Halifax, which appoint* < mcnt was confirmed by the Admiralty in Nov. 1826. ' -" - The Doterel having encountered much bad weather in het' ' passages ttcrOss the Gulf Stream, and being examined for a refit, was found to have suffered considerably, and to be ^o defective) that it was considered necessary to drsmaHtle ahd lay her up at Bermuda ; Commander Hamilton consequently retutned home from thenoe, with his oflicers and part of hii crsv?, hi the Qneensberry packet, Muy 7th, 1827;""'"^ •*«''' »'' On the 2d of July following, Cumttiander Hamilton was appointed to the Pelican 18, then in tho Mediterranean ; to which station he proceeded, as pussOng^r, on boaixl the Daft- i: Hi: li '-i ■ 1^ ,'t * Ml hli I .1 .1 ik cAVtAiS'^ OP 1828. nloiith frigate*, carrying otlt with hfm the ctupllcMe-df Ihe treaty between Great Britain, l?Vaiice, and' Ru^itifi, "for the protection of persecuted Greece, "foia i* ^if oj.rt vcni. U')Vj* Previous to his joining the' Pelican^ the sabject of 'this sketch was sent in the Dart^nouth^ with a letter' from' Sir Edward Codrington to the commander of the Turco»-Egypt* iaii fleet, who had just arrived at Navarih, for the put pose of co-operating with Ibrahim Pacha ; and we soon afterwirds find him despatched, in the same ship, to the Ottoman' g^^ n^ralissimo, on a mission of some importance. The manhier Ih^'i^hich he acquitted himself on those occasions met with the approbation of his commander- ti)-chief; and his subse- quent endeavours in the suppression of piracy were alB0"q0>- cially acknowledged. .hi-jr.rj, kl ' Afier the battle of Navarin, at which hehadnot the good fortune to be present. Commander Hamiit6n watched that harbour till it was evacuated by the remains of the dittoomflted fleet, when he proceeded with the inforlnation to Sir Bdlvatd Codrington, at Malta. During this cruise ofFthe Morea, be destroyed a schooner of four guns and forty men,'commat)ded by a notorious character who had lo?ig nnnrtyed' the coasts " In Jan. 18*28, the Pelican formed part u* fnall 'squadncm under Sir Thomas Staines, at the destruc*^. . .everalqther piratical vessels, in the harbour of Carabnsa , and her marines were afterwards landed to take possession of that fortress, in conjunction with those of the Isis 50. She was next placed under the orders of Captain Edmund Lyons, of the Blonde frigate, and employed in attending the second division of an Egyptian fleet, sent Inmi Alexandria to coihplete the evacua- tion of the Morea. During the embarkation of the last part of Ibi'Ahlm Pacha's army, in Oct. 1828, Commander Hamilton heard of his promotion to the rank of captain; but he did "iidt give lip the comnmnd of the Pelican till Deo. 1st follow- "Ing. Since then he ha* visited Greece, Asia Minora and Con- ^'iitiiititikiple,'flind resided «*6nie tim«hi kaly^i .; J ..ij ...tu.. (U Vlo /IH^t • • Conjn.oiuled by ('iiptuiii (now Sir Tlioinas) Fcllowcs. ifi^ r> bject of >thi8 tter* from* Sir urcD^Egypt* le pm pose of »n aftervi^ards Ottottian'g^* The tnanhier !)iis met with id his Bubfie- 'ere alBOuffi'- not the good watched that e di»cotiDflted J Sir Edwaird he Morea, he , commanded the coaat^'^w -•all '8quadr«Ri .everal other d her marines it fortress, in s next placed f the Blonde livisiuu of an e the evacua- the last part Jer Hamilton ; but he did 1st folio w- or^ and Con- i til] iiUud >i1t loi Ju\> owei. '\ III-/ a CAimrAIM^ OF, ^8?8. orillns^flSfler haa 9i3f, bfoth^^ ft^ fftuy,8i8ters, fljip ejdest ofithe!fori]aer9>;George BsuIUe Hampton, l^sq. K. p. fl,, en- tered early into the diplomatic, Une, and was foi^ some tinje afalach«d tOithe embassy in the Netherlands, under Lord Qan- carty. He was afterwards, for upwards of three years, Pri- vate Secretat?y to Viscount Melville, when first Lord of the Admiralty; and on that nobleman's retirement from ol&cey in 18*27) the Lord High Admiral was most graciously pleased to retain him in tlie same situation, but which he wa^ soqq obliged to resign on account of ill health. Since the cppi- imencemeut of the preseet reign he has been created a Knight Commander of the Royal Hanoverian Guelphic Order, and appointed, Secretary qI Legation to the British Embassy ,f.t Brussels. ,, ' luTheineaU brftthf;? ip^ seniority, Charles JohnBailUe H^jtnil- ton, I WAS for so^ipue, time in the army, which profession hic quitted oin,, ..J. ' • , / . -.t..(.-,r. .A* i ■i; U> ''''•-• 'I'l' !'■"■•> •• .!>..;•■.... . , ^ HiMr HON. WILLIAM WALDEGRAVE {b)!!^ »(. Second and youngest son of the late Aidini|ul Lord Radatock, G. C. Bfe III >^nr.'i .dt ,,t ,v,ff,,,rr„^,, .,:^ ,^^ (,., ,,f v^ This otHcer was born at London, June 7th, 1796; and entered the royal navy, in Oct. 1809, as nudshipman on board the Thames 32, commanded by his brother, and fitting out for the Mediterranean station ; where he continued, (except for a short period) successively serving in the VOL. III. PARTTI. Ik '■ ■ t! CAPTAINS OF 1828. Seahorse, Am^hion, and Bacchante frigates, antilthe Mmmer of 1814, when he sailed for North America, under the command of Captain Francis Stanfell. His name appears in tile list of wounded on board the Amphion, when engagied With a French squadron off Lissa, Mar. 13th, 1811 *. On the 6th of Jan. 1813, he was eJOiployed in the boats of the Bacchante, at the capture of five gun- vessels nearOtranto f; and, in June following, he again distinguished himself, at the attack and capture often Neapolitan gun-boats and fourteen merchant vessels, on the coast of AbruzsEi |. After passing his examination, Mr. Waldegrave joined the Severn 50, Captain t^ Hon. F. W. Aylmer, in which ship he bore a part at the memorable battle of Algiers. His first commission bears date Sept. 5th, 1816 ; and we subsequently find him serving on board the Royal George yacht, during one of His late Majesty's aquatic excursions m that vessd. On the 24th of May, 1820, he was appointed to the Creole 42, then commanded by the late Captain Adam M'Kenzie, at Chatham, but afterwards bearing the broad pendant of Sir Thomas M. Hardy, on the South American station. In Dec. 1^2, he was promoted to the rank of commander ; and in Nov. 1825, appointed to the Procris sloop, fitting out for the North Sea station, where he continued until made a captain, in Aug. 1828. Agents, — Messrs. Cooke and Halford. GEORGE VVILUAM St. JOHN MILDMAY, Eso. Third son of the late Sir Henry PauletSt. John Mildmay, Batt. by Jane, eldest daughter and co-heiress of Carew Mild- may, of Shawford House, co. Hants, Esq., and heiress of Carew Hcrvey Mildmay, of Huzel Grove, Somersetshire, and Marks, in Essex, Esq., in pursuance of whose testamentary • See Vol. II. p. 472, «t ae^j. f See Suppl. Purt IV. p. 279, «t $eg. : See p. 74, et *ry. of Vol. HI. Pfcrt I. ^f?T;A?j3^6r !828. «1 ilthetMnmer R, under the ne atppeara iii when engaged 1811 •. On t boats of tbe arOtrantof; itmself, at the and fourteen ive joined the n which ship TS. His first subsequently yacht, during m that vessd. to the Creole M'Kenzie, at wndant of Sir ion. In Dec. mder ; and in ig out for the ide a captaiu. lAY, Esq. m Mildmay, Carew Mild- nd lieiress of 'settihire, and testamentary ■ .i. ]yi: fj'! ». 279, et teg. jft|itticlion tti^ St. John fAniily Aasumed the additional dtir- namc of Mildthfty'/ 'i^'*^^ «** ^'*^^ ^ f*^ '* ^^^^^^ i*^ This officer was mad6 a lieutenant oh tbe 19th of May, 1812; and subsequently appointed as follows :— Dec. 17th, 1813,' to the Leaiider 60, Captain Sir George Collier, in which ship he continued during the remainder of the war with America ;— Sept. 18th, 1815, to the Euphrates 42, Captain Robert Preston, fitting out for the Mediterranean station ; — Nov. 24th, 1818, to the Wasp sloop. Captain Thomas Wren Carter, with whom he proceeded to Jamaica ;*— and, July 2d, 1821, to the fphigenia 42, equipping for the broad pendant of Sir Robert Mends, commodore of the Afri- can squadfrtn. He obtained the rank of commander in Aug. 1822 J cmiimisdloned the Cordelia sloop, at Chatham, in Nov. 1826; and continued to Command that vessel until made a captain, Aug. 16th, 1828. _• . ^^ffrt/*,— Messra. M*ude and Co.' ''t,^^^ ^" ^''^•^ -^^^ «^ itJ.;. Ai M *-. **i^i' ■ JONES, Esq. „ ^aMHt Was made a lieutenant in July 1811; appointed to the Cossack 22, Captain Francis Stanfell, Feb. 12th, 1813; and to be first of the Hind sloop, commanded by Sir Charles Bur- rard, Sept. 12th, 1819. He subsequently served under Cap- tain Sir Murray Maxwell, in the Bulwark 7^, and Gloucester, 74, successively bearing the flag of Sir Benjamin Hallowell, in the river Medway ; and was promoted to the command of the Orestes 18, oh the Halifax station. May 1st, 1826. His commissiun as captain beara date Aug. 18th, l&QSk AgenUy — ■ ■ ' ■ '-^ .r'.iMti 4«a^ )() *«'j.i >a bits ,.f>iiJ Mi^.H irt f-t^M.H in<»i0hti< *ty ,v»..a HON. WILLIAM KEITH, ^ "* '*'^'*^ Was made a lieutenant into the Egcria 20, Captain Ro- bert Rowley, at Newfoundland, Nov. lOth, J8I9; appointed to the Bl .:>de 46, Captain Lord Byron, fitting out for a voyage k2 '' i lit i 52 CAPTAINS OF 1828. to the South Seas, June 7th, 1824; promoted to the conimaml of the Philomel sloop, Aug. 14th, 1827; and advanced to the rank of captain, while serving in that vessel, on the Mediter- ranean station, Aug. 18th, 1828. , . Agents. — Messrs. Goode & Clarke. . ' , , . . lM(t.' GEORGE SIDNEY SMITH, Esq. Nephew to Admiral Sir W. Sidney Smith, K. C. B., with whose gallant but unfortunate prot^g^, the late Captain John Wesley Wright, he was taken prisoner in the Vincejo brig. May 8th, 1804 *. We next find him serving as midshipman of the Redwing 18, Captain the Hon. Robert C. Spencer, and receiving a wound in the thigh, at the attack upon Cassis, near Toulon, by a squadron under Captain Thomas Ussher, Aug. 18th, 1813 f. His first commission bears date Jan. 21st, 1814 J and in April following, he was appointed to the Undaunted frigate, commanded by the last named officer, ".' Having become well versed in French, during several years' captivity at Verdun, Lieutenant Smith was selected by Captain Ussher to command the boat in which Napoleon Buonaparte embarked when quitting France for Elba ; and he appears to have been afterwards landed at Capraja, as temporary governor of that island. His next appointments were, — Jan. 5th, 1816, to the Albion 74, fitting out for the flag of Sir Charles V. Penrose ; in which ship he bore a part at the battle of Algiers: and, May 13th, 1817, to the Satel- lite 18, Captain James Murray, on the Mediterranean station. He was promoted to the command of the Bustard sloop, em- ployed in the West Indies, Mar. Pith, 1827; a»d advanced to the rank of captain in Aug. 1828. I! ! * ' JAMES POLKINGHOKNE, Esq. Was mado a lieutenant into the Cleopatra frigate. Cap- tain (now Sir John Brooke) Pechell, Dec. Ist, 1808; and • See Suppl. Part IV. p. 184 (t seq. t See ISuppI. Part I. p. 353 et teq. commaml iced to the e Mediter- 1 !• I lllll.-' ■ Q. C. B., with ptain John icejo brig, lidshipman encer, and on Cassis, as Ussber, date Jan. ited to the officer, ig several is selected Napoleon Elba; and apraja, as ointments ut for the ore a part the Satel- Lii station, oop, eni- udvanced lie, Cap- SOS; and CAPTAINS OF 1828. 53 nsslsltd in capturing the French national ship Topaze, of 48 guns, near Guadalonpe, Jan. 22d, 1809 *, On this occasion, his captain wrote to Sir Alexander Cochrane as follows :— " I am happy in having an opportunity of bearing testimony to the gal- lantry displayed by the officers and crew of H. M. ship under my com- mand ; and beg leave to recommend my first lieutenant, William Simpson, to their Lordships' notice ; also Lieutenants Polkinghorne and Lambert, as good officers, and every way deserving their Lordships' favor." In Dec. 1812, Mr. Polkinghorne followed Captain Pechell from the Cleopatra into the San Douiiujo 74, bearing the flag of Sir John B. Warren, on the North American station. In the beginning of April 1813, he was slightly wounded while commanding a detachment of boats, at the capture of four formidable privateers, in the Rappahannock river. The copy of his official report is given in p. 365 et seq. of Suppl. Part I. ; aud we have there stated, on good authority, that he was promoted for this gallant exploit, although his com- mission as commander is only dated June 27th, 1814. His subsequent appointments were, — in July 1824, to be Inspect- ing Commander of the Coast Guard at Fowey j — and, Nov. 21st, 18:25, to the Sparrowhawk sloop, fitting out for the Cape of Good Hope station j where he continued until ad- vanced to the rank of captain, Aug. 25th, 1828. This officer married, in 1821, the second daughter of the late Robert Passingham, of Chester, Esq. .,,, , Agents J — Messrs. Cooke, Halford, & Son. , , , , . I'JiiH i«» V; If U THEOBALD JONES, Esq. Skrved as a midbhipman of the Ajax 80, Captain (now Sir Henry) Blackwood ; and after the accidental destruction of that ship, by fire, was received on board the Eudymion frigate. Captain the Hon. Thomas Bladen Capel, then at- tached to the squadron proceeding against Constantinople under the command of Sir John T. Duckworth. His first commission bears date July 8th, 1809; from which period 353 et SCO. * Sec Suppl. Part L p. 364, 64 CAPTAINS OF 1828. we find him with Captain Blackwood, in the Warspite 74, until Feb. 1814; when he was appointed to the Desir^e frigate, Captain William Wooldridge. His promotion to the rank of commander took place July 19th, 1814. This officer's subsequent appointments were,— Feb. 26th, 1819, to the Cherokee sloop, fitting out for the Leith station ; where he continued upwards of three years : — and Oct, 1st, 1827, to the Prince Regent 120, bearing the flag of Sir Henry Blackwood, in the river Med way; in which ship he served, under the command of Captain the Hon. George Poulett, un- til advanced to his present rank, Aug. 25th, 1828. JigentSi — Messrs. Cooke, Halford, & Son. EDWARD PURCELL, Esq. Was born atTymogue Castle, in the Queen's County, Ire- land ; and entered the royal navy, in June 1804, as midship- man on board the Niobe frigate. Captain (now Vice- Admiral) Matthew Henry Scott, employed as a Channel cruiser. To- wards the end of 1807, he followed the same officer into the Dragon 74 ; and on that ship being paid off, after a trip to the West Indies, we find him joining I'Impetueux 76, Captain (now Admiral) John Lawford ; by whom he was entrusted with the command of an armed launch during the operations against Flushing, in Aug. 1809. Subsequent to the reduc- tion of Walcheren he ascended the East Scheldt, and served with the flotilla for a period of five weeks. On her return home, I'lmpetueux was ordered to Lisbon ; and in 1810, when the British army retreated to the lines of Torres Vedras, Mr. Purcell again obtained the command of her launch, then armed with two carronades, and went up with other boats to Alhandra, for the purpose of annoying the French forces encamped on the banks of the Tagus. This service proved most harassing and severe, the boats being almost incessantly engaged with the enemy's field- pieces and riflemen for nearly two months. In Dec. 1810, Mr. PuvccU was received on board the Eliza- beth 74, for a passage home to join his first naval patron. CAPTAINS OP 1828. 55 Captain Scott, who had just been appouitcd to the Marl- borough, of similar force. On his arrival in England he was transferred to the Amethyst 36, Captain Jacob Walton, in which frigate he suffered shipwreck, near Plymouth, Feb. 16th, 1811. A few weeks after this disaster he was removed from the Marlborough to the Victory, of 100 guns, bearing the flag of Sir James SaumarcZj commander-in-chief on the Baltic station. - In Sept. following, Sir James Saumarez, then lying in Wingo Sound, near Gottenburg, received intelligence that two Danish gun-vessels were lurking about the coast to the southward, intendini'- to ..ttack the rear of a homeward-bound con^'oy. 'J'he Vic .y's pinnace and yawl were ordered to go in search of the enemy, and one of these boats was placed under the command of Mr. Purcell. On the ensuing day they fell in with the Danes, strongly posted, with some small guns, among rocks, and were received with a very smart fire. The vessels were immediately boarded and carried, although their crews amounted to five times the number of the assail- ants. Of the former, two were killed and five wounded j the British had not a man slain, and only three wounded. For his conduct on this occasion, Mr. Purcell received the thanks of Sir James Saumarez; and, in Nov. 1811, was ordered to act as a lieutenant of the flag-ship, an appoint- ment confirmed by the Admiralty on the 4th of the follow- ing month. He subsequently served for a short period in the Muros sloop, Captain James Aberdour, from which vessel he appears to have been removed to the Marlborough, on the North Sea station. In Aug. 1812, he accompanied Rear- Admiral Scott into the Chatham 7^ ; and on the return of Napoleon Buonaparte from Elba, we find him appointed flag-lieutenant to the same officer, with whom he continued, at Deal, until the autumn of 1815. Lieutenant Purcell's subsequent appointments were,— Feb, 2d, 1816, to the Rivoli 74, Captain (now Sir Charles) Ogle, stationed as a guard-ship at Portsmouth ; — July 24th, 1816, to be first of the Driver sloop, Captain John Ross, by whom he was very often employed in boats for the suppression of smuggling, on the western coast of Scotland j— and lastly. !Jl i I ^ Mii III V : i !*' 'I 5G CAPTAINS OF 1828. Sept. 7tli, 1818, to the Tribune 42, Captain (now Sir Nisbet J.) Willoughby, fitting out for the Iriah station. Between this latter period and the spring of 1820, he had many nar- row escapes whilst pursuing contraband traders. In June 1820, he was promoted to the command of the Falmouth 20, at Barbadoes ; and his commission for that sloop was con^ firmed at home on the 9th of Sept. following. - 'ui After serving three years in the West Indies, Commander Purcell brought home, and paid off, the Falmouth, in July 1823. During his passage to England orders were sent to the commander-in-chief at Jamaica, to place his name on the admiralty list for promotion ; but unfortunately it was not in his power to return thither, and he consequently remained without advancement until Aug. 25th, 1828, previous to which he had been appointed second captain of the Glouces- ter 74, commanded by the present Rear-Admiral Horton, ^^entSy — Messrs, Stilwell. -^^ • O'^Ci 'J I/- ■Is:; eA'.n \U-. ■•■< <",.v\. GEORGE LLOYD, Esq. - Was made lieutenant into the Rattler sloop, Nov. 3d, 1812; appointed to the Trent 32, armed en Jliite, at Cork, Dec, 7th, 1813 ; to act as commander of the same guard-ship, iu Aug. 1815 J confirmed "for rank" Nov. 8th following j ap- pointed to the Victor sloop, fitting out for the Jamaica sta- tion, Aug. 22d, 1827; and promoted to the rank of captain Aug, 26th, 1828. Agents, — Messrs, Goode & Clarke, .lf<- -','■': Tito \ ■ !«■" .i» u-,\ till :M JENKIN JONES, Esq. * Was twice wounded whilst serving as master*s-mate of the Africaine frigate, commanded by Captain Robert Corbett, in Sept. 181 1 ♦. On the first occasion, he had the direction of her jolly-boat in an attack upon a French national schooner, lying aground at the Mauritius ; and on the latter, he received f See p, 60. CAITAINS OP 1828. Hf. his hurt whilst bearing a gallant part in an action with two frigates, one of equal and tlie other of superior force. On the 18th June, 1813, he was made lieutenant into the Poni- p^e 74, Captain Sir James Athol Wood, on the Mediter- ranean station. His subsequent appointments were, — Jan. 6th, 1815, to the Hyperion frigate. Captain William Pryce Cumby; — Sept. 18th following, to the Jupiter 50, acting Captain Henry Meynell ; — Nov. 20th in the same year, to the Newcastle 50, fitting out for the flag of Sir Pulteney Mal- colm ; — May 18th, 1816, to the command of the Julia sloop, which vessel was wrecked at Tristan de Cunha, Oct 1st, 1817;— Feb. 9th, 1822, to the Sappho 18, employed on the Irish station ; — and, June 24th, 1828, to be second captain of the Gloucester 74, commanded by the present Rear- Admiral Henry Stuart, and stationed in the river Medway as a guard-ship. His commission as captain bears dat€ Aug. 28th, 1828. This officer married. May 2d, 1825, Elizabeth, only daughter of Harrison Deacon, of Portsmouth, co. Hants, Esq. Agents, — Messrs. Maude & Co, . .n CHARLES ELLIOT^, Esq. Was made lieutenant into the Myrmidon sloop, Captain Henry J. Leeke, on the coast of Africa, June Uth, 1822; and subsequently appointed as follows : — June 18th, 1822, to the Iphigenia 42, bearing the broad pendant of Sir Robert Mends, on the above station ; — Mar. 22d, 1823, to the Hus- sar 46, Captain George Harris, C. B., fitting out at Chat- ham ; — June 19th, 1825, to command the Union schooner, on the Jamaica station ;— Aug. 30th following, to the Rene- gade schooner; — Jan. 1st, 1826, to act as commander of the Serapis, convalescent- ship, at Port Royal j — April 14th in the same year, successively to command the Magnificent, re- ceiving ship, the Bustard of 10 guns, and the Harlequin 18 ; from which latter vessel he was promoted to the rank of captain Aug. 28th, 1828. I t i i I r 58 CAPTAINS OF 1828. THOMAS BENNErr, Esq. ; Was born at Hereford, Feb. 22d, 1785 ; and appears to have been borne on the books of the Iphigenia and Hermione frigates, for two years previous to his first embarkation as midshipman, which took place in March, 17^7* He was then piaced under the care of his uncle, Mr. Francis Bennett, purser of the Monarch 7^, at that time commanded by Captain John Elphinstone, and attached to the Channel fleet; but subsequently by Captain Edward O'Bryen, and bearing the flag of Vice-Admiral (afterwards Sir Richard) Onslow, on the North Sea station. We have stated in our first volume (p. 1.51), that the memorable battle of Camperdown, which may be considered as having annihilated the remnant of Dutch naval glory and power, was commenced by the Monarch breaking through the enemy's line, and engaging the flag- ship of Vice-Admiral Reintjies, whom she at length compelled to surrender. Her loss on this glorious occasion was, with one exception, greater than that of any other British ship, no less than 36 of her officers and crew being slain, and 100 wounded, besides others who received slight hurts, but were not included in the report of casualties : — amongst the latter we find Mr. Thomas Bennett, whose hand was lacerated by a splinter. This young officer soon afterwards joined the Nassau 64, Captain George Tripp, stationed off the Nore light as an extra guard-ship. In the beginning of 1798, he was removed to the Amphion 32, a new frigate just commissioned by his friend Captain Richard H. A. Bennet, and of which his uncle, the late Commander William Bennett, was appointed first lieutenant. In that ship he served, on the North Sea, African, and Jamaica stations, until Aug. 1801 ; and then joined the Sans Pareil 80, bearing the flag of Lord Hugh Seymour, to whom his captain had strongly recommended him for promotion, but of which he lost his chance by the ;j CAPTAINS OF 1828. 50 dealli of that distinguished nobleman^ on the 11th Sept. following*. In January, 1802, Mr. T. Bennett was appointed by Rear- Admiral Robert Montagu acting lieutenant of the Tartar frigate, at the particular request of her captain (the late Rear- Admiral) James Walker, with whom he afterwards served in the same capacity on board the Vanguard 74. Neither of these appointments, however, were confirmed; and as he had no sort of interest with Sir John T. Duckworth, the new commander-in-chief, he returned home a passenger in the Cerberus 32, Captain James Macnamara, and again joined the Amphion during the short peace of Amiens. The Amphion was at this ti?ue commanded by Captain (now Siv Thomas MastoTfrian) Hardy; and on the renewal of hostililies, in May 1B03, (-h.' conveyed Lord Nelson from oflf Brest to the M.':J.it.-irf.:nean. A few days after joining the squadron emplfiyed ii: the blockade of Toulon, Mr. Bennett, to whom, at iJiie recr.iamendrt'iOi: of his frieiid Captain Hardy, the imniorT.;J hero haO 'already giiien charge of a watch, -'viiA pjomoteil into the CrmeV.jsi br'g; and this ap- pointment, the first that was Siu^ined by his lordship after assuming the chief tOiVAm;ind ou tl-.c above fstt-t/^on, was con- firmed at home, Dec, {?tli, I8!>3. The active services of the Camolion have bctvi ?ecorded in our memoir of the Jate Captain Sir Thomas k'taines j but it is proper here to statv, that Lieu'enai;! iitnue tL commanded her boats on every occritii'iii to wh'rh we have there alluded ; and that he always most zeii.] jusly and gal'antly assisted that enterprising officer in keeping the whole of the enemy's coast, from Touioti to Leghorn j "i.i constant agitation and alarm. On the 29th Aug. 1803, whilst attacking five vessels under the bat eiie^; at Rimasol, his clothes and hat were shot through in an extriioid'aary manner, and every person in his own boat, except hlriself, two men, and a boy, was either killed or wcunded. The French national vessel mentioned at *A * Sec Suppl. Part I, p. 167 el seq. I.ji n 60^ CAPFAINS OF 1828. p. 84 of Suppl. Part. I. waa le llenard schooner, afterwardu commissioned as a British cruiser *. In the summer of 1805, the Cumelion was ordered to England, being quite worn out, and Lieutenant Bennett gladly availed himself of an opportunity of exchanging into the Seahorse 38, then commanded by Captain the Hon. Courtenay Boyle, but soon afterwards by the late Captain Robert Corbett, — of whom it has been said, that " his guns were a secondary consideration, but in all the evolutions of a ship, — unmooring, weighing, making and shortening sail, furling, reefing, tacking, &c. &c. none could approach the one he commanded without a certainty of being second." Many tried to excel the Seahorse in these points, but they were all beaten. " In default of meeting with enemies to engage," says one of her officers, " Captain Corbett amused us with a tolerable proportion of drilling, by dint of which, and with a little other assistance, he brought the ship into that state of (shall I say) discipline, that I never witnessed any thing like it." . ^ In April, 1800, Captain Corbett was superseded, off Cadiz (on his return from an unauthorised trip to the West Indies), by the late Captain John Stewart, whose manner of treating his officers and men was such, that " he could command their every nerve, fibre, and faculty, to the very gates of death." In March, 1807, the Seahorse, niUv having been thorough- ly refitted at Sheerness, was ordered again to the Mediter- ranean ; but, while beating through the Straits of Dover, in a thick fog and strong gale of wind, she struck on the Varne shoal, owing to a mistake of the mjister, and knocked off her false keel and rudder. In endeavouring to save the latter. Captain Stewart and Lieutenant Bennett were both consider- ably bruised by the snapping of a hawser, with which they were trying to hang it. Having beat over the siioal, the ship was brought up for the night with three cables an-end ; and next morning, the wind being then to the northward, she worked back to the Downs, with a gun-brig and pilot-boat ^^ec Suppl. Purt III. p. ■!]. 4 CAPTAINS OF 1828. 61 in tow to steer by, keeping pace with, and going as fast to windward, as the Clyde frigate, and several crack vessels of the Boulogne squadron. Having fitted a temporary rudder in the Downs, she proceeded from thence to Plymouth, where all her defects were made good, and from whence she finally sailed for the Mediterranean, with a fleet of merchant- men under her protection. After touching at Malta and Messina, the Seahorse joined Lord Collingwood, near the entrance of the Durtlanelles, and found Sir Arthur Paget (who had been sent out on an em- bassy to Constantinople, after Sir John T. Duckworth's failure), making an unsuccessful effort to restore peace bo- tween Great Britain and Turkey. In August, 1807, Captuin Stewart was despatched to examine the ports in the Cyclades ; to report as to their capacity, means of refreshment, &c. ; and to offer such of the islands as had shipping, and where commerce might be introduced, every facility for carrying on a trade with Malta. On the 15th Nov. following, he wrote to a friend as follows : — " I have been very l)usy chasing vcsst-Is of all descriptions, and, of course, too mucli engiijrcd to think of writing — it is only to-duy that we are quite idle, and nearly heculmcd. After staying about a week with the fleet at Indtros^, Lord Collingwood moved us all over to Tonedos, as it was near the season when we might expect soulherly winds, and that island afforded better shelter than the other. Sir Arthur I'aget went at the same time in the Thetis, with a fliig of truce, to get a final answer from the Turks, and returned on the fourth day, when war seemed per- fectly certain. Lord Collingwood determined to sail with half the fleet, and ordered me to proceed again through all the Cyclades, to put all their governments into the hands of the (dd Primates ; and to drive from amongst tiieni all the vessels that had been privateering under the Russian flag, but who, being Ionian islanders, now lived on the defenceless inha- bitants, and in short were pirates. I sailed on this service, Sept. I/th, and continued going from island to island until the middle of October, by whicii time I had nearly put them all in order, and had effectually per« furn^ed the lust part of my instruction!^ ; for as soon as 1 made known, by a circidar paper, the service I was come upon, it spread like wild-fMc — tl c (irecks fuuling it to be their Interest to frighten the banditti; and though I only rcnndned three days at IMiconi, where I piddished the pa|)er, I foimd thiit the lonians hud every where got on board their vessels, and lind set ntf as fust as they could, after having committed the greatest devastation in several islands." I I i' > I ■( ; 111 ; 'ji m CAPTAINS OF 1828. Captain Stewart was subsequently left as senior officer in the Archipelago, where he took three prizes, one of which waa a xebec mounting six guns, and destroyed many small vessels; "but," says he, in a letter from Malta, dated April 11th, 1808, "it seems labour in vain: we have a new way with the Turks. Our officers are ordered in every way to destroy and annoy their trade, but the Admiralty Courts are not directed to condemn ; so they put us in the light of pi- rates, and will not publicly avow their hostility. All the cargoes brought in here are rotting unsold." About this period, a l}and of Epirots, who had been in the pay and service of Russia previous to the peace of Tilsit, being left by Vice-Admiral Siniavin at the mercy of their former masters, took possession of two islands near the Gulf of Salonica, from whence, with large boats, they laid the coast, as far as the Dardanelles, under contribution, and made prize of all vessels going to Constantinople. Tlie tribute from these parts of the Ottoman empire, being principally paid in corn, was thus intercepted, and the Turks having no force outside of the Dardanelles suilicient to crush this nest of pirates, made application to Captain Stewart, to know whether he would interfere witii any squadron sent for that purpose ? — to which he replit d, that he should repel by force any ships attemi)ting to come out. The Cupitan Pacha was not, however, ignorant of the British force in the /Egean Bca; and being anxious to suppress the Epirots, he sent a squadron of two frigates, two corvettes, two mortar-vessels, and some xebecs, for this purpose. On the approach of tiie Turks, the pirates despatched one of their chiefs with the intelligence to Captain Stewart, then at the i.^land of Syra, who immediately weighed, and proceeded in search of the enemy ; the chief and three of his men remaining, at their own request, on board the Seahorse. " In workinpf to the northward ainoipst tlie Islands" tays Oaptnin Stewart, " I found the consternation of the Greeks ijenoral : from each place I received accounts of the 'J'uikish ships l.cinjr out, and most of these accounts cxu^geraled. As I kniw that whatever the cueiny's force was, it would be certainly nuich huperlor to my ship, I de\i8(d in my head most of the cases likely to arise : and ditu mined, if the dispuiiiy r*iuii. CAPTAINS OF 1828. 63 was not excessive, to attack them ; and if they were under sail, to do sa in the night, I felt my situation critical. I was alone and could not get assistance for some time. If I were driven out of the Archipelago, the whole of the islands would he instantly overrun hy the Turks, and our character and influence suffer in consequence. On the contrary, if I could strike a hlow on the first that came out, it would give thera an earnest of what the British could do; it might possihly prevent the rest from cominjf out, and would certainly exalt our character with the Greeks, especially if it 5vved their islands from pillage. A pretty good judgment may he foniici". of my feelings when I got sight of two Turkish men-of-war, hetw .n the islands of Scopulo and Ivillidroni. It was a fine morning whp I we saw them ; we were standing towards Sciatho. I could not think how hey came there, as I had only that day (July 5th, 1808) heen posi- tively a sured hy a polacre, that the Turkish squadron was still at Sciatho ; I feared .'ley might he line-of-hattle ships coming to reinforce the others, and was distressed at the thought of it. They passed to windward of tho island, and \'e worked up towards it. In the afternoon there suddenly came on a stroog north wind : I continued snug under the island, knowing they would come to leeward of it before night, if they could not get to Sciatho. " I was walking the deck with much anxiety when, at half-past six, a large frigate, with fifteen ports on a side, was observed coming thruitgh the passage between Scopulo and Ivillidroni. Then followed a smaller ship, with thirteen ports on a side ; and then a galley. This seemed to be within my compass. I knew my crew to be bravC active men, and purposely kept from engaging the enemy until dark, when I judged we ehould have a greater advantage in manceuvring." The briUiant result of the Seahorse's night action with this Turkisk force is thus ofliciuUy described by Captain Stewart, in a letter to Lord CuU'mgwood, dated off Skiro, July ()th, 1808. " Tiie action begun at half-past nine, t!ie Turks going n little oflF t!<0 wind, luuler easy sail, and continually endeavouring to run us on board j indeed I early saw that their chief attention was directed to this object, and as the largest ship njipcared of great force and lull of men, I kept the Seahorse in a position not to ln' boarded. At ten o'clock, observing a good opportunity of more particularly attacking the small ship to advan- tage, we dropped alongside of her, and after a quarter of an hntir's hot fire, at half pistol-shut distance, her fire having totally c.a-eil, we left her in a state of the greatest distress and confusion, with her sails mostly down, and just before she had piu tially blown up forward. By this time the large frigate, which, from Uving fallen a little to leeward, had n(»t 64 CAPTAINS OF 1828« been al)le to assist her consort, had aj;ain got [iretty close Up, and the ac- tion l)etiveen us soon recommenced ; but so obstinate was the resistance of the Turks, it was not till a quarter-past one we rendered her a motion- less wreck. As they now would neither answer nor fire, I conceived it most prudent, knowing the character of the people, to wait for daylight to send on board her. At daylight, observing her colours upon the stump of the mizen-mast, we poured a broadside into her stern, when she struck, and I had the pleasure to take possession of the Badere Zaffer, a very fine frigate, of the largest dimensions, carrying 52 long brass guns, 24-pounder8 on the main-deck, except two, which are 42.p()unders, and 12-pounders on the quarter-deck and forecastle. She had a complement of 500 men, and was commanded by Scanderli Kichuc Ali, who, I am informed, was only prevented by his own people from blowing her up. Her loss in killed and wounded is prodigious, lf)5 killed and 195 wounded; ours compara- tively small, five killed and ten wounded. Our mizcn-mast fell soon after t'le action, which is the greatest injury we have sustained. The other ship was named the Alls Fezan, carrying 24 brass 12-pounders and two mortars, commanded by Daragardi Ali, with a complement of 230 men. I under- stand they took most of the men out of the galley before the action, and sent her away. " Having now, my Lord, given you tlic details of this affair, there only remains the pleasant ollice of recommending to you the officers and ship's company, who, during a tedious night action, where much depended upon working the sails as well as the guns, behaved in a manner to command my utmost gratitude. The disparity of force, with the loss sustained by the enemy, will prove the greatness of their exertions ; to which I shall add, that thirty njen were absent from the ship. Mr. Downie, the firs-t lieutenant, is an officer of merit, abilitj', and experience, and I bog strongly to recommend him to your Lordship's protection for promotion. Mr. Lester, master's-matc, who has passed, is also very deserving of pro- motion. Thomas Hubby, gunner's-mate, and an excellent man, acted as gunner ; and, from his conduct, is very deserving of such a situation. *• I am now proceeding with the prize for any port I can first get into among the islands, as it is with difficulty we can keep her above water. (Signed) " John Stkwart." Just as Captain Stewart was about to renew the action with the Badore ZaflFer, after silencing her consort, a nia'i in the main- top of the Seahorse hailed tlic quarter-deck and exclaimed, " the little frigate has given three rolls, and gone to hell, Sir !" A marine also reported having seen her go down ; and this was the lust time tiiut mortal eyes ever be- held the Alis Fezan. s I I f i The Seahorse mounted thirty long 18-poundcrd (two of CAPTAINS OF 1828. 65 which were brass guns taken on board at Messina, in lieu of her four 9-pountlers) and twelve 32-pounder carronades, with nn established complement of 281 officers, men, and boys, of whom, as Captain Stewart states, thirty were tljen absent. The Baderc Zaflfer had on board, including part of the galley's crew, 543 men of every description. The British frigate measured 998 tons, her principal opponent nearly 1300, and the A lis Fczan about 730. The superior officers of the Sea* horse at this period wore Lieutenants George Downie, Thomas Ccnnott, and Richard Glinn Vallack ; Mr. Thomas Curtis, master, and Lieutenant John Cook, of the royal marines. On the 9lh July, the Seahorse and her prize anchored in the harbour of Miconi ; the Turkish prisoners having worked at the pumps, on being promised their liberty. From thence they luul a g()f)d passage to Malta, whore Captain Stewart had just completed the refitment of his own ship, wlicn he heard tliat a British Ambassador was come to Palermo, on his way to Turkey, but doubted, after hearing (jf the late action, how to proceed. Captain Stewart immediately voUintoered to go over to him, and he soon determined to sail for the Darda- nelles in the Seaiiorse. This diplomatist was ?»lr. llobeit Adair, who in conse- ijuenee of some important information, obtained by (Captain Stewart, respectio' tlie state of affairs in Turkey, had been sent out from Ei.giand to renew the negociations with th^ Porte ; and who thus speaks of the Seahorse's action : — " Jliis evL'iit happened avery few days liefDro, my arrival at rulcrmo^ and I cunfess lliut, on iv fir^l \'u;\v, I co'ild not ImiI om^ider it as extremely embarrassing. It was impossihlc to judge, either what chaiiy;e so desperate an encounter might not produce on the paeitic dispositions of the Turks ; or whetlier the encounter itself might ni>t rather have l)een occasioned by a previous alteration in those views ; and this einbai rassmenr, coming h addition to what I had also just learned, of a fresli revolution in ('onstunti- noplc, in which the Sultan, to whom I was accretlitcd, had been deposed, and most of the ministers supposed to be friendly to us had !»een put to death, cau8eay, nn anchorage between the first and second line of castles which defend the Straits. During our stay at Tenedos, I thought it advis- able, although the ncgociation had not yet commenced, that the Turkish trade, which at this time was carrying on with considerable activity, should be snfTered to pass unmolested to the capital. Captain Stewart acceded without hesitation to my wishes, and, by this act of disinterestedness, helped to keep alive, and to confirm the prevailing good humour of the Divan ; a service the most essential, as it afterwards turned out, — for on the very day preceding my first conference with the plenipotentiary, another insurrection took place at Constantinople, and was followed by Uie deaUi of the deposed Sultan, the slaughter of ten or fifteen thousand Turks, and the burning of a third part of the city. In this, as in the whole of his previous conduct, I conceive myself greatly indebted to Captain Stewart, for the success of the uegociation entrusted to one.'* ,.„ The treaty of peace between Great Britaiti and Turkey- was signed on the 6th of January, 180Q ; after which the Seahorse proceeded to Constantinople, and remained there nearly three months, at the express desire of Mr* Adair, who required Captain Stewart's assistance in ceveral things he had to settle with the Ottoman Government ; particularly to assist at a conference tliat was held, on the 23d March, rela- tive to a proposed co-operation in case of a war between Russia and the Grand Scignor. During his stay at Constan- tinople, Captain Stewart and his officers were treated with marked civility by the Turks, which, as he had almost the whole conduct of the war against them, he attributed to his having personally well treated all their countrymen whom he had taken prisoners. The Seahorse subsequently visited Smyrna, for the purpose of seeing that the British Factory was re-established, and then returned to Malta, where her captain received two letters from Lord CoUingwood, of which the following are extracts :— " Notwithstanding the high opinion I have ever entertained of the excellent discipline and order which are established in the Seahorse, and the firmness and euterprisc wfiich »re mamfest in every service on which CAPTAINS OP 1828. laractcr of the appeared fatal lcplcml)cr, we I of a Turkish n removed to ine of castles )ng!tt it advii!-. It the Turkish etivity, should ewart acceded nterestedness, lumour of the It, — for on the itiary, another by Uie death id Turks, and whole of his )tain Stewart, ind Turkey which the aincd there Adnir, Who things he ticularly to arch, rela- Lt between Constan- ated with almost the iited to Ins whom he ly visited h Factory where her 5wood, of ined of the ahorse, and ce 0)1 which 67 I I she is engaged ; yet I cannot sufficiently express my admiration of the rc« suit of this action, against a force so much superior, and which can only be attributed to the eminent skill with which it was conducted. The exer- tions of the officers and ship's company deserve every regard. I beg you to accept my sincere congratulations on your success." " I am commanded by the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to express to you, the high sense they entertain of your meritorious conduct in that encounter. The ability with which it was conducted, and the success which ensued, have given their lordships a satisfactory proof that the skill, bravery, and discipline of British seamen and marines, whon guided by officers of enterprise and talent, are irresistible. It is their lordships' directions, that you make knbwn to the officers and ship'd company of the Seahorse, their approbation of their zealous and gallant conduct : — a conduct so in unison with the high character which British seamen have on all occasions maintained in their country's service." About the same time, Captain Stewart received a letter from Lord Mulgrave, then presiding at the Board of Admi- ralty, wherein his lordship expressed great satisfaction at transmitting him the naval medal which accompanied it, " its a mark of His Majesty's gracious approbation of the skill and gallantry that had been displayed by him on the 5th July, 1808, and added :— "The best testimony that I can bear of the sense which I entertain of the distinguished 8ervi(;e of that day, will be fournl in the endowed li^>t of promotions, which the Admiridty have wade in the several ranks on board the Seahorse." • The Seahorse was subsequently employed in cruisl'ig between Corsica and the coast of Ilulj-. On the 10th May, 1809, Captain Stewart reported to Lord ("olliiigwood, "the destruction of the enemy's foit^ on the small inlands of Gianuti and Pianoza, in which services great gallantry appears to have been displayed by the olKcers and men who were employed under the directions of Lieutenants liennett * Lieutununt (Jeorgc Dowuie, to the nmk (W cunmuitKlcr ^ Mr. William Lester, to be liculenuut of the Stalitjisc ; and ThoniiiK Ilully, to lie a yuniier. Mr. Cieorgc Flintof, purser, and llie h()als^^ili^l and carpenter, iMitud fur appointments to ships of a higher rate. Captain Dnwnie was killed ill action with the Anieiioaii llotilla (ni Luke C'haiiiplaii), Sept. Ilth, IHl 1. See Siippl. Part IV. pp. !^.';— 1(^2. !■ -J ' I I lit 68 CAPTAINS OF 1828. and Pearse," the latter belonging to the Halcyon sloop of tt^ar. " One private marine, of the Seahorse, only was killed, and another wounded*." On the Slst June his lordship wrote to Captain Stewart as follows: — " rule de Paris, Ju»e2\st,lS09. " Dear Sir, — I am quite aware of the meritorious conduct of your first lieutenant upon all occasions, as well from my own observation as by your frequent comtnunications to me of services performed by him, and I sincerely hope that the Admiralty will pron-.ote him as a reward for his late gallant conduct at Pianoza; but should that not be the case, I will, as I promised, take him into this ship the first vacancy which may occur, for the purpose of making him a commander, whenever an opportunity may be afforded me for doinjj so. This will stx'urc to him a ship, as well 08 promotion. Believe me, with great truth, dear Sir, Yours very sin- cerely, . . (Sifj[ned) " Collingwood." " To Captain Stetoart, H M. S. Seahorse:' On the 6th Nov. 1809, Lord Collingwood informed Cap- tain Stewart that the Board of Admiralty had been pleased to expreas their high approbation of the conduct of his then first Mcutenant, and of all who were employed in the boats under that oflicer's command. , ■ , From this period we find no particular mention of the Seahorse until the sunuuer of 1811, when she conveyed Lord Amherst and his family from Palermo to Eni^Iand, and nar- rowly escaped another thump on the Varne shoal, which was only avoided by Lieutenant Bennett accidentally going on deck before day-light. She was soon afterwards paid off at Woolwich, on which occasion Captain Stewart addressed the folloAving letter to Lord Mulgrave's successor : — '• Sir, — I foci it my duty to write to you, to recommend Mr. Thomas Ben- nett, first lieutenant of H. M. ship Seahorse, uSo is one of the best officers in His Majesty's service, and very deserving of ^ vomotion, as well for his general merits as for particular services [icrformed by him. He was second lieutenant of the ship in the action with the Turkish squadron. He headed the men who stormed and look the island of Gianuti, destroy- ing the forts and taking the garrison prisoners. He commanded the party which took the island of Pianola and its forts, with a garrison of upwards of lOOmcn, after shewing groat judgment in conducting his people, and London Gazotte, Sept ]W.K IMl CAPTAINS OF 182S. 69 fii(litiii^ upwards of fuur hours beFore tlie enemy surrendered. For these luid other services, Ue was strongly recommended to Lord Coilingwood, wliu knew, acknowled^^ed, and would, no doubt, have rewarded them. I fuel very confident that I do not exaggerate iu my recommendation of him, and I have tlic honor to be, &e. ' (Sipned) *' John Stewaut." " To the Right Hon. Charles Yorke, On the 22(1 Jan. 1812, Lieutenant Bennett was appointed first of the Crescent 38, Captain John Quilliani, then sta- tioned in the Baltic, but afterwards employed in convoying a fleet of merchantmen from Co''k to Halifax and Newfound- land. In that ship, he assisted at the capture of the Ame- rican privateer schooner Elbredge Gerry, pierced for 14 guns, with a complement of 60 men, Sept. lOtli, 1813. With the exception of this solitary capture, the Crescent, al- though one of the very best-sailing frigates in the British navy, did literally nothing against the cnen.v; her captain seemed to have an antipathy to making prize-moDOj^, and a sort of horror at the idea of gaitiing a medal. Under these circumstances, Lieutenant Bennett considered that she would never make him a commander, and he tiicrefore, beiitg very unwell^ got sur- veyed and invalided ; not, however, until he had applied for a court-martial upon himself, in consequence of some asser- tions, which Captain Quilliam, in the exuberance of his fancy, had publicly made to him. The desired investigation was refused at that time, as no representation, reflecting upon him, had then been made by his captain to the commander- in-chief. On his return to England, as passenger in a mer- chant vessel, he found that he had been promoted on the Iftth June, 18H, and, by way of set- olT, that a court-martial was ordered to try him upon charges founded on representa- tions made to Sir llichard (ioodwin Keats by Captain Quil- liam, alter he had quitted the Newfoundland station. The charges were, that he had beaten the captain's boy; that he had given as a toast, at the gun-room table, " Danniution to the captain ;" and that he had not maintained proper discipline and regularity while serving on board the Crescent. mM * Ciiptuin JSic^art divd t»u tlic 2'lih Ovt. li?ll. ) >,■ 70 CAPTAINS OF 1828. Captain Quilliam had by this time arrived at Spithcad, and subpoenaed the whole of his offi«crs and crew as witnesses, together with most of the merchants of St. John's, New- foundland, several gentlemen holding civil appointments, and many military olllcers stationed there. This occasioned a reference to the Admiralty, as to the means of procuring the attendance of all these witnesses j and, Captain Quil- liani's aversion to the trial going on, and his fear for the probable issue, being manifest, their lordships thought pro- per to direct the court to proceed in examining those already on the spot, amounting to more than 300 persons, at least one-third of whom had been impressed by their late first lieutenant, and some of wliom, it might have been supposed, would be found to convict him, if guilty of any of the alleged offences. The court accordingly assembled on board the Crescent, Sept. 3d, 1814, and Captain Quilliam, who pertinaciously refused to prosecute, was called upon as principal evidence. His answer to the very first question astonished every one present. — " Have you any thing to allege against the pri- soner, and what?" enquired the court. "Nothing what- ever," replied he j " for although I have had complaints of him, they were not of that nature to call for a court-martial !" The president, Rear-Admiral Foote, here remarked to the other members of the court, that, " if the captain of the ship stated this much on oath, it was sufficient ;" but the prisoner urged that they were ordered to try him for his conduct, for nearly three years ; and although decidedly illegal, as far as regarded any thing prior to the last twelve months, he pre- ferred having it laid open, and thoroughly investigated. The court then decided to proceed ; and next day, being pretty well tired of the business, adjourned to the Gladiator, in Portsmouth harbour. All the officers of the Crescent, and their servants, as well as many of the ship's comp"hny, were examined, but not one among the whole could bring forward a single instance of insubordination, or of unseamanlike or ungentlemanly conduct, on the part of the accused. Sonic of the witnesses were hardy enough to nialte compurisons ^ CAPTAINS OF 1828. n between him and their captain, not very much to the ad- vantage of the latter. On the tliird day, the prisoner made a short, but unnecessary defence, and the sentence pronounced was,—*' That the charges had not been proved against the said Captain Thomas Bennett ; that no blame whatever was imputable to him for his conduct while serving as first lieu- tenant of H. M. S. Crescent, but that the imputations against him were unfounded and vexatious. The court did therefore adjudge him, the said Captain Thomas Bennett, to be fuUtf acquitted,'* We must not omit to mention, that the subject of this memoir had previously preferred several .charges f^ainst Ciiptain QuiUiam, one of which was — " neglect of duty in not doing his utmost to come up with a ship supposed to be an enemy's frigate." Suffice it to say, that Captain Bennett, with others, thought his charges had been proved (ulthougli one of the principal evidences for the prosecution had been provided with money, and pennitted, by Captain QuiUiam, I to absent himself before the trial commenced) ; but, possibly from the supposition that they originated in a wish to re- criniinate, or on some such ground. Captain QuiUiam was acquitted; — not, however, with any softening qualification. On the 2d July, 1819, Captain Bennett was appointed to the Cygnet, a new 10-gun brig ; and in the following month, he had the honor of dining with his late Majesty, then Prince Regent, on board the Roytil George yacht, at Spithead. The Cygnet first cruised on the Irish station, but was subsequently sent to St. Helena, where she continued with the squadron under Uear-Admiral Lambert, until the death of Na[K)leon Buonaparte, when she carried despatches to the Isle of France, and then joined Commodore Lillicrap at the Cape of Good Hope. Since the publication of the latter officer's memoii:. (iu Suppl. Part II.), a circumstance has been made known to us, with which we were not at that time acciuainted. The boats of the Cygnet, it appears, were the first to go to the assist- ance of the Hon. East India C'oinpuny's extra-ship Albion, and wore vict/uul ticrvicc with lliobc of tlic Hyperion frigate, in I ' ::!. ' ni :^.- A i-i'i 72 CAPTAINS OF 1828. rescuing that valuable merchant vessel •'from the situation of extreme peril in which she was placed, on the 10th June, ]822> when, in a strong gale of wind, she broke from her anchorage in Simon's Bay, and drove to within the distance of a few fathoms from the rocks ;" for which service, sup- posing it to have been performed under the personal direc- tions of Commodore Lillicrap, who was then residing on shore, and by the boats of the Hyperion alone, the Hon. Court of Directors presented the commodore with " 500/., for the purchase of a piece of plate, as a token of the Court's appreciation of his meritorious conduct upon this occasion ;" and voted a further sum of 500/. " to the oncers and seamen of His Majesty's navy, who ivere emploi/ed in rendering as- sistance to the Albion, whereby so many lives, and so much valuable property, were preserved from imminent danger ;" the latter sum to be divided proportionately with Commodore Lillicrap's estimation of their respective services, but not one (shilling of whicli was awarded by him to the officers and men of the Cygnet, whose commander, being on board his vessel at the time, personally sent them to assist the Albion. . The Cygnet was lying in Table Bay at the conmiencement of a tremendous N . VV. gale, during which she had as narrow an escape from destruction as any ship or vessel ever ex- perienced. On the 10th July, 1822, at 1-30 a. m., the Sarah, a free trader of about 900 tons burthen, deeply laden with a va- luable cargo, parted one anchor, swung nearly into the hawse of the little ten-gun brig, and appeared to ride exceedingly heavy j the storm, which had been gradually increasing ever since the morning of the 9th, then blew with great fury ; and the Cyj^not, pitching bowsprit under, was taking green seas fore-and-uft. Captain Ijcnnctt, although very ill at the time, was fortunately on deck, and directed tlie whole of the larboard chain- cable to be instantly veered away. Shortly afterwards he observed the Sarah in great confusion, and heard the whole of her crew hailing together j but owing to the violence of the gale, it was impossible to understand what they were so anxious to connnunicate. She had ■i rAPTAixs OF 1828. 73 rvice, sup- sprung a leak forward, which her pumps could not keep free, iuul it appeared impossible to save her from foundering. Mr. Alexander Simmonds, boatswain of the Cygnet, contrived to got alongside in a boat, and returned with information that she was actually going down at her anchor. The boat was sent back with directions to her to slip, and endeavour, by a spring, to cast her head inshore, as the only chance of getting into shallow water, and saving some part of her cargo j but, in a few minutes, the crew hailed again to say she was sinking fast. They then began to loose their top-sails, and the Cyg- net's situation became perilous in the ex'aeme ; the Sarah being still nearly in her hawse, and almost water-logged, and a tremendously high sea rolling into the bay, accompa- nied with a heavy ground swell. The preservation of the little " teunyy" one of a much calumniated class of vessels, now depended entirely on the ability of her crew to heave ahead, and allow the sinking phip to drift past her ; — Captain Ben- nett called his men to the capstan, and in a few short, but impressive words, pointed out their situation, and that their lives depended upon their activity and exertions. — Well did they make use of their powers ; for, after slipping the lar- board cable, they hove the brig ahead against one of the heaviest gales ever witnessed, and a sea that was almost suf- ficient to drown such a vessel, without forcing her against it. The Sarah had by this time cut or slipped her cable, and was rolling, an unmanageable log, towards the Cygnet, her gun- wales level with the water, and her topsails split to pieces ; but by the exertions of the chief-mate, whose coolness, forti- tude, and presence of mind, in such extreme danger, are be- yond all praise, her fore-lack was hauled on board, and the wind having, at that moment, providentially shifted about tvvo points, her head paid off, and she went past at the distance of not more than iialf her length. In a few minutes more, she gave a heavy lurch and disappeared. Captain Bennett heard the cries of her crew, and, fortunately for most of them, he had anticipated what would occur ; — two light boats, under the command of Mr. Robert Lee Stephens, whom he had sent to attend the Sarah, and with orders to .^ fv^\ lid \. ,. it 74 CAPTAINfi OF 1828. stick by her, succeeded in savinjif all tho crew, except four persons. I'his diingcr past, Captiiin IJonnctt endeavoured to heave in the hirboard cable again ; but when it came up to the bows, some part of the hawser was found twisted round the chain, which prevented it coming in-board. The hawser soon parted, and the boatswain, who, after being slung by Cap- tain Bennett himself, had obstinately persisted in going over the bows without a rope round his body, was knocked over- board by the end of the chain, and drowned before any as- sistance could be given him. As day-light broke, the bay presenteii a scene of devastation. All the shipping hud signals of distress flying, having lost tuichors and cables ; several boats were drifting about, upset ; two fine brigs were on shore ; the Madras, a large merchant ship, which had parted her cable on the 9th, was riding in the surf near them ; and the unfortunate Sarah lay bottu a up in the N. li^. part of the bay. It is worthy of remark, that the commander of the Sarah, now a Brazilian commodore, had very recently been pointing out to Captain Bennett the great danger of lying in Table Bay at that season, and the certainty, as he thought, of a small brig like the Cygnet fviundering, should she be caught there in a heavy north-wester. At the same time, he directed Cap- tain Bennett's attention to the majestic appearance of the Sarah ; spoke much of her patent cables, patent anchors, &c. and consoled him with the remark, that in the event of any thing happening to the Cygnet, the Saruli would be near to render assistance. l\)or man ! he little thought how soon his ship, which was not iosurod, would nei'd the like from that humble little " tenny." Captain Bonnett subHequcntly received a letter from him, of which tlu* following is^ a copy : " Aforrison't Itutel, Cape Tturn, 16/// Juhj, \^-2i. " Sir, — It would bi nii injustlio to my own sciitimoiita, did I not st'izc the first leirture inoniiiit my liio calamity has spared mo, to LApress to you in tliiH wuy, un I liave alrciuly had the iioiior oi (loiii)r pcrMonaily, the liii,'h 8«iiRrof >»ratilndi' 1 I'ci-l at the human.', prompt, and crtl'itlvciUKroMr yttu iM'Ktowcd i-n my ^^lii. r.t a iiiniiicnt whi'n your own wi» pluad l>y lur in u (TJiiiut ..lid pfriloit>< HJtuKtion. ' CArTAINS OF 1828. 75 " I trust, Sir, that you will also permit mo the gratilicalioii of impress. in:; on your attention, the a«lmirul»lc manner in which IMr. Stephens, the ollicer ajipointcd l)y yo\i to that (hmgorons duty, fulfilled your intentions and orders, at the risk of his own life and those of your boats' orews. His humanity, presence of mind, and cool courage, were the cause of preser- vation to the many lives that were saved — these (pialities were equally and eminently conspicuous during a scene the most appalling tuid afflicting tliat can be imagined. " The conduct of your gig's crew on this unhappy occasion ba« uo doidit been reported to you ; it is sufficient for me to observe, that they amply and efficiently seconded their commander. " I cannot dose my letter without expressing my regret at tht; loss of your boatswain, a meritorious seaman, of whom, I am given to under- stand, you had a high opinion, and whose life appears to have been sacri. ficed to his too great negligence of personal safety while n the discharge of his duty. I have the honor to subscribe myself, with sentiments of the highest respect, gratitude, and esteem. Sir, your most obedient vid devoted servant, (Signed) " James Nohton, late commander of the ship Sarah." The first lieutenant of tlie Cygnet was on shore during this terrific gale ; and the acting second lieutenant, Mr. Charles Brand, [who has written an article on the subject of her " narrow escape," for the '* Un*. 'd Service Journal," wherein he somewhat stringely describes himself as " her command- ing officer," at the time, although he admits, that " to Cap- tain Bennett's judgment as a seamen and an officer i-* every merit due for saving his brig,"] had only just joined her fiom a midshipman's berth. Mr. Robert Lee Stephens, the gen- tleman whose conduct is so highly eulogized by Mr. Norton, has since obtained the rank of lieutenant. The Cygnet subseiiuently accompanied Comniv.'lore Noursc to Madagascar, Zanzibar, DchigoeBay, and along the east orn coast of Africa ; after which she made two trips to Ascen- sion, with stores for that island, and touched iit St. He- lena on her way to I'^ngland. She was paid off* in tlie .spring of 1H2;J. Comniandor Bennett's next appointinent was, April 3<)th, 1827, to the Trinculo of 18 guns, in which sloop he served on the Irish station, tindir the or(h'ih. of Hear-Admiral I'lampin and his successor, the Hon. Sir Cluules I'aget, until promoted to tht rank ('f ( ipiuin, St-pl. Kl'h. [^2S. Mil A:' W-^\ ill 76 CAPTAINS OF 1828. This officer married, Nov. 16th, 1815, S'U'uh, eldest daugh- ter of W. Watkins, of Hereford, Esq. and has issue two sons and three daughters. His eldest boy, Edward WatUins Ben- nett, served as volunteer of the first class on board the Trin- culo, under his command. Captain Bennett's sister is the wife of the Rev. Walter Williams, of Brecon. Agents J — William M'Inerheny, Esq. PETER RICHARDS, Esq. OiiTAiNKD his first commission on the Tith Doc. 180/; nerved as a lieutenant of Lord Exmoutii's flag-ship at the buttle of Al^'iers ; and was rewarded for his distinguished bravery on that memorable occasion by promotion to the rank of commander, Sept. lOth, 1816. His next appoint- ment was, Oct. 20th, 1826, to the Pelorus sloop, which he continued to command, on the Mediterranean station, until advanced to the rank of captain, Sept. 17th, 1828. Agents, — Sii F. M. Ommanney and Son. ROBERT WHITE PARSONS, Esq. \ Was made a lieutenant on the 11th April ISOG; and com- inanded (he boarders of the Dinna frigate, Cai)tain William Torris, at the cnptuie of the French national brig Teaser, near the mouth of (!ie Cironde, Aug. 25th, 1811. lie subse- quently served in the Ar..iada 74, Captain Charles (I rant, and Boyne DH, bearing the flag of Lord Exmouth. On the 7th Nov. 1810, he was promoti'd to the rank of commander ; and in July 1825, appf)inlcd to the Dispatch sloop, lilting out for the Irish station, where he captured a smuggling lugger, under French colours, with ^JOO bidi-s of tobarco on bonrd. His conmuesion m captain bears date Nov. I hh, IH28. .%tf^ fl. CAPTAINS OP 1829. 77 ilniirl' ♦''•'>!'■ i*.-u'? rl'"* .HM ;,./ .t.-.rnj,i'» J i-.»iii'"-iii I ...l„Ki ... HENRY GOSSETT, Esq. '^ '^ " Passed his examinution at Plymouth, in the summer of 1815 ; obtained his first commission on the 30th Dec. 181G ; and subsequently served as lieutenant of the Harlequin 18, Captain Charles C. Parker ; Hussar 4G, Captain George Harris; and Pylades 18, Captain George V. Jackson, on the Cork and Jamaica stations. In 1828, lie successively com- manded the Espirijlc and Sluney sloops, employed in the West Indies. His promotion to tlie rank of captain took phice Jan. 1st, 1829. » ; ; ' 'I iit-ii.r.U'' .J.i ABRAHAM CRAWFORD, Esq. Was made a lieutenant Nov. 25th, 1807; commander Mar. 23d, 1815 ; appointed to the Grasshopper sloop, fitting out for the Jamaica station, Doc. 8tli, 1827 ; and promoted to the rank of captain, in tiie Magnificent, receiving ship, at Port Royal, Jan. 5l1i, 1829. He returned home from the West Indies, in the Herald yacht, April 3d, 1829; and married, in Jan. 1831, Sophia, daughter of the Rev, J. Mockter, of Rockvillc. j4g('iit, — J Copland, Esq. 11 m HON. WILLIAM WELLESLEY. Son of Lord Cowley, II. M. late ambassador at the court of Vienna, by Lady Ch:irlotte, second daughter of Charles, first Earl of Ci^dogan. He was made a lieutenant into the Weuxle sloop, Commander Richard Beaum )nt, on the Medi- terranean station, Oct. 3d, 1825 ; appoifited to the Caml)rian frigate, Captain C'awen W. Hamilton, C. B., Jan. 13th, 1820; to act as commander of the Rose sloop, shortly after the battle of Navarin, at wliich he appears to have had a trilling <3hare; promoted to the command of the VVea/le, m L-'M 78 CAPTAINS OF 1829. Jan. 2il, 1H2S; riMuovi'd to ilic Wasp sloop, on liic 13lli May following; and advanced lo the rank of captain, Feb. l/tl., 1829. I 'it: i GEORGE HAVE, Esq. Was made a lieutenant in Aug. 1808 ; and commanded the barges of the Cerberus and Active frigates, at the capture of four Venetian trabaccolos, under a heavy fire of musketry from the soldiers quartered at Pestichi, on the N. E. coast of Italy, Feb. 3d, 1811. A few days afterwards he commanded the launch of the Active in another gallant affair, under the town of Ortano, as will be seen by the foUowikig extracts of an official letter written by Captain Henry Whitby, of the Cerberus :— "Feb. 13M, 1811. *' On the morning of the 1 2tli instant xve discovered several vessels lying under the town cf Ortano ; and as the wind was light, the hoats of both ships were despatched, under the orders of L'cutcnant (James) Dickinson, first of the Ccrherus, to l)ring them out if practicable. On the near approach of tlic boats to the vessels, a fire of great guns and small arms was instantly opened from an armed trabaccolo, and soldiers posted on the beach and hills commanding the bay ; our boats fonncd in close order, gave three hearty cheers, and in a few minutes cleared all lufttrc them, the men from the vessels and the troops oii shore running in all directions. "To prevent any liiitioyance whilst the prizes were bringing out, Lieu- tenant Dickinson lanilcil with the marines embarked in the Active, and u division of smnll-ann men, taking a strong position on the hil.ti, and planting the British flagnt (he very gates of the town, whilst the launthos, under I/uMitcnants riayc and Campston, with the barge of the Active, wider Mr. James (Jihsnn, master's-mate, were employed In covering them with the carronades. This judicious and a(lvai<{agrous> moviinei;' was of the greatest service to those employed at the sensioits of naval iind ndlitary stores, destined for the garrison of Corfu, wu.. most eompleti ly CAPTAINS OF 1829. 79 y this capture, as tliey must have l>cen some time in makin^r so iar^c a collection. ••*••• I have much pleasure in addiiiff, that our loss has been only four wounded ; and when it is considered that they were exposed to a teasing fire from the bushes and houses, for five hours, it will I trust, be thoujjht trifling in comparison with the annoyance the enemy have received. •••••• No lani;uagc I can make use of is strong enough to express the zeal and conduct of e?ery person concerned." On the 13th Mar. following, Lieutenant Haye was severely burnt on board the Frenclj prize-frigate Corona, taken the same day by a squadron under Captain William Hoste, near Lissa *. On the 27th July, though then still an invalid, he very handsomely volunteered to assist in an attack upon twenty- eight vessels, lying in a creek near the island of Ragosuiza, and laden with grain for the garrison of Ragusaf. On the 29th Nov., same year, he was slightly wounded in action with la Pomone French frigate, forming part of a squadron from Corfu bound to Trieste. On this latter occasion his captain, now Sir James Alexander Gordon, lost a leg ; " but," says the senior officer of the British force, ** thank God he is doing well. His first lieutenant Dashwood, lost his arm soon after, and the ship was fought by Lieutenant Haye, in a manner that reflects the highest honor upon him j his ser- vices before had frequently merited and obtained the highest approbation.'* On the 19th May, 1812, Mr. Haye was promoted to the rank of commander; but he does not appear to have been again employed previous to Feb. 1S14, when he received a comniission for the Pelter brig, in which vessel he returned home from Bermuda about July, 1815. He feubseciuci'tly conimaiidcd the Ualeigh sloop, on the Mediterranean station, where he was serving when advanced to his present rank. Mar. 4th, 1H20. • See Vol. II. l»3trt I. p. 47'2 ft sti/. t See Snppl. Part IV. p. IOC ct seq. '-m li m •I :m A , ■* 80 CAPTAINS OF 1829. WILLIAM FLETCHER, Esq. Was made a lieutenant in Oct. 1809; and wounded wliile serving on board the Northumberland 74, Captain (now Sir Henry) Hotham, at the destruction of two Trench frigates and a brig, near TOrient, May 22d, 1812. His next ap- pointments were, — Jan. I4th, 1813, to the Elephant 7-l> Captain Francis VV. Austen; — Jan. 3Ist, 1SI4, to the Superb 74, Captain the Hon. Charles Paget;— April 26th, 181G, to the Royal Naval College;— and, July IJth, 1820, to the Royal George yutch, from which vessel he was promoted to the rank of commander on the 30th Nov. f(;llowing. Since then he has commanded the Terror bomb, and served as second-f'aptain of th" William and Mary yacht. His ad- vancement to the rank he now holds took place Mar. 4t!i, This oflicer married, in 1826, Elizabeth, d:uighter of J. L". Luscombe, of Combe-Royal, co. Devon, Escj. ^ * -»*^' 1^1 Ui ,»4f» « vn*^*- KIJSSELL HENRY MANNERS, Esq.' f /imt •~*A':'* Was made a lieutenant into the Tyne 2G, Captain John Edward Walcott, on the West India station, Oct. iOth, 1822; removed to the I'yrauius frigate, Captain Francis Newcombe, May 12th, 1823; promoted to the rank of com- mander, Aug. IGth, 182.'^; and appointed to the liritoniart sloop, at Flymoulh, Oct. 2lHt, 1827. His commission as captain bears date Mar. 4th, IbiO, . . "-'♦ JOHN FURNEAUX, Esq. CI Hlf, Was a midshipman on board the Royal George, fust rate, bearing the flag of Sir John T. Duckworth, in the expedition against Constantinople, 1 807- lie obtained the rank of lieu- tenant June 13tli, 1812; and was promoted to the coumiand r*JVT'. fi"r^ lI while low Sir frigates ext ap- ant 7*1 > Superb 81G, to to the loted to Since jrved as His ad- lar. 4th, of J . L. liii John t. 19th, rrancia of coiu- itciuart sioi) as CAPI'AINS OF 1829. 81 of the Cephalus sloop, July 19th, 1814. In May 1818, he received an appointment to the Carron of 20 guns, which ship he lost in the Bay of Bengal, in 1820. On the 15tli Sept. 1825, he was appointed to the Hind 20, destined to be sold in India ; from whence he brought home the Andromeda, a new 46-gun frigate, Oct. 16th, 1829. His advancement to the rank of captain took place on the 16th Mar. preceding his arrival in England ; and on paying off the latter ship, in Nov. following, his crew presented hira with a sword and pair of epaulettes. Jgents,^Mc8hrs. Ccoke, Halford, & Son. JAMES THORNE, Esq. Was made a lieutenant into the Newcastle 60, bearing the flag of Sir Pulteney Malcolm, K. C. B., at St. Helena, Aug. 5th, 1816; and appointed to command the Hynena store- ship, on the Cape station, in Oct. 1817. Between these dates he had had charge of the island of Ascension. His subsequent appointments were,— -Mar. 20th, 1823, to the Genoa 74, Captain Sir Thomas Livingston Bart. ; — Nov. 5th, 1824, to the Harlequin sloop, Commander James Scott, then on the Irish station, but from whence she was ordered to Jamaica; — Aug. 16th, 1826, to the Scylla 18, acting Commander William Hobson; — and, Feb. 8th, 1828, to act as commander of the Barham 50, flag-ship of Vice-Admiral the Hon. C. E. Fleeming. He obtained the rank of com- mander Mar. 29th, 1828; and his commission as captain bears date Mar. 30th, 1829. Agents, — Messrs. Maude Sc Co. •T'-VI'i' i'V- SIR EDWARD W. CORRY ASTLEY, Knt. Is descended from Sir Edward Astley, Burt., and son of Colonel Astley, of the first regiment of guards, Equerry to H. R. H. the late Duke of Cumberland. This officer was born in Norfolk, Oct, 21st, 1788; and he VOL. HI, I'AHT II, G r*f' I 82 CAPTAINS OP 182(X i 'Ji I '-I appears to have first embarked as n/idshipman on board the Elephant 74, Captain (now Sir Thomas) Foley, in Aug. 1800. We subsequently find him serving under Sir John Gore, in the Medusa frigate and Revenge 74, from which latter ship he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant, Aug. 11th, 1808*. In Mar. and April 1810, he commanded a detachment of sea- men landed from the Magnificent 74, to assist at the reduc- tion of St. Maura, an island situated near the entrance of the Gulf of Lepanti f, and his conduct during that siege was thus officially commended : — " Ten of the INIagnificent's guns were landed, and 150 seamen, under the command of Lieutenant Astlcy, whose assiduous attention and activity in performing every duty entrusted to him, the General speaka of iu strong terms of approbation. (Signed) •' Geo. Eyre, Captain, and senior naval officer in the Ionian Sea." At a subsequent period. Major General Sir John Oswald wrote to Lieutenant Astlcy as follows : — " I I)fg to assure you that I bear in perfect remembrance your very meritorious conduct during the time you served on shore with the army at the siege of St. Maura. At the time I strongly expressed to Sir George Eyre and the other several officers of the navy, the sense I entertained of the essential benefits derived from your unremitting zeul and exertions ; and I shall be happy to repeat this testimony to your good conduct in any way or shape which may be most conducive to forward the objects you have in view." On the 14th Oct. 1811, Captain Eyre, then employed in co-operation with the Spanish patriots in Valencia, addressed an ofiicial letter to Sir Edward Pellew, of which the follow- ing is an extract : — " Upon my arrival of! Valencia, on the 8th iustant, I lost no time in assuring General Blake of my readiness to undertake any service in which I could be useful in forwarding his plans for the defence of this province ; and the next day I received from his Excellency a letter containing a re- quest that I would endeavour to relieve the castle of Oropesa, which was closely invested by the enemy, and much distressed for provisions. " I, in consecjuence, immediately proceeded thither, with three gun- boats which the General had put under my command, and arrived there See Suppl. Part II. pp. 477—482, t Sec Vol. I. Part II. p. 719. CAPTAINS OF 1829. 88 )artl the g. 1800. e, in the ship he ,1808*. ; of sea- B reduc- ;e of the tvas thus len, under 11(1 activity f iu strong iitior naval Sea." I Oswald your very ;he army at Sir George :ertained of exertions ; iluct in any ubjects you )loyed in iddressed e follow- no time in ce in which province ; ining a re- whicU was ins. three gun- rivcd there II. p. 719. on the evening of the 11 th, when I learnt thot the castle had surrendered the preceding day, and that 2000 of the enemy's troops were in the town; a tower, however, about a mil' Voni Oropesa, and only a short distance from the sea, had the Spanish Aa^'- still flying, and the enemy were dis- covered constructing a strong battery against it, within musket-shot. " Flaving found means to communicate with the tower, I received a letter from the commandant, informing me, that although he had refused to capitulate when summoned the day before, it would be impossible for him to hold out many hours against such a force as the enemy had brought against him : an arrangement was in consequence immcdiutely made to withdraw the garrison. At daybreak the following morning, the enemy opened their Are, which was returned with spirit from the tower ; but it was not till near nine o'clock, when the breeze sprung up, that I could proceed in with the Magnificent : I then anchored as close to the shore m the situa- tion would admit, and sent our launch and pinnance, togetiicr with the gun-boats, to bring off the garrison, which consisted of uvo officers and eighty-live soldiers, all of .trhom I have the satisfaction to infi«rm you were, by the exertion and steady conduct of the ollicers and boats' crews, endiarked by ten o'clock. " The fire from the Magnifirjcnt kept the battery in check ; but the mo- ment the enemy perceived that the tower was abandoned, they drew down to the water-side, under shelter of a little point of land, and ainuiigst the rocks, in great numbers, keeping up against the boats an incessant and heavy fire of musketry, from whicrh three of our men were wounded j one of them, I am sorry to say, very dangerously. " The officers \Aio commanded the IMugniiiccnt's boats upon this occa- sion were Lieutenants Astley and Hiatt ; and 1 have great pleasure in re- presenting to you, that for every duly of danger or trouble, they have always volunteered their services ; and their conduct on this, as upon every former occasion, has been very satisfactory to me, and highly creditable to themselves." Lieutenant Astley subsequp.ntly served under Captains William Wilkinson, Charles Inglis, Sir John Louis, liart., and William Elliot, C. B., in the Monmouth 64, Queen Charlotte 108, and Scamander 42, from which latter ship ht was appointed acting commander of the Childers sloop, at Barbadoes, in the beginning of Sept. 1816. O.i his super- cession, he received the following letters from the com- mander-in-chief at the Leeward Islands, and the physician of the naval hospital at Antigua : — " Antt'hpr, Kn^lisli Hnrhour, JiitiiriM, \sf Oct. IS Hi. " Sir, — Captain Wales having arrived in II. M. sloop Brazen, to resume u2 till- .a ir',-' |C.' m If wj m -m n . ; i 1 ■■; i ( ; *• ■I \%i fcl I 84 CAPTAINS OF 1829. tlie command of l..e Cliildera, which you have held wiih so mach credit to yourself during^ his illness, I feel on this occasion great pleasure in exprcssinjf to you the , -" I'lj^h sense I entertain, as well of your zeal in taking charge of that sloop, ot a most distressing period of disease and mortality, as of the ability you displayed in bringing her to this harbour with only fifteen hands capable of doing duty, and of your exertions since your arrival in getting her cleared and fumigated. I am, Sir, your most obedient servant, (Signed) " John Harvet, Rear-Admiral." '* My dear Astley,— I congratulate you on your good fortune in getting the Childers cleared with so little loss of men. You ought to be particu- larly grateful for having escaped a disease which spared so few who came within the focus uf its powers., During my servitude of seventeen years in the West Indies, I have never seen a vessel where fever prevailed to such an alarming extent. Nothing can more clearly shew how completely the brig was filled with pestilential air, than the circumstance of seven medical men sent to her assistance, one after the other, being attacked with fever, as well as every new hand who went on board of her. The men belonging to the Lord Eldon transport, who assisted h^r in getting into English harbour, were on her deck little more than an hour, and not siiffered to go below, yet above one^third of them were attacked with the diceasc. "Your having persevered under such circumstances, in clearing and purifying the vessel, I trust will meet the reward such zeal merits. Wish- ing you every success, I remain, &c. (.Signed) " Robt. CniCHXON." - Some time after this, Mr. Astley, then again senior lieu- tenant of the ScamPtider, was likewise attacked with yellow fever, and in consequence obliged to be invalided, Feb. 21st, 3Bl7. We next find him serving as first of the Bulwark 70, bea;ing the flag of Sir John Gore, in tiie river Medway, from which ship he was lent to the Royal Sovereign yacht, during the time that that vessel was employed in bringing the Duke and Duchess of Kent to England from Calais, in April, 1819. His promotion to the rank of commander took place ilugl I2th, following, on which occasion he receired a very ^iiendly l»'tter from Sir John Gore, of which we shall here give the copy : — " /IthniraVs Office, Chatham, Aug. 2ith, 1819. , " My dear Asllcy, — I most s'nccrcly offer you my perfect congratula- CAPtAINS OK 1829. m lion oil your promotion, and mure particularly as it has hcvn the rcauU uf yuur services and proffs^ional repututiuii, and not from any interest or consideration for mc, or with any reference to the flag. " You have now served under my imtucdiate command nearly six years as midshipman, and eighteen months as senior lieutenant of my flag-ship, during the whole of which time I have carefully watched your character, and am gratitied hy Htating, that for zeal and ability, temper and judgment, iu fultilling all yuur duties as an ofliccr and gentleman, I have been most perfectly satisfied, and think myself called upon to olFer you this tribute of my approbation. I wish you every possible health and happiness, and hope that you will believe mc always very faithfully your friend. -'.-l!». (Signed) "JoBNdoRE." In Dec. 1819, Commander Astley was appointed Deputy- ComptroUer-Genefal of the Preventive Water- Gnard service, then acting under the immediate authority of the Treasdry, but transferred, in Jan. 181^2, to the Board of Customs, The following is fin extract from a report of survey of the coast between Seaford and Plymouth, made by a committee of the Commissioners, June Ist in the latter year : " We have to regret that the Comptroller-General of the Coast-Guard, (.'aptain Shortlaud, was prevented by ill health from accompanying us; hut wc had every assistance in the course of our inspection from Caj)taia Astley, aud are happy tu take this opportunity ai expressing our sense qC his zeal, activity, and knowledge of the service he is empluyed iii.'\/„v ^jii In April, 1824, Commander Astley received another hand- some testimonial of his services between Dec. 1819 and July 1822, accompanied by a letter worded as follows :— ^'" " My dear Astley, — I have enclosed a certificate for the time we were serving together in the preventive department. I wish t could have added more in it, as I can assure you I entertain such a high opinion of year integrity, zeal, and abilities, as to entitle you to any mark of approbation our superiors might bestow on you. In all my service, 1 never met fOi ulficer so fully inclined and determined to fill the station allotted tq liigii our duties nut being determined by any former rules, made it often co|nr pletely out of our usual beat, still I always had yuur support and assist- ance tu meet those exigencies ; and whether at sea or on shore, I should always feel pleasure and confidence in having the assistance of your valu- able services. Believe me always, my dear Astley, yours most faithfully, , ,. (.Signed) " Thomas Geouqe Shurtland." In Sept. 1825, Commander Astley transmitted to the fiJ! I >*'■■ \:'n IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) ^-,V^. 1.0 I.I 11.25 |28 |25 1^ 12.2 ^ m 111 2.0 U. 11.6 CP%> cyjli '# ^>. Photographic Sciences Corporation 33 WIST MAIN STRUT WIKTIR.N.Y. 14SM (716) tTi^soa iV ri>^ v> ^^^^»^ ^V^ ? .^' de S. M. B. la Blonde." ' "! For their services at Patras, Captain Lyons and Commander Lushington were immediately afterwards presented with the Order of St. Louis, the same as was given to the captains engaged at Navarin. Lieutenants Alfred Luckraft, Sidney Colpoys Dacres (of the Blonde), and George Logan (R. M.A.), were at the same time admitted into the French Legion of Honor. On the part of the British Admiralty, however, rc- m mi t 'km mm m\ iir i i 1 i M t ' ■■■' . : If J ;-■', Sec Suppl. Part III. p. 387. 90 CAPTAINS OF 18i9. wards were very tardily bestowed, as neither the commander of the /Etna, nor Captain Lyons's first lieutenant, obtained superior rank until Oct. 28th, 1829, at which period the lat- ter had been a commissioned officer upwards of nineteen years. EATON STANNARD TRAVERS, Esq. Third surviving son of the late John Travers, Esq. of Hettyfield and Grange, both in the county of Cork (of which he was a magistrate), by Mehetabel, only daughter of .lohn Colthurst, of Dripsey Castle, Esq. and niece to Sir Nicholas Conway Colthurst, Bart, of Ardrum, in the same county. This highly distinguished officer is descended from Lau- rentious Travers, whom we find settled at Nateby, co. Lan- caster, in the year 1292. Another of his ancestors was Brion Travers, who went to Ireland in 1599, as secre- tary to the Earl of Leicester, then Governor or Lord Lieu- tenant of that kingdom *. In 1630, Sir Robert Travers, grandson of the said secretary, was Vice-General of Cork, and Judge Advocate General. He commanded a division of the king's army at a battle near Youghall, where he was slain in 1642 or 3. His wife was Elizabeth, daughter of the Primate Boyle j and by her he left issue an only son, Richard, great-grandfather of the above mentioned John Travers, of Hettyfield; and two daughters, the eldest of whom was married to William Meade of Baltmable, Esq. from whom is descended the Earl of Clanwilli&m ; and the second to Sir Richard Al worth, Knt. Provost-Mareschal of Munster, and ancestor of Viscount Doneraile. Mr. Eaton S. Travers commenced his gallant career, as midshipman on board the Juno frigate, Captain George Dundas, Sept. 15th, 179B; and served as a volunteer in that ehip*8 cutter, and the Undaunted armed schuyt, under the immediate command of Lieutenant (now Captain) Salusbury * Nateby was mortgaged by Brion Travers to a Mr. Strickland, whose descendants still possess that property j the arms of the Travcra family, however, retnaia over the gateway. CAPTAINS OF 1B29. 91 was Om is Sir and as P. Humphreys, at the capture of the Dutch national brig Crash, a large armed row-boat, and twelve merchant vessels, between the island of Schiermonikoog and the main land of Groningen, Aug. llth and 13th, 1/99. On the former day, whilst attacking a large armed schooner, which was obliged to run on shore, the Juno's cutter had one man killed ; and on the latter day, the Undaunted, armed with only two 12- pounder carronades, was most gallantly laid alongside of the Vengeance schooner, mounting six heavy guns, two of them long 24-pounders, with a complement of seventy men. Fortunately for Lieutenant Humphreys and his little party, the rapidity of the tide, and the roundness of both vessels* sides prevented them from immediately boarding the Ven- geance, as she blew up whilst they were in the act of making a second attempt. In the mean time. Lieutenant Cowan, of the Pylades sloop, had landed and spiked six heavy guns in a battery on the island, from whence Mr. Travers afterwards assisted in bringing off two brass field-pieces. For the above services, the commander of the Pylades, by whom the attacks were directed, and the senior lieutenant employed under his orders were both promoted*. A few days afterwards, Mr. Travers accompanied Lieu- tenant Humphreys to the attack of a large merchant vessel lying under a six-gun battery on the coast of Holland, where she was completely destroyed. Immediately after the per- formance of this service, although then only in the first year of his time, he was rewarded with the rating of master's- mate. During the Texel expedition we find him a volunteer on all occasions, particularly in an armed schuyt sent up the Zuyder-Zee, against the town of Lemmer, in West Fries- land; which pjace he subsequently assisted in defending against a very superior force, as will be seen by the following official report, in which his name is honorably mentioned :— > "Lemmer, Oct. 11 /A, 1799. *' Sir,—- 1 have the honor to iaform you, that at five o'clock thU morning, the enemy made a general attack on this town in four different parts. Their advanced party attempted to storm the north battery. We soon got Ml, ,; ■;* •1 : :i 1 (i^i ]M W^'^'i y ■ ! ••■,5t' I I' ■t .1- * See Vol. II. Purt II. pp. 234— 23C. «>: U 92 CAPTAINS OF 1829. them between two fires; our tars with pikes surrounded tlicui, and they immediately laid down their arms. Their force was one ollicer and thirty men, two of the latter killed. We had no sooner secured our prisoners, than they attacked us with the remainder of tlieir force, 670 in number. Our little army did wonders ; for with sailors and marines our force was only 167. We foufjhtthem for four hours and a half, when the enemy gave way in all directions : I immediately ordered the marines to pursue them. Their breaking down a bridge prevented their colours and two field-pieces from falling into our hands j but before this was effected the heavy fire from the marines had killed eighteen of the enemy, and wounded about t«venty ; and in their general attack they had five killed and nin« wounded. "It is impossible for me to speak too highly of the officers and men under my command. Lieutenant Wybum, of the marines, as also Lieu- tenants Howe], Higginson, and Gardner, behaved with honor to themselves and credit to their country. Lieutenant Norman, of the navy, as also Messrs. Lane, Iron, Wheatly, Travers, and Petty, distinguished them- selves in a most gallant manner ; as did likewise the whole of the sulors and marines. It affords me great satisfaction to inform you we had not a man hurt. I am, kc. (Signed) . : , , , , *' James Boorder ••" • «' To Captain miliam Bolton, , . , ■ , / JH. M. gun-vessel fFolverene." " ' On the evacuation of the Helder, the Juno conveyed H. R. H. the Duke of York to North Yarmouth ; and after landing him there, was ordered to the .Jamaica station, where Mr. Travers continued nearly six years in constant and active employment, a volunteer upon all occasions, and fre- quently engaged with the enemy. / ,.^ . ., ..j.^«ri'T Previous to the peace of Amiens, the Juno, in company with the Melampus frigate, chased a schooner into shoal water near Campeachy, where she was attacked and cap- tured by two boats belonging to the former ship, before those of the latter could get alongside. In the act of boarding. Lieutenant Burn, first of the Juno, was killed, when the command devolved upon Mr. Travers, who soon found himself in possession of the Spanish national vessel Volante, of 12 guns and 70 men, bound to Vera Cruz, with the Vice- roy of Mexico on^ board. The loss sustained by the Juno's boats amounted to four killed and feix Vi^oUlided: that bf rh* Commander of I'Espiegle sloop. .r>dM/( .^MI^'^.^^A "?*"".--'f •.'^' ** CAPTAINS OF 1823. 05 enemy wc are unable to state, in consequence of there never having been any account of this (lashing exploit published. We should here add, that whilst the Juno continued in the West Indies, Mr. Travers never returned into port from a'ctuiiSe except m charge of a prize. On the 16th Mar. 1802, he followed Captain Dundas into thfe Elephant 74, the boats of which ship also captured many vessels, off Cape Francois and along the shores of St. Domingo, services in which he invariably participated. He also bore a part in a running fight between that ship and the French 74 Duguay Trouin, off Cape Picolet, July 25th, 1803. In Oct. following, the Elephant was ordered to England ; when Mr. Travers, having determined not to return home until promoted, applied to the commander-in-chief. Sir John T. Duckworth, and got removed to his flag-ship, the Hercule 74, commanded by Captain Richard Dalling Dunn. On the 30th of the ensuing month he witnessed the surrender of three French frigates, four other national ships and vessels, and twenty sail of merchantmen, at Cape Francois ; from whence he assisted in bringing off the French army under General Rochambeau, who had surrendered by capitulation to the British blockading squadron, in order to escape the vengeance of Dessalines and his black adherents. He was also in the launch of the Hercule, under the command of Lieutenant (now Sir Nisbet J.) Willoughby, when that zealous officer rescued one of the frigates, la Clorinde 40, with 900 men, women, and children on board, from the desperately perilous situation in which she had been aban- doned by all the other boats *. On the 31st Jan. 1804, Mr. Travers commas led a party of forty sailors, and nobly seconded Lieutenant Willoughby in * See Suppl. Part II. p. 120 et seg., where we should likewise have stated thr.t, after la Cloriade had been hove off, it was found absolutely necesii&ry to ^et something to the rocks to cast her by; and as no boat was then near, Mr. Travers jumped overboard, at the imminent risk of his life, and swam to the shore with a line, by which he was enabled to haul thither a rope of sufficient strength for a spring. Until this was done, the ship could not be considered out of danger. I'-r !;( ■^ ]:H viy 11 M ii ■:.; y i^ m 94 CAPTAINS OF 1829. storming Fort Piscadero, in the island of Curafoa, by which daring exploit a safe place of debarkation was secured for the seamen and marines then in readiness to be landed from the squadron under Captain John Bligh, of the Theseus 74, for the purpose of endeavouring to subjugate that colony. For his gallantry on this occasion, and his equally spirited con- duct during the rapid movement which caused the Dutch to ily from all their positions on the heights near the town of St. Ann, he was honored with the command of one of the two advanced posts, situated about 800 yards from that place, where he continued under the fire of Fort R^public^ue sind other very superior works, sustaining likewise repeated at- tacks made by the enemy's sharpshooters^ &c. until Feb. 25tk, when orders were given to re-embark. On the 5th of that mouth. Lieutenant Willoughby and himself, accompanied by Lieutenant Nicholls, R. M.,and about 80 or 85 men, marched out from their batteries for the express purpose of giving bat- tle to at least 500 Dutch soldiers and French sailors, who were approaching with loud cheers, seemingly determined to capture the British cannon ; and this formidable force they completely defeated in fair fight, with muskets alone ; but not until 23 of their own gallant fellows were either killed or wounded. The total loss sustained at the advanced posts during the twenty-five days' operations amounted to 18 killed and 42 severely wounded, besides many bruised and others slightly hiirt. The meritorious conduct of Mr. Travers, at Curayoa, was duly represented to Sir John T. Duckworth by Captains Bligh and Dunn ; and, on his return to Jamaica, he received the personal thanks of that distinguished officer, on the quarter-deck of the Hercule, and in the presence of all the captains then at Port Royal. In addition to this singular honor, his admiral was at the same time pleased to express great regret that he had not completed his time as a petty- officer, and to promise him early promotion. On the 14th Mar. 1804, Mr. Travers commanded one of the boats with which Lieutenant Willoughby succeeded in capturing la Felicitt5, French privateer j and his seamanlike k%ik#«v^|^-V^i>^>'^i^tf>^-'4ib^ii< CAPTAINS OF 1829. 9& intrepidity and ekill during the tremendous hurricane en- countered by the -icrcule, Sept. 6th in the same year, again drew forth the most hearty encomiums from Captain Dunn *. On the 23d of the same month, he passed his exam- ination, and was immediately presented with a lieutenant's commission, appointing him to the command of the Ballahou schooner. In FeU. 1805, on that little vessel being ordered to the Newfoundland station, Sir JohnT. Duckworth removed him to the Surveillante frigate. Captain John Bligh, formerly of the Theseus, and then about to sail on a cruise off the Spaniel Main. Whilst under the command of Captain Bligh, to whom he bad already so strongly recommended himself by his coura- geous and zealous behaviour at Curagoa, Lieutenant Travera was engaged in many boat af¥i\irs. On one occasion, he led a division to the attack and capture of fifteen deeply laden merchantmen, lying under the protection of several batteries and a national brig, at Campeachy. A few days afterwards, he commanded at the capture and destruction of nine other vessels in the same neighbourhood. In March, 1806, with a single boat's crew, and no assistance at hand, he boarded, in open day, and carried a large Spanish schooner, El Serpan- tcm, of 6 guns and 35 men, lying with springs on her cables, at the mouth of the river St. Juan. He subsequently landed with Captain Bligb, and the greater part of the Surveillante's crew, on the island of St. Andreas, the garrison of which was completely surprised and carried away to Jamaica, Lieu- tenant Travers remaining on the spot as governor, with El Serpanton under bis command, and a party of marines for his protection.. Whilst thus employed, he succeeded in cap- turing several vessels., the crews of which, being confined on board El Serpanton, prevailed upon four or five of his men to assist them in running away with her ; and they were in the very act of making sail when Lieutenant Travers arrived on board in a canoe, liaving received information of their de- sign from a faithful sailor, who had swam on shore pur- posely to give the alarm. 'This intelligence reaching him at See Suppl. Part II. p. 126 e( se^. hi m If •f "^ i na hi 96 CAPTAINS OF 1829. :*' "iff Ji W ^<.J midnight, Lieutenant Travers had no one near except Mr. Dunn, master's-mute, with whom, and several blacks, collected on his way to the beach, he hastened off, and got alongside before discovered. A musket was snapped at his breast as he gained the deck, and a blow, aimed at his head, would most probably have proved a quietus, had not his upraised arm received it. The fellow immediately opposed to him he cut down ; and one or two more having shared the same fate, the others, imagining that he was backed by a much larger party, were so much intimidated, that he succeeded in re- leasing those men who had refused to join them, and were consequently confined below j by whose assistance he re- covered possession of El Serpanton, and secured every one of the mutineers and Spanish prisoners : two of the former were tried by court-martial, sentenced to death, and executed at Jamaica. ".. • The man who attempted to shoot Lieutenant Travers, and then struck him with the butt-end of his musket, had shortly before deserted from a wooding party, at the island of Na- vaza, accompanied by another sailor. A day or two after their flight, the Surveillante captured a small schooner, and Lieutenant Travers suggested to Captain Bligh the proba- bility of recovering them by stratagem. The schooner was placed at his disposal ; he stood for the island, which was then out of sight, and, on closing with it, hoisted Spanish colours : — the bait took; both deserters came down to the sea- side, waving their hats, and flourishing the tomahawks which they had decamped with, as signals for a boat : — the schooner hove-to, and Lieutenant Travers with one man (both be- daubed and well disguised as Spaniards) paddled towards the shore in a small canoe, which the culprits entered without re- cognizing by whom they were received j nor did they discover their real situation until actually alongside the prize. In the summer of 1806, the Surveillante sailed for England, accompanied by the Hercule, la Fortun^e frigate, la Supe- rieure schooner, and about 200 sail of merchantmen. When off the Havannah, a number of Spanish vessels were dls^ covered, under the protection of a 74-gun ship and two CAPTAINS OP 1829. 97 I guarda-costas. La Fortunee, the schooner, and a boat com- manded by Lieutenant Travers, were immediately sent in pursuit, and succeeded in capturing the gun-vessels and twenty others, deeply laden with sugar, &c. * On the 3d Dec. following, this active officer was appointed to the Alchiene frigate, at the particular request of her cap- tain, the late Sir James Brisbane ; under whom he assisted in capturing le Courier French privateer, and several other ves- sels, on the Irish station. Subsequentlj'^, while serving un- der Captain W. H. B. Tremlett, we find him commanding the boats of the same ship in numerous successful attacks upon the enemy's coasting trade between Isle Dieu and Cape Finisterre f. In April 1809, the Alcmene, while chasing an enemy, struck upon a r^ef of rocks near the river Loire, and fiUetl so fast that nothing could be saved. Immediately after the usual public investigation, Lieutenant Travers was applied for by Lord Cochrane, and accordingly appointed to the Impe- rieuse frigate, in which he sailed for Walcheren, under acting Captain Thomas Garth. The high opinion entertained of his conduct, whilst commanding a detachment of seamen, with two field-pieces, attached to the first division of Earl Chat- ham's army, during the operations against Flushing, will be seen by the following testimonials : ^ ., " H. M. Sloop Harpy, below Lillo, 22d Aug. 1809. " Dear Travers, — ^You quitted East Zouberg in such haste, that I had not the pleasure of shaking you hy the hand : that day an invitation was flent you from Major-General M'Lcod, of the royal artillery, to dine. Whether you know it or not, I am not certain ; ho-.vever, I think it but justice to inform you, that not only the General, but all ranka and degrees of officers who had the opportunity of witnessing your activity, gallantry, and meritorious conduct as an ofHcer, during the time we were before Flushing, expressed themselves in the highest terms of praise and admira- tion : and, as every officer feels some degree of satisfaction from the ap- probation of those he is immediately serving under, I beg to add to the general applause above alludcation and testimony of the whole of your conduct during the time we hail the pleasure of serv- ! • See Vol. II. Part I. p. 331, ets(^q. t See Vol. II. Part II. p. /H, ct acq, VOL. Ill, PART II, H :ii.-7' kP: ■ i < WV.A m '' ^m ■ ' 'Wi iM 9S CAPTAINS OF 1829. iiig together in the brigade of seamen attached to Licutenant-General Sir Eyre Coote's division, under the command of Captain Richardson, of H. M. S. Caesar » ; and believe me 1 shall, if ever in my power to be ser- viceable, feel it both my duty and inclination to promote yonr interest. I am, my dear Travers, with great sincerity, yours, &c. (Signed) " G. W. B/jAmev, Comn>ander." " //. M. S. Semiramis, Spithead, Oct. Sth, 1810. *' Dear Sir,-^n the very point of sailing for the Cape of Good Hope, I received your letter, dated off Toulon, by which I am happy to find your friends are at last likely to stir themselves in your behalf; and must happy should I feel, if any testimony of mine could in the least assist your views ; for I can, with great truth, atfirm, that whilst you served under my com- mand, in the attack of Flushing, your zeal and good conduct were most conspicuous, and tended in no small degree to draw from our commander- in-chief, Lieutenant-General Sir Eyre Coote, those praises so liberally bestowed on the corps of seamen serving under my command. Above all, I have to &dmil the superior skill and energy shewn by you, in mount- ing the guns of my battery, under the heaviest fire, and the greatest disad- vantages. You will excuse this hasty letter; but believe me your speedy promotion will be heard of with very sincere satisfaction and pleasure by your faithful friend, (Signed) " Cuarles Richardson, Captain." " To Lieutenant Trai'ers, R. N." " This is to certify, that during the time I commanded H. M. S. Irapc- ricuse, from June, 1809, to Sept., 1810, Lieutenant Euton Travers behaved in a most gallant manner on a variety of occasions. At the attack upon Flushing, he commanded a party of seamen, from the Imperieuse, and was employed at the most advanced battery, where his good conduct particu- larly attructttd the notice of Captain Richardson, of H. M. S. Caesar, and the General Ofiicer commanding the advanced battel ies : in coniiequence of his abilities and information, he was selected by Sir Eyre Coote t to remain with him at Middleburgh" (the capital of Walcheren) " as his naval aide-de-camp. ••♦••• (Signed) " Thomas Garth." The guiia of Captain Richardson's battery were mounted by Lieutenant Travers during the absence of the royal artil- lerymen, who had gone in search of materials for that pur- pose ; and they were actually playing upon the enemy, with quickness and precision, long before the triangles hove in ♦ Sec Vol. II. Part II. p. 906, ct sc/. t Then commander-in-chief of the arniyj Eurl Ciiulham having re- turned home. CAl'I'AINS OF 1829. 99 sight. As this battery was also commanded by Lieutenant Travers on the first day it opened upon the French garrison, we shall here add an extract of a letter from an officer of H. M. 81st regiment. " Of the batteries which chiefly distinguislied themselves in the bom- bardment, one of them, commanded by Captain Richardson, of the Caesar, astonished us all. Tt consisted of six 24 •pounders, and played on the enemy incessantly. Every discharge seemed to be followed by a vast crash and ruin in the town. I must observe by the way, that the seamen arc all engineers, and manage the batteries as well, I had almost said better, than any of our artillery officers. They fire their batteries by broadsides, and the reports of the individual pieces arc seldom distinguish- able. They always play, moreover, against a certain point till they have demolished it. Their six-gun battery invariably went off as if only one gun." Mr. Travers continued to serve on shore, as naval aid-de- camp to Sir Eyre Coote and his successor, Lieutenant-Ge- neral Don, until the final evacuation of Walcheren, when he rejoined the Imperieuse, as first lieutenant. " In Feb. 1810," says Captain Garth, "H. M. S. under my command, in com- pany with the Implacable 74, Commodore Cockburn, was employed in Quiberon Bay, to endeavour to rescue King Ferdinand VII. from the hands of the French *. Lieutenant Travers was continually employed on that service, in boats, every night, during two months : he afterwards, in a most gallant manner, in a six-oared cutter, cut out a French mer- chant vessel, lying within twenty yards of a battery to which she was made fast, and brought her out under a heavy fire f. He was subsequently employed on the coast of Spain, in assist- ing the patriots, landing stores, &c. ; at the fort of Morbella, which was nearly surrounded by French troops ; and in destroying a large martello tower. I beg to offer this testi- monial, as a proof of the high opinion I entertain of the gallantry and good conduct of Lieutenant Eaton Travers during the time he sailed under my commi\ ]." The martello tower alluded to by Captain Garth^ was dcs- • See Sir (Jkoiige Al«u8tu3 Westimial. + With the loss of only one mun. 112 .. : ;! 1, ft ■1, 1 : 1 i ' 1 '-IB i',.;- I ■'V' iftj M . 'I- M ' :.,ii !i 1 ■ ;! 1: 1 '. i lis f^ p ill :M ll m ill 100 CAPTAINS OF 1829. troyed during a dark wet night. Lieutenant Travers reached it unobserved, and, with ladders prepared for the purpose, ascended to a loop-hole, into which two bags of gunpowder were crammed, having attached to them a small canvas fuse, with a piece of port-fire at the end. On the explosion taking place, by which time he had got out of the reach of splinters, the top of the tower was nearly blown off; and some sparks having communicated t ) the magazine, thereby causing a second explosion, the whole fabric was rent to the foundation. The service upon which the ships in Quiberon Bay were employed was so well known to the enemy, that a gallows was erected within their view, to denote the certain fate of any Englishman who should be taken prisoner. In Sept. 1810, the command of the Impcrieuse was as- sumed, at Gibraltar, by Captain the Hon. Henry Duncan, under whom Mr. Travers served as first lieutenant during the remainder of the war. On the 11th Oct. 1811, he per- formed another exploit, which we find thus officially re- corded :— ■ " Sir, — I have the honor to uiform you, that H. M. S. under my coni- iiiand, this) morning, attacked three of the enemy's g^un-vessels, carrying each an 18-poundcr and 30 men, moored under the walls of a strong fort, near the town of Possitano, in the Gulf of Salerno. The Imperieuse was anchored about eleven o'clock, within range of grape, and in a few minutes the enemy were driven from their guns, and one of the vessels was sunk. It, Iiowcvcr, became absolutely necessary to get possession of the fort, the tire of which, though silenced, yet, from its being regularly walled round on all sides, the ship could not dislodge the soldiers, and those of the gun- boats' crews who had made their escape on shore, and taken shelter in it. The marines and a ])arty of seamen were therefore landed, and, led on by my first lieutenant, Eaton Travers, and Lieutenant Pipon, R. M., forced their way into the battery in the most gallant style, under a very heavy fire of musketry, obliging more than treble their numbers to fly in all direc- tions, leaving behind about thirty men and fifty stand of arms. The guns, which were 24-poundcr8, were then thrown over the cliflf, the maga- zines, &c. destroyed, and the two remaining gun-vessels brought off. "The gallantry and zeal of all the oflicers and men in this affair, coJild not have been exceedeil ; but / cannot find words to iwprrss my iidniinifion at the manner in tr/iich Lieutenant Travers commandnl and headed thti boats' crews and landintf pitrtif, setting the most noble cjcamph of intrepidifi/ to (he offlvers and men under him. Owing to CAPTAINS OF 1829. 101 hafllinjf wind;), the ship was unavoidaMy exposed to a raking fire goiii ' .h\ I-!, m^ J02 CAPTAINS OF 1829. II I from both ships, under Lieutenant Travers, the whole commanded by Captain Napier, were disembarked from the Thames at the back of the harbour, and immediately ascended and carried the heights in a very gallant style, under a heavy fire from the enemy, who were assembled in force to oppose them, and who, soon after dark, endea- voured to retake their position. One volley, however, induced them instantly to retire. The Imperieuse had, in the mean time, been endeavouring to occupy the attention of the gun-boats and battery in front 5 but the light and baffling winds prevented her getting any nearer than long range dur- ing the evening. Next morning, finding that nothing could be done on the land side against the battery and a strong tower which protected the vessels on the beach, ami within pistol-shot of which the gun-boats were moored. Captain Duncan ordered the Thames to close, directed Captain Na- pier to return on board his own ship, and, taking advantage of the sea-breeze at its commencement, ran along the line of gun-boats, within half-musket shot. Two were soon sunk, and the others immediately afterwards surrendered. The frigates then anchored close to the fort, which in about fifteen minutes was completely silenced, and in a quarter of an hour more the Neapolitan flag came down. The tower was immedi- ately taken possession of by Lieutenant Travers, who, on seeing the Imperieuse and her consort stand in, had " most gallantly, rushed down the hill with a party of seamen and marines, and was waiting almost under the walls of the fort, ready to take advantage of any superiority the ships might have over it." The guns, 24-pounders, were then thrown into the sea, and the crews of both frigates sent to launch the merchant vessels and spars, which could not be completed till after noon next day ; when the troops, who had all this time remained in undisputed possession of the heights, were re- cmbarked, the marines withdrawn from the tower which they had occupied, and which, together with two batteries and a signal'Station, soon lay in ruins. One of the gun-vessels mounted two long 18-pounders, and had on board a comple- ment of 50 men ; the other nine were each armed with one CAPTAINS OF 1829. 103 long 18, and manned with 30 men : the merchant vessels, twenty-two in number, were laden with oil, cotton, figs, silk, &c. In performing this service, the British sustained a loss of five (including Lieutenants Kay, of the 62d, and Pipon, R. M.) killed, and eleven men wounded. The contents of Captain Duncan's official i^eport, with the exception of the following paragraph, will be found in p. 993 et seq. of Vol. II. Part II. " I have before had opportunities of reprcsentlntf the jjallantry of my first lieutenant, Travers ; his behaviour on this occasion was most exem- plary, and called forth the admiration of every ofMcer, whether of the army or navy. Captain Napier and Major Darley, most handsomely allow to him the credit of having discovered and led them by a short cut to the heights, which, most probably, saved the lives of many men." In a letter from Captain Napier to Captain Duncan, dated Nov. 3d, we find this passage : — " In obedience to your directions, I anchored in the bay to the south- ward of Palinuro, and immediately landed with the detachment of the 62d regiment, under the command of Major Darley, and the marines and a party of seamen from both ships, under the command of Lieutenant Travers of the Imperieuse, who with his usual discernment, discovered and pointed out a narrow path, almost perpendicular, leading to the heights, which were gained by it in the face of the enemy's light troops and peasantry, in the most complete style, leaving the greatest part of their force in a ravine to our right, where we first intended to land. The men of both professions behaved as British soldiers and sailors are wont to do ; but I must mention the exertions of Lieutenant Travers, first of your ship, who was foremost at every thing." The following are copies of letters subsequently received by Lieutenant Travers : ** Melazzo, lOM Nov. 1811. " My dear Sir, — I beg to enclose you the copy of my official letter to Major-General Heron, and have only to regret that much hurry did not permit me to pay a more just tribute to your cxempit;ry merits and gal- lantry. The muleteer being on the point of departure, obliges mc thus hastily concluding, and assuring you how much I am, with the sinccrest esteem, your very obedient and truly faithful servant, (Signed) •' Edwarp Darley, Major 62d regiment." " To Lieutenant Travers, H, M, S. Imperieuse." III. i i ^ , ! r'.i * '» 1 vc 104 CAPTAINS OF 1829. (Enclosure.) •' Thames, at Sea, Nov. Slh, 1811. " It would be presumptuous on my part. Sir, in attempting to pass en- comiums on the very superior judgment and heroic gallantry of the com- mandant Captain Duncan, as also in the gallant manner of laying his ship alongside a strong battery and fortified tower, flanked by several gun-boats, which were shortly silenced by a powerful and well-directed fire, in con- junction with Captain Napier, of H. M. S. Thames, whereby the com- mandant was left in possession of the enemy's flotilla, convoy, battery, and tower. I have also much gratification in stating, that Captain Napier, who did me the honor to accompany me on shore with a party of seamen and marines, contributed materially by his cool, judicious, and actively intrepid conduct, ably seconded by the gallantry of Lieutenant Travers, to surmount all difliculties in gaining the heights, in the face of an oppos- ing and strongly posted numerous enemy, whom we had afterwards the satisfaction of dislodging and obliging to retreat, leaving us in full possession of the heights and telegraphic tower. (Signed) ** Edward DarijEY." *' To Major-General Heron." Sir Edward Pellew, when acknowledging the receipt of Captain Duncan's official report, informed him that, he had requested the attention of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty " to the distinguished set'vices of Lieutenant Eaton Trovers f on this and former occasions." . . On the 27th June 1812, the Imperieuse assisted in de- stroying eighteen merchant vessels, lying under the batteries of Languilla, and Alassio, in the Gulf of Genoa, on which occasion she had four men killed, and an officer and ten men wounded *. We subsequently find her employed in the blockade of Naples, near which city Captain Duncan, as is stated in his memoir, with only an 18-gan brig in company, offered battle to, and had a partial action with, the Joachim 74, a frigate, a corvette, and twenty-two gun vessels f. About the same time, an attempt was made to obtain possession of between fifty and sixty coral boats, recently returned from the fishery, and then performing quarantine ; but, unfortu- nately they obtained pratique, and entered the harbour about • Sec Vol. II. Part I. p. 293. t See Vol. II. Part II. p. 095, el seq. CAPTAINS OF 1829. 105 an hour before Lieutenant Travers, who was the projector and leader of the enterprise, ai» ived near the lazaretto. This failure, however, did not prevent him from trying a land cruise, during which he overhauled several vehicles, and took from an officer, in a carriage and four, despatches of some importance. The Imperieuse was subsequently hove down and newly coppered at Mahon, when Captain Duncan obtained permis- sion to shift her foremast further aft, for the purpose of im- proving her sailing. Anxious to get to sea, he went himself to the arsenal to hurry off' spars for sheers ; but before they got alongside the mast was already placed in its new position. Lieutenant Travers had taken upon himself the responsibility of shifting it, by making a Spanish windlass of the hand-mast which was placed across the forecastle, supported by the bul- warks and four crossed handspikes, with purchases affixed to the deck and the heel of the fore-mast, and acted upon with levers : the head of the mast being steadied with guys, and a man placed at the laniard of each shroud and stay, to ease away as it lifted, the operation was performed with the greatest facility. We should observe that, at this time, the fore-top- mast was merely struck, and none of its rigging displaced. The celerity with which the Imperieuse was hove down and refitted did not fail to attract the notice of Sir Edward Pel- lew, who was then at Minorca with his fleet, and who not only complimented Lieutenant Travers in words, but several times invited him to his table on board the Caledonia. In the beginning of 1813, we find Lieutenant Travers volunteering to undertake the destruction of a large signal tower, near the mouth of the Tiber, which servico he accom- plished after routing a party of dragoons, with whose com- mander's abandoned horse and its trappings he returned on board safely. He afterwards superintended the embarka- tion of two ship loads of timber, which had been collected on the Roman coast for the use of the arsenal at Toulon, but tlie destination of which Captain Duncan had thought proper to alter. His succeeding exploits were thus officially reported in a letter from Captain the Hon. George H. L. Dundas, of JOG CAPTAINS OF 1820. 'ills the Edinburgh 7^, addressed to Captain (now Sir Josias) Rowley, Oct. 5th, 1813. "In obedience to your directions, I put to sea, and joined Captain Duncan, of the Impericnse, and the ships named in the margin *, this moroing, off D'Anzo, uliere he had been watching a convoy for some days, with the intention of attacking them the first favorable opportunity. Tlie necessary arrangements having been made by that officer for the attack, I added the force of this ship to it, and made the signals that tliose arrangements would l)e adhered to, and to prepare for battle. The place was defended by two l)alterics on a mole, each mounting two heavy gxms, a tower to the nortliward with one gun, and a battery to the southward with two guns, to cover the mole. Every thing !>eing prepared, at 1-30 p. M., the ships bore up and took their stations ; the Imperieuse and Resistance to the mole batteries; the Swallow to the; tower; and the Eclair and Pylades to the southern battery : the Edinburgh supported the last named vessels. " Shortly after the ships opened their fire, which they did by signal together, the storming party, under Lieutenant Travers, of the Imperieuse, and marines, under Captain Mitchell, landed in the best order close under the battery to the southward, which Lieutenant Travers carried instantly, the enemy flying in all directions. Lieutenant Mapletonf having taken possession of the mole-head, the convoy, consisting of 29 vessels, was brought out without any loss, twenty of which arc laden with timber for the arsenal at Toulon. On leaving the place, all the works were blown ap, and most completely destroyed. I feel the destruction of the defences of this place to be of consequence, as it is a convenient port for shipping the very large quantity of timber the enemy now havo on the adjacent coast. The captains, officers, and ships'* companies, deserve my warm acknowledgments for their exertions on this occasion. A few shot in the hulls and rigging of the ships is the only damage sustained. " Captain Duncan informs me, that he gained much material and neces- sary information respecting this place, by a very gallant exploit performed a few nights ago by Lieutenant Travers, who stormed, with a boat's crew, a raartello tower of one gun, destroying it, and bringing the guard away." The tower destroyed by Lieutenant Travera mounted two guns J and the manner in which this service was performed is thus related by an eye-witness, in a letter addressed to the author : — " About midnight, Travers landed with the small cutter and seven men, • Resistance frigate, Swallow, Eclair, and Pyladc« sloops, t First of the Edinburgh. CAPTAINS OF 1829. 107 seized the sentinel at the foot of the tower, and, though fired at by the sentinel on the top, mounted by a ladder, which had been fitted for the piirpooe, to a window thirty or forty feet hi){h, and put in a congreve rocket, with the stick cut short oflF, but having quick match attached to it : the moment the rocket took fire it struck down into the barrack-room, sec fire to the soldiers' bedding, killed one man, and so alarmed the others, l)y its fire, smoke, and noise, that they let down their draw-bridge to escape, and were seized one by one as they descended. One officer and eighteen soldiers were thus taken prisoners ; but as his little boat could not well receive so many persons in addition to her crew, Travers allowed four of the poor panic-struck fellows to go about their business, carrying off the others, but not until he had blown up the tower, the regular access to which was by a flight of atone steps, distant about twelve feet from it, and only to be reached from within by means of the draw-bridge. Aware of the danger and difiiculty attending such an enterprise, it was not without considerable hesitation that Captain Duncan would consent to Travers going upon it, particularly as he knew that there was a strong force in the neighbourhood, collected purposely for the protection of the vessels at Port d'Anzo. Notwithstanding the darkness of the night, the whole business was done in about fifteen minutes ; and had such an efi^ect on the neighbouring batteries, that whenever the Imperieuse afterwards ap- proached the shore, the Neapolitan soldiers invariably put on their knap- sacks, ready for a start." In Dec. 1813, a descent was made upon the coast of Italy, near Via Reggio, on which occasion Lieutenant Travers again commanded the landing party, drove the enemy from a battery close to the beach, and brought off two long brass 12-pounders. His exemplary conduct during the subsequent operations against Leghorn was also officially reported, as will be seen by reference to p. 428 of Vol. II. Part I. In April 1814, he assisted at the reduction of Genoa and its dependencies ; and, on the 15th June in the same year, we find him promoted to the rank of commander ; but it appears that he continued to do duty as first lieutenant of the Im- perieuse until that ship was paid off, in the month of Sep- tember following*. * On the breaking out of the American war, fourteen seamen, possessing indisputable proofs of their being citizens of the United States, requested permission to continue in the Imperieuse and serve against the French, stating that they did not wish to fight against their country, but there I 'I i'-,u, ■>:!'h ■I I I 11^ %m 108 CAPTAINS OF 1829. We have now, in rather a hasty manner, followed Captain Travcrs through a course of active, enterprising, gallant, and zealous service of sixteen years, during which period he commanded at the capture and destruction of seven different batteries, two niartello towers, and about sixty vessels, chiefly cut out of harbours or from under fortifications on various sea-coasts ; besides which upwards of twenty of these v( ssels were well armed and manned : he was upwards of one hun- dred times engaged with the enemy, nine times honorably mentioned in gazetted despatches, and never unemployed, except for two months, when paid off from the Surveillante. For his distinguished conduct on so many occasions, he was presented with the freedom of Cork, of which city he is a native. In 1827, Commander Travers submitted to H. R. II. the Lord High Admiral, a brief sketch of his services, wherein he truly observed, that he could with confidence refer to every captain he had sailed with for confirmation of the facts there stated j and concluded with observing, that he did not hope the less from the royal Duke's protection, because he had no interest to back the claims for advancement which those services enabled him to prefer. In a very short time afterwards he was appointed to the Scylla sloop, and, on that vessel being found defective, removed, July 23d, 1828, to the Rose of 18 guns, fitting out for the Halifax station. The Lord High Admiral was also pleased, at his own table, on board one of the royal yachts, to promise him promotion at the expiration of twelve months, the then recently established period of service afloat as a commander. In the Rose, Commander Travers conveyed Commodore Schomberg, C. B. to Teneriffe, Rio Janeiro, and the Cape of Good Hope. He afterwards touched at St. Helena and being no tihance of meeting American vessels in the Mediterranean, their attachment to Captain Duncan inclined them to stay till the last with him. They were allowed to tlo so, and served most faithfully, distinguishing themselves on all occasions iu the boats, and being the lirst on every enterprise against the enemy. CAPTAINS OP 1829. 109 Ascension, and then proceeded to join his own commander- in-chief, Rear-Admiral Sir Charles Ogle, whom he met with at Bermuda, and accompanied to Halifax. From thence he was sent to the Bay of Fundy, for the protection of the fishery, and to ascertain the longitude of the different head- lands in that quarter, on M'hich service he continued five months His royal patron having retired from office, he did not obtain the rank of captain until Nov. 19th, 1829; shortly after which we find him returning home in one of the Halifax packets. The following extracts are taken from American and New Brunswick papers : — (^East Port Sentinel, 24th June, 1829.) " We cannot lielp applauding the generous and magnanimous conduct of the commander of the British sloop of war Rose, who was anchored off this port at the time the Vermont came through the narrows. No sooner was she discovered to be in a crippled state, and in need of help, than several boats were sent from the Rose, filled with men, who with the greatest alacrity assisted in clearing the wreck and warping her up opposite the wharf. It is with great pleasure that we publish the following CARD. " Captain Shcpard, of the brig Vermont, of New Haven, Con. returns his most sincere thanks to — Travers, Esq., commanding the British sloop of war Rose, for his promptness in rendering assistance while in a distressed situation ; and to the oflicers and men who assisted in bringing his vessel to port." , , iCiti/ Gazette, St. John's, N. B. Jul// \5th, 1829.) " Captain George M'Lean, of the late bark Industry, recently wrecke«l upon Brier's Island, takes this method of returning his sincere thanks to Captain Travers, of H. M. S. Rose, for his ready and prompt attention ia proceeding from Dlgby to the disastrous scene; and for the polite tender of his personal services, with those of his officers and crew, and the assistance of boats, &c. &c. from II. M. ship under his command." {IFeekhj Observer, St. John's, WthAug. 1829.) " Mr. Ewen Cameron, the contractor for building the light-house, begs respectfully to return thanks to Captain Travers, of H. M. S. Rose, for the valual)le assistance so kindly rendered this morning in the use of boats, men, &c. while towing down and securing the pier, intended as tlic foundation for the light-house to be built at the beacon, thereby greatly facilitating the undertaking." Captain Travers married, in 1815, Ann, eldest daughter of I 11 = ;. ' ' '". : ''!: '\M\ I m 1. {:/■ >'■ 1' »fi'r?'- g IM II ijr 110 CAPTAINS OF 1829—1830. William Steward, of Great Yarmouth, co. Norfolk, Esq. He has four brothers, who all served during a great part of the late war in the rifle brigade, and were all repeatedly wounded, viz. Robert, now a Major-General and K. C. B. ; James Conway, a Major ; Joseph Oates^ barrack-master at Portsmouth ; and Nicholas Colthurst, holding the same office at Hampton Court : the two latter are captains in the army. Another brother, John, died whilst serving as lieutenant of the Hebe frigate, in the West Indies. Agents, — Messrs. Stillwell. GEORGE HAYES, Esq. Was made a lieutenant in May 1793 ; commander in June 1814 ; and captain Dec. 2d. 1829. During the late wars he was principally employed in the command of small vessels. W^^ JOHN ALEXANDER DUNTZE, Esq. Son, we believe, of Sir John Duntze, Bai*t. of Rockbere House, Devonshire, by Dorothea, daughter of Sir Thomas Carew, Bart, of Tiverton Castle, in the same county. He entered the navy in Aug. 1818 ; obtained the rank of lieu- tenant in May 1825, of commander in April 1828, and captain Dec. 24th, 1829. AARON TOZER, Esq. Was a midshipman on board the Phcenix 36, and dan- gerously wounded at the capture of la Didon French frigate, Aug. 10th, 1805*. He obtained the rank of lieutenant Aug. Uth, 1807; and commanded the boats of the Un- daunted frigate, Captain Thomas Ussher, at the capture of a * Sec Vol. I. Part II. p. 830. CAPTAINS OF 1830. Ill battery uiount'ing four long 24-pounders, a G-pounder field- piece, and a J 3-inch mortur, to the westward of Marseilles, Mar. 18th, 1813. In the execution of this service, the British had three men killed and wounded. On the 18th Aug. following, Captain Ussher, in reporting to Sir Edward Pellew the destruction of the batteries of Cassis, and the capture of a convoy which had been lying under their protec- tion, expressed himself an follows: — " My first lieutenant, Tozer, and second, Hownam ; Lieutenants WiUou, of H. JVI. S. Caledonia, and Granishaw, of the Hibernia ; Cap- tains Shernaan and Hussey, aud Lieutenants Hunt, &c. of the marines, behaved with distinguished bravery. Lieutenant Tozer, I lament, is modt severely wounded : his gallantry I have often noticed." This officer's promotion to the rank of commander took place, June 15th, 1814: and about the same period he was granted a pension of ^150 per annum on account of his wounds. He obtained the command of the Cyr^ne sloop in July 1818 ; returned home from the Halifax station in Dec. 1821 ; married, June 5th, 1827, Mary, eldest daughter of Henry Hutton, of Lincoln, Esq. j and was promoted to his present rank, Jan. 14th, 1830. uigenfSf^-Messr^. Goode and Cooke. WILLIAM MORIER, Esq. Was made a lieutenant in May 1810, commander in June 1815, and captain on the 18th Jan. 1830, Agents, — Messrs. Maude and Co. lan- |;ate, lant lUn- lof a DAVID HOPE, Esq. Is the third son of William Hope, of Newton, near Edin- burgh, Esq, and descended from Sir Thomas Hope, Bart. of Edminstone and Cauld Coats, in the county of Mid-Lo- thian. Two of his brothers, James and William, fell in the military service of their country — the former, a lieutenant in H. M. 1st regiment of foot, then styled the " Royals," after liii.! m 112 CAPTAINS OF 1830. having been severely wounded in Holland, died from extreme fatigue during the glorious Egyptian campaign : and the latter, an officer in the 19th regiment of foot, was massacred at Candy, in the island of Ceylon, 1803. Another of his brothers is now on the half-pay of the 89th regiment. Mr. David Hope was born at Edinburgh, in iJSG ; and embarked, when only ten years of age, as midshipman on board the Kite sloop. Captain William Brown, then employed as a North Sea cruiser, under the orders of Admiral Duncan. In May, 1798^ he witnessed the bombardment of Ostend, the destruction of several gun-vessels lying in the basin, the blowing up of the sluice-gates of the Bruges canal, and the subsequent defeat and surrender of the British troops, com- manded by Major-General Coote ; a disaster already noticed under the head of Rear-Admiral Raper *. On this occasion, our juvenile officer appears to have been employed on shore ; from whence, however, he had fortu- nately returned to the squadron under Sir Home Popham, a short time previous to the capitulation. In the beginning of 1799, Mr. Hope was successively removed into the Kent 74, bearing the flag of Lord Duncan, and Tisiphone sloop. Captain Charles Grant, under whom he served in the expedition against the Helder, and was consequently present at the surrender of the Batavian fleet to the squadron commanded by Vice-Admiral Mitchell f. In Nov. 1799, the Tisiphone sailed for Jamaica; and in Sept. 1800, Mr. Hope followed Captain Grant into the Abergavenny 54, bearing the flag of Lord Hugh Seymour, commander-in-chief on that station. In July 1802, he re- turned to England with the same captain, as master's-matc of the Quebec 32, which ship was soon afterwards put out of commission. During the remainder of the peace of Amiens, he served as admiralty-mate, under Commodore Domett, in the Dryad frigate, on the Irish station ; and subsequently in • Sec Vol. I. Part II. p. 7\^ vt seq. t Sec Vol. I. l*urt I. p. 414 et seq. CAPTAINS OF 18li(). 113 the Prince of Wales 98, bearing the flag of Sir Robert Caldcr, where we find him assisting at the capture of two Spanish line-of-battle ships, July 22d, 1805*. His first commission bears date Aug. '3()th, 1806 ; at which period he was appointed to the Sir Francis Drake 3G, Captain James llaldane Tait, then on the East India station. He after- wards served under Captain Charles Foote, in the VVilhel- mina and Piedmontaise frigates, but was at length obliged to return home for the recovery of his health, in the Powerful 74, Captain Charles James Johnstone, which ship arrived in England about June ISOl). From this period, Lieutenant Hope remained on shore until the month of Septeuiber following, when he joined the Freija frigate, Captain John Hayes, fitting out for the Leeward Islands* station. On the 18th of December in the same year, he assisted at the destruction of two French 44- gun frigates, laden with stores and provisions for the garrison of Guadaloupe, then about to be attacked by Sir Alexander Cochrane, in conjunction with a land force under Sir George Beckwith. ... After the performance of the above service, and the demoli- tion of the batteries in Ance la Barque f. Captain Hayes was employed as senior officer of a small squadron sent to block- ade the N. VV. side of Guadaloupe; and Lieutenant Hope commanded the boats of the said detachment at the capture and destruction of {\11 the sea batteries in that quarter. Among other oHicial reports made by Captain Hayes, at this period, we find the following : — "//. M. S. Fnyi/, Jan. 22il, 18 10. " Sir,— -I have the honor to inform you, that on Wednesday tlio l/lh histant, at 9 p. m., I captured, off Dnglisliiimn's Head, the Victor Fretich schooner, of 150 tons, laden with coffee, su^ar, and cotton : slie came out of Bay Mahaut that evenintf at 5 o'clock, lly lur lo^, 1 found that other vessels were in the hay, and t!mt Rlaliaul wa.s a place of aticnj>lli, havinjf two batteries, one of three 24-pounder8, the other of one 21.pounder; at the former u company, at the hitter twenty-four chasseurs of colour. I 4-,, I i-'i Ml*; » Sec Vol. T. Part I. p. 40a. t Sec Vol. I. I'ait ll.p. H7t»c/d, 1810. " Sir, — In pursuance of your order, I proceeded with the l»oat8 under my command, to the southward, towards Bay Mahaut, after experiencing great dilliculty in finding a passage, and meeting so many shoals, that the hcadmoiii boat got ashore eight or ten times. At a little after eleven o'clock we took a fisherman, who informed me that a troop of regular soldiers had arrived there from Point-a-Pitre, and also a company of native inl'autry. As soon as wc had approached the jhotc wUhiu gun-sUot, CAPTAINS OF 1830. 115 a sign.il gun was fired, and instantly followed by a discharge of grape from a battery at the N. E. point, and another at the head of the bay, together with the guns from the brig, which were found to be six in number, and muskets from the bushes between the batteries. Under this fire, the boats pulled to the brig ; but, finding her abandoned, I pushed for the shore. The boats grounding at some distance ; the people had to wade up to their middles in water. As we advanced to the battery, the enemy retreated, took post behind a brick breast-work, and over it engaged us with musketry; but from which they were soon driven, and we became masters of their ground, where we found two magazines, containing twenty barrels of powder, and some implements of war, all which we destroyed. In this battery was one 24-pounder, which we disabled and threw over the cliff. In about half an hour after, we carried another battery, of three 24-pounder3, the whole of which we spiked and rendered useless, burning the carriages and guard-house. This battery was very complete, with a ditch all round it, and having a small bridge, and gateway entrance. After this service was performed, we returned to the brig, and found her fast in the mud, the enemy having cut her cables on leaving her; but after much difficulty and exertion she was got off. Near her lay a large English built ship, in the mud, under repair; and, farther in shore, a very fine national schooner, pierced for sixteen guns, twelve only on board. Tho situation of the ship, which we could not move, rendered it impossible to get out the schooner. I therefore set fire to, and burnt both of them ; six howitzers, found on the beach, we buried in the sand. All the officers and men conducted themselves with great bravery ; and I received from Mr. tShillibeer (the officer of marines), Mr. A. G. Countess (master's- mate), and Mr. Bray (the gunner), every assistance I could possibly re- quire. I am happy to say, that only two of our men were severely wounded, — one in going up to loose the brig's fore-top-sail, the other in attacking the batteries. The enemy must, 1 think, have lost many men, as I found two officers dead, and several wounded. I have the honor to be, &c. (Signed) "David Hope." " To Captain Hayes, Sfc. Sfc. efcr We are credibly informed that Lieutenant Hope was him* self wounded on this occasion, although his modesty pre- vented him from officially reporting it. On the 25th of the same month, Sir Alexander Cochrane transmitted both the above letters to the Admiralty, with one from himself, in which, after dwelling upon the import- ance of the service, in reference to the intended attack upon the island at large, he says : — " Tlir conduct of Lieutenant Hope and his partij, in drii'ing m large |2 ,'i r:^i!;ri t r. 116 CAPTAINS OF 1&30. lit.- ; a force before them, and surmounting so mum; difficitJtles in reaching tfuf- enemy's positions, stamps their leader as a hrave and meritorious officer ; (mdhe is deserving of the notice of the Lords Commissioners." We have been induced to give the details of this very gal- lant and well-conducted enterprise, in consequence of the Board of Admiralty not having deemed them of sufficient importance to appear in the London Gazette, which merely stated, that Sir Alexander had *' transmitted a letter from Captain Hayes, reporting the destruction of the batteries at Bay Mahaut, and of a ship and national schooner at anchor there ; also the capture of an armed brig, by the boats of the Freija, under the direction of Lieutenant David Hope, who appears to have displayed much gallantry in the performance of this service." These brief statements, of which the naval annalist has great cause to complain, may possibly have originated in a press of official matter ; but, then, how happ I, '18 II' 11 /-I t'i M r< 118 CAPTAINS OP 1830. privateers and merchant vessels. Through his exertions also, the U. S. sloop of war Frolic was captured by the Orpheus frigate. Captain Hugh Pigot ; yet, strange to say, no mention whatever is made of his name in that officer's official letter, as will be seen by the following copy : — " ff. M. S. Orpheus, New Providence, jdpr'd 25tfi, 1814. *' Sir, — I have the pleasure to acquaint you, that on the 2()th instant, after a chase of sixty miles, the point of Matanzas, in Cuba, bearing S. S. E. five leagues, we copiured the United States' ship Frolic, com- manded by Master-Commandant Joseph Bainbridge; she had mounted twenty 32-pounder carronades, and two lon^ eighteens, with 171 men; but a few minutes before striking her colours, threw all her lee guns overboard, and continued throwing also her shot, small arms, &c. until taken possession of. She is a remarkably fine ship, of 509 tons, and tlic first time of her going to sea : she has been out from Boston two months, and frequently chased by our cruisers ; their only capture was the Little Fox, a brig laden with fish, which they destroyed. I have the honor to be, &c. (Signed) " H. Piqot." " To the Hon. Sir Alexander Cochrane, When the chase commenced, at day-light, the Orpheus and Shelburne were both to-leeward ; but, after a joint pur- suit of twelve hours, the very superior sailing of the schooner enabled Lieutenant Hope to gain the wind of the enemy, and effectually cut her off from the neutral port in view. She then tacked off shore, kept away free, and succeeded in crossing the British frigate, without sustaining any da- mage ; — in fact, only two shot were fired at her, as they passed on opposite tacks, and both of them fell short. She was, however, closely pressed by Lieutenant Hope, who kept on her weather quarter until he observed her guns thrown overboard, then ran up alongside to leeward, and caused her to surrender, without the least opposition. At this period the Orpheus was two miles astern, and, from bad sailing, had no chance whatever of coming up with the chase. We next find Lieutenant Hope employed, for about four months, in blockading New Orleans, and rendering assist- ance occasionally to our allies, the Creek Indians, on the Apalachicolu river. During his long an-^ (lltary cruise off the mouths of the Mississipi, he was promoted, by CAPTAINS OF 1830. 119 the Admiralty, to the command of the Beagle 16; which sloop, however, he \\c\-2v joined, having suhsequently re- ceived orders from Sir Alexander Cochrane to continue in the Shelburne, and proceed to the New Providence station. His commission as commander bears date June lath, 1814. Early in Oct. following, Captain Hope received on board a large sum of money consigned to the Ilavannah, and was about to sail for that place, when Sir James A. Gordon ar- rived at New Providence, in the Seahorse frigate, to assume the command of a small squadron in the Gulf of Mexico. Finding that that officer was unacquainted with the set of the different currents in the Gulf of Florida, and that the commander of a small schooner who had come down to con- duct him, could not get his vessel ready for sea in time, Captain Hope immediately offered to re-land the specie, and accompany him. In acting thus, he gave up a very consi- derable freight ; but he has the satisfaction of reflecting that the Seahorse and transports were, at least on one occasion, saved from running on shore in the night, through his watchfulness and timely notice. After escorting them safely through the Gulf, he remained under the orders of Sir James, assisting in the blockade of different ports, and occasionally co-operating with the Indians and a detachment of marines at Pensacola, until the arrival of the expedition against New Orleans, when he received an appointment the nature of which will be seen by the testimonial he afterwards obtained from his commander-in-chief : " Upper Hurley Street, London, Juli/ 2blli, 1815. " Sir, — I have much pleasure in complyinij with tlie rccjucst of (Japtain David Hope, by traiisinUting' to you, to be laid before the Lords Com- missioners of the Admiralty, his memorial of services, which is accompa- nied by a copy of the testimony I had occasion to convey to their Lord- ships, of that officer's meritorious conduct when serving under my com- mand in the West Indies. " I should not omit to bring before their Lordships' notice also, that when proceeding upon tlie expedition against New Orleans, Captain Hope vohmteered to make himself useful in any way I might think proper, and, as one of my alde-de-camps, rendered me much assistance throughout this arduous campaign, in which he was nearly losing hi? life, liy jumping into * ! C J I " 120 CAPTAINS OF 1830. I' L p- a the Poarl River to sav a soldier of tlie 95tli regiment, who would have been drowned but for the humane exertions of Captain Hope. I am. Sir, &c. (Signed) "Alkx. Cochrane, Vice-Adm'.ial." " To John Barrow, Esq." Commander Hope returned home in the Ramillies 74, Captain Sir Thomas M. Hardy, and was not again employed until his present Majesty came into office as Lord Higli Admiral, by whom he was appointed to the Terror bomb, intended for the Mediterranean station, Jan. 12th, 1828. Before he could join this ship, she had been stowed under the Superintendence of the dock-yard officers at Portsmouth, and so completely crammed with stores as to render it ne- cessary, on going out of harbour, to caullc in all her ports ; the coiwniissioner, Sir George Grey, refusing to allow any portion of them to be re-landed without orders from the Admiralty, and Commander Hope having poshive instruc- tions to sail without delay. In this encumbered state, he proceeded to sea on the 29th of the same month, trusting that he should soon cross the Bay of Biscay, and get into fine weather. On the 9th Feb., he took his departure from the LizfU'd, and after experiencing very bad weather, during which many stores were thrown overboard to save the ship from foundering, made the Rock of Lisbon on the 17th, with a fine breeze blowing from the N. W. On the fol- lowing morning, the land near Cape St. Vincent was seen, bearing S. E. ^ . Ji., distant ten or twelve leagues. The wind jsuddp iiy shifted to S. b. W., and freshened fast. At 9, the "^"^..rror wore off shore, under close-reefed top-sails and fc^e-sail. At noon, it was blowing a perfect hurricane, but the ship was still under her main-top-sail and storm- stay-sails, in order, if possible, to claw off-shore. At 1-30 p. M., Captain Hope found it absolutely necessary to haul down the latter sails ; and at 3, to take in the main-top- sail also, the wind having then shifted to W. S. VV., with a most tremendous sea ; the masts complaining, and the fchip straining greatly. To steady her, the storm-stay-sails were again set, which had scarcely been effected, when a heavy sea made a clean sweep of everything moveable on her CATTAINS OF 1830. 121 upper deck, tore a boat away from the laiboartl quarter, and ripped up the weather boards of the quarter deck. The whole of the ship's company were now busily employed in pumping and bailing, as leaks had been sprung in every di- rection, and the waves were making a fair breach over her. At 8-30, the starboard quarter-boat and gallery were carried away, and two of the stern dead-lights forced in ; the water at the same time gaining on the pumps. At 'J A. M., on the 18th, soundings were obtained in forty fathoms, and an attempt was made to wear ; but in the act of doing so land presented itself on the lee-beam. As the last resource, both bower-anchors, with chain-cables attached, were let go in twenty fathoms ; but many minutes had not expired before the starboard chain snapt, and the ship began to drive. The officers and ship's company conducted themselves on this awful occasion as became British seamen, obeying all orders as coolly and correctly as ever. The small-bower being in- stantly slipt, the courses were soon loosed and set, and in a few minutes the ship was run end on into a small sandy cove, between two rocks, and only just wide enough to receive her. In forcing her over a reef outside four planks on the broad- side were stove, and had it not been near high water she must tlien have perished, with all on board. The sea continuing to break over the ship in a most terrific manner, the officers and men were obliged to lash themselves in the fore-rigging until the tide fell ; and at day ilrhf they discovered that Pro- vidence had directed them to the oidy spot on a long range of steep rocky coast, where they could have been saved. A large English brig was then lying a total wreck, distant only two hundred yards, and about one thousand Portuguese were seen on the shore ready to march off with their approaching plunder. Captain Hope did all he could to induce them to lay hold of a line which he floated on shore, but none would come near until he commenced firing musketry amongthem. Asailor then swam to the beach, and, with the assistance of the na- tives, a hawser was hauled on shore and secured. About 27jO()0/. in silver and copper coin, for the use of the com- missariat department at Malta, was first got on shore by I c ■ i 122 CAPTAINS OF 1B30. It 11 tins hawser ; two long 6-pouiulers followed, and a battery was soon thrown up by the marine artiliery-nien, in the cen- tre of which the money and some despatches for Sir Edward Codrington were safely deposited. A few light sails for tents, and a small quantity of provisions, were also hauled on shore before the tide began again to flow ; but it was not until noon that Captain Hope and his first lieutenant, Charles Hotham, left the ship, over which the waves were again breaking with great fury. On mustering the crew, only one man was mis- sing, and he, it appears, had been washed overboard with tlie barge, under which his body was afterwards found on the rocks. On this melancholy occasion, a merchant brig from Liverpool, bound to Gibraltar, lost seven out of sixteen per- sons on board, including among the former Captain M'Ede, of H. M. 12th regiment, an officer's wife, and three children. Of the crews and passengers of two other vessels which drifted on shore near theTerror,not a single person was saved. Immediately on landing, Captain Hope despatched his se- cond lieutenant, Charles Henry Baker, and Sir William Dickson, a supernumerary officer of the same rank, to Lis- bon, for the purpose of informing Lord A melius Beauclerk, then commanding in tli^ Tagus, of the unfortunate situation of the Terror. Tlie lives of tlie master and crew of a mer- chant brig were subsequently saved Ihrough his exertions, and the intrepid conduct of Lieutenant Hotham, assisted by two men who were excellent swimmers. In the course of a few days. Captain Hope and his colii- panions were gratified with the sight of a frigate and a brig, which had been sent from Lisbon to their assistance. A considerable time, however, elapsed before they could even land a supply of provisions ; and sobad was the then appear- ance of the weather, that they were obliged to return to the Tagus, taking with them the specie, and leaving the Terror to her own resources. During their continuance in the neighbourhood of Villa-nova- de-mille-fuentes, near which town the Terror had run asliore, a survey was held by the officers of the frigate and brig, who were of opinion that she could not be savcd^ and therefore it> CAPTAINS OF 1830. 123 recommended her being sold. Captain Hop^ , however, iily considering the great expence that would be ii curred in ans- portiug her officers, men, and stores to England, resolv d to make an effort for her preservation, and accordingly requested Lord Amelius Beauclerk to send him a frigate's anchor and two cables. This being complied with, the ship, after much labour and very extraordinary exertions, M'as, on the 17th March, hove bodily round, and got through a sandy passage, not much exceeding her own breadth, with only eight feet water at the highest spring-tide. During this operation, the casks which had been frapped to her bottom, by means of S^-inch rope and bolts driven into her bends, were all stove and washed away by the surf, and when fairly afloat she made eight feet water an hour. On the following day she was run on shore in the harbour of Villa-nova-de-mille- fuentes, where the principal leaks were stopped, and the ship put into a condition to return home without escort, the whole expence incurred not exceeding one hundred pounds. From Lisbon she conveyed to Plymouth a number of Por- tuguese refugee noblemen, flying from the vengeance of Don Miguel. On his arrival at the latter port. Captain Hope was sent for by the Lord High Admiral, then on a visit of inspection there, who presented him with an appointment to the Meteor bomb, intended to supply the place of the Terror, and was most graciously pleased to say, that he trusted he should soon be able to grant him the promotion which by his ser- vices he so well merited. The senior lieutenant and mid- shipman * were immediately promoted for their exertions un- der his command. On the 13th Sept. 1828, the Meteor sailed from Plymouth, accompanied by the Orestes and Britomart sloops, for the purpose of demanding the restoration of two merchant ves- sels captured by Barbary cruisers. This was at first refused ; but on the port of Tangier being put in a state of blockade, the demand was complied with, and demurrage for their de- * Robert Clcugh. i . m 1 . 1 .R m\ ti 124 cAPrAiNs OF 1830. tention allowed. In Jan. 1820, Commander Hope joined the Mcditernuicun sqiuulmn, under the orders of Sir Pulteney Malcolm, with whom he was serving when promoted to the rank of captain, Feb. 4th, 1830. lie returned home in the Asia 84, Captain George Burdett. ^gejitSj — Messrs. Stilwell. GFX)11GE SCOTT, Esq. Was made a lieutenant in Sept. 1805; advanced to the rank of commander, for his gallant conduct as first of the Phoebe frigate, in action with an enemy's squadron, oft' Madagascar, by commission dated Mar. 24th5 1812*; and advanced to his present rank, Feb. 12lh, 1830, WILLIAM BOHUN BOWYER, Esq. Was made a lieutenant in May 1810, commander in Jan. 3823, and captain, Feb. 17th, 1830; previous to which he had been employed as an inspecting officer in the coast guard service, at Southampton, Lymington, Fowey, and Exmouth. He married, in May, 1819, Frances, daughter of the late Captain Beck, an officer in the service of tlie Hon. East India Company. FREDERICK THOMAS MICHELL, Esq. Was long a follower of Sir Edward Pcllew (now Viscount Exmouth), and has the reputation of being a most daring, gallant officer. He was made a lieutenant in May, 1807, and commanded the battering flotilla attached to the squa- dron under his patron, at the battle of Algiers. He was ad- vanced to the rank of commander on the 16th Sept. ISlC ; and of captain, Feb. 17th, 1830. His wife is the youtigest daughter of the late Mr. Prideaux, of Wadebridge House, near Truro, in Cornwall. * See Vol. il. Part H p. 833 ct seq. CAI'TAINS OF 1830. 125 THOMAS EDWARD IIOSTE, Esq. Broth KR to the late Captain Sir William Hostc, Bart, and K. C. li., under whom he appears to have served his time as niids-liipman, on board the Amphion and Bacehante frigates. On ilic 27th Aug. 1809, he was employed in tiie boats of the former ship, at the capture of an enemy's convoy, in the port of ( )rtclazzo, situated between Venice and Trieste. On the 2!)i!. of June in the following year, he assisted in capturing and destroying sixteen vessels laden with naval stores, in the harbour of Groa. On the J3th Mar. 1811, he was wounded in action with :: squadron of French frigates, near Lissa. On the 6th Jan. 1813, he bore a conspicuous part at the capture of three gun-vessels, near Otranto. And, on the 12th June, he distinguished himself in a successful attack upon ten gun-vessels and fourteen sail of merchantmen, on the coast of Abruzza. His promotion to the rank of lieutenant took place July 4th, 1814; he obtained a commission as com- mander in Jan. 182G; and was made a captain Feb. 26th, 1830. ^-^gent, — C. Clementson, Esq. n '5 RICHARD FREEMAN ROWLEY, Esq. Entered the royal navy in Feb. 1819; obtained a com- mission in May, 1825, served nearly two years as flag-lieu- tenant to Sir George Martin (commander-in chief at Ports- mouth), and was promoted immediately he became eligible. His next appointment was, Jan. 14th, 1829, to the Badger of 10 guns, in which sloop he successively served on the Ply- mouth, North Sea, and Cape of Good Hope stations, until advanced to the rank of captain, Feb. 2G!th, 1830. On his leaving the Badger, the officers and crew presented, him with a handsome piece of plate, " as a lasting testimonial of their esteem, and an expression of their gratitude for the happiness they had experienced under his command." 126 CAPTAINS OF 1830. COURTENAY EDWARD W. BOYLE, Esq. Son, we believe, of Commissioner the Elon. Courtenay Boyle, R. N. He was made a lieutenant in Dec. 1821, a commander in Dec. 1826, and captain May 27th, 1830. ROWLAND MAINWARING, Esq. Is descended from an ancient StafRordshire family (of which he is an elder branch), settled for many centuries at Whitmore Hall, near Newcastle-under-Lyne. He entered the royal navy in IJOb, under the patronage of Sir John Luforcy, and continued to serve in the flag-ship of that offi- cer until his demise, which took place when returning from the West Indies to England, June 14th, 1796. He was also on board the Majestic 74, at the celebrated battle of the Nile, after which, in consccjuence of his captain having been killed, he was removed into the Thalia frigate, commanded by Lord Henry Paulet, under whom he completed his time as mid- shipman. In Dec. 1801, Mr. Mainwaring was appointed lieutenant of *he Harpy sloop. Captain Charles William Boys ; an othcer who had lost a leg on the memorable 1st of June, 1794, and who was cut off in the prime of life, while commanding the Statira frigate, on the Halifax station, Nov. 17th, 1809. Mr. Mainwaring's subsequent appointments were, to the Leda frigate. Captain Robert Honyman ; the Terrible 74, Captain Lord H. Paulet ; and, as first lieutenant, to the Narcissus and Menclaus frigates, in which latter ships he was most actively employed, off Brest, in the Bay of Biscay, on the coast of Portugal, in the West Indies, and on the southern coasts of France and Spain, under the successive commands of Captains Chailes Malcolm, the Hon. Frederick W. Aylmer, and Sir Pet(?r Parker, Bart., until some time after his promotion to the rank of commander, by conunission dated Aug. 13th, 1812. On the 18th Aug. 1807, he assisted in capturing tiie Spanish national schooner Cantcla, pierced m h 'fii t:- if'l CAPTAINS OF 1830. 127 the 74, the he jsive ;rick for Iwelvc guns; and in April, 1809, we fiiul him present at the reduction of the Saiiitcs, near Guadaloupe*. The services in which he participated between July 1809 and Dec. 1810 have been stated in our memoir of Captain Ayl- mer f. The following is the copy of an official letter written by Sir Peter Parker, who was formerly his messmate in the Leda : — " H. M. S. Meneluux, off Villa Frunchn, Afar. \st, 1812. " Sir, — I feel prcat pleasure in acquainting you of the capture of a l)eautifiil French brig, on her first voyage, named the St. Joseph, from Genoa, luden witli naval stores for the arsenal at Toulon. This service was performc =• ' -'I'v " I trust this little affair will appear as creditable to H. M. arms, as disgraceful to the enemy. Suflice it to say, nothing could exceed the ex- emplary conduct of all ranks and classes in the squadron. " My acknowledgments are particularly due to the Hon. Captain Ca- dogan, and Captains Monnsey and Rowley ; and I trust I may be permitted once more to mention the attcnti ■' assistance which are over afforded me bv Lieutenant Rowland Mainwarin^. I have the honor to be, &c. (Signed) " To nce-/fdmiral Sir Edward Pel/eio." " Peter Parker." '---:• " May 3m, 1812. " Sir,— I have the honor to inform you, that, on the morning of the 29tli instant, an enemy's frigate and brig were discovered in Hi^res bay, steer- ing with the wind easterly, for the Petite Passe, evidently with the inten- tion of getting into Toulon ; but, on seeing H. M. ship under my com- mand make sail to cut them off, and having answered signals from their commander-in-chief in that harbour, they took in their studding-sails, and hauled to the wind, until the French fleet, consisting of eleven sail of the line and six frigates, cuinc out of port, causing the frigate and brig to bear up and join them. " Although, from the superior force I now had to contend with, I could not flatter mysulf with much prospect of success, yet I consi* dered it my duty to bring them to action, which was done close under the batteries of Escamhcron. The IMtnchius was necessarily exposed to a warm and raking fire, going in, and some time elapsed before it was returned. ISuon after, however, I had the mortification to sec our fore- top-mast shot almost in two ; and thus I was obliged to relinquish the idea of attempting any thing farther, and am indebted to the superior sailing of the ship, and the cxtruurdinuiy conduct of the enemy, for greater ills nut «4'i- /?...,' It ♦ Mcnclaus, Hiivaiiuidi, and Furicut*', frigates', and Pelorus brig, of IS guns. CAPTAINS c:- 1830, 129 bcfallinof us ; for, injepcndent of the inability of carrying sail on the tottering top-mast, we appeared as it were surrounded ; the enemy's ships being to leeward, and the advanced ship of the line, after firing her l)road* side, having tacked and stood iu ; added to which, Rear-Admiral Hallo- well's squadron was so far to leeward as not to afford a hope of any assistance from him ; and our fleet only to be seen from the mast-head. " As this affair took place under the enemy^s batteries, at the mouth of their harbour, I trust that notwithstanding the unfortunate circumstances attending, to foil our endeavours, I may be permitted to speak, in terms of admiration, of the gallantry and good conduct of Lieutenant Main- waring, which was only equalled by that of my other officers and the ship's company. Our damage is confined to masts, sails, and rigging. I have the honor to be, &c. (Signed) " Peter Parker." " To FicoJdmiral Sir Edward Pellewr In July following we find the Menelaiis cruising on the coast of Italy, and Sir Peter Parker reporting the capture of the French xebec la Paix, mounting two long G-pounders, with a complement of thirty men, " under circumstances peculiarly honorable to Lieutenant Mainwaring, who boarded and brought her out from within pistol-shot of the towers of Terracina, under a galling fire. If any thing from my pen," continues Sir Peier, " could do justice to his merit, I would write it with pleasure, but that I feel to be impossible. The Menelaus was anchored well within range of the batteries ; the distance, however, in consequence of the shoal water, prevented her fire being of that effect, against such strong defences, which was intended. I have to regret one seaman killed by a grc, e-shot." During the night of Sept. 2d, 1812, the French letter of marque St. Esprit, pierced for twelve guns, but with only two six-pounders mounted, was cut out from the river Mig- none, near Civita Vecchia, under a heavy fire from the batteries. This service was performed in a calm, without loss, and in a manner " highly creditable to Lieutenant Main- waring," by .v'hom the boats were again commanded. Sir Peter Parker's next official report was to the following effect : — " The port of Mcjnn, in the bay of Marseilles, was attacked by the IMcnolaus yesterday afternoon (Sept. I7lh, 1812). The detachment of boats, under Lieutenants Aluinwaring and Vatcs, burnt the vessels in the VOL, III. 1>AUT II. K *:,«' m 130 CAPTAINS OF 1830. harbour, while Lieutenant Bcynon, R. RI,, and Mr. James Saunderson, inaster's-mate, dislodged the enemy, and destroyed the custom-house and magazines. Never was jjidlantry more conspieitons tliaii in the officers and men on tliis service, and I bcft- to recommend them to your fav ralile notice. Lieutenant Yarcs, an active and promisin;^- ollicer*, I rca^rct to add, was unfortunately killed, with one seaman and five marines wounded. The loss of the enemy was very considerable." " To Sir Edward Pellew, Bart., i'/c. ^c." After commanding for some time the Gorfron 44, armed en /lute, at Port Mahon, the subject of this mcu:oir was successivtly appointed acting captain of the Edinburgh 74j Undaunted and EuryaKis frigates, and Caledonia first-rate, tlie latter ship bearing the flag of Sir Edward Pellew. He was subsequently placed by that officer in the Kite sloop, and sent to the Archipelago, where he destroyed a French privateer, rescued a valuable merchantman which she had captured, and obtained from the Bey of Salonica a promise, that in future no vessels of the same description should be equipped in his harbours. He afterwards commanded the Paulina sloop, in which he obtained restitution of two mer- chant vessels, taken by an American privateer and carried to Tripoli, where he remained watching the enemy until the final cessation of hostilities, thereby preventing her from giving any further annoyance to the British trade in the Me- diterranean. The Paulina was paid off, at Deptford, towards the close of 1815, from which period we find no official mention of her late commander, until his advancement to the rank of captain, July 22d, 1830. This oilkcr married, first, in Jan. 1811, Sophia Henrietta, only child of the late Major William DulT, of H. M. 20th regiment, and daughter-in-law to Captain George Tobin, U. N., C. B. Secondly, in 1827, Eliza, daughter of the Rev. M. J. Hill, rector of Snailwdl, in Cambridgeshire. His son, Rowland Mainwaring, midshipman of the Wanspite 7^> tlicd nt Port Jackson, of dysentery, Oct. 27th, 182G. j^getits, — Messrs. Stilwell. Son of Purser Thomas L. Yates, R N. CAPTAINS OF 1830, 131 JOHN WYATT WATLING, Esq. Is a native of Leominster, co. Hereford, and maternally descended from the family of Sir Thomas Wyatt, who was beheaded in the reign of Queen Mary, for leading an insur- gent force into London *. This officer was born in 1787) and, being related to several ship-owners, went first to sea in the merchant service, with the view of ultimately becoming master of a Jamaica trader ; but his friends conceiving that they had interest sufficient to bring him forward in the royal navy, he was induced, early in 1801, to embark as midshipman on board the Veteran 64, Captain Archibald Dickson, under whom we find him serv- ing in the expedition against the Northern Confederacy, so happily dissolved by the heroic Nelson's attack upon the line of defence bef'^'e Copenhagen. He subsequently served under Captains Edward Fellowes, Charles Brisbane, and Edward Brace, in the Acasta 40, Goliah 74, and Iris and Virginie frigates. In June, 1808, he passed his examhiation, and was immediately appointed to act as lieutenant of the Hero 74, Captain James Newman Newman. His promotion to that rank took place on the 22d Sept. following ; and, in the ensuing month, he appears to have been removed to the Sirius frigate, Cnptain Samuel Pym, then about to sail for the Cape of Good Hope station. On the 21st Sept. 1809, he assisted at the capture of St. Paul's, in the island of Bour- bon, on which occasion la Caroline French frigate was taken, and much valuable British property rescued from the enemy f. His subsequent services in the same neighbourhood are thus officially certified : *' Considering the conduct of Lieutenant John Wyatt Wntling, during f ilil^l • After the death of Sir Thomas, and the consequent confiscation of his property, hia eldest sou retired to the neighbourhood of Moninoutli ; but his descendants settled at and near Hereford. t See Suppl. Part II. p. 142 ct siq. K 2 1t> ]3i2 .CAPTAINS OF 1830. the time he served in H. M. S. Siriiis under my command, deserving my particular approbation, I do hereby certify, that he had charge of the beach in landing Lieutenant-Colonel Frazier with his brigade from that ship, at the attack of the Isle of Bourbon, composed of the whole of the Sfith regiment, a large party of artillery, parts of two regiments of sepoys, and fifty pioneers, amounting together to 960 men, with howitzers and ammunition, not any part of which was injured ; and that in the space of less than two hours and a half the whole were landed and on their march i am] that the said Lieutenant Watling, and the seamen under his orders, did their duti/ in an astonishing" fine style, though not without great per- sonal risk, in saving the soldiers, and keeping the an)munition dry, from the heavy surf, and rolling stone beach. That, with the small-arm men, he afterwards executed my orders in keeping possession, during the night, of the heights between the town of St. Paul's and Colonel Frazier's rear, by which he prevented any reinforcements being sent from the former to St. Denis. He also drove in all their sharp-shooters, and took several ca- valry horses. A service rendered of great importance in consequence of a total failure in the landing attempted to be effected to windward by the commodore and the rest of the squadron, with the three brigades under Lieutenant-Colonels Keating, Campbell, and Drummond, and by which the surrender of the island was efTected on the following day, before Lieutenant-Colonel Keating had joined Lieutenant-Colonel Frazier *. (Signed) " S. Pym.' Shortly after this event. Captain Pym, then cruising off the N. W. end of the Isle of France, sent his boats, under the command of Lieutenants Norman and Watling, to cut off a deeply laden three-masted schooner ; which vessel, how- ever, succeeded in getting into an intricate narrow passage, between reefs of coral, and was run aground by her crew within 200 yards of the siiore, where she was protected by a large military force, and one or two field-pieces on the beach. Notwithstanding this opposition, the boats pushed on, the pinnace, under Lieutenant Watling, taking the lead, and suc- ceeded in boarding and setting the vessel on fire. By the time her destruction was effected, the tide hud ebbed so con- siderably as to preclude the possibility of the boats returning through the same channel by which they had approached the schooner, and their only alternative was to force a passage in another direction, exposed at a very short range to the lire • Sec Siippl. Piirt II. p. 15;^ -"/ .vry. CAPTAINS OF 1830. of the soldiers and other persons on land. On this occi the keepi ■shore of the other boats, to 133 asion, cover pninace, them as much as possible, unfortunately took the ground, when many Frcnc'nnen waded off and attempted to carry her by boarding ; but the reception they met with was so warm, that such as were not wounded soon retreated again, bearing off with them several apparently lifeless bodies. In the pin- nace, a midshipman was dangerously wounded, and a sailor slain ; the only loss sustained by the British boats^ all of which succeeded in making good their retreat, though for some time under a galling fire. Lieutenant Watling'a con- duct on this occasion is said by Captain Pym, to have " done him great credit ;" and at the successful attack afterwards made upon I'lsle de la Passe, it " was truly gallant *." He there appears to have had a miraculous escape, — for while in the act of leading on his men, after scaling the first breast- work, he was about to spring down, when a French soldier, who had previously crouched under the wall, rose and pre- sented at him his musket, with fixed bayonet. Stopping, however, to take deliberate aim, the enemy afforded Mr. Watling an opportunity to jump over him, and thereby es- cape both lead and steel; but a poor fellow immediately behind was caught by the point of the bayonet, and lite- rally run through the body : the soldier soon paid for his te- merity, being killed on the spot. In this affair, Mr. Wat- ling was also personally engaged with a French officer, se- cond in command, whom he obliged to surrender. Immediately after the capture of I'lsle de la Passe, Lieu- tenant Watling proceeded with the boats of the Sirius into Port Sud-Est, for the purpose of attacking a ship of 18 guns and CO men, bound to Madagascar for slaves. On the ap- proach of the boats, this armed ship cut her cable, and, hav- ing a fresh breeze and fair wind for the purpose, ran on a coral reef, under the protection of the land batteries, where she was afterwards broke up, the enemy finding it impossible ever to get her afloat. • Sec Vol. III. Part I. pp. 238^2^1. ■ "W I* Si :■■■.' I J-' km ;i- i f 1 i 1 .if I i| it! 134 CAPTAINS OK 1830. It l On the 21 st Aug. 1810, Lieutenant Watling and Mr. John Andrews, midshipman, in two small boats, containing be- tween them only nine men, with no other weapons of offence than the stretchers, followed a large ship into Riviere-Noire, and there attacked and carried her, under the fire of several formidable batteries. She proved to be the Windham East Indianian, of 30 guns, recently captured by a Frencli squadron, and then in charge of a lieutenant de vaisseau, whose prize-crew consisted of not less than thirty men, several of whom were wounded by the fire from the shore, after they had ceased to resist their assailants. Of this vary gallant exploit, we can find no official account, beyond a passage in a letter to the Admiralty, from Commissioner Shield at the Cape of Good Hope, stating that the Windham had been recaptured by the Sirius. During the subsequent disastrous attack made by the Sirius and three other frigates, upon a French squadron in Port Sud-Est, Lieutenant Watling was the bearer of most of the orders issued by the senior ofi[icer to his brother- captains ; and at the termination of that unfortunate business, he nearly lost his life in taking measures for ensuring the speedy destruction of the Sirius *, having gone below and opened the magazine doors after every other person had aban- doned her, and only regained the deck at the moment when the flames, recently kindled by Captain Pym and himself, were bursting forth in all directions, and the last boat was ac- tually pulling away, the people in her supposing that he had fallen a sacrifice to his devotedness and zeal. After the blowing up of the Sirius, Lieutenant Watling volunteered to convey Captain Pym's despatches to Isle Bourbon, a distance of 140 miles ; and at 8 p. m. Aug. 25tb, he was accordingly sent thither in the pinnace with nine men. A French brig, I'Entreprenante, then cruising off Port Sud-Est, gave chace to him j but, by pulling in-shore among the breakers, he adroitly escaped from her, and landed at St. Denis on the 27th, about 2 a. m. Immediately on his Sec Suppl. Part II. p. 164 r( seq. CAPTAINS OF 1830. 135 arrival, he was ushered into the presence of the governor, It.T. Farquhar, Lsq., who without delay summoned aComicil, whereat it was first proposed and decided on, in consequence of the annihilation of nearly the whole British naval force off the Isles of France and Bourbon, to equip the Windham as an auxiliary ship of war, and to place her under the command of Lieutenant Watling, who, as was observed at the time, had merited such an appointment by his gallantry in recapturing her. On a farther consultation, however, it was decided that lie would render a more essential service by proceeding direct to India, and giving such information as might probably prevent many other valuable ships from being captured. An American prize-schooner was instantly assigned for this Ijurpose ; and after receiving a present of ^200 from the Government of Bourbon, he sailed for Madras with des- patches, and the following recommendatory letter : — " St. Denis, 29th Aug. 1312. " Sir, — Permit me to recommend to your Excellency's notice and consideration, Lieutenant Wtitliiii,', late first of the Slrius, i\ most gallant, active, ami entei-prisins officer, who is now in command of the Egreuiont schooner, purch;ised by this Government, un served from apparently inevitable destruction, and conveyed in safety to shore, through a heavy and treuicndous surf. The Honorable the Go- vernor has accordingly every satisfaction in thus distinctly recording his public acKnowledgments and approbation on so interesting an occasion. I have the honor to be, &c. (Signed) " A. Barry, Chief Secretary to Government." *' To Lieutenant J. TV. IFatling, R. N., Commanding' the H. C. packet ffellesley." This officer's next appointment was, in Dec. 1811, to the Aquilon 32, Captain William Bowles, under whom he served as first lieutenant, on the North Sea station, until June, 1812 ; when, on a representation of his services being made to Viscount Melville, he was directed to proceed, on half- pay, to the Cape of Good Hope, where he remained a considerable time without the least prospect of promotion. His com- mission as commander bears date Dec. 1st, 1813; but even then he was not called into service. In June 1815, we find him fitting out the Volcano bomb, which vessel was paid off in the month of Sept. following, lie then received an ap- pointment to command the Julia sloop, destined to form part of the St. Helena squadron ; from which station he was soon obliged to return home, for the recovery of his health, pas- senger on board an East Indiaman. He was afterwards em- ployed as an inspecting commander of the coast guard ; and advanced to the rank of captain, July 22d, 1830. His wife, who died in Mar. 1830, was the daughter of Philip Grubb, of Highgtite, co. Middlesex, Esq. AgentSy — Messrs. Goode & Clarke. RICHARD PRIDHAM, Esq. Is a burgess and common councilman of Plymouth. He obtained the rank of lieutenant Jan. 2d, 1/98; served such on board the Centaur 74, bearing the flag of Rear-Ad as CAPTAINS OF 1830. 139 niiral J. R. Dacres, in Hamonze, during the peace of Amiens j and was first of the Hussar 36, Captain Philip Wilkinson, when that frigate was wrecked near Brest, and the majority of her officers and crew made prisoners, in Feb. 1804. Ten years elapsed before Mr. Pridham regained his liberty. He was made a commander on the 15th June, 1814; ap- pointed to the Prince Prederick, receiving-ship, Nov. 4th following ; to assist in superintending the Ordinary at Ply- mouth, in 1810 J to be an inspecting commander in the pre- ventive-water-guard service, in 1819 ; to command the Zebra sloop, fitting out for the East India station, Jan. 25th, 1829 ; aud promoted to the rank of captain, July 22d, 1830. He married, in Mar. 1801, a Miss Glanville, of Plymouth. jigentsj — Messrs. Cooke, Halford, & Son. JOHN LYONS, Esq. Brother to Captain Edmund Lyons, Knight of St. Louis, whose gallant services we have recorded in Suppl. Part ill. This officer was made a lieutenant in Dec. 1805 j and commanded a detachment of seamen landed from the Mon- tagu 74, to assist at the reduction of St. Maura, in Mar. and April 1810. He subsequently followed his captain (the pre- sent Rear-Admiral Moubray, C. B.) into the Repulse 74, also on the Mediterranean station. At the close of the war with Prance, in 1814, he was serving on board the Ville de Paris 110, bearing the flag of Sir Harry Neale; and since the peace he has commanded the Jaseur sloop, on the Cape of Good Hope station. His commission as commander bears date June 27th, 1814 j and as captain, July 22d, 1830. PHILIP WESTPIIAL, Esq. Is descended from the CoiMits Von Westphal, one of the most ancient aristocratic faaiilies in the German empire. His grand-father was a judge of one of the principal Imperial courts of judicature ; and his great-uncle, a dignitary of the 140 CAPTAINS OF 1830. Hanoverian church, preceptor to H. R. H. the late Duke of Kent ; uiuler whose auspices he entered the naval service, in 1794, as midshipman on board I'Oiseau frigate, Captain (now Admiral) Robert Murray, whom he followed into the Asia 64, on the Halifax station, where the latter ship bore the flag of Vice-Admiral George Vandeput, from the eiid of 1798 until the death of that veteran, in the year 1900. After passing his examination, Mv. Philip Westphal joined the Blanche frigate, Captain (now Sir Graham Eden) Ha- niond, under whom he bore a part at the sanguinary battle of Copenhagen, April 2d, 1801 ; on which memorable occa- sion, the Blanche occupied a station originally intended for a ship of the line, and sustained a loss of seven men killed and nine severely wounded •. Immediately after this conflict, Mr. Westphal was pro- moted into a death vacancy, and appointed to the Defiance 74, Captain R. Retalick, in which ship he continued until paid ofl' after the treaty of Amiens. His next appointment was, about Nov. 1802, to the Amazon 38, Captain (now Rear- Admiral) William Parker; and on the 16th July, 1803, he assisted in capturing the French privateer le Felix, of 16 guns and 96 men. The Amazon formed part of the gallant squadron with which Nelson pursued the combined fleets of France and Spain to and from the W^cst Indies f. On the 12th Sept. 1805, she captured a Spanish privateer, of 24 guns and 160 men, to the westward of Scilly. On the 13th Mar. 1806, she compelled la Belle Poule, French frigate, of 40 guns and 320 men, to surrender, after an action of nearly two hours and a half, during which her first lieutenant (Richard Seymour), the second lieutenant of marines (Edward Prior), and two men were killed, u.id six others wounded ;|:. On the death of Mr. Seymour, the subject of this memoir became senior lieutenant of the Amazon ; and his gallant and ♦ SeeVol.II. Parti, p. 173. t Sec Vol. I. note at p. 5S!), ct set/, I Sec Vol. II. Part I. p. 4M, et scq. CAPTAINS OF 1830. 141 skilful cond ^ t in the action with la Belle Poule was so sen- sibly felt and truly represented by Captain Parker, that on the prize being manned by the squadron under Sir John Borlase Warren, he was appointed to command her as acting captain. This would have ensured his promotion to at least the rank of commander, but unfortunately for himself he was considered too able an assistant to be immediately parted M'ith. On the return of the squadron into port, Captain Parker received a roving commission from his uncle the Earl of St. Vincent, then commanding the Channel fleet; and he ad^ sod Lieutenant VVestphal not to push his claim until the end of a cruise from which so much was to be expected ; assuring him that on their return he would take care to secure him, not only advancement, but also an active appointment. This there would have been no difficulty in his accomplishing had the Earl of St, Vincent continued afloat, and his political friends in power ; but during the Amazon's absence the former struck his flag, and the latter went out of oflSce. Mr. West- phal consequently remained as flrst lieutenant of that ship until she was paid off in 1812. During this period of nearly six years, he repeatedly distinguished himself in action with the enemy, on the coasts of France and Spain, particularly in June 18)1, when he commanded the boats of the Amazon at the capture and destruction of a French convoy near the Penmarks*. On the 2l8t Mar. 1812, he was appointed se- nior lieutenant of the Junon 46, Captain James Sanders j in which ship we find him very actively and successfully em- ployed on the Halifax station f. On the 29th July, 1813, he commanded the boats of the Junon and Martin (sloop) at the capture of an American gun-vessel, mounting two long guns (one a 32- pounder), with a complement of 35 men« The circumstances under which this service was performed were most highly honorable to his zeal for the honor of the British flag, but it is not at present in our power to enter into any • S.;e Vol. II. Part I. p. 110. t Sec Vol. 11. I'ait II. p. (Mo et snj. I 142 CAPTAINS OF 1830. farther particulars than those already given under the head of Captain Humphreys Fleming Senhoiise *. Mr. Wcstphal's promotion to the rank of commander took place June 13th, 1815; from which period he remained on hiilf-pay until Jan. 22d, 1829, when he was appointed to the Kent 78, then about to be commissi )ned by Captain John Ferris Devonshire, and stationed as a guard-ship in Ha- moaze f. His commission as captain bears date July 22d, 1830. This officer's younger brother, George Augustus Westphal, obtained post-rank in Aug. 1819, and has since received the honor of knighthood |. ^gentSy—Sir F. M, Ommanney & Son, BERNARD YEOMAN, Esq. Is a son of the late Henry Walker Yeoman, Esq. (a gen- tleman possessed of considerable landed property in the neighbourhood of Whitby, co. York), by Anne, daughter of General John Hale, of the family of Hale, settled at King's Walden, in Hertfordshire, His maternal great-grand- father was William Chaloner, of the Priory, Gisborough, co. York, Esq. ; and one of his mother's sisters is the wife of Lord Dundas. This officer was born at V'^'^hitby, Aug 1st, 1792 ; and ap- pears to have commenced his naval career, Oct. Ist, 1805, under the patronage of the Earl of Mulgravc, as midshipman on board the Quebec 32, Captain (now Rear-Admiral) the Hon. George H. L. Dujidas ; whom he followed into the Euryalus 36, and sailed with for the Mediterranean sta- tion early in 1806. The manner in which that frigate was employed between this period and the summer of 1811, has been stated in Vol. II. Part I. p. 421 et seq.\ and by refer- ring to p. 320 of Suppl. Part III. the reader will perceive that Mr, Yeoman's " good conduct" in a gallaiit and successful • Sec Suppl. Part III. p 40(i /■/ m/. t Sec Addenda Iff'-^. : o fi captaiivb of 1830. 143 night attack, made by four boats upon two large Danish transports and a national vessel of two long 18-pounders and 64 men, moored within half pistol-shot of a three-gun bat- tery and numerous tioops on shore, June 11th, 1 80S, was *' particularly mentioned by Lieutenant Head," (who com- manded on the occasion) and duly reported by Captain Dun- das, whose official letter was gazetted. On the Gth Feb. 1812, Mr. Yeoman was promoted into the Acasta frigate, Captain Alexander Robert Kerr, under whom he served as lieutenant on the North American station, and was most actively employed in annoying the enemy's coast and trade. His commission as commander bears date June 15th, 1815. In Sept. 1818, he was appointed to the Brito- niart sloop ; and on the 5th Dec. following, to the Wolf; which latter vessel formed part of the royal escort when his late Majesty visited Ireland, in the year 1821. Whilst thus employed. Commander Yeoman had the distinguished honor of frequently dining with the King, on board his yacht ; and when at Dublin, he lived with the household, attended the monarch to all public places which he visited, and was in fact considered as forming part of the ''oyal suite ; yet, strange • say, a junior as well as a senior commander of the same equudron, received immediate promotion for that service ; whereas he was soon afterwards paid off, and not advanced to the rank of captain until July22d, 1830. Had he been fairly dealt with, his commission would bear date Jan. 29th, 1822, the same as those of Sir Charles Burrard and Cap- tain W. J. Mingay. In June, 1827, the subject of this sketch was appointed Inspecting Commander of the Lyniington district of Coast Guard ; and during the three years in which he was thus em- ployed, he succeeded in entirely suppressing smuggling on that part of the coast, Mhere it had formerly prevailed to a very considerable extent. In the beginning of June 1830, he received the following letter from his Comptroller- General : " Sir, — 1 have to ai'kiu)\vlo(l(];e the receipt of your secret letter of the 30lh ulliino, exitluiniiig the mode ut' Ruuig)>rnig silks practibcil hy the egg- iill • % 'IjI'i rig i \l 144 CAPTAINS OF 1830. vessels at Portsmouth, and to acquaint you that it has been laid before the Board, by whom your zeal and exertions on this occasion are fully appreciated. I am. Sir, &c. (Sijrned) " Wm. Bowles." " To Captain Yeoman, R. N., 8(c" In addition to this acknowledgment of an important disco- very, by which, we have reason to believe, the public revenue was considerably benefited, the Commissioners of H. M. Customs were pleased to present Commander Yeoman with the sum of one hundred pounds. In answering an applica- tion from the friend of a candidate for the next appointment, the Comptroller-General expressed himself as follows : " The present Inspecting Commander, Captain Bernard Yeoman, has got his district into the finest possible order, and has succeeded in putting down smuggling in a manner hitherto unprecedented." On the 5th July 1830, Commander Yeoman having com- pleted his three years' service at Lymington, the commanders of the revenue cutters, and the chief ofiUcers of the stations attached to that district, invited him to partake of a dinner. The chair was taken by Lieutenant George Franklyn, com- mander of the Rose, who, in proposing the health of their guest, animadverted strongly on the superior style of disci- pline adopted by him during the time that they had had the pleasure of being imder his inspection ; saying also, that they felt they were about parting with an officer who, in every respect, had filled his office with credit to himself, and com- fort to those under him. After this and a few additional en- comiums, his health was drank with general and great ap- plause. Speaking of this entertainment, the editor of the " Hamp- shire Advertiser and Royal Yacht Club Gazette" says : " Wo are glad to find Captain Yeoman has not only conducted the ser- vice placed under his superintendence in a manner that has given satisfac- tion to the ofticcrs and crews, but it has also procured for him the warmest approval of the Board of Customs and the Comptroller-General. We feel particular gratitication in pointing to this circumstance, because we find in it a complete confirmation of the correctness of our former obser- vations on the subject. The line of conduct followed by Captain Yeoman has bccn^to abstain from all vexatious interference— to stiinulute tlicoitt» W CAPTAINS OF 1830. 145 cers to exertion by a proper confidence in their zeul — and to actuate the men to a strit't performance of their duty, by directing- their energies to the proper olijcct, and removing the impediments wo so forcibly reprobated. The conscijuence has been, that this excellent officer has gone through the period of his service with benefit to his country, comfort to his people, and pleasure to himself, and has now the gratification of receiving the en- comiums of all parties. The higher department has found itself relieved from all the unpleasantry of complaint ; and the approval this new system has received from the Comptroller-General, will, we trust, lead to its ge- neral adoption ; we shall then have the service placed in a line of progress towards that complete protection which we have before shewn the way to arrive at." On the 10th of July, the ComptroUer-Gcnerul of the Coast Guard again wrote to Commander Yeoman, as follows : " Sir, — In compliance with the request contained in your letter of the 9th instant, I acquaint you that I have much pleasure in bearing testimony to your uniform good conduct and zeal for the service during the time you served under my orders, as luspecting Commander at Lymington. I am, &c. (Signed) " Wm. Bowles." Twelve days after the date of this testimonial. Commander Yeoman was advanced to the rank of captain ; which, in common fairness^ he ought to have been upwards of eight years before. This officer married, Nov. 3d, 1823, Charlotte, youngest daughter of Sir Everard Home, Bart. Vice-President of the Royal Society, and has several children. His eldest brother, Henry, is a Deputy-Lieutenant of the north riding of York- shire, and married to his first cousin, Margaret, eldest daugh- ter of Lord Dundas. His twin-brother, Constantine, is a captain in H. M. 99th regiment of foot. Agents, — Messrs. Cooke, Halford, and Son. r i ^!lj JOHN REYNOLDS, Esq. Brother to the late Captain George Reynolds, R.N., who obtahied post rank in April, 1802, and died at Canterbury, Dec. 25th, 1822; also to the late VViiliam Reynolds, Esq., who was twenty-five years a clerk in the Admiralty Office, VOL. II [. TAUT II. L 146 CAPTAINS OF 1830. and died in 1811. His only sister married Dr. Edward Boys, wiio, during the late war, was one of the physicians of Haslar Hospital. Mr. John Reynolds was born at Sandwi^;h, co. Kent, Nov. 8th, 1 783 ; and he appears to have entered the navy, as mid- shipman, on board the Saturn 74, Captain Jacob Waller, in Jan. 1798. He next joined the Inspector sloop, Captain George Sayer (a), on the North Sea station, where he saw much active service ; and we subsequently find him in the Cynthia sloop and Venerable 74. His first commission as lieutenant, we are told, bears date Sept. 2.^)th, 1804; though, on examining the whole series of " Murray's Navy Lists, published by authority," as well as several of " Steel's," we perceive that in no one instance is that rank assigned to him earlier than May 13th, 1807. If our private information is correct, he was a lieutenant of the Santa Margaritta frigate, in Sir Richard J. Strachan's action, Nov. 4th, 1805; on which occasion a French Rear-Admiral, and four line-of- battle ships were captured *. He was afterwards appointed to the Conqueror 74 ; and, about May, 1809, to command the hired armed cutter Hero, on the Baltic station. In 1810 he discovered that the harbour of Salo, in the Cattegat, then little known to the English, was a good place of refuge for vessels during gales of wind, blowing on the Swedish coast; and after it had been surveyed, under his directions, both men-of-war and merchantmen frequently took shelter there. Early in 1812, he was removed to the command of H. M. cutter Nimble, which vessel unfortunately foundered in a vio- lent storm, while cruising in the Sleeve, Nov. 6th following : the whole of her crew, however, providentially escaped. During the period that Lieutenant Reynolds commanded the above cutters, he c;iptured and destroyed three Danish privateers, and no less than thirty-four sail of merchantmen; was frequently in action with the enemy's flotilla ; and, on one occasion, was slightly wounded. So greatly were tl.o Norwegian merchants in particular, annoyed by his active and • See Vol. II. Part II. p. "-12. CAPrAINS OF 1S30. 147 successful exertions against their trade, that they actually offered a considerable reward for the capture of the Hero. For these services, he received the high approbation of his commander-in-chief. Sir James Saumarez ; and was, we be- lieve, recommended by that officer to the Admiralty. Lieutenant Reynolds's next appointment was, Jan. 13th, 1813, to be first of the Doris frigate, Captain Robert O'Brien, with whom he soon afterwards sailed for China. On the 28th Nov. following, he was removed to the Owen Glen- dower frigate, Captain Brian Hodgson, in the East Indies ; where he received his commission as commander, dated Nov. 20th, 1815, and appointing him to the Hecate of 16 guns. According to e navy lists, he was afterwards suc- cessively nominated to the temporary command of the Elk 18, Cornwallis 74, and Conway 24, all on the same sta- tion ; but we rather apprehend that the ships which he commanded there, pro tempore^ were the Elk, Conway, and Volage 22. In Feb. 1828, he commissioned the Orestes 18, fitting out at Chatham for the Cork station, where he continued until advanced to the rank of captain, July 22d, 1830. Captain Reynolds married Miss A. H. Decouurdoux, of Plymouth. :!«• HENRY ALGERNON ELIOT, Esq. Is descended from Sir William de Aliot, a Norman knight, of whom the following anecdote has been traditionally re- lated. When William the Conqueuor first set foot on English land, he stuml)lecl and fell ; " but," Rays Hume, " he had the presence of mind, it is said, to turn the omen to his advantage, hy calling aloud that he had taken possession of the coiuitry ; and a soldier, running to a neighbouring cottage, plucked some thatch, which, as if giving him seizin of the king- dom, he presented to his general." Upon this. Sir William de Aliot, then holding a distinguished rank in the invading army, drew his sword, and swore, by the honor of a soldier, that he would maintain, at tlic ha- l2 148 CAPrAINS OF 1830. zard of his blood, the rijfht of his lord to the sovereignty of the country. For this, the conqueror jjave him an honorable addition to his coat of arms, viz. a baton or, on a field azure, an arm and sword as a crest, with the motto, pur saxa, per ignes, fortiter ct recte. From this valiant knight are likewise descended the Earls of Minto and St. Germains, Sir William Francis Eliot, Bart., and the family of the ce- lebrated Lord Heathfield. Captain Henry Algernon Eliot's more immediate ancestor, however, was Sir John Eliot, Knt. of Port Eliot, co. Cornwall, who, in the tliird year of Charles I., represented the borough of St. Germains, and rendered iiim- self conspicuous in parliament, as a strenuous opponent of the court, and a zealous assertor of the ancient liberty of the subject. Being an active man of business, and a decided enemy to favorites and their encroach- ments, this Sir John Eliot was appointed by the House of Commons one of the managers of the impeachment of the Duke of Buckingham ; for which, with Sir Dudley Digges, his colleague, he was committed to the Tower, but soon afterwards released. In 1(528, he was again sent thither, with other mera!»ers of the same house, for refusing to answer before the privy council for parliamentary conduct ; and on the 29th of May, in that year, an information was exhibited, in the star chamber, against him and his fellow prisoners, for their undutifu) speeches; upon which charge, being afterwards arraigned before the Court of King's Bench, they were adjudged to be imprisoned during the monarch's pleasure, and to give security for their good i)ehaviour : in addition to this general sentence, Sir John Eliot was also fined 2000/, These gentlemen were subsequently ofTered their freedom, upon the terms of making submission ; but they rejected the proposition, and Sir John Eliot died ir> the Tower, Nov. 27tli, 1632. His family afterwards received a parliamentary grant of 5000/., iu consideration of his loss and sufferings. The heir of Sir John Eliot died in 1G85, leaving an only son, Daniel, whose sole daughter, Catlierine, married the learned antio, dtiring the latter part of the war. His next appoi-:tmci)?, vvaf, O'ct. 4th, 1819, to be first lieutenant of the Q .leeii Charlotte 108, flag- ship of Sir George Campbell, at Portsu)ontu, vhere he con- tinoed until the deatL of that officer, when he obtained a commander's commission, dated FAy, 1*3U\, J32L Flora this period, he remained on hal'-pay urilil May J? U. I, 1828, when he was appointed secoiul captain of th'? Britaiiiii*;. 120, bearing the flag of the Earl of Noilhesk, at Plyinoufl , where he continued in that ship and tha St. VijicovU 120, ,>arrng the remainder of his lordship's couUiiaiif?^ a period cf nearly two years. His promotion to the ra^iU of <:;\ptniu took place July 22d, 1830. This officer's b/other. Eirnnuel, is a lieu- tenant in the royal navy. jigentf — J. Hinxmap^ Esq. I ',.'; ih 1 JAMES WIGSTON, E^^^ Passed his examination, at Pcrtnnouth, in Feb. 1811; obtained his first commission on the 1 .3th June following; and served under Captains John Hayes and Willoughby T. Lake, in the Magnificent 74, from Sept. 1812 until Mar. 1815 *. His next appointments were, — Feb. 2d, 1819, to • See Vol. II. Part II. p. r.7G rt ,?ry, ; and Vol. I. Part II. p. 708. 154 CAPTAINS OV 1830. the Pandora sloop, Captain Chades G. Randulph, fitting out for the Cork station, where he continued until Oct. in the same year; and, Aug. 2yth, 1820, to the Sybille frigate, in- tended for the flag of Sir Charles Rowley, on the Jamaica station, where he was promoted to the command of the Bustard, a 10-gun brig, Jan. 14th, 1822; and removed from I. t vessel to the Scout 18, on the 12th June following. In May, 1823, the Scout ran on a reef of rocks in the Gulf of Mexico, was obliged to throw all her guns overboard, and would probably have been lost but for the assistance rendered to her by the Grecian cutter. Lieutenant (now Com- mander) John Cawley. She returned home, and was paid off, in the summer of 1825. Commander Wigston's next appointment was, Jan. 22d, 1829, to be second captain of the VVarspite 76, fitting out at Plymouth for the flag of Rear-Admiral (now Sir Thomas) Baker, with whom he proceeded to South America, wljcre we find him serving when advanced to his present rank, July 22d, 1830. Agents, — Messrs. Stilwell. GEORGE FREDERICK RYVES, Esq. /I Cuiiipanhn of the Mmt Uonornhle Militai'i/ Oi'iUr of the Bnlh, Eldest son of the late Rear-Admiral Ryves, by Catherine Eli/abeth, third daughter of the Hon. James Everard Arun- del, father of tlic ninth Lord Arundel. This otlicer passed his examination, at Plymouth, in Oct. 1810 ; obtained a lieutenant's commission on the 24th of the foUowing month ; served during the latter part of the war with France, in the Ponione 38, Captain Philip Carteret; and was subsequently appointed as follows : — In May, 1814, to the Magicienne 30, Captain the Hon. William Gordon; — Sept. 10th following, to the Clorinde 40, then commanded by Captain Thomas Briggs, but afterwards by Captain Sa- muel (Jeorge Pcchell, with whom he returned honu* from the Mediterranean, and was paid olV, in the summer of 1810; — I , CAPTAINS OF 1830. 155 Dec. 24th, 1818, to the Morgiana sloop, Captiiiii Charles H. Strong, fitting out for the African station, where he invalided whilst serving under Captain VV'illiani I'inlaison, early in 1821 ;— May 16th, 18*22, to be first of the Alligator 28, Captain Thomas Alexander, C. R., in which ship he pro- ceeded to the East Indies; — and, April 8th, 1823, to act as commander of the Sophie 18, then employed on the latter station : which appointment was confirmed by the Admiralty, Oct. 22d, followint?. The manner in M'hich he was subse- quently employed has been so fully detailed under the head of *' Naval Operations in Ava, during the Burmese War," as to render the least repetition superfluous. The following, however, should have been inserted in p. 50 of the Appendix to Vol. III. Part 1., serving, as it does, more fully to illustrate the determined character of the truly gallant " fire-eater," under whose orders he was serving in Dec. 1824 : " By ireniy Diiclc Chads, Ks(]. Cominaiulor of II. I\I. sloop Arachiu', and Senior Ofliccr at Ranj^ooii. " Considering^ the vei\ important oonsoquence to the sljipping and the whole of tlie expedition, should the poFt at Kemmendine he carried hy flic enemy, who arc now prcssini;- it very hard, ;he welfare of our cause impe- riously calls for the services of one of II. M. sloops at that place; and not- withstanding the inunincnt danger and risk of the ship from fire, i/ic rcsponsihility vf irhUh I now titlw ichollij t,n tHj/scI/', you are hcrcl)y directed to proceed in II. INI. S. Sophie under your command, with the next flood, off that point, for its succour and support, and you will consult and co-operate wiih Major Yates commandinff on shore for its defence; and any thinp; you can point out necessary for its safety that can be sup- plied from hence you shall immediately have it sent. liieutenant Kellett, with the Arachnc's boats, and thirty seamen in the gun-hoats, will he under your orders, and I hope to he able occasionally to visit the post myself. The IIoii. Company's cruiser Tel^nmouth will remain with you, and I should wisli you to keep her at Pagoda Point, when you can do it with prohal»lc security. '* (liven under my hatui this iid DeceminT, 1S2 J. (Signed; " II. I). Ciiap-s, Senior Navul Oiliccr." •• 7« Ciptdiii /{ffirn, //. ^1/. S. Soj)/,U\" In April 1825, Commander R\ vos invalided, and returned home passenger in a merchant ship. Me obtained a Compa- nionship of the Hath in .Ian. 182"; married, in June follow- fl >>i;i "1 1-1 1- ^•1 156 CAPTAINS OF 1830. ing, Charity, daughlcr^of J. Theobald, of Grays, co. Essex, Esq. ; and was promoted to the rank of captain, July 22d, 1830. Agents, — Messrs. Goode and Clarke. GEORGE WOOLLCOMBE, Esq. Was a midshipman of the Tonnant 80, flag-ship of the Hon. Sir Alexander I. Cochrane, on the North American station ; and " particularly distinguished himself" in leading a party of seamen to the assault of a battery, whilst serving under the immediate command of Captain Rowland Money, during the operations against New Orleans, Jan. 8th, 1815*. His first commission bears date Feb. 23d, 1815. From June 1816 mitil Dec. 18l7> he served in the Lee sloop, Captain John Pasco, on the Plymouth station j and from Jan. 1819 mitil Dec. 1821, in the Active frigate. Captain Sir James A. Gordon, attached to the Halifax squadron. In 1823, he was successively appointed to the Windsor Castle 74, Captain (now Sir Charles) Dashwood, one of the guard-ships in Hamoaze ; the Bann tloop. Captain John Filmore, fitting out for the African station ; and the Owen Glcndower frigate, already on that coast. In April 1824, he was made a com- mander; and on the 2l8t Aug, following, appointed to the Victor 18, which vessel appears to have been employed, first in the suppression of the slave trade, and afterwards in cruising against smugglers : she was paid off in Aug. 1827. Captain Woollcombe obtained liia present rank July 22d, 1830, previous to which he had commissioned and fitted out the Curlew sloop, destined to the East Indies. Agents, — Messrs. Maude and Co. • Sec JSiipj)!. Part IV. p. 18 et leq. CAPTAINS OF 1830. 157 THOMAS HASTINGS, Esq. Is the son of a clergyman, and nephew to the celebrated Warren Hastings, Esq. He passed his examination in Nov. 1809; obtained the rank of lieutenant in Jan. 1810; and afterwards served in the Badger brig, of 10 guns, Captain John Lampen Manley, from which vessel he was removed to the Hyacinth, post-sloop, s;' N-essively commanded by Cap- tains Thomas Ussher and A) jxander R. Sharpe, on the Me- diterranean station. For his bravery on many occasions, but more particularly for his highly distinguished conduct at Malaga (April 29th, 1812) ani^ Port Nouvelle (Nov. 9th 1813) he had the honor of beir.), Esq. Was male a lieutenant in May 1809. We afterwards find him serving under Captain Lord Cieorge Stuart, in the New- castle 58, fitting out for the North American station, hut first employed in conveying Louis XVII 1. from England to France, in April 1814. He was promoted to the command of the Gorce sloop, June 6lh, 1815 ; and on that vessel being laid up at Halifax, he appears to have been appointed. May Ist, 1816, to the Portia of 14 guns, then abon' to return home for the purpose of being put out of commijSiOn. From Aug. 1816 until May 14th, 1828, he remained unemployed ; but at the latter date he was appointed second captain of the Victory 104, bearing the flag of Sir Robert Stopford, conunander-in- chief at Portsmouth, where he continued until that ship was paid ofl'in May 1830. He obtained his present rank on the 22d Oct. following. jigcntsy — Messrs. Goode and Clarke. m «?!•« ) , » 1 : 'l i ^1 ' CHARLES GRAHAM, Esq. Skrved as midshipman of the Glasgow frigate, Captain the Hon. Henry Duncan, C. B. in 1815 ; obtained his first commission, July 9lh, 1817; ^vJis appointed to tlie Tartar ui5 160 CAPTAINS OF 1830. 42, Commodore Sir George Collier, fitting out for the coast of Africa, Sept. 24th, 1819 ; and to be flag-lieutenant to the rion. Sir Alexander 1. Cochrane, commander-in-chief at Plymouth, early in 1823. His promotion to the rank of com- mander took place in April 1824 ; from which period he re- mained on half-pay until June 16lh, 1829. Since then he has commanded the Philomel sloop and Rattlesnake 28, hav- ing been niade captain into the latter ship, on the Mediter- ranean station, Nov. 4th, 1830. Agents, — Messrs. Chard. GEORGE BERKELEY MAXWELL, Esq. This officer served his time as midshipman on board the Amphion frigate, under the auspices of the present Rear- Admiral Samuel Sutton and the late Captain Sir William Hoste ; was promoted from that ship into the Bulwark 74, Captain (now Vice- Admiral) the Hon. Charles Elphinstone Fleeming, Sept. 22d, 1807 ; and soon afterwards removed to the Astraea 32, Captain Edmund Heywood, in which frigate he suffered shipwreck, near the island of Anegada, in the West Indies, May 24th, 1808. His subsequent appoint- ments were, to the Victory, San Josef, and Queen Charlotte, first-rates, bearing the flags of Sir James (now Lord De) Saumarez, Sir Charles Cotton, and Viscount Keith, com- manders-in-chief on the Baltic, Mediterranean, and Channel stations. He was advanced to the rank of commander, June 15th, 1814. From this period. Captain Maxwell remained unemployed until April /th, 1829, when he was appointed to the Herald vacht. In this ship he conveyed Lady Heytesbury to St. Petersburgh ; William Turner, Esq. ( Envoy Extraordinary) to Carthagcna ; and Lord Aylmer to Quebec, from whence he brought home Lieutenant-General Sir James Kempt, in Nov. 1830; on the 20th of which month he was promoted to the rank of captain. CAPTAINS OF 1830. 1131 This officer married, May KHh, 1821, LcTAitia, daiinhtiT of John Clerk, of Downham House, co. Gloucester; ami has several children. HON. GEORGE JOHN CAVENDISH. Third son of Lord Waterpark, an Irish peer, by Juliana, daughter and co-heiress of Thomas Cooper, of Cooper's Hill and Mullimast Castle, co. Kildare, Esq. This officer was made a lieutenant into the Egeria 26, Cap- tain Robert Rowley, at Newfoundland, July I4th, 1818; re- moved to the Tamar 26, Captain the Hon. John Gordon, Nov. 21st in the same year ; and paid off from the latter ship about the end of Dec. 1819. His next appointment was, July 29th, 1821, to the Tees 26, Captain Thomas Coe, fitting out for the East India station, from whence he returned home under the command of Captain Frederick Marryat, towards the close of 1825. During the Burmese war, he was sent up the Irrawaddy, with the boats of the Tees under his command, to co-operate with the British forces advancing upon Ava; and, as we have stated in p. 81 of the Appendix to Vol. III. Part I. he joined the flotilla just after the capture of Donoobew. His commission as commander bears date Aug. 7th, 1826; he was appointed second captain of the Winchester 52, fitting out for the flag of Vice- Admiral (now Sir E. Griffith) Colpoys, Oct. 3d, 1829; and promoted to his present rank, Nov. 23th, 1830. 1 CHARLES TALBOT, Esq. Third son of the late Rev. Dr. Charles Talbot, Dean of Salisbury, by Lady Elizabeth Somerset, eldest daughter of Henry, fifth Duke of Beaufort. His father was first cousin to the late Earl Talbot. This officer received his education at the Royal Naval Col- lege; and first went to sea, in Dec. 1817> i>s niidshipman on VOL. III. PAKT II. &1 162 CAPTAINS OF 1830. board the Prometheus sloup, Captain Constantine R. Moor- 8om, employed on Channel service. From Aug. 1818, until Oct. 1822, he served in the Rochfort 80, successively bearing the flags of Sir Thomas F. Fremantle and Sir Graham Moure, on the Mediterranean station. At the hatter date, he was ordered to act as lieutenant of the Dispatch sloop. Captain W. Clarke Jervoise ; which appointment was confirmed by the Admiralty, Jan. 7th, 1823. In July following, he joined the Euryalus 42, Captain (now Sir Augustus W. J.) Clifford, C. R.J under whom he served until that ship was put out of commission, in May 1825. His next and last appointment, as lieutenant, was, Aug. 10th in the same year, to the Rain- bow 28, Captain the Hon. Henry John Rous, with whom he visited every part of the East India station. He was made a conmiander in April 1827; appointed to the Helicon of 10 guns. May 24th, 1829; removed, in consequence of the de- fective state of that vessel, to the Algerine, a brig of the same force, building at Chatham, June 27th, 1829; and promoted to the command of the Warspite 76, bearing the flfvg of Rear- Admiral (now Sir Thomas) Baker, on the South American station, Nov. 25th, 1830. SAMUEL BURGESS, Esq. Son of Commander William Burgess, and a native of Corn- wall. He entered the royal navy in 1790; served part of his time as midshipman under Captain (now Sir Thomas) Wil- liams; obtained a commission in Nov. 1799; and was senior lieutenant of the Sylph sloop. Captain (now Sir Charles) Dashwood, when that vessel twice engaged and beat off TArtemise French frigate, of 44 guns and 350 men *. We next find him commanding the Pincher gun-brig, on the North Sea station, where he captured a Danish privateer and a French armed lugger, in 1809 and 1812. He also assisted in expelling the enemy from the town of Gcssendorf, and at • See Vol. II. Purt I. p. 453 et seq. CAPTAINS OF 1830. M)3 Ihe destruction of a formidable battery commanding the mouth of the river VVeser, on which occasion he was officially com- mended for his " indefatigable exertions in forwarding orders to the different detachments " from a squadron under Captain Lord George Stuart *. His subsequent appointments were, Aug. 25th, 1813, to command the Vixen gun-brig; — Mar. 25th, 1815, to be first lieutenant of the Boyne 98, flag-ship of Lord Exmouth ; — and, July 3d, 1816, to be flag-lieutenant to the same officer, in wliich capacity he served at the me- morable battle of Algiers. On the 16th Sept. following, he was promoted to the rank of commander j on the 24th Jan. 1827, appointed to the Alert sloon, fitting out for a " ;;3arti- cular service;" and on the 27th Nov. 1829, advanced to the command of the Warspite 76, bearing the flag of Rcar- Admiral (now Sir Thomas) Baker, on the South A merican station. The Alert was employed for a considerable time in the Pacific, under the immediate orders of Captain Jeremiah Coghlan, C. B. On the 25th Nov. 1830, Captain Burgess assumed the command of the Thetis 46, then at Rio Janeiro, from whence she was about to sail for England, with specie to a very con- siderable amount. Eleven days afterwards he addressed the following report to Rear- Admiral Baker : — " Cabo du Praia decam, Dec. 6, 1830. " Sir, — Under the most poii,fnant feelings of grief and distress, it is my melancholy duty to communicalc to you the total loss of II. M. S. Thetis, on Cape Frio, last night about S o'clock, with every thing belonging to her; the oflScers, crew, and myself barely escaping with our lives, by being landed through the surf up a precipitous rough rock, which some of the crew had been so fortunate as to reach by jumping upon the first point she struck against. By the shock of tlie bowsprit being carried away, all three lower-masts fell aft, and killed and wounded several ; the former, with the. missing, amount to IG. I am sorry that among them are the late Captain Bingham's youngest son, and Mr. Long, the Admiralty clerk. I am just landed, and am anxious to give you as early knowledge of this sad catastrophe as I can, in order to obtain relief for the oflicers and crew, who, from their cut feet and bruises, arc unable to undertake a journey to 4!i :.'!i Sec Suppl. Part III. p. 284 rt .sf,/. m2 . a 164 CAPTAINS OF 1830. Rio Janeiro. I trust you will make every allowance for this hurried state- ment, the causes being more unaccountable than any thing I have ever met with in the whole course of my naval experience ; as, from all 'he precautionary measures taken, nothing but the strongest current, and the thick hazy weather, with hard rain, can possibly be offered in extenuation. I am, kc. (Signed) " Samuel Burgess." On his return home, in Mar. 1831, Captahi Burgess was tried by a court-martial j when it appeared from the evidence adduced, that the loss of the Thetis was owing to too much confidence having been placed in the dead reckoning, in con- sequence of which she had unnecessarily deviated from the usual track of ships bound homeward, without due allow- ance having been made for the frequent influence of the winds upon the set of the currents on the Brazilian coast ; and it was also proved, that under such circumstances the precau- tion of sounding, so strictly pointed out by the general printed instructions, was entirely neglected. The Court was therefore of opinion, that blame was imputable to Captain Burgess and to Mr. William Gowdy, the master, for their conduct upon the occasion j but in consideration of their former long services, and good conduct subsequent to the loss of the ship, did adjudge Captain Burgess to lose only one year's rank in H. M. naval service, and Mr. Gowdy two years' seniority as master ; the remaining ofliccrs and ship's company were acquitted of all blame. Jgents, — Messrs. Booth & Pettet. HENRY EDWARD NAPIER, Esq. Ff-llow of the Royal Sockty. Tills officer was made a lieutenant in May 1810 j ap- pointed to the Minerva frigate. Captain Richard Hawkins, Oct. 14th, 1812; promoted to the command of the Rifleman bloop, June 7th, 1814; and kept in employment imtil Aug. 1815. In 1821, and the two following years, he conunanded the Jascur of 18 guns, on the Halifax station. His commis- sion as captain bears date Dec. 31st, 18,30. i4^'t7, 1828. His subsequent appointments were, — to the Camelion sloop, of 10 guns, Oct. 31st, 1828; — to the Procris, a similar vessel, Nov. 30th, 1829 ; — to act as captain of the Rattlesnake 28, in May IKW ;— and of the Blonde 46, in Nov. following. He brought home the latter ship from the Mediterranean ; il rt H 1G6 CAPl'AINS OP 1831. and, on paying her off, was advanced to his present rank, May 24th, 1831. Sir Thomas S. Pasley married, June 10th, 1826, Jane Ma- tilda Lilly, eldest daughter of the Rev. Montague John Wyn- yard, rector of VVesh Rounton, and cf St. Martin's, Mukle- gate, Yorkshire. SAMUEL PRICE, Esq. Served as midshipman under Captain (now Sir John P.) Beresford ; passed his examination, at Plymouth, in May 1812 ; and was promoted into the Edinburgh 7"^) Captain the Hon. George H. L. Dundas, on the Mediterranean station, July 3d following. At the close of the war with France we find him proceeding to North America, in the Bacchante fri- gate, Captain Francis Stanfell. His promotion to the rank of commander took place Sept. 18th, 1815 ; from which pe- riod he remained on half-pay until Sept. 16th, 1828, when he was appointed to the Trinculo of 18 guns, on the Cork station, where he continued until the summer of 1831. His commission as captain bears date June 25th in the latter year. JAMES WALLACE GABRIEL, Esq. Third son of the late Rev. Robert Burd Gabriel, D. D. rector of Haslington and Hanworth, both in co. Middlesex, and many years proprietor of the Octagon Chapel, in Milieni Street, Bath ; by the inhabitants of which city he was most highly respected for his orthodoxy, and, we may venture to add, universally admired as a popular preacher. Mr. J. W. Gabriel was born at Hanworth, April 5th, 1783 ; and entered on the books of the Romney 50, bearing the flag of his godfather. Sir James Wallace, Knt. governor of Newfoundland, in Jan. 1795. From that ship he followed Captain (now Admiral) Sotheron into the Latoua frigate. to CAPTAINS OR 1K3I. 167 where he completed his time as midsiiipman *. Whilst serving under the latter excellent officer, a boat of which he had the command was upset in a heavy gale of wind, between J'ortsmouthand Spithead, and being unable to swim, he must have perished but for the generous heroism of a tar who hastened to his assistance, and kept hiuj from sinking until the arrival of more elTectual aid. As the accident happened close to the Latona, the whole of the ship's company wit- nessed witli admiration the exertions of the gallant sailor, and seeing him apparently exhausted, one man sang out "Let go your hold, or you will be drowned :" — to which he charac- teristically replied, " No— I'll be d d if 1 do !— if he goes to h — 1, 1 will go with him." We mention this circumstance merely to shew how assiduously Mr. Gabriel had then la- boured to gain the esteem of his inferiors, and what an im- pression humane and kind conduct will make on the most rude and uncultivated minds. Unfortunately, the preserver of his young officer's life was by no means qualified for any promotion, and therefore a handsome pecuniary reward, to- gether with such little acts of kindness as a midshipman could confer, were all that he received for imminently ha- zarding his own life, in order to save that of another. Mr. Gabriel's first commission bears date Mar. 12th, 1800 j from which we infer, that he had been borne on the books of some other ship previous to his joining the Romney. On his advancement to the rank of lieutenant, he was appointed to the Alecto fire-vessel. Captain Lenox Thompson, stationed at the Needles ; and we afterwards find him serving successively under Captains the Hon. Thomas Bladen Capel and Robert Barrie, in the Pha^be, Brilliant, and Fomone, frigates. The following extract is taken from the " Hampshire Courier" of July I5th, 1811: — " Lieutenant Gabriel is the same pallaiit officer who, a few years ago, made an attack upon a hrgc full-manned ship, in the Mediterranean, with the boats of the Phoebe, and having boarded her before the others came up, after a severe and bloody conflict, got temporary possession of her. The -4 • See Vol. 1. Part 11. p. 503. 168 CAPTAINS OK I8.S1. French <^re\v, however, sooim,' the suiallness of the party to whom they had sutriiiiilted, soon rallied, and succeeded in driving back their as- sailants, scarcely one of whom escaped iihinjured." Durinq; this siuiguiuary conflict, which took place near Ci- vita Vccchia, July Mth, 1803, Lieutenant George Elliot Salter boarded the enemy over the bow, and received a tnor- tul wound : Lieutenant Gabriel wais shot through the body and arm, and had his thif^h dreadfully lacerated by a pike. The Patriotic Society at Lloyd's soon afterwards resolved, " that a sword of HO/, value, and the sum of 50/., should be presented to him in cf)nsideration of his gallantry and exer- tions ;" but, unfortunately for him, his distinguished patron, Sir James Wallace, had then recently died, whereby he was deprived of such powerful influence as would otherwise bave secured his promotion, 'i'he manner in which he conducted himself whilst serving uiuler Captain Barrle will be seen by the following testimonial : " These are to certify tliat Conunander J. W. Ciabriel served under my command for upwards of sl,v t/fan, as Jint lieutenant of U. M. sliips Brilliant and I'mnone ; during the whule of wliicli time, lie conducted himself in n most exemplary manner. I ever found him a cliecrfiil volun- teer on all occasions of OK 18.il im for liis s|)intt(l conduct in capturinu;, with llic liouts uf the Pomonc, the frciich privateer ie .Jiipifor, of twelve 12-poinulers and sixty-eight men. I also eoinniiinieuted to him (in common wilii the rest of the oliicers and crow of the Pomone) Sir (!hnrlcs Cotton's thanks for, and approb;iti(»n of, his disinterested condut't in forof^oinff all dain) to the property of Lucien Buonaparte when lie was captured I)y the Pomone, thoiujli this properly was legal prize, Imt lukcn under circumstances wliich the crew of tlic Pomone did not think it. would hocome liln^'lishmen to take advantage of. I likewise conveyed to him Sir (Charles Cotton's official thanks for his coi\duet at tlie (Icftriittion of llii> enemy's sKips and liatteries in Si'^one Bay ; and Sir Charles Cotton, some time after this event, wrote to me, to signify his (lisap|)ointment and surprise that Lioutemmt (iahriel wa? not promoted for this service : in slu)rt, I always found Captain (iahriel, wliile serving as f.rst lieutenant under my command, not only an active, brave, able seaman, but also an e.xceilent oHicer, and iionorable private g'-ntle- nian. (Signed) " IIobt. Barrik, (/ommodore." The (lestructioti of the Atuluiite was a service of great danger, as the breakers rati so high that Lieutenant (labriol did not think it prudent to attempt passing throngh tiiotn with the large boats under his orders, and therefore went in the jolly-boat, conducting lier with so nnich coolness and skill as to excite the admiration of every spectator, '^n Ihc occasion of the loss of the I'igmy he was absent fvom his ship ten hours, the whole time exposed to most severe cold weather, and the fury of a tremendous gale, which, added to extreme fatigue, had such an effect upon his boat's crew, that on their return to the Pomotie oidy four of them could walk up her side : of the other persons then with him, fourteen in number, one lost the use of his limbs, and was never again fit for service. The cutting out of the French vessels from the Sable* d'Ollone, and the destruction of three luitional ships in Sagone bay, have been ofHcially described in our memoir of Captain Barrie ; we shall therefore only repeat, that Sir Richard .1. Strachan, on seeing the farmer towed out by the boats under Lieutenant (jlabriel, was so delighted with the success attending the gallant enterprise, that he telegraphed to his s(|uadron, " t/ir Pomone /las i^iraf merit." The totid number of vessels, including two privateers, cap- tured and uli orders, and even felt pleasure in oheyinjf. Mutual confidence was fully established before they had loni,' been to|fe- ther; doubt and suspicion were, of course, as speedily banished from every mind. (Japrice and an intoxication of power were never indulged in by the ofiicers ; on no occasion had the men cause to lament that what they were taught to consider law on one day would be declared liigh treason and insubordination the next. It was a gratification of the highest kind, to sec the pleasing result of this unanimity of disposition between Captain Uarric utut Lieutenant Gabriel, the latter of whom treated the men ns children entrusted to !iis cure, but having particular duties to perform, on the prompt execulion of wiiich both his and their lives depended, and, what is more to tlie truly brave, their honor. The cr(;w regarded him us their adoptetl father; their true friend and watchful protector." Tiic gen- tleman, now deceased, who furnished us with the particulars of this officer's naval career. " often saw the men approach hint on the ({uartcr- deck, with a modest manly confidence, whether to prefer a complaint or to solicit a favor. There was not that awe, strongly allied to fear, whicU the boldest spirit feels in the presence of a des])ot who has no other qua- lifications to denumd it but pride and powei 'I'liey knew that they would be heard with temper, and that if their complaint was well-founded, or their wish refused, they would be dismissed with urbanity, and pndiibly retire fully satisfied with the lieutenant's reasoning in either case. Were this system to be generuHy adopted in the royal navy, the service would no longer be regardtd us the school of despotism ; sailor-i would ch< tains John Towers and the lion, (icnr^c Cailogan, declared that they never heuril more distinct evidence; adding, that Lieutenant (iubriel appeared to thcu> to have jjrcut merit for his conduct on that uccusion, where coolness Vr i ( • SeeVol. 11. l»ailll. p. ri7. f.n ■f 172 CAPTAINS OF 1831 . mill oxcrlion were more rocjuisite than in any other situatioii .1 ship coiihi portsihly be placed in. On heaiins^the evidence read over, the Ilcar-Admi- ral snhstTilied to liie just opinion of his oollea>fnes, by whom it was allowed that the Ponione's internal reifulations, the appointment of her boats, and the discipline and happiness of her crew, were not to be excelled by any ship in the service. How mnst the lieart of this brave and de- servinff oflicer swell with iudijinution when he conicmplalcs the anxions moments he has passed, the perils he has contended with, and the wounds lie has received in his country's cause, to see boys without any extraordi- nary merit, and |)osscssin>if no other claim than that afl'ordeil by the shadowy appellation oi' lionumhlt',^ pass over his head with the velocity of meteors ! If you analyse the pretensions of the latter, what do they too frequently end in but the visionary vacuum ni exulti'ii birth. " Throujrh the spirited and unceasinj]; exertions of Captain Darrie, my friend Gabriel was made a commander in March ISIJ; since whiciv he has made every effort i« his power to obtain employment, but without sa.cess. On obtaining a pension for his wounds, ho immediately settled its amount, upon hia mother for her life. As a husl)and, a father, or a master, his ciiaracter is eijually amiable and affectionate. lie married Maria, eldest daughter of William Ilolbrook, Es<). an eminent solicitor of Ledbury, in Herefordshire, a lady possessing every (lualificatiiin to make him supreme* iy happy. By her he has one son and one daughter." The foregoing inforumtion was cotiinuinicated to the author ill Sept. 1824, at which period Cominaiuler Gabriel occupied a smnll farm at Newbury, in Worcester.shire, and was " en- joying, in the highest degree, the otium cum di\i^mitate, visited by many of the most respectable families in the neighbourhood, beloved and esteemed by all for his mbanity, his modesty, and his cheerfulness of temper, and bringing up his offspring in the paths of virtue, integrity, and honor." He subsequently received a letter from Rear- Admiral the Hon. Thomas Bladen Capel, of which the following is an extract : — "lean enter fully into your mortified feelings at tlii neglect of your very meritorious services, and be assured that whatever influence I may have shall be most cheerfully exerted in your behalf." In the ensuing month (Aug 1827) ^ve find his friend Com- modore Barrie addressing Sir George Coekburn as follows: — " At the request of a very deserving officer whom F am anxious to serve, I enclose a memorial which I will thank you to place before the [iord High .Admiral. Of Captain (iabriel I can lioncstly say lo yon, that I I CAPTAINS OF 1831. 173 never knew a l)ettcr officer, a better seaman, or a braver man, than he proved himself during Jx or seven years he served with me as first lieu- tenant. He is really a most valuable olHcer." Although so desirous of being eniployed afloat, Com- mander Gabriel did not obtain an appointment until June 1830, when he commissioned the Columbine, of 18 guns, fitting out for the West India station. His promotion to the rank of captain took place July 2d, 1831. This officer's eldest brother, Burd, was educated for the church; but preferring the army, and having a corn'itcy given him by H. R. H. the Duke of York, he joined the Queen's Bays, and has risen by his merit alone to the rank of lieu- venant-colonel. Me was aide-de-camp in the late war to Lieutenant-General Stewart. John, the second son of Dr. Gabriel, was a major in the Hon. East India Company's service, and died in the year 1815, aged 35. Vere, the fourth son of the same worthy divine, received his education at the Royal Naval College, and died whilst serving as first lieu- tenant of the Active frigate, in the beginning of 1824, Mrs. Gabriel's brother, Thomas Ilolbrook, Es(i. is a commander in the royal navy. Agents, — Messrs. Stilwell. ) !l?i'«*l I 174 ADDENDA TO POST-CAPTAINS OF 1801. ALEXANDER WILIMOT SCIIOMBERG, Esq. The Schombergs are a branch of the family of the Duke of Schomberg, who commanded the King's troops, and fell at the battle of the Boyne, aged 80 years. They first came over to England with William III., ind are the only family of that name in these dominions. The subject of the following memoir is the eldest son of the late Ca^ituln Sir Alexander Schomberg, R. N. by Mary Susannah Arabella, only child of the Rev. Henry Chalmers, and niece to Sir Edmund Aleyn, Bart. * Mr. Alexander Wilmot Schomberr was born in 1/7^* and first went to sea, at the age of ten years, in the Dorset yacht, commanded by his father, of whose services we have given a brief account in p. 817 of Vol. 11. Part II. In 1788, he joined the Porcupine 24, Captain Lambert Brabazon, sta- tioned on the N. W. coast of Ireland ; and in 1789, the Lowestoffe 32, Captain Edmund Dodd, employed in the Eng- lish Channel. We subsequently find him in the Trusty .50, bearing the flag of Sir John Laforey, commander-in-chief at the Leeward Islands, by whom he was appointed to act as lieutenant of the Nautilus sloop. Captain (now Lord Henry) Paulct, immediately after the capture of Tobago, in April, On the arrival of the expedition sent from England ♦.c re- • Lady St-hoinlierg was an heiri'ss on lior mother's si'Ic, anil posscssfcd of nn estate tulleil tlic I'riory, in Ksscx. t See N'ol. I. note at [>. ">I4. he )! ^vas removed by Sir John Jervis into the Solebay 32, Captain William Han- cock Kelly ; and he appears to have been entrusted with the command of fifty seamen, landed from that ship, to co-operate with the army under Sir Charles Grey, during the whole of the laboriouB and extremely harassing operations against Martinique, St. Lucia, and Guadaloupc*. He also served on shore when an attempt was made to re-conqucr the posts in the latter island, which had been unexpectedly and success- fully attacked, during the hurricane season, by a republican force under the notorious Victor Hugucs f. In common with most of his companions in arms, Lieute- tenant Schomberg suffered severely from the effects of such constant exposure, excessive fatigue, and very great priva- tions ; imd at length he had so violent an attack of yellow fever, that his life was only saved by the commander-in-chief ordering him a passage home in the Dictator 64. His next appointment was, in J\me 1795, to be second of the Glattou ^6j Captain (now Sir Henry) TroUope, whose celebrated ac- tion with an enemy's squadron, consisting of a cut-down 74, five frigates, a brig, and a cutter, July 15th, 179G, we have recorded in Vol. I. p. 147, et seq. During this remarkable combat, which took place in a quarter-less-five fathoms water, close to the Brill light-house, Lieutenant Schomberg commanded on the lower-deck, and, finding that his men were not sufficiently nimierous to fight all the guns on both sides, he resorted to Lord Anson's ex- pedient of forming them into small gangs, to load and run out in quick succession, leavitig only two picked hands at each gun to point and fire it. His gallant and judicious con- duct on this occasion was highly approved and publicly ac- knowledged by CajMain Trollope. On the Glatton'a return into port. Lieutenant Schomberg was appointed first of the Amphion frigate, Captain (now Sir See Vol. II. note nt p. 107 rt s,q.; mn Vol. I. pp. If), 711, and ^W. t Sec Vol. II. pp. l()!>-n.<. fer I": • 17(i ADDENDA TO POST- CAPTAINS OF 1801. Israel) Pollew, as a stc^p towards promotion ; hut unfortu- nately that ship was destroyed by lire, in llanioaze, whilst he was on his passage to join her. We subsequently find him comnnuidinj^ the Rambler bri^, of two hundred tons, moimtinjjj i-l long six-pounders, with a complement of 86 men. In July \7Wi wiiile cruisinj^ on the Doa^p-'^r Bank, he captured the French brig privateer Prospt^re, oi . '3 guns and 73 men. In April 17^^, this officer was promoted to the rank of commander, and sent in the Rambler, then registered as a sioop-of-war, to join the squadron under Vice-Admiral VVal- degrave (the late Lord Radstock), on the Newfoundland sta- tion. Returning from thence, as convoy to the trade bound to Portugal, he encountered, on the Great Bank, a tremen- dous gale of wind, in which the Rambler was thrown on her beam-ends, and nearly foundered. After getting her before the wind, he succeeded, though not without great exertions, in throwing twelve of her guns overboard, reserving two for signals ; and she was subsequently armed, at his recpiest, with I8-pounder carronades, thereby reducing the dead-weight on deck, and rendering her a more formidable vessel in action. Some time afterwards she pitched away her bowsprit and fore- mast, during another violent storm, whilst in the Race of Alderney. Captain Schomberg obtained post rank on the Ist Jan. 1801 ; and was appointed to the temporary eonnuand of the Windsor Castle 98, off Brest, in 1804. ' From Oct. 1807 until Aug. 1812, he commanded the Loire frigate, of 48 guns and 300 men. Early in the spring of 1808, Captain Schomberg was sent, with the Success frigate imder his orders, to the (Jreenland seas, for the protection of the fi&hery ; and although the Loire and her consort were only fitted for eomnion Chatmel service, he persevered until they got to the northward of Spitzbergen, and reached the main ice of that hemisphere. On the 4th .luiu", the ships were in lat. 77" 30' N., long. 3" (K)' L. Tlie Success w a;, then commanded l)y Captain John Ayseough, late Commissioner at Jamaica and Beruuuhi. ADDENDA TO POST-CAPTAINS OF 1801. Ml Towards the close of 1808, Captain Schomberg escorted u fleet consisting of 1()8 transports, having on board a fine and gallant army, 14,000 strong, under Sir David Baird, from Fidmouth to Corunna, where every ship was safely anchored, without casualty or loss of any description, on the fourth day from England. The only men-of-war in company with the Loire when this important service was so ably, expedi- tiously, f nd successfully conducted, were the Amelia of 46 guns, and Champion 24, Captains the Hon. Frederick Paul Irby and James Coutts Crawford. The Sybille 46, Captain Clotworthy Upton, had also been placed under the orders of Captain Schomberg, but was unable to accompany him in consetjuence of a leak in her maga/ine. Captain Schomborg was afterwards employed in co-opera- tion with the Spanish patriots, on the co; sts of Galicia, Asturias, and Biscay. He subsequently visited Cadiz, pro- ceeded from thence to the Tagus, and there received on board 100 Russian prisoners of war, for a passage to England. On his return homeward, Feb. 5th, 1809, he captured, after an anxious chase of eight hours, and a short night action, the French national ship Hebe, pierced for 34 guns, but mounting only twenty-two 24-pounder carronades and two long 12- pounders, wilh a complement of 168 men. 'J'his little frigate was quite new, and full of stores under hatches, then cruis- ing, but ultimately bound to St. Domingo. She was added to the liritiali navy, \i.ider the name of " Ganymede." In the beginning of 1810, after convoying a battalion of the 60th regiment from Spithead to Barbadoes, Captain Schomberg was entrusted with the command of a squadron stationed to windward of Guadaloupe, to intercept any rein- forcements or supplies intended for the enemy's garrison ; and on the surrender of that vahiable island, he was ordered to convey the French " C'aptain-Cicneral" (Ernouf ) and his suite to Enghnul, where he arrived in the month of March. On the passage home, he encoiuiterod a violent hurricaiic, in which two of the transports under his convoy, full of French prisoners, foundered. In May, 1810, Captain Stljoniljerg, then on the const of vol.. III. I'Aiir II. M I, I' ?ri ; ■ >ii 1/8 ADDENDA TO POST-CAPTAINS OF 18()I. Norway, had the good fortune to save H. M. sloop Snake from being captured by eight Danish nations) brigs ; which vessels, however, taking advantage of a sudden calm, effected their escape by sweeping. During the remainder of that season, the Loire was em- ployed in the Gulf of Finland, watching the Russian fleet j and she subsequently cruised at the entrance of the Cattegat, until obliged by tempestuous weather to bear up for Eng- land, having previously parted company with her consorts, the Cruiser a-ul Erebus sloops. After refitting, she accom- panied the outward bound West India convoy to the latitude of Madeira. irsa In 1811, Captain Schomhcrg commanded a squadron of two frigates and four sloops, stationed in the Sleeve, where he rendered most effectual pr(jtet'tion to the Bcdtic trade. Returning from thence, in December, the \jo\vc providen- tially escaped the melancholy fate of the Minotaur J4, with which ship she had sailed from Wiiigo .Sound, on the 1.5th of that month, and kept company until the 19th ; when, observ- ing the high land of Camp rdown on the lee-bow, and fearing that the wind would not keep to the nortlnvard of west, Cap- tain Schomberg prudently resolved to contimie no longer on the starboard tack, although the master and pih^t of the Loire were decidedly bent upon doing so. The Minotaur, then about seven miles on the weather-quarter of the Loire, persisted in endeavouring to weather the coast of Holland, .',;ot embayed, and was wrecked near the Texel, on the night of the 22d j the wind having siiifted to S. VV. very soon after Captain Schomberg had wore, in order to keep the North Sea open. According to the Dutch otlicial account, only 1 10 of the Mi- notaur's olhcers and men succeeded in reaching the shore : the remainder, including her captain, perished *. In the spring of 1812, Captain Schomberg once more re- turned to the Raltic station, and again commanded a light squadron ; with which he kept the Danish crui-ers so com- pletely blockaded that a single sloop-of-war was sufficient See IV'ti'. (J/tron. vol. xxv., p. 0/1 ; and vol. xxxvii. p. ISl. "^t ADDENDA TO POST- CAPTAINS OR 1801. >$ 170 protection for any fleet of merchantmen crossing the North Sea. In the ensuing summer, he escorted a convoy out of soundings, to the westward ; and on the completion of that service we find him appointed to the York "!» then cruising off the Scheklt, but suhsetjucntly attached to the Channel fleet, and occasionally employed in the blockade of Rochcfort and rOrient. After the abdication of Napoleon Buonaparte, in 1814, Captain Schomberg, with the Vengour 7^, Captain Tristram Robert Ricketts, and Erne 20, Captain the lion. VV. J. (now Lord) Napier, under his orders, conducted a body of troops from Rourdeaux to (4uebec, each line-of- battle ship carrying out no less than 1000 men, in addition to her proper comple- ment. On his retm'u home, he submitted to Lord Melville and tlie Hoard of Admiralty a plan for the future victualling of the seamen and marines of H. M. fleet, whereiti he was the first to propose the substitution of tea, su'j^ar, cftc. for half the usual allov/ance of spirits ; heaving it, however, at the option of captains and other conunanding olliccrs, to issue the full allowance of grog whenever they might judge it ne- cessary, in bad weather, iicc. &c. This suggestion waa highly approved of by Lord Melville, from whom he received a most flattering letter on the occasion ; eight or nine years, how- ever, elapsed before a fair trial was made, when the alteration was found to have proved so very acceptable to the crew of the Thetis frigate, commanded by Sir John Fhillimore, that a general change in the system of victualling H. M. navy was immediately determined upon. From this much benefit must result in future war.s, particularly when troops arc em- barked, as on such occasions drunkenness, irregularities of every kind, and consequently punishments, have always hitherto been found greatly to increase in conse(pience of the ease with which sailors could ol)tain grog from sea-sick and other soldiers, who will now have little or none to dis- pose of. At the close of the war M'ith America, he com- manded a stjuadron off Cape Clear; and in Aug. 1815, we fiiul him putting the York out of commission. In 18IS, Captain Schond)erg printed, for private dislribu- n2 'b^i 111 s 1?. m i%\ 'i\\ '•i^ A I ! IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) k A {./ ^A% .^\iii^Jk. < ^< % J. '/ z LL 1.25 lU 12.2 — 6" 2.0 U 11.6 °^ *^ V] ^r ^^^*' ■> Hiotographic Sciences Corporation ^ ^ A ^ as WIST MAIN STRUT WnSTIR.N.Y. MSIO (7U)t7a-4S03 ^V' V cS'^ 0 ^ & ^ <9 180 ADDENDA TO POST-CAPTAINS OF 1801. tion, a tract entitled " Naval Suggestions," and embracing a variety of subjects, — such as the building, classification, arm- ing, manning, and fitting of ships ; " with Observations and Remarks in other departments of the Service." These were also most highly approved of by Lord Melville, tho Board of Admiralty, and all the officers of high rank, to whom copies were presented; and many things therein proposed have been adopted with success. Captain Schomberg's next appointment was, Mar. 1st, 1829, to the Melville 74, in which ship he was serving, on the Mediterranean station, when advanced to the rank of Rear-Admiral, July 22d, 1830. This highly meritorious officer married, 1st, Catherine Anna, daughter of the late Stepney Rawson Stepney, of Castle Durrow, King's County, Ireland, Esq. ; and, 2dly, in 1804, Anne, youngest daughter of the late Rear-Admiral Richard Smith (an old officer, much beloved and respected), whose mother had the honor of being entrusted with the care of her future revered monarch, King George III., in early life, and was applauded and caressed for the judicious manner in which she acquitted herself of so important a charge. Rear-Admiral Smith was made a post-captain in Nov. 1762, and died at Poulton-cum-Seccombe, in Cheshire, in July 1811. Rear-Admiral Schomberg's eldest son by his first marriage is a lieutenant in the royal navy, which rank he obtained on the 11th Sept. 1827. Ry bis present lady he has had two sons, one of whom, named Charles Frederick, is a midshipman in the nuvy ; and the other, George Augustus, a child at school. JOHN FERRIS DEVONSHIRE, Esq. Entered the naval service in 1789, as midshipman on board the Cumberland 74, Captain John M 'Bride; served afterwards in the Penelope frigate, Captain Sir John Lindsay, on the Halifax station ; and subsequently in the Trusty .50 and Queen £8, bearing the Hags of Sii' John -np'f^ ADDENDA TO POST-CAPTAINS OF 1801. 181 )hn the Laforey and the first Lord Gardner, at the Leeward Is- lands. In 1704, just twelve months before he had completed the usual period of service as a petty officer, Mr. Devonshire was appointed by Sir John Jervis (afterwards Earl of St. Vincent) to act as ninth lieutenant of his flag-ship, the Boyne 98 j a distinguished mark of that officer's approbation of his conduct on various occasions, whilst entrusted with the command of the Berbice schooner and various other small vessels, but more particularly for his active and successful co-operation with a Spanish brig of war, employed in clearing the coasts of Porto Rico of pirates and French privateers, by which the communication with St. Domingo had been interrupted, and the supplies for the British army at Martinique materially obstructed. His services during an insurrection amongst the slaves in St. Lucia, to which island he had conveyed the late Lieutenant-General Sir William Myers, in the hurricane season, procured him also thanks from General Sir Charles Grey, the military commander-in-chief. Upon Sir John Jervis resigning the chief command in the West Indies, he appointed Mr. Devonshire a lieutenant of the Terpsichore frigate. Captain Richard Bowen, then em- ployed in the important service of defending the British gar- rison of Fort Matilda, in Guadaloupe. Lieutenant-General Prescott, in one of his official despatches detailing the events of the siege, states, that the duty allotted to the Terpsichore was performed in a manner that '* beggars all description." The particular share assigned to Lieutenant Devonshire was that of keeping up with the boats the communication be- tween the ship and the garrison, conveying supplies, &c. which it was necessary to do for upwards of two months, under a constant heavy cross fire. The Terpsichore was latterly employed on the Mediterra- nean station, under the orders of Sir John Jervis, who in a private letter, dated off Toulon, July 27th, 1796, expresses himself as follows : — " My dear Sir, — Devonshire is evriy thing that you or his mother can wish him to be, atui now first-licutenunt of the Terpsichore. Shouhl abe I , 11 ri:| i 182 ADDENDA TO POST- CAPTAINS OF 1801. have the good fortune to full in with a French frigate, I will be responsi- ble for the issue being successful, when be will get promotion off his own bat. It is a lamentable thing that Lord Spencer, in all other respects an unexceptionable man, should have deprived commanders-in-chief on foreign stations of the means to reward merit. Your's sincerely, (Signed) " J. Jervis." " To John Lemon, Esq." Captain Bowen's official report to Sir John Jervis, of the subsequent capture of a Spanish frigate, the Mahonesa, has been given at full length in p. 41 1 et seq. of Vol. II. Part I. and vrill be found to contain the following eulogy on Lieu- tenant Devonshire's conduct in and after that gallant action: — " I am unwilling to speak of the particular conduct of any of ihe officers ; but the talents displayed by my first-lieutenant, Devonshire, who teas but just out of the sick list, added to his uncommon fatigue in taking" care of the prise, and the very able manner in which he conducted and prepared to defend her, entitle him to this distinction, and prove him highly deserving of the recommendation you gave him with his appointment in the ffest Indies" The Mahonesa, though entirely dismantled, and otherwise much injured, was soon re-equipped at Gibraltar, and there commissioned by Lieutenant Devonshire, whose conspicuous bravery and zeal did not fail to procure him immediate pro- motion. After commanding her for four months, he was superseded by a post-captain, at Lisbon, from whence he returned home with despatches. His next appointment was, in July 1800, to the command of the Dart sloop, which ves- sel he commanded at the memorable battle of Copenhagen, April 2d, 1801. On tliis glorious occasion, the Dart was selected by Nelson to board one of the Danish block-ships ; but the grounding of the Bellona and Russell /^'s, rendered it ne- cessary for her to join the ships opposed to the Crown bat- teries. Immediately after the battle, her commander was appointed acting captain of the Alcmene frigate ; but on the 23d May, we find the great hero thus addressing him :— " St. George, May 23d, 1801. " Dear Sir, — I am sorry that it is necessary to send any captain to the Alcmene, which will render it necessary for you to return to the Dart; but, if you will take my advice, make the best of the case ; for as it must ADDENDA TO POST-CAPTAINS OP 1801. 183 lie, it is of no use going against the arrangement of the First Lord of the Admiralty. Report says, that Captain M'Kinley is not confirmed post, as the Admiralty consider it as their vacancy, and I think it very possible you may be intended for it. That it may prove so, is the sincere wish of your most faithful servant, (Signed) " Nelson & Bronte." " P. S. Join me off" Rostock." As Nelson conjectured, so did the Admiralty decide. Cap- tain M'Kinley, a most gallant, intelligent, and worthy officer, was not confirmed ; and Captain Devonshire, no less merito- rious and brave, received the much-coveted commission, dated April 27th, 1801 ; from which period he commanded the Glatton 56, until she was paid off, in consequence of the treaty of Amiens. His patron, the Earl of St. Vincent, was then at the head of naval affairs, and subsequently wrote as follows : — " Rochet ts, 7th May, 1811. " My dear Sir, — I have great pleasure in bearing testimony to the meritorious services of Captain Devonshire, who obtained the different steps, up to the rank he now holds, by his good and gallant conduct, under the auspices of your very sincere and obedient servant, (Signed) " St. Vincent.*' ** To John Lemon, Esq., 43, Piccadilly." Captain Devonshire's next appointment was, in Jan. 1812, to the Armada 7'1> i» which ship he escorted an outward bound Eaiit India fleet to a certain latitude, and then pro- ceeded to Cadiz, where he assumed the command of the St. Albans 64, and contimied until the raising of the siege of la Isla de Leon, the principal events of which we have before related. In Feb. 1813, the St. Albans having been paid off. Captain Devonshire was appointed to the Albion 74 ; and during the very severe winter of 1814, we find him, with a frigate and a sloop under his orders, capturing many American merchant vessels, off Nantucket shoals. Unavoidable exposure to the weather during the time that he was thus employed, having brought on frequent attacks of gout in a very aggravated form, he was induced to exchange into the Sceptre 74, under orders for England; and, unfortunately, ill health obliged n 111 f\ 184 ADDENDA TO POST-CAiTAINS OF 1801. him to give up the command of the latter ship, soon after her return home. He subsequently received a letter from our present most gracious Monarch, of which the following is an extract : — " I am glad to have received, and shall keep the detail of your services. Nothing will, in the event of future war, give me more real pleasure than that of having the advantage of your presence under my immediate command. "Brighton, Jan. 2\st, 1815." In consequence of the order in council of June 30th, 1827, Captain Devonshire, though he had already commanded five rated ships, found it necessary to solicit an appointment to another, in order that he might qualify himself for promo- tion, agreeably to the new regulations. His applications were at length attended with success, and in Jan. 1829, he assumed the command of the Kent 78, stationed as a guard- ship in Hamoaze, where he had the honor of displaying a broad pendant during the temporary absence of his com- mander-in-chief. Admiral the Earl of Northesk. On the 22d July 1830, a general promotion of flag-officers, &c. took place in honor of the accession of King Wil- liam IV., when Captain Devonshire was placed on the list of Retired Rear-Admirals, and immediately supersed- ed in his command, the retention of which for about four weeks longer would have fully entitled him to a flag. The hopes he had long and anxiously cherished, of arriving at the highest grade in his profession, to which he considered his devotion to the service for so many years entitled him, were thereby destroyed ; and his naval career terminated in a manner most unexpected and distressingly painful. He subsequently submitted his case to the sovereign, urging the very peculiar and unprecedented hardship of being debarred from promotion by the retrospective effect of an order in council, and of being prevented from completing the newly prescribed term of service by an earlier supercession than was customary ; but his memorial has not yet met with the favor- able consideration which he was once rather sanguine in expecting. We may venture to state, however, that he has ADDENDA TO POST-CAI'TAINS OF 1819. 185 been sympathized with, and much commiserated, by all to whom his merits as an active, brave, indefatigable, and zealous officer are known. His brother, Richard, is a com- mander in the royal navy. ADDENDA TO POST-CAPTAINS OF 1819. SIR GEORGE AUGUSTUS WESTPHAL, Knt. Is brother to Captain Philip Westphal, R. N., whose descent from a very ancient German noble family we have noticed in p. 139 ; and, like him, he commenced his naval career under the auspices of the late Duke of Kent. He first went to sea in the Porcupine 24, Captain Andrew Fitzherbert Evans ; but very shortly afterwards joined Lord Nelson, with whom he continued until the battle of Trafalgar; on which glorious occasion he was severely wounded in the head by a langrage shot, and laid in the cockpit by the side of the dying hero. Immediately after this memorable event, Mr. George A. Westphal was rated master's-mate of the Victory ; and on the 15th Ang. following, promoted to the rank of lieutenant, in the Demerara sloop. Captain William Patterson, em- ployed at the Leeward Islands. In 1807, he was obliged to invalid, owing to the effects of the climate; and on his passage home he was again badly wounded, whilst most gallantly defending a merchant vessel in which he had embarked, against the persevering and at length successful attacks of l* Alert French ship privateer, of 20 guns and 140 men, afterwards captured by the Blonde frigate. Captain Volant Vashon Ballard *. The merchantman to which we allude was the Highlander, a large ship mounting 12 carronades, with a crew of 35 fine young men, whom Lieutenant Westphal had daily exercised at their guns, and rendered tolerably expert in the use of ♦ See Vol. 1. Part I. 188. ii^ i', I ii • t 9 f 1/ ' fl ; l| 186 ADDENDA TO POST-CAPTAINS OF 1819. them. On seeing the enemy approach, they unanimously requested him to take charge of the Highlander during the conflict which they were determined to maintain, and which continued from 10 a. m. until 1-20 p. m. During this period, I'Alert made tliree ineffectual attempts to board, and sus- tained great loss in killed and wounded ; but unfortunately the fourth assault proved more effectual, and the British were obliged to submit, with the loss of five slain and eight, including Lieutenant Westphal and the gallant mate of the Highlander, wounded. The prize was then carried to Point- ^-Pitre, in the island of Guadaloupe ; and it having been re- presented to the French Governor, that little or no resistance would have been offered to the captors had not their principal prisoner taken so active a part, he was instantly ordered into close confinement on board a prison -ship, and there kept on bread and water. Fortunately, however, the commander of a privateer, to whom he had formerly rendered some service at Barbadoes, happened to hear of his situation, and, after vainly interceding in his behalf, informed him that, unless he escaped in the prison-ship's boat, he would certainly be sent to France, " as a punishment for his refractory conduct," in assuming the command of the Highlander. Not relishing the idea of being kept a prisoner until the end of the war, he immediately came to the determination of attempting his escape, and a favorable opportunity soon presented itself. Taking advantage of a dark night, and being joined in the attempt by the mate and two other men of the Highlander, he lowered hims-elf down into a small boat, sixteen feet long, provided with only two oars, a blanket, two bottles of water, and a few biscuits ; started for the narrows of the harbour, and when hailed by the fort, answered " bateau p^cheur/* which lulled all suspicion and enabled him to gain an offing unmolested j it being the custom at Guadaloupe for fishing boats to pursue their occupations by night as well as by day. After suffering nmch from fatigue, hunger, arm thirst. Lieutenant Westphal was picked up by an American mer- chant schooner from Guadaloupe bound to New York; which vessel was detained on the following day by an English m ADDENDA TO POST-CAPTAINS OF 1819. 187 privateer, and carried to Antigua. He shortly afterwards returned home in the Venus frigate, and was subsequently appointed to the Foudroyant 80, bearing the flag of liear- Admiral Albemarle Bertie ; and Neptune 98, commanded by Captain Sir Thomas Williams. The hitter ship formed part of the force with which Sir John T. Duckworth pursued a French squadron to the West Indies, in 1808; and in the following year she again proceeded to the same quarter, for the purpose of assisting in the meditated attack upon Mar- tinique. During the operations against this colony. Lieutenant Westphal, who had previously exchanged into, and become firit of, the Belleisle 74, was most actively employed on shore, first in erecting, and afterwards in fighting the bat- teries, under the superintendence of acting Commodore (now Sir George) Cockburn, whose fortunes he ever afterwards followed until his promotion to the rank of commander. The manner in which the Belleisle was employed immediately subsequent to the reduction of Martinique will be seen by reference to p. 424 et seq. of Suppl. Part I. In p. 208 of Suppl. Part IV. we have stated that Lieutenant Westphal commanded a sub-division of gun -boats at the attack and capture of Flushing, in Aug. 1809; but we should have added, that he was then upwards of fifty hours under the enemy's fire. We are indebted to Brenton*s Naval History for the following account of the service in Quiberon Bay, to which we before only partially alluded : — "The Marquis Wellcsley had, in Nov. 180r* returned from Spain, thoroughly acquainted with the disposition of iiJt Spaniards. On one point, alone, he was ignorant. Ferdinand VII. having long before the arrival of the British ambassador at Cadiz, thrown himself a willing victim into the arms of Napoleon and his treacherous generals, was hurried away capt'.ve to Valao^ay, Upon the character and talents of this prince, there- forii, the Marquis had not the means of exercising his own judgment ; but trusting to the ' vox populi,' he very naturally concluded that no event would be more acceptable to them, than the arrival of their king. The national songs composed at this period were burdened in every couplet with the name of Fernando, frequently associated with that of his gracious Majesty King George III., and they invoked the aid of Heaven, and Eng- land, for the restoration of their beloved monarch, at whose presence dis« cord, war, and famine, were fondly expected to cease. y |ti I' !■ I, III it 188 ADDENDA TO POST- CAPTAINS OP 1819. " Lord Wellesley having imparted liis sentiments to his Majesty iml the cabinet, the release of Ferdinand was determined on. The Baron de Kolli, an intrepid and enterprising foreigner, being honored with tlie confidence of the British Government, was furnished with a letter from the King of England, written in Latin, and addressed to the King of Spain, signed by George IIL, and counter*signed by the Marquis of Wellesley. To this letter was added another, written in the same language, and addressed by €harles IV. in 1802, to his Britannic Majesty. " Early in Feb. 1810, Captain Cockburn was appointed to the command of the Implacable 74, with a frigate * and two small vessels under his orders. He was directed to receive the Baron de Kolli and his friend on board, and to proceed in the execution of his orders, which were to land him in Quiberon bay, and to await his return, and that of Ferdinand, to the sea-shore. Jewellery to the amount of £10,000 was placed in the hands of Captain Cockburn, who, with the assistance of Mr. Westphal^ (his first lieutenant,) and the Baron himself, sewed them up in the dresses of the latter. The Implacable sailed from Spithead early in March, and reaching Quiberon bay on the 6th, the Baron was landed on the night of the 7th, by Mr. Westphal, who left the Implacable, after dark, in a gale of wind blowing on the sliore, and a considerable sea running, so that the boat had great difficulty in returning to the ship. The spot chosen to disembark at was under the convent of St. Gildas, celebrated for the seclusion of Abe- lard. It was most particularly enjoined upon the Baron, by Captain Cockburn, that he should not go to Paris : there could be no reason why he should have gone ; and his disobedience of this injunction was the most probable cause of his failure. His friend Albert, who accompanied him, whose nerves were none of the strongest, has been accused of betraying him. A Monsieur Ferriet was also most incautiously admitted by the Baron to his confidence : a secret intrusted to three people is seldom a secret long. The Baron, whose papers were admirably well executed, might have reached ValanQay in safety ; but he chose to take a lodging at the village, or wood of Vincennes, and in the castle of that name he was very shortly a state prisoner, and his papers and jewels confided to the minister of polke, the acute Fouehe. " Captain Cockburn having continued in Quiberon bay until he learnt the detection of Kolli, and the abortion of the scheme, returned to Spit- head, where, on his arrival, the officers of the ship learnt what had been the object of their mission ; a proof, certainly, that the Baron had not been betrayed by any one on board the Implacable f." Had Lieutenant Westphal been taken by the enemy whilst thus employed, there can be no doubt that he would have met with the same fate which befel the lamented Captain * Imporieudc, sec p. 99. t. Brcnton'6 Nav. Hist. Vol. IV. 421—424. ADDENDA TO POST-CAPTAINS OF 18lf>. 189 Wright. His 8"bsequent conduct in an expedition from Cadiz, the result of which was the expulsion of the enemy from Moguer (a town on the Huebla river), and the adjacent coast, procured him honorable mention in the London Ga- zette, as will be seen by reference to p. 209 of Suppl. Part IV. He also commanded the boats of the Implacable in frequent actions with the French batteries between Rota and Puerto- Santa-Maria, both previous to and after this expedition *. Between Sept. 6th, I8I0, and Feb. 18th, 1811, the Impla- cable was employed in conducting two Spanish first-rates from Cadiz to the Havannah, and in bringing back dollars to a large amount, shipped at Vera Cruz. On the day after the glorious battle of Barrosa, Lieutenant Westphal assisted at the attack and capture of the enemy's works between Catalina and Santa Maria, whilst at the same time his cap- tain was employed in securing and bringing off the prisoners taken by the British army f . The situation of Spain and her colonies at this period pre- sented a singular spectacle to the world : — the mother coun- try was contending with a powerful and vindictive enemy, for her existence as a nation ; whilst her subjects abroad, taking advantage of her weakness and difhculties, thought it a favorable opportunity to throw off her yoke, and assert their own independence. In this extremity the conduct of England formed a striking contrast to that of Spain in 1778, "when she was similarly situated : she not only sent armies and fleets to fight against the invader, but commissioners were appointed to endeavour to effect a reconciliation be- tween Old Spain and her trans-atlantic provinces. This measure originated with the British ambassador and naval commander-in-chief at Cadiz (Sir Henry Wellesley and Sir Richard G. Keats), who considering it most essential to Great Britian, as well as Spain, and indeed to the cause of Europe in general, that some measures should be taken to stop, if possible, the progress of revolt in South America, and to reconcile the colonies to the mother country, so as - ii ' I !' M ill u\ 111 i • See Vol. IIT, Part I. p. 127. t See id. p. 13J). I? §'^ 1 1 I 1 J90 ADOKNDA TO POST- CAPTAINS OF 1819. to secure their valuable resources for prosecuting the war against France j and it being r*onsidered that Captain Cock- burn was particularly acquainted with the actual state of those provinces, and the mutual interests of the two coun- tries, it was decided that he should proceed to England, and lay the necessary information upon those subjects before His Majesty's Government. He consequently left Cadiz in the Druid frigate, April 21st, 1811; at which period he was nominally captain of the Alfred 74, the Implacable having been sent to reinforce the fleet off Toulon. In June following, we find the Alfred cruising between Capes Trafalgar and Spartel, commanded, pro tempore^ by Lieutenant Westphal, who was afterwards charged with the equipment of the Spanish ships of war at Cadiz, preparatory to their being sent for security to Minorca. On the com- pletion of this service, he was appointed by Rear-Admiral the Hon. A. K. Legge, to act as commander of the Colum- bine sloop, in which vessel he conveyed part of the Spanish royal family from Cadiz to Portugal. On the 8th of the ensuing month, the Princess of Peace, then at Tavira, in the latter kingdom, addressed a letter to acting Commander Westphal, of which the following is a true translation : — " I have received with great estimation the attentive letter you have been good enough to direct me, dated the 2d instant, in which you ex- plain to me your having requested the commandant of the British naval forces stationed at the Guadiana, to give me information of any danger that may offer from the vicinity of the enemy ; and in such case to arrange that one of the brigs of war under his orders should transport me, with my family, to a secure point. I cannot sufficiently express my gratitude, for a politeness so singular, and so worthy of estimation. " I have much felt not seeing the gentleman, commandant of the Gua- diana forces, who introduced himself to my beloved brother, and to whom he delivered the letter, which he sent, upon finding it was for me, at which time the commandant had departed. " I repeat to you my most expressive thanks for your repeated polite- ness, and, with my beloved brothers, remain full of acknowledgments for the benefits und attention you treated us with. (Signed) " La Condesa de Chincon, Princesa de Paz." " To the Commandant of the Colmnbine, bng oficnr." s;!i'P'i I '.I HI rhicli ADDENDA TO POST-CAPTAINS OP 1819. 191 'az. In Sept. 1811, the Columbine was sent to cruise between Rota and San Lucar, from which places small privateers were frequently sent to sea, disguised as fishing boats, and partly manned by deserters from the British squadron at Cadiz. On the Ipst day of that month, acting Commander Westphal planned an attack upon two armed vessels lying under the batteries at Chipiona, from whence they were brought out by Lieutenant Green, of the Columbine, whose force con- sisted of only three small boats, and who had the satisfac- tion of reporting only one man wounded ; whereas on the 20th March preceding, a division of the British flotilla had sustained considerable loss in an unsuccessful attempt to capture the same vessels under the same defences. Res- pecting this service, Rear-Admiral Legge wrote to acting Commander Westplml as follows : — ' ' Revenge, Cadiz Bay, 2d Oct. 1811. "Sir, — I have to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of tiie Ist instant, informing me of the capture of two French privateers by the boats of the Columbine, and I beg to express my satisfaction at the gallantry displayed by tliose employed, as well as your zeal and activity in the service upon which you have been employed, and which I have represent- ed, with your letter, to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, by the packet that sailed last night. (Signed) " A. K. Legge." In Nov. 1811, Captain Cockburn hoisted a broad pendant on board the Grampus 50, preparatory to his proceeding as one of three commissioners, with the diplomatic rank of envoys extraordinary and ministers plenipotentiary, nomi- nated by the Prince Regent to n>ediate between Spain and her colonies, and to guarantee whatever might be adjusted on proper and equitable terms. On this occasion, he was rejoined by Lieutenant Westphal, whose late appointment as acting commander the Admiralty would not confirm. On the 2d April, 1812, Commodore Cockburn and his col- leagues, Messrs. Sydenham and Morier, received final in- structions for their guidance ; on the 21st of the same month they arrived at Cadiz ; and on the 4th August following, re- turned from thence to England, the existing Government of Spain, and the majority of the Cortes, having pertinaciously W ;i 4 m W'i WM (- 192 ADDENDA TO PORT-CAPTAINS OF 1819. insisted upon confinipig the mediation to particular part& of South America, instead of taking an enlarged and liberal view, with the intention of adjusting the whole of the differ- ences, and entering into a hearty and permanent reconcilia- tion, as was intended and proposed by the British cabinet. ' A few days after his return home from this unsuccessful mission, Commodore Cockburn was advanced to the rank of Rear-Admiral, and ordered to assume the command of the squadron at Cadiz. He accordingly once more proceeded thither, in the Marl'jorough 74, tJiking with him Mr. West- phal, as his first lieutenant. In Nov. following, he was ap- pointed second in command on the Halifax station, where a fresh field for exertion had recently been opened ; and on the 3d Mai. 1813, we find him arriving in the Chesapeake with a detached squadron under his orders. Although the war between Great Britain and the United States of North A?nerica had existed since June 1812, the enemy's extensive navigable rivers had hitherto remained un- molested ; but Rear-Admiral Cockburn was determined, so far as rested with himself, that this supineness should no longer continue. Immediately on his arrival in Lynhaven bay, he caused the necessary surveys of the channels to be commenced, and then with part of his force penetrated into Hampton roads. From thence, with armed boats, he entered James river, cleared it of vessels, and carried consternation into the heart of Virginia. An American frigate which had been lying at the mouth of Elizabeth river, watching a favor- able opportunity to put to sea, was obliged to return up to Norfolk : and to prevent the possibility of her being followed, the enemy sunk a line of ships across the channel of the river between their forts. Rear-Admiral Cockburn then pro- ceeded up the northern branch of the Chesapeake, capturing on his way several armed and other vessels. On the 22d March, he was joined by his commander-in-chief. Sir John B. Warren, with whom he penetrated nearly up to Anna- polis. He subisequently proceeded, first in the Maidstone frigate, and next in the Fantome brig, until he entered the Elk river, at the very head of the Chesapeake waters. The ADDENDA TO I'OST-CAPTAINS OF 1819. 193 boats and a detachment of uiarines were then sent away under Lieutenant Westphal, who drove the enemy out of French Town, destroyed its depots of flour, military stores, &c. dis- abled six heavy guns, burnt five merchant vessels, and re- turned to the advanced squadron without the loss of a man killed or missing, and with only one wounded. The value of the property destroyed on this occasion was estimated at no less a sum than ^500,000. In his official letter to Sir John B. Warren, the Rear-Admiral says : — " To Lieutenant G. A. Westphal, who has so gallantly conducted, and 80 ably executed this service, my highest encomiums and hest acknow- ledgments arc due; and I trust. Sir, you will deem him to have also thereby merited your favorable consideration and notice." Rear- Admiral Cockburn afterwards anchored off Spesu9ie Island, from whence a supply of cattle was obtained for the fleet in Chesapeake Bay. Whilst in the act of anchoring, he observed guns fired, and American colours hoisted at a bat- tery lately erected at Havre-de-Grace, at the entrance of the Susquehanna river. This immediately gave to the place an importance which he had not before attached to it j and he therefore determined on attacking it. On the 2d May, the boats of the advanced squadron were placed under the com- mand of Lieutenant Westphal, and ordered to assemble, at midnight, alongside the Fantome ; a detachment of marines, consisting of about 150 men, embarked in them; and thq whole proceeded towards Havre, under the direction of Cap- tain John Lawrence, of the above sloop. Lieutenant West- phal led the van, in a rocket-boat, and took his station close to the battery, whilst those in the rear occupied the neces- sary positions for commencing the attack at dawn of day. Before that time arrived, however, he was discovered and fired upon ; to which the advanced launches and rocket-boats gave so war.n a return that the enemy soon fled to the furthest extremity of the town. Lieutenant Westphal then landed with his boat's crew, turned their own runs on the fugitives, and, having dismounted and seized an American oflicer, set out on the captured horse in pursuit of them, forgetting, in the ardour of the moment, that his friends on foot could not VOL. in. PAIIT II. o ;»| ri 194 ADDENDA TO POST-CAPTAINS OF 1819. possibly keep pace with him. In a few minutes he found himself surrounded by armed men, who, on discovering that he was an English officer, which he gallantly declared himself to be, demanded his immediate surrender. To this he made no reply, but resolutely dashed through them, firing his pistols right and left, and slashing away with his sword in all direc- tions. >iot only did he succeed in extricating himself from so critical a situation, but he also, after receiving a shot through one hand, actually took prisoner, and galloped off with, a captain of the American militia. In the mean time the marines landed to the left of the battery, and the ene- my were soon driven from all their lurking places into tine neighbouring woods. The houses of those persons who had taken up arms against the British were then burnt, the guns of the battery embarked, and, in the course of the same day, a most valuable cannon foundry, about three or four miles to the northward of Havre-de-Grace, a large store of flour, and five vessels lying in the Susquehanna, destroyed. In con- cluding his official report of this day's occurrences, Rear- i^dmiral Cockburn expresses himself to Sir John B. Warren as follows :— " Of Lieutenant G. A. VVcstphal, whose exemplary and gallant conduct it has been necesaary for me already to notice in detailing lo you the operations of the day, I shall now only achi, that from a thorough know- ledge of his merits (he having served many years with me as first lieu- tenant) /always, on similur occasions, expect much from him; hut this day he even outstripped those expectations, and though in considerable pain from his wound, he insisted on continuing to assist me to the last moment with his able exertions ; I therefore, tSir, cannot hut entertain a confident hope that hid services of to-day, and the wound he has received, added tu what he so successfully executed at French Town, will ohtain for him your favorable consideration and notice, and that of my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty." The successful result of an expedition immediately after- wards undertaken against Georgetown and Frederickstown, situated up the Sasafras river, has been officially stated in p. 244 et seq. of Suppl. Part III. From May /th until June 19th, 1813, Rear-Admii'ul Cockburn, with his flag again on board the Marlborough, wiis employed in keeping up a gene- ADDENDA TO POST-CAPTAINS OP 1819. 195 ral blockade of the enemy's coast. On the latter day, the commander-in-chief again joined company from Bermuda, bringing with him a small land-force under Colonel Sir Sidney Beckwith, consisting of the 102d regiment, two small bat- talions of royal marines, a party of the rocket artillery, and two companies of Canadian chasseurs. With this force, and detachments of seamen and marines from the ships, Sir John B. Warren resolved to make an attack upon Norfolk, a well- fortified naval arsenal and dep6t, on Elizabeth river; but after an unsuccessful attempt to obtain possession of Crany Island, June 22d, this design was altogether abandoned : the loss sustained by the British afloat and on shore, amounted to three killed, sixteen wounded, and no less than fifty-eight missing ; of which latter number, however, forty-one were Canadian chasseurs, or more properly speaking, Frenchmen who had been taken prisoners and enlisted into the English service^ purposely to be employed in America. On the 26th of the same month. Lieutenant Westphal assisted at the at- tack and capture of Hampton, a fortified town, opposite to Elizabeth river : the naval operations this day were directed by Rear-Admiral Cockburn ; and the total loss sustained ap- pears to have been five killed, thirty-three wounded, and ten, including four marines, missing. On the 1st July, 1813, Lieutenant Westphal followed Rear-Admiral Cockburn into the Sceptre 74 ; on the 8th of the same month, he was promoted by the Admiralty to the rank of commander ; and four days afterwards he again dis- tinguished himself as the leader of an advanced division of boats, at the capture of Portsmouth and Ocracoke Island, in North Carolina. On this occasion, he " pulled directly and resolutely" for a large brig, the Anaconda, mounting eighteen long 9-pounders, the crew of which vessel abandoned her on his near approach, although supported by a schooner, the Atlas, of ten guns *. The Anaconda was immediately purchased into the service, and commissioned by Captain Westphal, whose crew at first j 1 » •q 4 • SeeSuppI. Part IV. p. 213. o2 196 ADDENDA TO POST-CAPTAINS OF J819. cqusiste^ of only sixty men^ and those chiefly the bad charac-* ters of the fleet, wlio had been drafted from different ships by order of Sic John B. Warren. When ready for sea, he was directed to escort twelve valuable merchant vessels from Hali- fax to the West Indies ; and while performing this service, he appears to have had a rencontre with two large American pri- vateers, one of which struck after losing her jib-boom and fore-top-mast, but escaped in consequence of his passing on in pursuit of the largest, by whose fire his own fore-top-mast was unfortunately brought down just at the close of day, when to have continued the chase any longer would have subjected his important charge to great danger. On the 10th May, 1814, Rear-Admiral Cockburn, then in the Chesapeake, addressed him as follows : ' : " Dear Westphal, — I have just received your letter of the 4th March, and assure you I was very sincerely disappointed when I learnt some time agofrom Sir John Warren, that he had transferred Anaconda to the Ja* ipaica station, for I had expected, and uidccd had received a kind of pro- mise, that you were to come to me, and it is such as you tliat I want iu these waters to keep up Jonathan's kind disposition towards me, as he is beginning to change his note, to write civilly, and to talk of peace : I am nevertheless as anxiously as ever workitig him annoyance. • • • •. I learn with satisfaction that the Admiralty have approved of the purchase of the Anaconda, and of your appointment ; you are therefore so far se. i'ure in employment. ••••••. Adieu. Accept my best wishes for your health and success, and believe mc always most faithfully ond truly yours. (Signed) " G. Cookburn." On the same day, the Rear-Admiral wrote to his prot^gd's nevv commander-in-chief, in the following terms : — " Dear Brown, — This note will be delivered to you l)y Captain West- phal, of the lAnaconda, who was several years my first lieutenant, and whose zeal and gallantry on many occasions enabled me at Inst to obtain for him his promotion, and makes mc anxious to introduce him to your notice, and to request for hira your protection and favor; as in the late re- division of these stations I understand Ih; has been tixed under your com- mand. From a thorough knowledge of his merits as an otticor, I am confi- dent you will be pleased with bin), and I therefore only add, that I shall coubider as a personal favor to myself any attention or kiudncus which you ADDENDA TO POST-CAPTAINS OF 1819. 1^7 rtjay l)e enabled to »hew him. • • • • • •. Believe ine always^ dear Brown, with the sincerest regard, most faithfully and truly yours, (Signed) " G. Cockborn." ** To Rear-Admiral fFilliam Brown, . • -■• 8fC. tfc. 8[C. Jamaica.** f . In Mar. 1814, Captain Westphal was sent to cruise off the river Mississippi, under the orders of Captain Clement Milward, of the Herald 20 \ and he appears to have continued on that station until the arrival of Sir Alexander I. Cochrane, with the expedition against New Orleans. The manner in which he was subsequently employed will be seen by the fol- lowing testimonials : ... I .■ Iw -. " This is to certify to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, that Captain George Augustus Westphal commanded H. M. sloop Anaconda, under my orders, upon the late expedition against New Orleans, and throughout that service his conduct was highly creditable to himself and entirely to my satisfaction. ■ n ..^j^.; " In the endeavours, during those operations, to place the small rea- sels of war as near as possible to the point of landing. Captain Westphal was particularly conspicuous in his zeal and success towards the effecting of this important object ; he having, by the utmost perseverance, skill, and exertion, hove the Anaconda * over a bank, nearly five miles in extent (upon which there were only eight feet of water, into Lac Borgne, and there occupied a situation that enabled that sloop to render the most es- sential aid and protection to the open boats conveying troops and supplies from the fleet to the army ; which were frequently rescued by her assis. tance from the inmiinent danger to which they were reduced by the se- verity of the weather. " Captain Westphal, after stationing his vessel, was landed with a divi- sion of her seamen, and served in the naval brigade under the command of Captain Sir E. Thomas Troul)ridife, who made honorable mention of his exertions. Given under my hand this 26th day of April, 1818. (Signed) " Alex. Inglis Cochrane." " These are to certify the Right Honorable the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, that having been witness to the meritorious and indefatig- able exertions of Captain George Atigustus Westphal, when in the com- mand of H. M. sloop Anaconda, at the time the attack was made on New Orleans, in Doc. 1814, I feel it my duty to lay the following statement before their lordships. " The Anaconila was ordered by the commander-iu-cliief, Sir Alexander • The hiigfst vessel of her class on the expedition. 196 ADDENDA TO POST>CAPTAINS OF 1819. 11 Cochrane, alou^Bide the RamilUes to be Ughteoed, for the purpoie of get- ting her as near to New Orleans as possible ; and by the exertions of Cap- tain Westphal, she was prepared for that service in a very few hours, when she proceeded up Lake Borgne, with the view of co-operating witii, and protecting the boats of the squadron destined for the attack of tlie enemy's gun-vessels. The Anaconda was of the greatest service in receiving on board the wounded men after the capture of the flotilla *. By his inde- fatigable exertions. Captain Westphal forced the brig he commanded over a bank, which extended five miles, with only eight feet water on it, which enabled him to proceed nearly twenty miles more in advance than any other of H. M. armed brigs, and which was of the greatest service to the expedition, as it enabled her to guard the passage of the boats, from the ships to their destination, with supplies for the troops ; and I have every reason to believe that many of tlie boats would have fallen into the hands of the enemy, had it not been for the protection they received from the Anaconda. As I was ordered up the lake, I was many days on board the Anaconda. I have great pleasure in bearing testimony to the above state- ment, and cannot too strongly recommend Captain Westphal to their Lordships' protection. He then volunteered his services, with the greater part of his crew, to assist in the batteries before New Orleans. Given under my hand this 20th day of April, 1818. (Signed) " T. M. Haudy.'* " Having been requested by Captain G. A. Westphal, late of H. M. sloop Anaconda, to state my opinion of the situation in which that sloop WW placed at the time the attack was made on New Orleans, in Dec. 1814, I feel it my duty to lay the following observations before the Lords Com- missioners of the Admiralty. " Several of the senior captains of the fleet were directed by the com- mander-in-chief to occupy various stations on Lake Borgne, for the purpose of forwarding and hastening up troops, provisions, and stores for the army, the whole under the orders of Captain Sir Thomas Hardy. I was directed to take that nearest to the point of debarkation. I found the Anaconda about twenty miles farther advanced than any other of H. M. sloops, and placed in such an admirable position as enabled her most effectually to guard the passage of the boits of the squadron, from the ships to their destination against the enemy ; as well as to afford them relief when, from the excessive fatigue of thrir crews, they were obliged to take refuge and protection on board. T f aerefore deemed it necessary to take up my residence on board that sloop, for the more effectually carrying on the duty entrusted to me. Captain Westphal was then serving on shore with the army, with the greater part of his oflicers and crew. "A month's continuance on that service gave me ample conviction of • See Suppl. Part IV. pp. 4—7. ADDENDA TO POST-CAPTAINS OF 181d. 199 the great utility afforded the public service by the protection tbtis given which I attribute solely to the judgment and exertion of Captain Westphal in placing his vessel, and which cannot be better exemplified than by stating, that no accident or capture occurred during that period; but when the Anaconda was ordered on another service, and before a suitable force could be sent to occupy her place, several boats were captured on the re-embarkation of the troops, thereby occasioning the loss of many men and stores. " During the many visits Sir Thomas Hardy paid the Anaconda, he constantly expressed to me his satisfaction of her excellent position, and the protection she thus afforded : my opinion is therefore greatly strength- ened by the superior judgment of an officer of such merit as Sir Thomas Hardy ; and I must take the liberty of adding, that I consider Captain Westphal most highly meriting the protection of their Lordships, for his able conduct on the occasion above alluded to. (Signed) " Charles Dashwood." "2d Mai/, 1818." In Feb. 1815^ Captain Westphal was sent in the Anaconda, from Mobile, with the Shelburne schooner under his orders, to cruise off that part of the coast of Florida lying north of the Havannah ; on which station he continued until the final cessation of hostilities. He then returned to Jamaica, where his fine brig was surveyed and condemned, in consequence of the injury she had sustained during the operations against New Orleans. In the ensuing summer, we find him coining home as a passenger on board the Moselle sloop, Captain John Moberly. He obtained post rank in Aug. 1819. Captain Westphal's next appointment was. May 27th, 1822, to the Jupiter 60, in which ship he conveyed Lord Amherst and suite to Bengal. Soon after his return to Eng- land, in Dec. 1823, he received the honor of knighthood ; for which, as the Right Hon.. (now Sir) Robert Peel informed him, " he had been recommended, more in consideration of his gallant and dibtinguished services against the enemy, than of his having taken out the Governor-General of India." To this the Secretary of State added, " that other officers, who might hereafter be similarly employed, were not to con- sider his being knighted as establishing a precedent in their favor." We have now only to remark, that from his first entry into the service, until the conclusion of the war with 1:1 I 200 ADDRNDA TO POST-CAPTAINS OP 1830. America,- a I period of more than sixteen years, Sir George Augustus We«tphal was not on shore altogether six weeks. He has been under the enemy's fire, in engagements of va- rious kinds, upwards of one hundred times; he has^ been thrice wounded; and his gallant conduct in battle h;is been eight times noticed in gazetted despatches. .. ,?,, i, ■»} Agents^ — Sir F. M. Oramanney & Son. iv.rokji* jm* ':•;■ r -s.: h.. '• ADDBNDA TO CAPTAINS OF 1830. M :{ -t- 'i';,'. li -i) -'t f • PHILLIP PARKER KING, Esq. Fellow of the Royal and Linneean Societies; Memher of the Royal Asiatic Society of London ; and a Corresponding Member of the Zoo- logical Society, - < . . .' ? 'i.'!;.;..'?. jU); This officer's father, the late Captain Phillip Gidley King, R. N., was many years Lieutenant-Governor, and for six years Governor, of New South Wales. He obtained post rank in 1798, and died at Lower Tooting, co. Surrey, Sept. 3d, 1808. Mr. Phillip Parker King was born at Norfolk Island, in the South Pacific Ocean, Dec. 13th, 1791 ; and entered the navy as midshipman on board the Diana frigate. Captain (after- wards Commodore) Charles Grant, Nov. 25th, 1807. In the following year, he "well- supported" the first lieutenant of that ship, in an attack made by her boats upon a French convoy between Nantz and Rochfort*. In Oct. 1810, he quitted the Diana, and proceeded, in the Hibernia 120, to the Mediterranean, where he successively joined the Cen- taur, Cumberland, and Armada, 74*8, the latter commanded by Captain Grant, with whom he continued until the comple- tion of his time, when he was received on board the Caledo- nia 120, bearing the flag of Sir Edward Pellew (now Viscount Exmouth) commander-in-chief on that station, who pro- moted him into the Trident 64, guard-ship at Malta, Feb. * See Vol. III. Part 1. p. 187. -.ij vjU:-. h ,:>*:■ ?- ; ^u In the beginning of 1817) among the numerous voyages of survey and discovery upon which a part of the navy of Grreat Britain was so honorably and so usefully employed, the unexplored coasts of Australia were not forgotten. An ex- pedition for the purpose of completing the survey of its north and north-west coast was planned, under the joint direction of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty and the Secretary of State for the Colonies, to the command of which Lieutenant King had the honor of being appointed. The arrangements for providing him with a vessel and crew were made by the latter department. ,^ On the 5th Feb., Lieutenant King received his appoint- ment) together with an order for a passage in the hired transport Dick, then about to convey H, M. 48th regiment from Cork to New South Wales, where she arrived on the 3d September, after a passage from Ireland of twenty-two weeks, including a fortnight spent at Rio de Janeiro. The vessel appropriated to Lieutenant King's use was the Mermaid, a cutter of 84 tons burden, built of teak, and not quite twelve months old ; her length was 56 feet ; breadth of beam 18 feet 6 inches ; and she did not, when deep-laden, draw more than 9 feet : the total number of her officers and crew was only eighteen, viz. Lieutenant King, commander; Messrs. Frederick Bedwell and John Septimus Roe, master 's- mates, both of whom had accompanied him from England ; Mr. Allan Cunningham, botanical collector ; twelve seamen, and two boys. In addition to this establishment, Lieutenant King accepted the proffered services of Boongaree, a Port Jackson native, who had formerly accompanied Captain Flinders in the Investigator, and also on a previous occasion in the Norfolk schooner. The Mermaid could not be got ready to commence her interesting voyage until towards the end of December, when we find Lieutenant King steering for Bass's Strait, with the intention of passing along the southern and western coasts, llil \ I 202 ADDBNDA TO CAPTAINS OP 1830. and commencing his survey at the N. W. cape of New Hol- land. A few days after his departure from Sydney Cove, he found that a considerable quantity of bread was already spoiled from damp and leaks, which necessarily obliged the officers and crew to go at once upon a reduced allowance of that article. On rounding Cape Leeuwin, the S. W. extre- mity of the continent, Feb. 1st, 1818, all hands were attacked^ more or less violently, with a bowel complaint, and symp* toms of dysentery. On the second day, when it happily began to subside, only four men were able to keep watch. On the 12th of the same month, the Mermaid had only one serviceable anchor remaining. The various parts of the coast between the N. W. cape and Depuch Island were visited before the 6th March ; on which day, the westerly monsoon being nearly expended. Lieutenant King stretched off to examine a shoal discovered by Captain (now Sir Josias) Rowley, in the year 1800. He then ran to the eastward, as far as Point firaithwaite, on the north coast; from whence he carried on his survey, west- wardly, until May 31st. Whilst employed in watering at one of the Goulburn Islands, Mar. 30th, three of his men were slightly wounded by stones thrown from the brink of a cliff overhanging the beach. " It was, however, fortunate,** says he, " that we were not often obliged to resort to fire- arms for a defence, for the greater number of the twelve muskets that we possessed were useless, notwithstanding they were the best that could be procured at Port Jackson when the vessel was equipped.** On the 4th June, the Mermaid anchored off the Dutch set- tlement of Coupang ; and during her stay there, the depar- ture of a vessel for Batavia furnished Lieutenant King with an opportunity of acquainting the Admiralty of his progress. His letter arrived in time to contradict a report which reached England, of the Mermaid having been wrecked, and that all on board had perished. The receipt of his first report was thus officially acknowledged : — ** Admiralty Office, %th Dec. 1818. ** Sir, — I have received, and communicated to my Lords Commissioners •^ ADDENDA TO CAPTAINS OF 1830. 2oa of the Admiralty, your letter dated at Timor the 10th of Jane last, and iti return I am commanded by their lordships to acquaint you that they ap- prove of your proceedings, and are pleased to find that you appear to have done sn much with such small means, and, they are ^\ad to observe, with* out sickness or accidents. Their lordships commend your forbearance towards the natives, and they trust you will continue tu be very careful of the lives of yourself, your officers, and your ship^s company. (Signed) " Jo;in Barrovi." Soon after leaving Coupang, the crew of the Mermaid were attacked by dysentery, brought on by change of diet ; and at one time the disease wore a very alarming appearance. On the 9th July, whilst running to the southward, in a heavy gale, her stern-boat was washed away j and on the 24th, just after re-entering Bass's Strait, one of her seamen breathed his last. From the 13th of the same month, on which day she passed the meridian of Cape Leeuwin, until the 26th, when she was again on the east coast of New Holland, her people were constantly wet with the continued breaking over of the sea ; and on the latter day, she had only five men capable of duty. On the 29th, at midnight, she anchored in Sydney Cove, after an absence of thirty-one weeks and three days, ** Upon reviewing the proceedings of the voyage," says her com- mander, '^ the result of which bore but a small proportion to what we had yet to do, I saw, with no little satisfaction, that I had been enabled to set at rest the two particular points of my instructions, namely, the opening behind Rosemary Island, and the examination of the great bay of Van Diemen. ** Upon rounding the N. W. Cape, we had been unfortu- nate in losing our anchors, which very much crippled our proceedings, and prevented our prosecuting the examination of the coast in so detailed a manner as we otherwise might have done; for we possessed no resource to avail ourselves of, if we had been so unfortunate as to get on shore. A series of fine weather, however, on the first part, and a sheltered coast with good anchorage, on the latter part of the voyage, enabled us to carry on the survey without acci- dent; and nearly as much has been effected with one anchor, as could have been done had we possessed the whole. It prevented, however, our examining the bottom of Exmouth i •11.. ii ■( ■i.-:;!!l I ■ ■■ ;;i I -; F * m * ' 'I 204 ADDENDA TO CAPTAINS OP 1830. Gulf, and our landing upon Depuch Island. The latter was a great disappointment to us, on account of the description which M. Feron gives of the island, in his historical account of Baudin's voyage, from the report of M. Ronsard, who visited it. . ,,, " On our passage to the north coast, we saw the Impe- rieiise and Gierke's shoals, and also discovered a third, the Mermaid's. " On the north coast, we found some deep bays and ex- cellent ports, and at the bottom of the great bay of Van Diemen we discovered several rivers, one of which we as- cended for forty miles. Mr. Cunningham made a very valuable and extensive collection of dried plants and seeds ; but, from the small size of our vessel, and the constant oc- cupation of myself and the two midshipmen, we had neither space nor time to form any other collection of natural history than a few insects, and some specimens of the geology of those parts where we had landed." " The construction of the charts of the prec'eding voyage, together with the equipment of the vessel, fully occupied me until the month of De- cember ; when, having some time to spare before we could leave Port Jackson on our second voyage to the north coast, in consequence of its being the time when the westerly monsoon prevails, I acquainted His Excellency the Governor, of my intention of surveying the entrance of Macquarie Harbour, which had lately been discovered on the western coast of Van Diemen's Land. To make my visit there as useful aa pos- sible to the colony, a passage was offered to Mr. Justice Field, the judge of the Supreme Court, who was at that time about to proceed to Hobart Town, to hold his court ; and, as it was probable that his business would terminate about the time of our return, it was arranged that the Mermaid should also convey him back. We left Sydney Cove on the 24th De- cember, but did not clear the beads of the port until the following morning." :i_ .. , , On the 14th Feb. 1810, tlie Mierraaid returned to Port Jackson, from whence Lieutenant King sent home an ac- count of his late proceedings, the receipt of which was duly acknowledged as follows : — "Admiralty Office, IIM Dec. 1819. • ** Sir, — I have received the letter which you addressed to me from Sydney on I Ue 23d February last; and, having communicated It to my ADDBNDA TO CAPFAINS OV 1830. 20d Lords Cointniasioners of the AHiniralty, I am cominamled tu convey to you their Lordships' upproliation of your conduct, and their satisfaeliou at your report of the good conduct of the two midshipmen under your orders. *' It is their Lordships' directions that you should continue tlie survey, until you shall have completed the whole of the west coast of New Hol- land, 80 that your survey shall unite with that of Captain Flinders. *' Their Lordships are aware that a vesiel of auch small tonnajje as tlie Mermaid is inconvenient for such extensive work ; but they trust that the Governor of the colony will do every lhini( in his power towards fittinjf and storing her, and removing, as far as his means may extend, the in- convenicnc'ies of the vessel. (Signed) J. W. Crokek." rom my Between the period of Lieutenant King's return from Van Diemen's Land and the second week of March, 1819, he was prevented from making any preparation for his second voyage to the north coast by an unusual continuance of the heavy raiins incident to that season ; which caused three floods on the Hawkesbury and Nepean rivers, and did considerable damage to the ripening crops. This unfavorable weather so retarded the equipment of the Mermaid, that it was the mid- dle of April before she was ready for sea ; even then she was not able to complete her crew ; but at length she sailed from Port Jackson on the 8th of May. , _. , ,,. j , ' ** As it was my intention," says Lieutenant King, " to take the north- erly passage through Torres Strait, I proposed, in my way up the east coast, to examine Port Macquarie ; and in order that the governor might be informed of the result of our proceedings as soon as possible. Lieute- nant Oxley, R. N., the surveyor-general of the colony, accompanied me in the Lady Nelson, colonial brig. •••••*. In consequence of the report made by Lieutenant Oxlcy to the governor, upon the result of the expedition, an establishment has been since formed at this hr.rbour, which, at present, is used only as a penal settlement : hitherto, no settlers have been permitted to take their grants at Port Macquarie ; but, when this is allowed, it will, from the superiority of its climate, 'and the great .extent of fine country in the lute ior, become a very important and valu- able dependency of the colony of New South Wales. ♦ • « . " July 24th, at 3-30 p. m., Bligh's Turtle Island was seen, for which we steered ; but^ attracted by the flattering appearance of an opening in Newcastle Bay, we hauled in to examine it. As we stood towards it, the soundings were very regular until we were within the projecting points of the coast, when the quality of the bottom changed from mud to sand; 206 ADDENDA TO CAPTAINS OF 1830. and wiib this the depth began to decrease. The opening trended deeply in to the N. W., and bore the cbaravter of a river, with a good port at its em- bouchwre ; the beads of which were rocky and apparently bold, but the light colour of the water be';wecn them, indicated that its entrance was shoal, and would prove both intricate and dangerous to pass. Sooner however than was expected, the water shoaled to three fathoms ; and, he- fore it was possible to avoid it, the vessel struck : the helm was put up, but she continaed to beat on a hard sandy bottom as her head paid off. Some time elapsed, for it was blowing strong, before the main-sheet could be hauled in to ' gybe' the sail ; during which the cutter was running along the shoal or bar in ten feet water, which was not sufficient to float her ; for she struck the ground violently every time that the swell passed by. Upon the main-boom being got over, and the vessel's heel touching the ground at the same instant, her head flew up in the wind, and she was very nearly thrown back upon the bank. This was, however, fortu- nately prevented ; — in a few seconds she readied deeper water, and we pro- videntially escaped a danger which bad so nearly proved fatal to the ves- sel and our lives ; for had the cutter remained aground on the bank dur- ing the night, the sea was so heavy that there would not have been the least vestige of her the following morning. To commemorate this oc- currence, I have distinguished the opening with the name of Escape Elver." The evening closed in witii every appearance of bad weather, and the Mermaid was obliged to bring up in a very exposed situation, without any protection, either from the wind or sea. On the 25th, at 4 a. m., the ring of the anchor broke, and she drifted a cable's length to leeward before another could be dropped. At day-light the wind blew so hard as to render the recovery of the broken anchor impos- sible ; and in the course of the same day the arm of a second broke, owing to its being ill shaped and badly wrought. " On another occasion," observes Lieutenant King, " this misfortune might have caused the loss of the vessel ; but, fortunately, a few hours' day-light, and a clear run before us, enabled us to proceed, and before sunset we passed Booby Island. A remarkable coincidence of our losses upon the two voyages has now occurred : last year, at the N. W. Cui>e, we lost two anchors just as we were commencing the survey, and now, on rounding the N E. Cape, to commence our examination of the north cMst, we have encountered a similar loss, leaving us, in both instances, only one bower anchor to carry on the survey." Eleven weeks had now elapsed since the Mermaid left Port Jackson; <' during which time," says her commander. ADDENDA TO CAPTAINS OP 1830. 207 J,, r| " I had been able to lay down the different projections of the N. E. coast, and our track within the barrier reefs between the Percy Islands and Cape York ; besides having surveyed Port Macquarie, examined Rodd's Bay, and constructed a boat at Endeavour River. " Until we passed Cape Grafton the weather was generally fine, and farorabic for our purpose ; but, between that cape and Torres Strait, it had been thick and cloudy, with frequent rain ; which not only increased the danger of the navigation, but also considerably retarded our progress ; and, from the continual dampness of the cabins below, which, from the small size of the vessel, and our not possessing the advantage of a stove to dry them, it was impossible to prevent, occasioned much sickness : but fortunately it was checked by our reaching a more salubrious climate. The attention I was obliged to pay to the invalids, took up a great deal of my time, which ought to have been otherwise and more advantageously employed in the object of the voyage. Sailors, of all other people, are the most incautious and careless in contracting illness ; but when attacked, there are none that require more attendance and nursing ; besides, they were unwilling, in the first Instance, to trust to my ignorance, until in- creasing sickness obliged them, and then my fear was that, although I might be of service and check the disorder, their complaint was possibly not understood by me, and that eventually, instead of curing, I might destroy my patient. And to these fears my mind was so constantly alive, that on some occasions I thought of little else. "On our voyage from Torres Strait to the western head of the Gulf of Carpentaria, which is Cape Arnhem, no incident occurred of sufficient interest to be worth recording; but no sooner had we passed Torres Strait, than a very sensible diflerence was perceived in the temperature ; the thermometer was observed to range between 75" and 83o, which was about 3° higher than it did on the south side of the strait : this change produced a drier air and liner weather, and soon restored our invalids to perfect health." On the 27th Sept. Lieutenant King had to record the death of one of his most attentive and useful men, a native, like himself, of Norfolk Island. This poor fellow, for some time before, and particularly during the last three days of his existence, had been suffering from a dropsical complaint; but his death was occasioned by suffocation, having very imprudently laid down with his head to leeward, while the cutter was under sail in Cambridge Gulf, which is described as a very extraordinary inlet. On the 3()th of the same #■ • »? si I n 268 ADDKNDA TO CAPTAINS OF 1830. month, the Mermaid had reached Cape Londonderry, a part of the coast which, if we except a few of the islands thut front it, Mons. Baudin did not see. »' •«*»'*^ -'M*^ '^'^>' ^'^^ ^w<*' "We should, therefore," continues Lieutenant KinjT, "have commence'^ its exaininatiiin with more pleasure had we been in a state hettcr fitted ft/r the purpose 5 hut we were rapidly consuming our stock of water, witliout any prospect of finding a supply at this season ; and tliis, added to the loss of our anchors, consideral)ly lessened the satisfaction we should other- wise have felt in viewin<( the prospect before us." ' "'' ''"'" ' "•1""' "'In the space between Cape Bougainville and Cape Vol- taire, which he has named the Admiralty Gulf, Lieutenant King determined the positions of at least forty islands or islets. The plan given by Mons. Freycinet of this Archipe- lago is so defective, that many of his islands could not be recognized. '"* ••■-'^^ "« ■>«>• •ni n^' On the 16th Oct , Lieutenant King again directed WW course for Timor, but owing to contrary winds and un- favorable weather, he did not reach Coupang before the Ist of November. On the 12th Jan. 1820, we find him return- ing to Port Jackson, after an absence of thirty-five weeks and four days. " " *"' ■' '""">• " The result of our proceedings during this voyage," says he, " Jins lieen the survey of 540 miles of the northern coast, in addition to the 500 tliat were previously examined. Bet-ides which we liad made a running survey of that portion of the intertropical part of the east coast, that is situ- ated between the Percy Isles and Torres Strait, a distance of 90U miles, the detailed survey of wliich had never before I)cen made ; for Captain Cook merely examined it in a cursory manner as he passed up the coast. The opportunity, therefore, was not lost of making such observations oh our voyage as enabled me to present to the public a route towards Torres Strait in6nitcly preferable on every account to the danp;crou8 navigation without the reefs, which has hitherto been chiefly used." 'On receiving their wages, the whole of the Mermaid's crew, with only two exceptions, requested to be discharged ; and the middle of June had nearly arrived before she could be re-manned. Mr. James Hunter, surgeon, who had arrived at Port Jcickson in charge of convicts, then volunteered his services, which were gladly accepted, and he was accordingly attached to the cutter's establishment. On the 22d of that ADDRNOA TO CAPTAINS OF 1830. 209 iHi:. month, eight days after her departure from Sydney Cove, she lost her bowsprit by plunging into a head sea ; nor was it until the 13th July that her voyage could be resumed. Seven days afterwards she got aground on the south side of Port Bowen, and received very ^serious damage. On the 24th of the latter month, the Under Secretary of State for the Colo- nies wrote to Lieutenant King as follows : — " Sir, — I have laid before Lord Bathurst your letter of the 26ih Feb. 1820, transmitting the charts of your first voyage of survey on the coasts of New Holland, and a brief account of your second voyage ; and 1 am directed by his lordship to acquaint you that the manner in which you have, up to the period from which your letter is dated, discharged the duty entrusted to you, has been highly satisfactory to him. I am, &c. (Signed) *' Henry Goitlbubn.'* On the 16th Aug. 1820, the Mermaid reached Booby Island, in Torres Strait ; and on the 5th Sept., passed Cape Voltaire, at which point the preceding year's survey had ter- minated. To the westward of this position, Lieutenant King counted twenty-three islands, the northernmost of which he supposes to be the Montalivet Isles uf Baudin : another group, near a fine harbour which he entered on the 20th Sept., and named Port Nelson, he called the Coronation Islands^ The state of the Mermaid at this period is thus described in his journal :— ... *' Notwithstanding we had conatantly experienced,, since the period of our leaving the east coast, both fine weather and su)ooth water, yet the leaky state of the vessel had been gradually increasing ; leading mc to fear Uiat the ii\jury received at Port Bowen had been much more serious than we had then contemplated. Having the advantage of smooth water and a fair wind during our passage up the east coast, the damage had not shewn itself until we reached Cairncross Island : after this it was occasionally ob- served, but with more or less effect according to the strength and direction of the wind, and the state of the sea. At the anchorage ott'Buuby Island, being exposed to a swell, she made four inches of water in an hour; and, in passing round Cape Torrens, the vessel being pressed down in the water from the freshness of the sea-breeze, it gained a^ much as nine inches in one hour and twenty minutes. From the alarming increase of the leak, it became absolutely necessary to ascertain the full extent of the damage, in order that we might, if possible, repair it, so as not to prevent the further prosecution of the voyage, or at least to eitsurc our return to Port Jackson. VOL. III. I'AHT II. P >rtR ! I 210 ADDENDA TO CAPTAINS OF 1830. " We were fortunately upon a part of the coast where the tides had a sufficient rise and fall to enable us to lay her on shore without difficulty ; but the beaches in York Sound and Prince Frederick's Harbour were all too steep for the purpose. The spring tides were now at hand ; and, it being on this account very important that it should be done as speedily as possible, I left the cutter the following morning in search of a convenient place, in which I was fortunately ve^y soon successful ; for, at the bottom of the port (Nelson) in which we had anchored, we landed on the sandy beach of a bay which, to my inexpressible satisfaction, was found in every way suitable for the object we had in view. Deferring, therefore, any fur- ther examination for a more convenient opporttmity, I hastened on board, and, in the course of the morning (Sept. 21st), anchored the cutter close to the beach. The sails, being sent on shore, were suspended to trees and converted into tents, for the preservation of our provisions and stores, and for habitations for the officers and crew. The following day all our wet and dry provisions, our wood and guns, were landed, and the greater part of the crew slept on shore. The next morning, at high tide, the vessel was warped and secured as far up the beach as the water would allow, pre- paratory to her taking the ground, which event we awaited with consider- able anxiety. When the tide left her dry, we proceeded to examine her bottom ; and having stripped the copper off the stern-post, the full extent of the injury she had sustained was detected, and found to be greater even than our fears had anticipated. The after-part of the keel was rent for two feet in an horizontal direction, and its connexion with the stern-post and garboard streak so much weakened that, at the first impression, there was every reason to fear we could not remedy the defects sufficiently to ensure even an immediate return to Port Jackson ; but when the full ex- tent of our means were considered, it was thought not only possible to repair the injury, but to do it so effectual ly as to permit our completing the voyage according to our original intention. " In order to connect the keel and stern-post, both of which wtire al- most separated from the frame of the vessel, two bolt?, each twenty-four inches long, were driven up obli(]uely through the keel, and two of the same size horizontally through the stern-post, into tlie dead wood ; be- sides which, they were also united l)y a stout iron brace, which was litted under the keel, and up each side of the stern post ; by which method the injury appeared to be so well repaired, that we had no fears for our safety if the weather should be but moderately fine. " These repairs were completed by the 2Hth ; but, just as we were con- gratulating ourselves upon having perfonneil them, a fresh defect was discov- ered, which threatened more alarming consecjuences even than the other : upon stripping off some sheets of copper, the spike nails, which fastened the planks, were found to be decaying ; and many were so entirely decom- posed by oxidation, that a straw was easily thrust through the vacant holes. As wc had not nails enough to replace the whole of tlic copper, for H ADDENDA TO CAPTAINS Of 1830. 211 tliat was now our only security, we could not venture to remove more than a few sheets from those parts which appeared the most suspicious, under all of which we found the nails so defective, that we had reason to fear we might start some planks hefore we reached Port Jackson, the consequence of which would unquestionahly be fatal to the vessel and our lives. All that we could do to remedy the defect, was to caulk the water-ways and counter, and to nail an additional streak of copper a foot higher than before This further temporary repair was finished by the 30th; butwc were detained until the 5lh of October before the tide rose high enough to float the cut- ter. By the 8th, every thing being embarked, we made preparations to quit this place (Careening Bay), which had afforded us the means of re- pairing our damage, and stopping for the present the progress of an injury which had been every day assuming a more serious aspect. *' Oct. 11 th, — " Our people were now all laid up with sores upon their feet and legs, from cuts and bruises received in scrambling over the rocks ; and several were affected by ophthalmia. Besides this, the rainy season was approaching; it commenced last year about the 18th of October, and as the weather was now close and sultry, and daily getting more unfa- vorable, the change was evidently at hand. We therefore determined upon quitting tlic coast as soon ao possible. In beating out of the river (.Prince Regent's) the cutter leaked a good deal, which shewed that our late repair at Careening Bay had not placed us without the pale of danger. This made me decide upon instantly returning to Port Jackson : but it was with great regret that I found it necessary to resolve so ; for the land ta the westward appeared so indented, as to render the necessity of our de> parture at this moment particularly vexatious. • " Dec. 2d, — We were off Mount Dromedary ; and the wind blew strong from the east, the weather assuming a threatening appearance. The ne.xt day we passed the heads of Jervis Bay, at the distance of three or four leagues, and the course was altered to North and N. b. W. parallel to the coast. At noon, an indifferent observation for the latitude, and a sight of the land, which for a few minutes was visible through the squalls, shewed that our situation was very much nearer to the shore than we had expected,, a circumstance that was attributed to a current setting into the bight to the northward of Jervis Bay. The wind from the eastward was light and haflling, and this, added to the critical situation we were in, made me very anxious to obtain an offing before night, for there was every appearance of a gale from the eastward. " Dec. 4th, — From an unusually westerly current, we found ourselves, very nearly to our destruction, considerably out of our reckoning. At 2-40 A. M , by the glare of a flash of lightning, the land was suddenly dis- covered dose under our lee : we hauled to the wind immediately ; but the breeze at the same moment fell, and the swell being heavy, the cutter made but little progress. Sail was made as (|ui«'kly as possible, and as the cutter headed N. N. E,, there was every likelihood of her clearing tlie p2 FT" sfi 212 AI>0£NDA TO CAPFAINS OK 1830. iii III land ; liut a quarter of an hour afterwards, by the light of another flash, it was again sefen close to us, stretching from right a-head to our lee-quarter, and 80 near, that the breakers were distinctly seen gleaming through the darkness of the night. A third flash vonflrmed our fears as to the dangerbus sitUBtioo wc were in ; and as there was not room to veer with safety, the helm was immediately put a-lec ; hut, as was feared, the cutter refused stays. We were now obliged to veer as a last resource, and the sails being ma- noeuvred, so as to perform this operation as quickly as possible, we fortu- nately succeeded in the attempt, and the cutter's head was brought to the wind upon the other tack, witl>'<"*^ her striking the rocks : we were now obliged to steer as close to the wind as possible, in order to weather the reef, on which the sea was breaking, within live yards to leeward of the vessel : Gur escape appeared to be next to impossible : the night was of a pitchy darkuees, and we were only aware of our situation from time to time as thu lightning flashed : the interval, therefore, between the flashes, which were so vivid as to illumine the horizon around, was of a most awful and appalling nature, and the momentary succession of our hopes and fears, which crowded rapidly upon each other, may be better imagined than described. We were evidently passing the line of breakers very quickly; but our escape appeared to be only possible through the interposition of a Divine Providence ; for, by the glare of a vivid stream of forked lightning', the extremity of the reef was seen within ten yards from our k-e-bow j and the wave which floated the vessel, the next moment broke upon the rocks with a surf as high as her mast-head : at this dreadful moment thd swell left the cutter, and she struck upon a rock with such force, that the rudder was nearly lifted out of the gudgeons : fortunately we hud a good seaman at the helm, for instantly recovering the tiller, by a blow from which he had been knocked down when the vessel struck, he obeyed my orders with such attention and alacrity, that the sails were kept full ; so that by her not losing way, she cleared the rock before the succeeding wave flowed from under her, and the next moment a flash of lightning ghewed to our almost unbelieving eyes that we had pulsed the extremity of the rocks, and were in safety! " It was now doubtful whether we could clear the point under our lee which we flrst saw ; but as the next flush shewed that we were between the heads of Botany Bay, and that the point on which we had nearly been wrecked was, according to Captain Hunter's plan. Cape Banks, its north, era head, we bore up, and, in half an hour, were safe at anchor. On the Cth, H. £. the Governor was informed of our arrival, and of our intention to go round to Port Jackson us soon as the weather cleared up; but wc were detained !>y it until the 9th, when with some dilKeulty we cleared the entrance of 'he bay. At noon, the anchor was once u)ore dropp«f| in Sydney Cove, after an absence of lwei>ty-!^vc weeks and tiireo f-lays." As soon us Jill o|)j)ort,iinity oflftTt d, the Mcrinaiu »\'as laid ADDENDA TO CAPTAINS OP 1830. 213 ton shore and surveyed. Upon stripping the copper off the bottom, the tide flowed into her, and proved that to the sheathing alone her officers and crew were indebted for their safety. In consequence of this, a brig of 170 tons burden was purchased, and, at the suggestion of Governor Mac- quarie, named the " Bathurst.'* '' ' ^ " ' ^ " By this change," says Lieutenant Kin^, " we gained a great addition to our comforts ; and, besides increasing the number of our cre«', were much better off in regard to boats ; for we now possessed a long boat, large enough to carry out and weigh an anchor, or save the crew, if any ac- cident should happen to the vessel, — a resource which we did not possess In the Mermaid. A further addition was made to our party by the ap- pointment of Mr. Perceval Baskerville, midshipman; but Mr. Hunter, the surgeon, was superseded l>y Mr. Andrew Montgomery, who had lately arrived in charge of a convict ship." The Bathurst's establishment consisted of 33 officers, men, and boys, including a volunteer native, named Bundell, who proved to be not only a more active seaman, but was of much greater service to Lieutenant King, than his country- man Boongaree had been. Nor was this man the only per- son who voluntarily encountered the perils attending the circiminavigation of New Holland ; for Lieutenant King in- forms us, that on the 30th May, 1821, three days after his departure from Port Jackson, a girl, not more than fourteeti years of age, was found concealed among the casks in the hol(l, which had been locked ever since the 26th.. \,.y,,i,ii .,£,; ^''"'^hie had secreted herself," he says, "in order to accompany the boatswain to sea, and when brought upon deck, she was in a mOst pitiable plight, for her dress and appearance were so filthy, ftom four days* con- finement in a dark hold, and from having been dreadfully sea-sick the whole time, that her acquaintances, of whom she had many on boanl, could scarcely recognise her. Upon being interrogated, she declared she had, unknown to all on board, concealed herself in the hold the day before the vessel sailed, and that her swaiu knew nothing of the step she had taken. As it was now inconvenient to return into port to put her on ^liore, and as the man consented to share his ration with her, she was allovicd to remain; but in a very short time she heartily repented of her imprudence, and would gladly have been re-landed, had it been possible. "Upon reaching Cairncross I^laqd CJune30tu), as we were in the act of letting go the anchor, Mr. Hue, who was at the mast-head, holding 214 Addenda to captains of 1830. ■'•t! thoughtlessly by the fore^topmast-stay-sail-hiiliards, was precipitated from a height of fifty feet, and fell senseless on the deck. This unfortunate event threatened to deprive me of his very valuable assistance for some tinae, a loss I could but very ill spare, particularly when upon the point of returning to the examination of so intricate a coast as that part where we last left off. " At 1 0-30 p. M. during a very heavy squall, the cable parted ; but the t>rig happily drifted with her head to starboard, and passed clear both of the Dick and San Antonio" (two merchant vessels then in company) ; *' the chain-cabled anchor was then dropped, which brought her up in fifteen fathoms, mud, in which berth she appeared to ride much easier than before. I was now very anxious about the lost anchor; and, having expressed a wish to inform Mr. Harrison" (the master of the Dick) " of our situation, and to request him to recover our anchor in the morning if the weather would permit, Mr. Bedwell volunteered to go on board that ship, which, although a service of danger, was, if possible to be cfTected, absolutely necessary. The boat shoved off; but as the crew were unable to pull it a-head, I called her on board again, which was most fortunate, for shortly afterwards the chain-cable parted also, and the brig drove with her head towards the shore. An attempt was made to veer ; but, from the weight of the chain at the bow, this manneuvre could not be effected : fearing, therefore, to drift any more to the westward, in which direction we were making rapid way, I was under the necessity of slipping the chain, by which we lost one hundred fathoms of cable. Being now freed from this impediment, the brig's head was placed off shore ; and after making sail, we fired several muskets and shewed lights, as signals to the Dick, who, it afterwards appeared, kept a light up for our guidance; but the weather was so squally and thick, with almost constant rain, that it was not seen by us. At day-dawn we were joined by our companions ; and, as it was not possible, from the state of the weather, to regain the anchors we had lost, made sail towards Turtle Island, on our way to which we passed Escape River. Both of these places reminded us of former perils ; but the recollection of our providential preservation on those occasions, as well as on many others during our former voyages, in- creased the grateful feelings which we now felt for our safety and pro- tection during the last night, the anxieties and circumstances of which can never be obliterated from our minds. At 4 p. m. (July Ist), we passed Booby Island, and steered W. b. S. across the Gulf of Carpen- taria." On the 7th July 1821, Lieutenant King was advanced to the rank of comniander. On the 25th, he again entered Prince Regent's River, and there completed his fuel and water. On the 7th August, Mr. Montgomery was speared in ADDENDA TO CAPTAINS OF 1830. 215 the back by a native, and several days elapsed before he con- sidered himself out of danger, i , ,, „» " Oa the 20th," remarks Commander King, " we were beginning to feel the effects of this fatiguing duty. One-fourth of the people who kept watch were ill with bilious or feverish attacks, and we had never been altogether free from sickness since our arrival upon the coast. Mr. Montgomery's wound was, however, happily quite healed, and Mr. Roe had also returned to his duty ; but Mr. Cunningham, who had been confined to the vessel since the day we arrived in Careening Bay (July 23d), was still upon the sick list. Our passage up the east coast, the fatigues of watering and wooding, and our constant harassing employment during the examination of the coast between Hanover Bay and Cape Levgque, had produced their bad effects upon the constitutions of our people. Our dry provisions had suffered much from rats and cockroaches, and this was not the only way these vermin annoyed us, for, on opening a keg of musket-l)all cartridges, we found, out of 7<')0 rounds, more than half the number quite destroyed, and the remainder so injured as to he useless. " Aug. 26th. — As the wind now blew constantly from the S. W., or from some southern direction, and caused our progress to be very slow and tedious; and as the shore for some distance to the southward of Cape Latouche-Treville had been partly seen by the French, I resolved upon leaving the coast. The want of a second anchor was so much felt, that wc dared not venture into any difficulty where the appearance of the place invited a particular investigation, on account of the exposed nature of the coast, and the strength of the tides, which were now near the springs : upon every consideration, therefore, it was not deemed prudent to rely any longer upon the good fortune that had hitherto so often attended us in our difficulties. Accordingly, we directed our course for Mauritius." After re-fittiiig at Port Louis, the Bathurst proceeded to King George the Third's Sound, where she retnained, in amicable intercourse with the natives, from Dec. 23d, 1821, until the 6th Jan. 1822. Between Jan. 14th and 29th, the whole of the west coast of New Holland, from Uottnest Island to the N. W. cape, with the exception of Shark's Bay, was examined ; and on the 8th Feb. we find Commander King again off Cape Lev6que. Another remarkable escape is thus recorded in his journal: — " It was my intention to have brought up under the lee of Point Swan, wher^Dampier describes his having anchored in 29 fathoms, clear sandy grouml ; but, upon rounding tlic projection, the wind suddenly fell, and, after a light sfiuuU from S. W., wa had a dead calm ; the depth was thirty 1,41 1 '■i\ :i i 216 A{>DGNDA TO CAPTAINS OF 1330. ;'.i fatUonns, coral bQttoin, and therefore not safe to anchor upon : this was unfortunate, for the sudden defeolion of the wind prevented pur hauling into the bay out of the tide, which was evidently running with considerable rapidity, and drifting us, withdut our havihg the means of preventing* it, toiwanis * dustier of small rocks and inlands, through which \v« eould' ndt discover any outlet, and which were so crowded, that iu the ddngtrous predicament in which we found ourselves placed, they bore a truly awful and terrific appearance. At this time, I was at my usual post^ the- mast- head, directing the steerage of the vessel ; but, as the brig was drifting forward by a rapid sluice of tide towards some low rocks, about a quarter of a mile off, that were not more than two feet above the water's eilge, and upon which it appeared almost inevitable that we must strike, I descended to the deck, under the certain conviction that we couid not escape the dangers strewe lu what he had then effected, and what yet remains to be dune upot^^tbe northern coasts of Australia : — ui^m <^jif* ij^.j.^il- ^ fA Begiiiirin^ with the north-eastern coast, I have been enabled to lay down* very safe and convenient track for vessels bound tbruiigh Torres Strait, and to delineate the coast line between Cape Hillsborough, in 20" 54' S., and Cape York, tlie north extremity of New South Wales ; a distance of 690 miles. As my instructions did not authorize my delaying to examine any part of this coast, I could not penetrate into the many nunneroas and extensive openings that presented themselves in this space t particularly in the neighl)ourhood of Capes Gloucester, Upstart, and Cleveland; whei'e the intersected and broken appearances of the hills at the Imck are matters of interesting inquiry and research. "* My instructions at first confined me between Cape Arnhem ^aA the Nk W. cape, but were subsequently extended to the western coast. The examination of the northern and part of the north-western coasts, from Wessel Islands to Port George the Fourth, a distance of 790 miles, has been carefully made, and, with a few exceptions, every openin/^ has been explored. Those parts in this interval that yet require examination are sonve inlets on the south side of Clarence Strait, and one of niore emu siderable size to the eastward of Cambridge Gulf, trending in to the S. E. : otherways, the coast comprised within those lunits has been sufficiently eixttmlned for all the purposes of navigation. ' ■ ^i '■•; ^'n* ^ The coast between the N. W. eape and Depuch Island, containinc^ 220 ntllleii, has also been sufficiently explored; but between the latter isiand and Port George the Fourth, a distance of 510 miles, it yet remains almost unknown. The land that is laid down is nothing more than an archipelago of islands fronting the main^land, the situation of which is quite uncertain. Our examinations of these islands were carried on as far as Gape Vtllaret ; but between that and Depuch Island the coast has only been seen by the French, who merely saw small detached portions of it. At present, however, all is conjecture ; but the space is of considerable extent, and if there is an opening into the interior of New Holland, it is in the vicinity of this part. Off the Buccaneer's Archipelago, the tides are strong, and rise to the height of 36 feet. Whatever may exist behind these islands, which we were prevented by our poverty in anchors and other circumstances from exploring, there are certainly some openings of importance; and it is not at all improbable that there may be a communi- cation at this part with the interior for a considerable distance from the coast. " The examination of the western coast u as performed during an almost li,: % 218 ADDENDA TO CAPTAINS OF 1830. ,1- , • IP continued gale of wind, so that we had no opportunity of making any very careful observation upon its uhores. There can, however, be very little more worth knowing of them, as I apprehend the difficulty of landing is too great ever to expect to gain much information ; for it is only in Shark's Bay that a vessel can anchor with safety." On the 11th Aug. 1825^, the secretary of the Admiralty Wrote to CoDiuiaiider King as follows : — " Sir, — I have received, and communicated to my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, your letter of the 22d of last month, reporting the final completion of the service upon which you huve been employed since the year 1817, in regard to the survey of the coasts of New Holland, the subsequent arrangement of the charts, and the preparation of a set of sailing directions ; and I am commanded by their lordships to express to you their approbation of your labors. I am, &c. (Signed) " J. W. Cuoker." Commander King's " Narrative of the Survey of the Inter- tropical and Western Coasts of Australia," was published by Murray in 1826 j and his " Atlas," by the Hydrographical Of- fice at the Admiralty. Of the latter, the following review appeared in the United Service Journal : — " The work before us is contained principally in eight sheets, com- prising the north-east, the north-west, and the western coasts of Australia ; the former of which was so nearly fatal to our great circumnavigator Cook. The first sheet commences with the Northumberland Islands; and includes the coast between lat. 21o SC S. and ld° 40' S. The second from lat. I9o S. to lat. 14° 3(y S.; and the third contains the north-eastern extreme of Australia and Torres Strait. The anxiety of Captain Flinders to examine the great Gulf ot Carpentaria, induced him to defer for another opportunity the survey of this part of the coast, although it is by far the most dangerous of the whole continent. The shores of this extensive country on either side, from their southern extreme, arc bold and compa- ratively free from dangers. But no sooner are the warm latitudes entered, than they become fringed with coral reefs. From Hervey's Bay on the east, in the latitude of 25° S., to the mouth of Shark's Bay on the west, in nearly the same parallel, the coral reefs prevail, to the terror and dis- quiet of the navigator. Mount Warning and Cape Tribulation, so aptly named by Cook, prepares him and introduces him among them. " Although no pains seem to have been spared by Captain King in laying down all the reefs that came in his way, the time when we shall see complete charts of the intertropical coasts of Australia is yet very far distant. The charts are given on the scale of six inches to the degree of longitude. Much, however, remains to be added to them, although the I ADDENDA TO CAPTAINS OP 1830. 219 interior limits of the great Barrier Reefa are pretty dearly defined, and the pa^sa^re ia given within it, which is the principal benefit resulting from the survey of this part of the coast. Hitlicrto vessels bound to the northward, and through Torrex Strait from Port Jarkson, had invariably adoptey them at a distance. The coast between Forestier's Islands and Cape Latouche Treville, an extent of about 250 miles, is laid down in this manner. " The coast between Forestier's Islands and Cape (vuvier is better de- fined on the last sheet of the north-west coast. Dampier'a Archipelago in 1170 E. longitude, as well as Exmouth Gulf, at the north-west extre< mity of the continent, are given on an extended scale in separate charts* The former of these was named by M. Baudin, Rosemary Isiland, being generally supposed to be that on which Dampier landed. Tiie eastern coast o^ Exmouth Gulf still remains to be examined. *' The whole western coast of the continent is contained in one sheet, and is the last of Captain King's charts of Australia. Although on a very limited scale, the nature of the coast generally is not such as to require it much larger, if we except Shark's Bay, the adjacent harbours, and Swan River, of which places vve should have been glad of particular plans. A misplaced reliance on the surveys of the French, induced Captaiu King to leave these places, and it is no less remarkable than true, that although we < have of late established a colony at the entrance of Swan River, we duuob possess a plan of it which can be depended on as accurate ; and although we know something of the localities of Coi-kburn Sound, our chart of it is far from being complete. The deficiency Las been in some degree made up by a plan of the entrance to this Sound, published at the Admiralty, from a survey l)y Lieutenant Roe, the surveyor-general of the colony, to whom we have before alluded. It is intended principally to show the en- trances to the Sound, between Curnac Island (formerly hie Berthoullet) and Buache Island. So far it is suflicieut for navigation, but requires many soundings, as well as the approaches to Swan River, to complete it. We sincerely hope, that for the benefit of navigators, as well as for the new settlement, that this will be shortly followed by u cUaxt of lh«f southern half of the Sound, and a good plan of Swan River. . ~ .:. ,. ,.:... ■,,, " A survey of the entrances of INIacquarie Harbour in Van Dieinen's Land, by Captain King, remains yet to be uotieed, as well as an elaborate and very useful plan of Port Jackson, by Lieutenant Roe. The former of these two presents an intricate channel into a spacious harbour, the channel being rendered narrow and dilHcult to navigate, by extensive flats of sand projecting from each shore. That of Port Jackson, by Lieutenant Roe, contains all the various brauchct of this noble harbour, aud extends up to Paramatta. "The above surveys are accompauied by some elaborate and very useful \ ?l , ^1 li.'ll 11 '31 •Iff ^ 22:2 ADDKNDA TO CAPTAINa OF 183(). descriptions of tliose parts of the coa^t tliat were visited I)y Captain King, which will always prove a nsefnl reference to future navij^ators. ** In conciudinfr our remarks on these surveys, we cannot but lan»cnt with Captain Kinj'', the necessity tlicre was for leaving the charts in their imperfect and unfinished state. He repeatedly regrets his inahility, from the nature of his orders, to examine the various openings he passed, some of which he concludes, from their appearance, might he the motuhs of con- siderate rivers. This will no donht hereafter prove to lie the case, par- ticularly with those about Cope Bowling-green on the north-cai^t, and Collyer's Bay on the north-west coast. Their general character may, perhaps, be better estimated from his own opinion of them, which we find us follows : — ' As it was not intended that I should make the survey of this extensive tract of coast, I did not feel myself atithorised to examine in any very detailed way, the l)ottom of every bay or opening that pre- sented itself; but merely confined myself to laying down the vessel's track, and the various positions of the reefs that were strewed on cither side of it ; and also to fixing the situations of the headlands. In doing this, enough has been eftectcd to serve as the prectirsor of a more particular examination of the coast, the appearance of which, from its general fer- tile and mountainous character, niade me regret the necessity of passing 30 hastily over it*.'" At the commencement of the next instructions which Commander King received from the Admiralty, we find the following paragraph : " Whereas we think fit that utj accurate survey should he made of the southern coast of the peninstda of South Auicrica, from the southern en- trance of the Rio Plata round to Chiloe, and of Tierra del Fuego, and whereas we have been induced to repose confidence in you from your con- duct of the surveys in New Holland, we have placed you iti the command of II. M. stifveying vessel the Adventure, and we have directed Commander Stokes of H. IM. surveying vessel the Beagle to follow your orders." During this voyage, Commander King titirveyed the coasts of South America from Cape Blanco, on the Atlanil? side, lat. 4/" 15' S , round Cape Horn, and through the Straits of Magalhacns, up to Cape Tres Montes, on the J'aciflc, lat. 4/" ; also the archipelago called Tierra del Fuego, and the islands on the S. W. coast. 'J he commencement of this survey is thus described by an officer of the Adventure : — • United Service Juuruut, Dec. 1930. ADDENDA TO CAPTAINS OF 1830. 223 ^">S» " Monte ndeo, Jpril 25th, 182/. *' We iiavc just returned from our first cruise to the southward, after tin ubsence of nearly six months ; and, as a knowledjje of our proceedinfrs may not be wholly uniuterestiug, I will briefly relate the particulars of the voyage. " On the 19th Dec. the ships entered the Straits of Magellan, having anchored at two places only on the east coast of Patagonia, viz. Port St. £lena and near Cape Fairwcather, at neither of wliich were any traces of natives ol)served. In the latter end of Dcccnil)er several rather severe gales of wind were experienced, by which our progress was soincwhat retarded, and we did not reach P«)rt Famine until the (jtli Jan. Tlie Beagle having been there completed with provision?, &:c. proceodcd to the western extremity of the Straits, and our decked boat, dignified with the name of the Hope tender, was hoisted out, and equipped for service with all expedi- tion. During the three months wc remained at Port Famine, a consider- able extent of coast was explored by means of the Hope, and she proved to be admirably adapted for the service. Many deep sounds and inlets on the Fuegian side (some of which were formerly imagined to be channels) were examined, and the straits as far as Cape Forward may, with a few exceptions, be said to be completed. The supposed channel of St. Sebas- tian still remains a problem ; but I believe it will bo solved early next sea- son. There is reason to suppose no channel exists in that direction, as low land has beea distinctly seen, stretching across the opening, from the summit of a mountain near Port Famine. " The Beagle rejoined us in the begintdng of IMarch, having fixed the positions of Cape Pillar, Cape Victory, the Evangelists, kc. and performed other important services j and, early in April, both vessels left Port Famine, to return here for supniies. " We have not experienced the bad weather we anticipated ; on the contrary, we found it as fine as what might have i)een expected in the same parallel of i.orth latitude. The Beagle, however, was not so for- tunate, having met with a great deal of rainy and s(jnally weather. " At the Bay of St. Gregory, between the first and second Narrows, wc communicated with a tribe of Patngonians, consisting of upwards of l(K) people, and found them a quiet and inutlensive race, anxious apparently to cultivate our friendship. I wish it was in our power to confirm the accounts given by former navigators, of the gigantic stature of these peo- ple ; the tallest we met with did not exceed six feet two inclief, and the majority were certainly considerably under six feet. They are, however, remarkable in having a very l)rnad and full chest, and their frame is un- questionably exceedingly large; but their limbs are not in the same pro- portion, being somewhat smaller than the a'erage of Europeans. They were well provided with horses, rcpiipped in the manner of Buenos Ayres, and several cpoke tolerably good Spaiii^th ; from wliich it may !»' i'lfcrrcd that they communicate occasionally with the Hio Negro and other civilised rl 224 ADDKNDA TO CAPTAINS OF 1830. nations. — Horses and eruanaoocs appear to afford them all the necessaries of life. They 8ul>sist entirely on the (icsh, and tlic skins are used hoth for clothing and shelter. In hunting' they make use of two or three balls, attached to thongs of hide, which, after having !)een swung several times round the head, to acquire a sufficient impetus, arc thrown with unerring certainty at the animal's legs, and entangle them in such a manner, that it is utterly impossiiilc for the creature to extricate itself, and it consequently falls an easy prey. '♦ We also met with several families of Fuegian Indians, who form a striking contrast with the Patagoiiians, being in every respect a very in- ferior race of people. They derive their subsistence entirely from the sea, the flesh of the seal affording them food, whilst their skins are converted into clothing. They appear to drag on a miserable existence in their cold and inhospitable climate, strangers to every comfort, and their con- dition is certainly the lowest on the scale of human degradation. " The only unfortunate circumstance that occurred during the cruise, ivas the loss of a boat in crossing the Straits near Port Antonia. By this unhappy event the master and two seamen were drowned. In the death of poor Ainsworth the service has Inst a valuable officer, and bis fate will be long and sincerely deplored by every one attached to the expedition. It is curious that humming binis and parrots should be found so far south as the Straits of Magellan ; hut such is the fact. The existence of the latter has been noticed by most of the previous voyagers ; but we are not aware of humming birds having been observed. Several were seen by the Beagle at Port Gallant, one of which was shot, and is in the possession of Captain King. Two curious documents were also found at that place, on the summit of a mountain — one the copy of a paper left by Cordova, the other a paper deposited by Bougainville, both in Latin, and descriptive of the objects of their several voyages." The only other information which we are at present en- abled to promulgate respecting this very interesting voyage, is derived from the Literary Gazette, Oct. 30th, 1830: — " The particular object of the survey appears to have been to obtain an accurate account of the straits of Magalbaens, with the view of ascertain- ing how far that navigation might be ad(q)ted, instead of the passage round Cape Horn. And the result of this investigation proves, that the name of Cabo Tormentoto, bestowed by the lirst discoven-rs on the Cape of (joud Hope, may be with much more roH^'on applied to its correspond- ing point on our globe, the bleak and i>arren t*>rmination of the new world. Of the continent of South America, the souiliern part is justly described as a region of storms, cold, and raiu. " The Spanish surveys have been found by Captain King to be very near the truth ; u remark which is, wc believe, generally applicable to the ADDENDA TO CAPTAINS OF 1830. 225 hyiirographieal works of that nation. The strong- prevailing citrrents in tha Htraits, rHnninj» from tlie west, renders it unlikely they will ever be frequented, except by vesaels on sealinjf voyages. On the subject of the passage round Cape Horn into the Paciiic, the opinion of Lord Anson is decidedly confirmed by motlcrn navigators, with the exception of his re- commendation not to pass through the Straits of Le Maire. He says, that ' all ships bound to the South Seas, instead of passing through the Straits of Le Maire, should constantly pass by the eastward of Staten Land, and should be invariably bent on running as far as the latitude of 61o or62o south, before >hey endeavour to stand to the westward; and ought then to make sure of a sufficient westing in or about that latitude, before com- mencing a northern course.' This is now proved to be precisely correct in all but one point, which is, tliat vessels should pass through the Straits of Le Maire for the following reasons, and we trust our readers will excuse us if we use a little nautical phraseology in the explanation of so im- portant a point. " It is well known that westerly and south-westerly winds are the most prevalent in this part of the world ; a vessel, therefore, by keeping as close to the coast as is proper, has the advantage of bein^- considerably to the westward, and consc(]uently to windward, when she meets with the westerly wuids on opening the cape, and can therefore stand down to the southward ready to take advantage of a slant to the northward, which another vessel passing to the eastward of Staten Land could not do. '* By the expedition under the command of Captain King, the numerous creeks and inlets of the south-west coast have been all examiiied to their termination, which has led to the discovery of the Otway (named, we pre- sume, after the gallant and worthy admiral. Sir Robeft) and Skyring waters; two very extensive salt-water lakes which nearly intersect the continent. The innermost parts of the various creeks were found to extend into valleys with glaciers forming magnificent terminations to the water. Much of the country about the Gulf of Penus is low and flat, and in most parts little better than mere bog. " Tlie Beagle being detached on the cvninination of the Islands of Tierra del Fuego, and to ascertain tin- positltm of Ca|)c Horn, Captain (Robert) FitKroVi with Lieutenant (.lames) Kemp, one of his odiccrs, visited the celebrated promontory, of sonorous tianio, and erected a pile of stones, twelve feet high on it. The observations for the latitude differed very little from those made by the Spaniards. *• The vessels have brought home vuriuus specimens, carefully pre- served, of the animals, minerals, and plants, of the districts which they have visited, and which will prove an interesting addition to our South American collections. Captain Fitzrny has also l)i'onglit to lilngland two men, with a boy and a girl, natives of Tierra del Fuego, whom he pro- poses, after having them insiruetcd in various mfttters which may tend to the civilization of their country, to send l)ack again. These people were VOL. III. I'AKT II. U ;.■■ * \m n-'i i 226 ADDENDA TO CAPTAINS OF 1830. at first detained as hostages for some seamen, who, with the master of the Beagin, were forced to remain on shore, in consequence of the boat in which they had landed liaving i»eon stolen by the natives ; and until a rude canoe was constructed by the master, which enal)led the whole party to get on i)oard, they were without the means of rejoining their vessels. " Four officers jmd seven men of the expedition have died since the Adventure and Beagle left England. Amongst the former is Captain Stokes, who commanded tlie Beagle vvlien alie sailed from this country, and of whose melancholy death, as well as of other events connected with the sailing and progress of this exp'dition, we have from time to time given accurate accounts in the L'teian/ Gazette*. In this expedition the perseverance of Captain King, under most difficult and trying circum- stances, cannot be too highly spoken of. We have heard the names of two yo ing officers. Lieutenants (Williiun George) Skyring and (Thomas) Graves, particularly mentioned, for their zeal and activity in promoting tlie objects of the survey. The former, who was placed in command of a small vessel, named the Adelaide, attached to the expedition as a tender, surveycfl nearly all the coast, from the Gulf of Penas to the southward of the Guanaco islands, where it is supposed the unfortunate crew of the Wager, one of Lord Anson's ships, were cast away in 1744. " It was found, on making this survey of the Gulf of Penas, and that portion of the shore designated Trcs Monies, that the latter was joined to the mainland by a neck of land, called the Isthmus of Oifaqui. We have no doubt, from the indefatigable exertions of Captain Beaufort, the hydro- grapher of the Admiralty, that the details of this important addition to our maritime knowledge, will i^peedily be made known to the public." Coitimaiider Kiuj^ was promoted to the rank of captain^ Feb. 25th, 1830. On the 25th April and 9th May, 1831, ** some observations upon the geography of the southern ex- tremity of Soutli America, Tierra del Fuego, and the Strait of Magalhaens," made by him during his recent survey, and accompanied with a map, were read befo e the Geographical Society of Loudon. His wife is Harriet, sixth daughter of Christopher Lethbridgc, of Launceslon, co. Cornwall, Esq., and, we believe, that he is already the father of seven sons. • Commander Stokes, who had for some time been apparently labour- ing under an aberration of intellect, terminated his existence early in Aug. 1828, and was succeeded in the command of the Beagle by Lieutenant Skyring. ^2:1-! COMMANDERS. ^m \Iii order to expedite the progress of the remaining portion of this work, and therehi/ he the sooner at liberty to resume the more active occupations of his youthful days, the Author has determined to deviate so far from his original plan, as not to abide by the seniority list of Commanders']. WALTER CROKER, Esq. Son of the late Edward Croker, of Lisnabriu House, near Tallow, CO. Cork, Esq., bj^ Thomasine, daughter of the Rev. Charles Philips, Rector of Maf^oorney, in the same county. He is collaterally descended from one of the old Saxon fa- milies, settled at Lynham (or Lineham) Hall, in Devonshire, long before the Norman conquest *. Two of the younger sons of that house, both of whom were officers of rank in the army, went over to Ireland in the reign of Queen Elizabeth ; the eldest of them settling at Ballinagar, co. LimericJt ; and the other (Hugh Crocker) uniting himself in marriage to Lucretia, daughter and sole heiress of Sir Walter Coppinger, of Lisnabrin, whose ancestors had possessed that property for several centuries. From Hugh Crocker, the subject of this memoir is lineally descended. His great-grandfather. Colonel Richard Croker, (who, we believe, was the first that censed to use the middle letter in the patronimic of his fore-^ fathers, retaining, however, the same arms and crest), was likewise possessed of the noble estate of Nadrid, and another called Rovesmore, both in the county of Cork, of wiiich llQ was twice High SIierilT, in very troublesome times. l-;- * See " Prince's \V(»rtliIc3 (if Devonshire," q2 '\ i iif^ t ^1 '' ii 228 C'OMMAXDKIIS. From the houses of Balliimgar and Lisnabrin, arc probably descended, however distantly, every one of the name of Croker, who is entitled to wear the arms and crest of the ancient Crocker family : the latter mark of distinction, we should observe, was given by King Edward the Fourth, to his cup-bearer, Sir John Crocker, Mayor of Exeter. Mr. Walter Crokeu was born on the 9th Mar. 1/84, and commenced his highly honorable career early in 1798, as midshipman, on board the Galatea frigate, commanded by Captain George Byng *, under whom he served for a period of four years, Daring the peace of Amiens, we find him in the Culloden 74, Captain Charles Hemy Lane (afterwards Commissioner at Antigua); and in Mar 1803, joining the Plantagenet of similar force, Ciiptain (now Sir Graham Eden) Hamond, from whom, at a subsequent period, he re- ceived the following testimonial of his early gallantry and zeal : — *' Dear Sir, — In answer to yours of yesterday, reqiiestinjf I will ^ive you a certificate of an occurrence that happened while you were under my command in the Plantagenet, I be^ to say, that although it is so long ago, I have a perfect recollection of it, which I believe is nearly as fol- lows : — In the month of July, 1803, I captured (after a very arduous chase) I'Atalante, a ship privateer of Bourdeanx, of 22 guns and 120 men. The night coming on, together witli a gale of wind, one boat load of prisoners could only be received on board the Plantagenet, and Lieu- tenant Batt, yourself, aiid another niidshiimian, with about fifteen sea- men and marines, remiined on board the privateer ; you parted com- pany in the night, and I never saw the Atahuite again. After your parting from the Plantagenet, the French crew, then consisting of upwards of a hundred, rose upon you, more lliun once, and nothing but great courage and perseverance on the part of yourself. Lieutenant Bait, and the few men he had with hiui, succeeded in getting the privateer into Falmouth ; from whence a detaciimcnt of soldiers from the garrison of Pendennis Castle, were given to assist your taking the privateer to Ply- mouth. *' Lieutenant Batt, in reporting the circumstance to me afterwards, made high comments on your personal gallantry, and the assistance he received from you on the occasion. * The ncentiy deceased and much lamented N'iscount Torrington. COMMANDERS. 229 " I hopu this statement will sufficiently answer your purpose : for dates, I have nothing hy me to refer to. I remain, dear Sir, yours very faithfully, (Signed) " Graham E. iiAMONo." L'Atalante was captured on the 27'th of July, ami Mr. Croker and his companions continued seven days and nights in the perilous situation described by Sir Graham E. Hamond. One morning, an enemy's lugger was seen at some distance; but most fortunately she was deterred from approaching nearer, by the prize's head being instantly put towards her, although the numerous Frenchmen below were then trying at every hatchway to gain the deck. The Plantagenet was subsequently commanded by Captain (afterwards Admiral) the Hon. Michael De Courcy, under whom Mr. Croker completed his time and servitude as mid- shipman, and in whose own hand writing we find it stated, on his leaving that ship to pass the usual examination at Somerset House, that he had " always conducted himself with great activity, vigilance, and correctness ; shewing him- self forward for any enterprise, and setting an admirable example to those around him." In 1804 and 1805, Mr. Croker was successively appointed to act as lieutenant of the Topaze 36, Captain W. T. Lake ; Amsterdam 32, Captain William Ferris; and Centaur 74, Captain Murray Maxwell ; the two latter ships employed in the West Indies, to which station he had been sent out on promotion. On the 29th July, 1805, the Centaur, then commanded by Captain Henry Whitby, and in company with a squadron under Captain De Courcy, sent from Jamaica to join Lord Nelson in his pursuit of the combined fleets of France and Spain, encountered one of the tremendous hurricanes which commence so suddenly, and increase to such dreadful vio- lence, in those seas. Of the squadron, the Centaur suffered most from its destructive rage, in consequence of her having recently run on shore in the U'est Indies. She was thrown on her beam-ends ; her masts all went, one after the other, like mere twigs ; her boats were all stove and washed over- board ; her rudder was cunicd away ; and for sixteen hours, I Hi 4 •3 i 'M iM i'l M In' 230 COMMANDKRS. the chain-pumps could scarcely keep her from foundering, the wreck of the mainmast having caused a most alarming leak, by starting a butt-end under the starboard quarter. In order to save this mast. Lieutenant Croker had exerted him- self to get the wreck of the top-mast cut away; but he had not descended from the main-top above five minutes before it went by the board. By the mercy of Providence, how- ever, the fury of the wind and waves ut length abated, a thrummed sail was got under the ship's bottom, as well as hawsers to frap her shattered frame together, and in this state, with only about a dozen guns remaining, she was safely towed to Halifax by the Eagle 74, Captain David Colby. Upon the above occasion, the crew of the Centaur afforded a striking proof of their high state of discipline j one man only was guilty of resorting to liquor, — either to drown his apprehensions of approaching death, or to gratify with im- punity a strong propensity to drunkenness. When prayers and thanksgivings were offered up to the Almighty for their Bignal deliverance from the waves, the officers, seamen, and marines, almost to a man, were dissolved in tears. But for this hurricane, they would, in all probability, have been Jamongst the foremost at the battle of Trafalgar. On her approaching Halifax harbour, the Centaur was sup- posed to be a French 74, captured by the Eagle, and numer- ous yachts and boats were soon seen coming out, to welcome the captors of so noble a prize. The first person who got on board the dismasted ship was Commissioner Inglefield, whose miraculous escape from the wreck of the old Centaur, in \7S'2, We have recorded in Vol. II. Part I., and whose feelings on this occasion may be much more readily conceived than de- Scribed. He had no sooner reached the quarter-deck, and cast one hasty look around him, than he burst into tears, raised his hands to his forehead, and rushed into Captain Whitby's cabin, exclaiming ** tm/ poor Centaur, at the mo- ment when I left her, presented the same appearance.*' Cap- tain Whitby, than whom a better officer was scarcely ever to be found, had not long before been promoted to post rank for ^saving the Santa Margaritta frigate, under similar cir- rming •. In I him- le hatl before how- ited, a lell as in thia I safely ;)y. ffortled le man )wn his ith ini- prayers or their en, and But for je been 'as sup- iiumer- elcomo got on , whose n 17S2, ings on man de- ck, and p tears, (Captain Ihe mo- Cap- ?ly ever ist rank liar cir- ; COMMANnKRS. 231 cumstances. An attachment now soon took place between him and the commissioner's youngest daughter, which led to their union about the close of the same year *. m On his return home in the Cent.iur, then commanded by Captain (now Sir John) Talbot, Mr. Croker was promoted into the Active frigate, Captain (now Hear-Admiral) Moubray, by commission dated Feb. 6th, 1800. The high opinion enter- tained of him by that distinguished officer is shewn in a re- cently written letter, of which we happen to have a copy : — *' My dear Sir, — I have much pleasure in complying with your wish, that I should state my opinion of your services, whilst you were a lieu- tenant in the Active under ray command, since I can, with truth, declare they were such as did you infinite credit. Your eagerness on all occasions to be employed on enterprises of danger, gave me the highest satisfaction ; und your gallant conduct, immediately under my eye, in leading the boarders when the Turkish frigate was destroyed by the Active in the Dardanelles, strongly impressed me with a sense of your cool, intrepid character in action. " I beg to assure you that I shall be extremely glad to hoar of your promotion to the next most desirable step, and that I am ever, my dear Sir, yours most faithfully, (Signed) " R. II. Moubray." " To Commander Mallei- Cromer, R. N." . j The Turkish frigate here spoken of was a fine noble ship of 56 guns, and had on board at least 450 men. She formed part of the squadron attacked and destroyed by the rear divi- sion of the force under Sir John T. Duckworth, at the forcing of the passage of the Dardanelles, Feb. 19tli, 1807. Having cut her cables and run over from Point Pesquies to the Euro- pean side, she was instantly followed and soon driven on shore by the Active; but still she would not strike her colours, and persisted in occasionally firing a gun. In order to obtain possession of and destroy her. Captain Moubray at length sent all his boats under Lieutenants Willes and Croker the latter of whom was the first person who boarded, and had the honor of cutting down the Ottoman colours with his own hand. The Turkish crew resisted until the last moment. * See Nav. Chron. xxviii, J/O. 1 1 ' il I I < 232 COMMANDERS. and even pelted the bouts with shot by hand. Two days after this event, Lieutenant Croker commanded a party of the Active's seamen employed in completing the demolition of the formidable battery on Point Pes(|uies, under the orders of Lieutenant Carroll, of the Pompee 74. He subsequently obtained the following testimonial from Admiral Sir VV. Sidney Smith : — " These are to certify that Lieutenant Waltor Croker hems; dctuclied from His Majesty's ship Active, which sliip formed part of my division, destined hy Vice Admiral Sir .lolm Diukworth to destroy the Turkish men of war dofcndiiig the passage of tlie Dardanelles, Fehruary 19th, 1807, succeeded with the hoats of that ship in loardliig and burning the Turkish frigate which ran on shore on the Eiuopcan side, shewing on this occasion the greatest intrepidity, intolligence, and skill, and performing the service committed to him hy Captain Mouhray, to my entire satisfaction. " Given under my hand, at Paris, this 27th day of March, 1827. (Signed) " W. Sidney Smith, Admiral of the Blue." In the beginning of 1808, Lieutenant Croker joined the Thames frigate, commanded by his most revered and deeply- lamented friend, the late Captain Bridges Watkinson Taylor, a truly amiable and noble-minded officer, with whom he had before served on board the Galatea. The following is the copy of a letter from Captain Taylor to the senior officer in the Adriatic, dated off Manfredonia, Feb. 27th, 1808 :— " From the rendezvous off Sansego, we the 23d instant chased and cap- tured a large trahaccolo, with oil and almonds, from Barrie to Trieste ; returning the following day, recaptured an Austrian hrig from INIessina, then another trahaccolo (Papal) from Zara, with wool ; the latter led us near Ancona. I intended carrying these vessels to the rendezvous, hut on the morning of the 25th a most heavy gale came on from the N. E. ; the first had parted for the night, and, T trust, then ran for Malta, otherwise, although a fine new vessel, I fear those on hoard perished, or, my only hopes are, that she hore up into an enemy's port; the brig I ordered to Malta, heing able to weather Ancona. The other trahaccolo broke her rudder, had her bow and quarter stove in, and was sinking ; the sea heing tremendous : nnder these circumstances, we tried to get her alongside to save the peo- ple (as we doubted our boats living), but without effect. Then Lieutenant Croker, with six good men, volunteered attempting it in the cutter, and it is with the most heartfelt gratitude I acquaint you, that all were saved by their exertions, — a woman, child, six of the Thaines's, and four Ro- mans ,• the vessels drifted so fast whilst this was performing, that we had COMMANDERS. 233 to wear six times iinrler fore stay-sails only; tlic liaziird ran in happily ef- fecting the above, induces me to wi.sli ilie coninuMidcr in-chief may be ac- quainted with it ; and besides Lieutenant Croker, 1 bc^i you will have the goodness to mention the men whose names are in the margin, for their prcat humanity on this occasion *. "In accomplishinnrthe above we jfot so far to leeward, that, on the fol- iowinjOf tnorning, it was only by the j^reat mercy of Pruvidoncc we escaped being wrecked near Aiicona; we weathered it by carrying a press of sail without topsails, and were driven along a lee shore us fir as Mant'redonia, off" which place we anchored to gamin(»n the bowsjirit, wiiich had j;iven way in the gale. 1 have the lienor to be, (Sianed) ♦' B. W. Taylor. " To Captain Campbell, //. M. S. Unite'." On this occasion the officers of the Tliatnes were all con- sulted, and, with the exception of Lieutenant Croker, they were unanimously of opinion, that no boat could possiljly live in the tremendous sea then riuniing. Even the gallant fel- lows who accompanied him began to give way to despair, long before the trabaccolo could be closely approached, but were again rallied by the animating example and exhortations of their humane and intrepid officer, whose conduct on the 25th Vch. 1808 was truly deserving of a civic crown. The time spent in saving the lives of so many people, under such extremely dangerous circumstances, was at least three hours and a half, during which the main-stay-sail of the Thames, although scarcely ever before set, was actually blown out of its bolt- rope. Some time after this event, the Thames and a sloop of war (Minstrel, Commander John Hollinworth) were employed in blockading two French frigates, lying in the harbour of Corfu. During a heavy gale, the sloop telegraphed, that her hanging ports were stove in, and that she must bear up. The storm being very violent, Captain Taylor, suggested thereto by Lieu- tenant Croker, resolved to seek shelter at the mouth of the harbour of Cephalonia, the only anchorage which he could pos- * Samuel Baker and William Biown, boatswain's mates ; J. Fordycc, captain of the forecastle; J. Clarke and Benjamin M 'Clean, captains of tops ; and George Brown, forc-castle-inan. I :l 234 COMMANDERS. sibly obtain without altogether abandoning his station. There the Thames and Minstrel brought up under French colours, within range of the enemy's batteries, and succeeded in out- witting the garrison, by making pretended signals with some new flags recently found on board a prize. On the second day after their arrival at this anchorage. Lieu- tenant Croker discovered, from the mast-head, a large ship at the very head of the harbour, and hauled as close as pos- sible to the shore. He immediately volunteered his services to bring her out ; and soon after midnight, the barge and large cutter of the Thames, and the Minstrel's pinnace and cutter, the whole containing about fifty men, left the frigate, under his command. The sea was still running high, and nearly three hours elapsed before he got near the eneujy. On being hailed by the batteries at the entrance of the harbour, he intimated that his boats were employed in fishing ; but, to the challenges received from the sentinels on board his in- tended prize, he returned only a few hearty cheers. She was then promptly boarded, instantaneously carried, and trium- phantly brought out, under a heavy fire from the batteries. Soon after day-light, the Thames and Minstrel were joined by the ship tiius gallantly captured, and which proved to be laden with provisions and military stores for the garrison of Ccphalonia. In April 1809, Captain Taylor was removed to the Apollo «38, on which occasion he did all that dclicaty would permit, to induce the first lieutenant of that ship to exchange with Mr. Croker; but the officers of the Apollo were too sensible of their new commander's worth, to leave him on any terms whatever. Failing in his endeavours. Captain Taylor was obliged to content himself with writing a strong recom- mendatory letter to the Admiralty, at the same time giving Mr. Croker a private one to his brother, the present Sir Her- bert Taylor, and presenting him with a drawirjg of the pe- rilous situation in which he had so voluntarily placed himself on the 25th Feb. IHOH: this drawing Captain 'Jaylor had executed with his own hand. The Thames returned home under the connnand of Captain COMMANDKRS. 235 the Hon. G. G. Waldegrave (now Lord Radstock), and Lieu- tenant Croker was soon afterwards sent out to the West In- dies, on the Admiralty list for pronu>tiun. He there servt'd in the Melampus frigate, under the comniiind of Captain Ed- ward Hawker; and was with that otiicer when he captured le Beauharnois of 16 guns and 109 men, laden with flour and warlike stores, from Bayonne bound to Guadalou[)e. The commander of this French ship, Mons, Mont-Bii/on, was a truly gallant fellow, and did not surrender until it became utterly impossible for him to effect his escape : during a c' )?e running fight of twenty minutes he kept up a most spirited fire from his stern- chasers; occasionally yawing his vessel and giving the Melampus a broadside of gritpe. On surren- dering Ids sword he said, partly in his own language and partly in broken English, " If my scoundrels had done their (Uity, you would not get this from me." After assisting at the reduction of Guadaloupe, Mr. Croker was appointed first lieutenant of the i^apillon sloop, Captain James Hay, by which vessel some important despatches were subsequently brought to England. VV^e next find him pro- ceedhig to the East Indies, as second of the Leda frigate, Captain (afterwards Rear- Admiral) George Sayer ; from which station he returned, in ill-health, first of the Diouiede 50, Captain Hugh Cook. In the begimiing of Nov. 1811, he- was appointed sernor lieutenant of the Furieuse frigate, Cap- tain William Mounsey, who spoke highly of his conduct at the reduction of Ponza, an island near the Neapolitan c(i;ist, Feb. 26th, 1813*. He hud previously assisted in capturing two French privateers, each mounting four guns ; and the subjclned documents will shew, that he afterwards con>- manded the boats of the Furieuse, at the capture and de- struction of a national xebec, two gun-boats, a land battery of two long 24pounders, an armed merchant vessel, and thirteen settees deeply laden with valuable cargoes. " //. M. S. Furivmc, off Orbit i-lh, Maif "tth, VMX ** Sir, — I have llic honor to inform you of the i-npturo of the French n • Sec iSn|>|»l. Part If. p. 6 cf sty/. 236 COMMANDERS. national xebec la Conception, witli two lonjf .O-pouiidcrs, mounted and pierced for twelve guns, by the boats of H. M. ship under the command of Lieutenant Walter Crokcr (ial) and Lieutenant Williams Random C2d) of this ship. Nothing couhl surpass the undaunted and determined spirit with which slie was boarded and hove off the shore, and towed out from under a most ji^alling fire of musketry, and from a battery of eleven 24- pounders, which slie had run imder. This service was most arduous, and could not be performed without a loss (comparatively small), viz. IMr. John Webb (iiddshipman), a most promising young otticer, shot through the body (since dead), and five seamen badly woundefc. 8fc. Sfc" The vessels sunk were two gun-bouts, each armed with one long brass 24-pounder and four swivels. The loss sus- tained by the British consisted of two men killed, three dan- gerously wounded, and seven very severely. The Furieuse formed part of the squadron under Sir Josias Rowley, at the unsuccessful aticmpt upon Leghorn, in Dec. 1K13. The following is an extract of that officer's official uospatch, reporting the capture of Fort Santa Maria and the other sea defences of the Gulf of Spezzia, in March, 1814 :~ "To Captain Flin, T/ieutenants Dazulgette, Mapleton, Croker, and Alolesworth, Mr. (jlen, master of the America, and Air. Dreary, mate of the Edinburgh, who hud the direction of the guns in the batteries, much credit is due : the condition of the fort on its surrender plainly evinced the etTect of their fire." Lieutenant Croker also at^sisted at the reduction of Ge- noa and its dependencies, in the month of April follow- ing ^. His promotion to the rank of commander took place Nov. 2d, 1814 ; on which occasion he was appointed to the Wizard sloop, in the Mcdilorranean : and soon after the flight of Napoleon Buonaparte froui Elba, we find him re- ,1 "I M I r il i i • Sec Vol. n. Part I. pp. 42-1— J.'iO. ;, 238 COMMANDERS. ceiving a letter to the following eflfoct fiom his commancter- in-chief, tinted at Palermo, Mar. 28th, 1815 : — " Sir, — In acknowledjji'iiijf your letter of the 24th instant, communi- oatinai- your transactions in the execution of my order of the 12th, I have ftreat satisfaciion in cxprcjisinw to you my entire approhation of your proceedings, and of tlie very dear and satisfactory manner in which you hare collected and conveyed to me much interesting and important in- tclliifencc. I am, &c. (Signed) " C. V. Penrose, Rear-Admiral.** About this period. Captain Croker detained seven French vessels, some of them under Buonapartemi colours ; but, at the particular request of the Due d'Angoul^me, they were liberated by liim about a month previous to the battle of Waterloo. He likewise embarked the Dauphin's principal aide-de-camp, the Marquis (afterwards Due) de Riviiire, with the whole of his suite, whom he had on very particular service for several weeks. This nobleman subsequently re- quested Lord Exmouth, then at Marseilles, to promote Captaiti Cruker, and was gratified with a favorable answer. Instigated, however, by feelings of the most benevolent nature, the commander of the Wizard sacrificed his private interest, for the purpose of making known to the world the miserable siniation of many hundreds of his fellow Christians at Algiers, whose liberation might then have been effected witli very trifling loss compared to that which was aftervvaids sustained by the combined S(|uadrons under his lordship's orders. On the 7tb Aug. 18ir>, he received a letter from the commander-in-chief, of which we here give an ex- tract : — " I uiu very sorry your briir is so defective, as I sliall he sorry to lose your personal services, havinjy every reason to lie )>atisfied with your pood conduct. I have ordered her to i)e surveyed at fJiliraltar, and sent home, if found as represented, of which there is, however, no doul»t. You will fro us soim as our letters arc ready. n;!:''ve me, dear Sir, your very faithful humble servant, (Signed) '* Exmouth." Five days previous to the i].\r of tliis comnnmication, Captain Croker, then returning from Algiers to Marseilles, drew \\[) a memoir on the subject of tlu» sufferings of the COMMANDERS. 239 Christiiui slaves in Barbary, and addressed it to " a Member of Parliament." As we believe this memoir to have been the very origin of the expeditions afterwards sent to Algiers, we cannot, in justice to the author, refrain from giving the prin- cipal part of it a place in our pages. After describing a rencontre between a Dutch squadron and an Algerine corvette, which took place in his presence, on the 25th of the preceding month. Captain Croker pro- ceeds as follows : — " I have finished that part of n»y letter wliich, from a professional spec- tator, I presuiue will not be unacceptable to you. The subject and de- scriptions I now would treat of, deserve, indeed, a more able pen, and, though I must here fall short, yet, when I remember the few opportunities likely to offer to men of greater talent, to witness and describe the scenes of horror which I have lately seen, I humbly hope that my faithful relation of these facts will not be considered prcsumptuoug, nor proceeding from any other motive than the fulfilment of a duty, which I feel that I owe to my poor suffering fellow-creatures, and to the honor of my country. It will also be an excuse, if excuse i)e ncc ssary, that my feelings were called into action by a circumstance wliich rather singularly happened, only the day after my arrival at Algiers. On inquiry into the purport of a paper which I saw in the hands of the vice-consul, I found it to be a subscription for the relief of nearly three hundred Christian slaves, just arrived from Bona, after a journey of many days ; and who, after the usual ceremony of bringing them to the Dey's feet, were ordered to their different destinations : such as were ai)le to go to their bant, or prison, were sent there; but the far greater nuuilier were found objects for the hospital, which Spain, in her better days, hutnauely estabiislied for the relief of Christian slaves at Algiers; it is the only one in that city. " I naturally wished to know the particulars of the capture of thoso wretched persons. Tlie('!iri!, and, as they do not work on that day, they are allowed nothiiijj but water from the Alj,'erine government. We then ascended a stone stair-case, and round the galleries were rooms witli naked earthen floors, and damp stone walls. They have an iron grated window, and a strong door ; two of these rooms have, in each of thorn, t\venty-ft)ur things, like cot-frames, with twigs interwoven in the middle. These are hutig up, one above aiuiiher, round the room, and those slaves, who are able to pay for the luxury of such a bed, are alone admitted. *' I am happy in wanting a comparison in any part of the world where I have been, for this abonnnable prison, and those deadly cells; but, if they had a little more light, 1 think they would most resemble a house wb"re tlie negroes of the West India islands keep their pigs. I must add, that the pestilential smell made iVIr. Stanburg so ill, that he nearly fainted, and Doctor rvl'Connell and myself were not much less affected. •' The food of the slaves consists of two black loaves, of half a pound each, which are the",- daily bread : neitlier meat nor vegetables do they ever taste, those excepted w!io work at the Marina, who get ten olives per day wiih their bread ; and otiicrs in the Spanit^h hospital, which the Spanish government to this day supports, as well perhaps as it is able. In visiting this hospital, the floors of which were covered with unhappy beings of every age and cither sex, I siuv stmie men wlio looked almost sixty, and some children, who could not be more than eight years old; the whole of them had their legs swelled and cut in such a horrid manner, that we all thought they could not recover. There also we saw some young Sicilian girl.s, and some women. One poor woman burst into tears, told us that s';c was the mother of eight cldldren and desired us to look at six of them who had been shivos with lur for thirteen years. We left these scenes of liuPriir, ani, on goii.g inio the country, I met the slaves returning from their labor. The clang nf the chains of those who were heavily ironed, called my attention to their extreme fatigue and de- jection ; they were attended by inti !els with Lirge whips. " During my stay at Algiers, I ctnployed every moment in gaining information as to tbe praetic;d)ility of any aitack upon that place; and, having tiiken the opportunity of examiidng all the forts, batteries, and every possible means of defence, both internally and externally, I will mention some particulars on this h.-ad. " The state of .Algiers is dividivl into four governments ; viz. Conslantine, II town and ;l^ environs:, uboiit forty miles itdaiid from Algiers; Tittery, jraimng |e ; and, |icH, and ^ I will ^tantine, Tittcry, COMMAM)KRS. 243 another very small inland town, &c. ; Bona, its eastern government and scii-port; and Orun, the westenunost. Tlie entire populatio^i of all these places, as well as the adjacent paits of the country, and the eighty tliousaiul .Aloor:;, Arab?!, and Jews, which are the population of the city of Algior?, are kopt in :-iitl>jeclion hy, at the utmost, four thousand Janizaries i indeed, no other armed force is allowed, except in cases of the greatest emergency, when the Aral)s and Moors are called to their support. From among ihe Janizaries, the Dey is cliosen, or rat];er jiut on the th; one by the strongest party of them : and, so far from tlie ollice bi'ing hereditary, the sons of the Dey are no more than common soldiers. As a yet stro!;i>er proof of the insigiiilicatice of this government, the Caballes, or resident Arabs, are in possession of their own independi i,, itc, which is in sight of Algiers, and tliey make the subjects of Dey pay them tri- bute ; so you will see that it; is not the natives of Algiers who commit these tyrannical horrid crimes, but only as many Janizaries as there are in the state. As for its sea defence, it has nothing but the formidable appear- ance of its white waslied batteries, which have too long bfcn the bugbear of Eiiropi', to prevent its being razed to the groiuul in a very short time, by any power which sends a proper force. The Tunisians are at war with Algirrs, which never yet was so weak as at this moment ; so that if England only command them to release ih;; ('InTstian slaves, and not to make any more, I have no don'ot, from wliat I have heard ai.d seen, that it will lie immediately complied with : it is siu'ely worth trying. " I have read their new treaty with tlie Aioericans : it is certainly, in all respects as good as America coull wish, save and except the emanci- pation of all th'! Chrii'tian slaves. Th„' captured Algerine frigate and brig were restoi ud, not l>y that treaty, but at the humble re^iucst of the Dey, to save his head. " I have found myself ol»liged to mike this letter much longer than was my intention, and I hoiie I may have excited some interest on u subject, which ought, I think, to be even nearer to the heart of a Christian than the aliolitiou of tiie African slave trade. I have the honor to subscribe my se If. &t (.Signed) Walter Crokeu, Commander, R. N." " P. S. It is but justice to the memory of one humane Turk, that I add this postscript, to state that before he died, he left his whole fortune for the purj)ose of providing one small loaf Corcacli christian slave in the fiani, on Friday, the day they get nothing to eat from the Algerine govern- ment. \v. c. >> III Sept. 1815, this meinoir was sout to the gcutlomaii for whom it was originally iiitciuU-d, who then lu Id an important ollico under Government, and who undertook to lay it before His ISIajesty's ndnisters ; observiniif ttt the same time, that it might ^"^ j)(i.ssibh/ he conducive ta the (iccomplishmoit of the It '2 i if . :; : i !'i II 244 COMMANDERS. had On the 2d Jan. 1810, great object Us writer naa in view. but not until then, he acquainted Captain Croker, that it had been received by Government, and that he had " every reason to believe that it tvas favorably considered." Chagrined at the delay which had already taken place, and fearing that his representations were not likely to be attended to by those in power, Captain Croker now determined to publish his memoir of Algiers, which Was no sooner done than the present Lord High Chancellor made use of it in the House of Commons, declared it to be " a clear, substantial, and authentic document;'* and succeeded in eliciting from Viscount Castlereagh an assurance that the case of the Chris- tian slaves was actually under consideration. On the 21st March, 1816, Lord Exmouth, then off Port Mahon, informed the fleet under his command, that he had " been instructed and directed by H. R. H. the Prince Regent to proceed to Algiers, and there make certain arrangements for diminishing at least the piratical excursions of the Barbary States, by which thousands of our fellow creatures, innocently following their commercial pursuits, have been dragged into the most wretched and revolting state of slavery." After considerable hesitation on the part of the Dey, who boasted much of the strength of his " warlike city," a treaty was at length concluded, but which failed of giving general satisfaction. Even the philanthropic Mr. Wilberforce, in a letter to Captain Croker, expressed his decided opinion, that the liberation of the Christians then in slavery should have been effected rather by "cannon balls" than by the "pay- ment of a single piastre" as ransom. This gentleman was one of the first to whom a copy of Captain Croker*s pam- phlet had been sent ; and after perusing it, he declared that the author " had kindled, even in the mind of such an old stager as himself in politics, a flame, which, he trusted, would never be extinguished, till the evils which, to the disgrace of the great European powers, and more especially of Great Britain, had been so long tolerated, were at an end." The glorious results of Lord Exmoutii's second visit to Algiers is well known, and we have only to deplore the policy which \\\ COMMANDERS. 245 restrained that determined officer from inflicting upon the barbarians an equally signal chastisement at a period when it might have been done with much less sacrifice of British blood and treasure, instead of allowing them a full year (from the date of Captain Croker's memoir) to prepare for a rtiore sanguinary conflict. " ' ''•^*»'' ' On its being determined to send a second expedition against Algiers, with orders tojight ifnegociatxonfailcd^ Caji- tain Croker made an instant tender of his services, but had the mortification to find his applications for employment utterly disregarded. He even followed the fleet from Portsmouth to Plymouth, in the vain hoije of being allowed to embark as a volunteer : the necessary permission was withheld j and he consequently returned to his home in disgust, at such neglect and treatment as he was quite conscious of not deserving. Since then, he has, at various periods, used every exertion in his power to obtain an appointment, but always without suc- cess. Early in the spring of 1827, ^»e proceeded to Paris, for the purpose of requesting a recommendation from the Due d'Angouleme to Viscount Melville, when his Royal Highness was pleased to give him an autograph letter addressed to Prince de Polignac, and desiring that nobleman, who was then Ambassador at the British Court, to make an applica- tion in his favor. On this occasion, although twelve years had elapsed since they last met, the Due de Riviere did not fail to remember and most heartily welcome his old friend, whom he informed, that the Dauphin had commanded him to be entertained at the table of the Due de Bourdeaux, dur- ing his stay at Paris. The following is the translation of a let- ter which he received immediately on his arrival in that capital : " My (kar Captain,— I have spoken to the Dauphin ; and I have the little word ( petit mot) which you are desirous of. Come and dine with us, at six o'clock to day, and ^ will give it you, as also a letter for Prince de Polignac. A thousand caresses from, yours sincerely, (Signed) " Due de Riviere.** i • " Thursday, 22d March." ; '-• The letter written by the Due d'Angouleme was presented i ■m m n m I!,, .jjii; «-i r ill il 246 COMMANDERS. I I il N to Viscount Melville, who expressed a wish to retain it, and promised that attention should he paid to the wishes of H. 11. H. On his lordship going out of oflice, in 1827, Cap- tain Croker was naturally anxious to have it restored to him, in order that it might he laid hefore H. R. H. the Lord High Admiral ; hut he was informed hy the Viscount himself, as well as by his private secretary, that it had heen sent to Scot- land in one of many chests of papers, and could not he got at for a considerable time. Finding this to be the case, he paid Paris a second visit, and returned from thence with another letter for Prince de Polignac, of which we now give the translation : " 24 fh Mot/, 1827. " My dear Prince, — His Roy. \ Illjfhiicss the Dauphin formerly aiitho- rizetl you to recomnieiifl Captain Walter Croker to Lord Rlehille, and also directed me to request you to ox:/t rmv beat elForts with his lordship in favor of the captain, he havinj^ evinced much zeal in our King's cause, whilst His Royal Highness was at Barcelona, and also released, at the re- quest of the Dauj)hin, seven vessels, which he had detained and sent into Port Mahoii, before the battle of Waterloo. The Dauphin desires that you, dear Prince, will repeat the same efforts with H. R. H. the Duke of Clarence, if you sec no oitjcction ; the same, I say, which you have used with Lord Melville, so that Captain Walter Croker's object may at length be accomplished. Receive, dear Prince, tiie assurance of my dcvotediiess. (Signed) "Duo DE Riviere, Governor to f I. R. H. the Due de Bourdeaux." " To the Prince de PoUgnuc.'" Together with this letter, the French Ambassador forward- ed to the Lord High Admiral a certificate, as follows; " I certify, that the expressions above mentioned are the same as those in the original paper, now in the hands of Lord Melville ; and that the Due de Rivitire communicated to me, by command of the Dauphin, his Royal Ilighness's desire, that the interest which he has condescended to take in the advancement of Captain Walter (Jroker should reach the knowledge of His Royal Highness the Duke of Clarence. (Signed) " Thk Prince de Polignac." " Portland Place, mh Mat/, 1827." At an interview with which Captain Croker was subse- rt!.\ Av;^. "i'^th, U531. "Sir, — I have not ildaycd to sul)mit vwwt inc ■ GOODWIN COLQUITT, Esq. Was promoted to the command of the Echo sloop in Jan. 1783; and granted the out- pension of Greenwich Hospital in Sept. 1806. He died at Bath, Jan. 2d, 1826, aged 78 years. STEPHEN PETER MOUAT, Esq. , Was educated at the maritime school, Chelsea; and ad- vanced to the rank of commander in Dec. 1787* His daugh- ter was married, in 1814, to Captain J. A. Briggs, of the Hon. East India Company's service. II ; K l\ > f HENRY DEACON, Esq. \ * 'n» Obtainbd his present rank in Dec. 1787, and the out- pension of Greenwich Hospital in May 1814. During the latter part of the late war he regulated the impress service at W^aterford. , .> ... ■ * / J .« > : ,11 •• ir.^^. J . u'. .<♦ ^^.c.,7 • See Vol. I. Part II. p. 499. I .< \ COMMANDBRB. 20> w n JOHN EDWARDS («), Esqv^ to Mnrn oiw Was made a commander in Dec. 1787* '^ , , i ' '■ ■ ' ■^V\ Mil' .': y" y^ SAMUEL KEMPTHORNE, Esq. '''/'"' Commission as commander dated Aug. 26th 17B9. 'r GEORGE MAXWELL, Esq. Was one of twenty lieutenants who received their first commissions prior to the conclusion of the year 17^0, and were made commanders on the 21st Sept. 1700 ; as was also SAMUEL FEATHERSTONE, Esq. 'V RICHAUD BOGER, Esq. Obtained the rank of commander in Sept. 1793 ; and the out-pension of Greenwich Hospital in Sept. 1806. He died at Brompton, co. Middlesex, May 6th, 1 824, aged 84 years. ■'.(' 'i, • CHARLES ROBINSON, Esq. r-oflL i-r Was made a commander in April 1794 ; and had the mis- fortune to be captured in the Scout sloop, by two French frigates, on the Mediterranean station, in the month of August following. . - \ r, .' PETER M'KELLAR, Esq. '' Served as second lieutenant of the Royal Sovereign, first rate, bearing the flag of Admiral Thomas Graves, at the defeat of the French republican fleet, June 1st, 1794; and subsequently commanded la Ueuommue troop-ship, on the I 250 COMMAND Ell.J, Irfc ir Mediterranean station, v/here he received llie Tinkisli gold medal for his serviees during the nien\orahle Ei^yptiun cam- paign. In 180/, we find him employed in the Lady Warren, hired armed ship, on Channel service. He ohtained the rank of commander in July 1794; and died in June l^'M), at the advanced age of 81 years. WILLIAM BURGESS, Esq. Was senior lientenunt of tlie Impregnable 98, llag-ship of Rear-Admiral Benjamin Caldwell, on the memorahlc Hrst of Jime, 1/94; and promoted to his present rank July olh fol- lowing. He afterwards held a conunand in the Sea-1'encihle service, on the southern coast of Cornwall. His sou, Samuel, is a captain in the navy. JOHN LAllKAN, Esq. BiioTiiKR to Captain Robert I^arkan, (,f the Royal Hospital at Greenwich. Me was lirst lieutenant of the Pandora 20, Captain lulward Edward^, when that «hip was despatelied to Otahcitc, in (pR'st of the ill-fated Bounty*; and he also served in the same capacity on board the Defence 7-i, Cap- tain (now l^ord) Gand)ier, at the battle of June 1st, IJOI. His promotion to the rank of commander took [)lacc on the (ith of the followin^^ month; from uhich period, we believe, he was never employed alloat. During the late war he held an appointment in the Irish Sca-j'encible service; and he appears to have died at .Vthlone, in 1830, aged 84 years. GEOlUiE LURE(«), Esq. Was bccond lieutenant of !a Nymphe frigate, commanded by the present Viscount Llxmouth, at the capture of la Cleo- • See V(.l II. Part IF. |( 7'7 ^f xr,/ COMMANDKRS. 251 patro, .1 French national sliip of superior force, oft" tho Start I'oiiit, June 18th, l"^^'^, '>'> "liich occasion lie appears to Iiave heen wounded wliilst leading a division of the IwarcUr.'. Me afterwards served on l..>ard the Iniprcijjnahie 0:^, llajjf ship of Rear-Adniiral 15. Cahhvell ; and \vc have heen told by otie of his messmates, nf)\v a peer of the realm and a tlae;-offieer, that he frecjuently annised himself and the isimates of the wardroom, by sayln:^ " Here am I, (jeorge Lidie, the son of an ironmonger, wim don't rs.re a d n for any of yon." He was promoted to the rank o; eommander in Nov. 17S)1 ; subsecpiently employed in the Sea Fencihle service j and granted the out-pensioii of Greenwich llos[)ital, Jan. liitli, 1812. Commander Luke died in 1824; previous to which one of his daughters was married to Captain Dale, of the 84tli regi- ment; and another to G. C. Tucker, LL.D. of Abliburton, CO. Devon. THOMAS DAL15Y, Esq. Was ni:.de a liei'tenant in 177H; a connnander in Dec. 1704; and appointed to the Sea-Fencible service, in Hamp- shire, April .'Jd, I7OH. IIF.NRY WRAY, Esq. CoMMANDKD the Advice cutter, on Chamiel service, dur- ing the Spanish armament, in I7'K); and the Fh)ra hired armed ship, employed in convoying the tra(h' to and from lreh\nd in 1/04. He obtained the rank of commander in June 1/05; and was soon afterwards appointed to the Sea- gull sloop, in which \essel he continued, on the North Sea and Channel stations, for nearly five years. lie (bed in 1825. t 11 ■ i Jl ij 1 |l I t 252 COMMANDERS. n.>.n!r.-..^, JOHN EDWARDS (ft), Esq. -" -rr-^-' Was made ci cominander in June 1795; and granted the out-pension of Greenwich Hospital, in Sept. 1822: he died on the I5th Jan. 1823. if. »i - GEORGE ROBINSON, Esq. Obtained his first commission in 1790, and lost a leg whilst serving as second lieutenant of the Thames 32, Cap- tain James Cotes, in an action with the French frigate Uranie, of far superior force. This combat took place on the 24th Oct. 1793, in lat. 47«» 2' N. long. 7° 2'i' W., and was continued with great spirit on both sides, from about 10-30 a. m. tuitil 2-20 i'. m., when the enemy hauled off to the southward, making all the sail she could, and leaving the Britiuh ship in too crippled a con- dition to pursue her, as will be seen by Iho following enu- meration of her damages and loss, taken from Captain Cotes's official letter, dated at Gisors, in France, April 9th, 1795 : — The 1)owa<>rit, all three lower masts, and tlic main-tup- mast, badly woumlod in u number of places ; the boi -lays, bowsprit-shrouds, jib-stay, ond haliards, all the standing and sprinj^-stays, most of the lower and top. mast riggini^, and the fore part of the mizen-top, 8hot away ; the main-top- Shil-yard cut through in the slings; the fore and niain-ynrds rendered un- serviceable, the former left bunging by the trusses alone, and nearly half way down to the deck, the latter baviug neitlicr lift nor brace remaining ; the courses and all the after sails completely riddled ; the gangways and that part of the main>deck before the main-mast> from the waterway to the hatchways, torn up; the bittn demolished ; three guns dismounted) almost every breeching and tackle carried away; the gaff obliged to be lowered, to prevent the mizen-niast going over the aide ; nine shot between wind and water; and 3-1 officers and men, out of I. '^4, the total number, includ* Ing boys, on board, killed and badly wounded. The Thames mounted thirty-two long twelve and six- pounders, without a single carronade ; her opponent twenty- , eight long cightcens, twelve long eights, and four thirty-six- pounder carronader., with a complement of at least 3.'M) men. II 't COMMANOKRS. 25a The condition of the French ship can he judged of only from her appearance after the action had ceased, when several men were seen over her sides, busily employed in stopping shot- holes, and it was evident that all her pumps were at work. In the course of the same day, the Thames was obliged to surrender to a French squadron, consisting of three lurge frigates and a corvette, under the command of Monsieur AUcmand, by whom the Uranie had been sent in chase of a brig about forty-eight hours before. Previous to their being landed at Brest, the whole of the British prisoners were completely pillaged by the republican crews, over whom their officers had little or no control: it is, however, but fair to state, that the latter did all they could to mitigate the ' sufferings of their captives. On the 23(1 June IJO^^, Lieutenant Robinson was promoted to the rank of commander ^ and in Jan. 1790, he obtained a pension of £^^\ 5.s. per lumiun ; which, May 8tli, 181G, waiijj increased to jt;200. (. \^': III:NRY IIUTCIIINGS BIUKIIEAD, Esq. Was made a lieutenant in 17S<^J promoted to the raid< of comnuuuler in Nov. 1/95 ; and granted the out-pension of Greenwich Hospital in Sept. 180(3. ' GEORGE DAVEY, Esq. Was made a lieutenant in 1780; advanced to the rank i of commander in Jan. 1796; and employed, during part of ^ the late war, in the Alkmaar storc-nhip. He died at Pol- * * barth, co. Cornwall, in 1829. tit; M JAMES GODENCH, Esq. • ' Obtained his first commission in 1779; and was pra- inotcd to the rank of commander for hiu " bravery and good 254 COMMANDERS. >k a conduct" !is senior lienfenaiit of tlio AlrxantliT 7'^, in <'i" fic- tion with ;i I'VencIi !-(iii;u!ron, of M'hicli we find the fcjiiowing oflit.iiil account : — " On ho'inl I],,' Miirnt, at Brcsl, Nov. 23^/, 17!M. " Sir, — 'YUo' aniviil of tic Oiinada must Ioiilt siiict! Iiuve informed their lonKhijts of iKV iiii>(ortim(', in losiiis,' 11. Al. S. Alexaiuicr, late iituler my comiiiiiHd, havinu" Itecii tiiki-ii liy a scjuiidron of Freticli slii[j8 of war, coii- sii-tinir of (iv« 7-J's, tlave lurj^i- friifatcs, and an aiiwed Itri^, comiiiaiult'd by lioar-Admiral Neiliy : farilpT lutrticiilais f !u;ri'\vith transmit yen for tli'-ir Ii)r.!.-;lii|ts' information. " We discovered tliis sijiiadroii on our wpatlicr lio-v, nhoiit 2-[M\ a. m. on the (ilh instant, heinj,' then in hit. 48" L'6' N., h)i!i:. 7" S.'i' \V., the wind at west, and we ^iteel•iIllf N. \l. I ininu-diatcly i)rare'i sharp up, with the larboard lacks on !>oard, and without (-iijnal, tin; Ca;,a(hi l>ein.,' cbist; to lis. W'l- passed tlie s transfers a little la tiiie loin- o'clock, the marcst of thcin only aliimi half :i mile distant, hat conld not discover what they were. Shortly after we bore more up, let the reefs out of the lop-sails, and set steering-sails. Aliont 5 a m., pcrceivinLr, Iiy my nisfhl-i^lass, the stran^je ships to stand afler ns, ue crowded all the tail we coidil possilily set, as did the Canada, and stood still more to the eastward. Alunit day- break th Caiiuda passed lis, s-tecring more to the northward than we «litl. Twi» ships of tlie line and two fii^fatcs pnrsULi! Iior, aiid tiiree of the I'ne and one iVijfate chased the Alexander. About 7 -''^^ tl"-' ulmle of them huisted l']ni;lisli c(»l(Mirs. About SIT) we did the same, ipon whiidi they hauled down the iMiiflisli and hoisted French. At JJ v shortly after, (diservirii,' the ships in pnr uit of the Canada ([y \.w np with her, I nnide the si.fiiai to form a-head tor mnitial siippoit (iu'lii;., determined to defend II. M. ships to the last ('Xtr( mity), whi(hsi-nal she iiistanily answered, and endi-avtnired to put in e\e( iition ; bnt the enemy seeing her inten- tions, hanled more to starboard to cut her off, and theichy (dditi;!Ml her to steer the course she had doi.e before. We continncd firinij our stern- chasers at the ships pnisiiin:,' ns, from 8-30 till near II a. m, when the liiree 7-1's eafiie np, and broui,'ht ns to cU)se action, which we snstuined for npvards pieces ; aiid the sails torn into rilauds : hei' hall was mm-li shattered, and, makiii;; a jjreat deal of w.itir ; site was with ilillicnlty iloatcd into Brest. " At I I*. .M , the other shifts hod tpiittrd (he Canada, and were comini,' fast up with iw { the shot of one of them soon afterwards passed over us. Thus situatetl, and cut off from all resources, f judged it adviscalde to COMMANDERS. 255 consult mv offict Iter and accordingly assembled them all on the. deck ; when, U|ton survcyin;; and examining the state of the ship (en;,'iij^e(l as 1 have already ('escril)cd), they deemed any farther resistance would he inefi'ectiiai, as every possihle exertion had already hcen used to save her, and iherefoie tliey were unaninmusly of opinion, that to rcsijjfn her would he the only moans of saving- the lives of a uninhcr of brave men. Then, and not till then, I ordered the colours to be struck ; a measure which, on u full inve.-^tiiration, I hope and trust their lordships will not disapprove. Ilithcrtu 1 have not been able to collect an exact list of the killed and wounded, as many of the former were thrown overboard diirin;;' the ac- tion, and when taken possession of, the peo|)le were divided and sent on l)oard diJerent ships ; but I do not believe they exceed forty, or thereabout. No one above the rank of boatswuin's-ntate was killed. Lieutenant Filzifcrald, of the marines, .Mr. IJuriis, the boatiuain, and Mr. lAi'Curdy, pilot, were woui.ded, but they are in a fair way of doing well. *' The cool, steady, and gallant behaviour of all my oiKcers and ship'si company, throughout the whole of the action, merits the highest applause; ui»tl I should be deficient in my duty, as well as in what I owe to those brave men, were I to omit rciiuestiiiu'' you will be pleased to recommend them in the strongest niainier to tluir lonlships' favor and protection ; particularly Lieutenants (.iudetich, Kpworth, (Jurter, U'est, ami iJarracott ; JMajor Tench, and LieuteMauts Fltzger.dd anat tliat I shall meet with the same treatment during my caj)t vity. I am, i^c. (SigiK-d) " To Philip Strplwns, Enij. Sevratitrif of t lie Admirulli)." KiCHAKU IIUUNEY BliOII." At the period of licr ciiptiir^', the Alexander was relurning to l^iigluiid from the coast (if Spain, whither sjje had es- corted a convoy, in company with the Cantuhv 74, Captain Charles i*owell Hamilton. 'I'he latter ship escaped thronirji superior sailing, and her cotninand'.r had the pleasure of witnessing the recapture of tiie Alexander, olT I'Oricnt, June 2;jd, Ijy.')*- According to the Frencli papers, two of their 74's were very tnuch disahled, luid sustained hetwi en them a loss in killcvl and wouinU'd iunoimting to 430 officers and • See Vol. I. Part F. p. 100. ■•I 256 CO.MMANDEHS. men. Rcar-Adiniral Neilly, it appears, had sailed from Brest purposely to intercept two valuable British convoys, then expected from the Mediterranean ; and had he not been obliged to return into port with his crippled squadron, it is probable that he would also have fallen in with the Victory, first-rate, bearing iuc f^ag of Lord Hood, who was then re- turning home, unaccompanied by any other ship. On the 27th May, 1795, the gallant commander of the Alexander' (who had been made a Rear-Admiral previous to his cap- tivity) having got back to England, was tried by a court-mar- tial, and, as may well be supposed, most honorably acquitted. The infamous treatment experienced by his officers and crew after they were landed at Brest, and the manner in which his first lieutenant escaped from the ferocious republicans, have been described in p. 702 of Vol. II. Part 11. The subject of this article obtained the rank of commander in May 1796; and died at Fishbourne, near Chichester, Jan. Gth, 1825, aged 72 years. ::' GEORGE IIARISON, Esq. EsTjERRD the royal navy June 1st, 1781, as midshipman on board the Royal Oak 74, commanded by his friend. Cap- tain H. P. Hardisoif, and employed on the North American station. He obtained iiis first commission in Nov 1793; served as senior lieutenant of the Santa Margaritta frigate, nt the capture of la Tamise, a much larger French ship of war, in June 1796 ; and, for his conduct on that occasion, waa immediately afterwards made a commander. I'he following is an extract of his captain's official letter, addressed to Vice- Admiral Kingsmill. " Sitnta Margaritta, at tea, June Wth, 1796. *' Sir, — I have tlie honor to inform yoii, that on the 7ih iuatant, bein;; in company with H. M. S. Unicorn, IB leagues west of Scilly, we disco- vered, at 2 A. M., three ships ahoul a mile on our lee4>eam ; and, as the day opened, we perceived them to he frij^atcs helonj^ing to the French na- tion, which I communicated to Captain Williams, who immediately made tail to join me, and our signal to pass within hull, fur the purpose of COMMANDERS. 257 gifing him Infonoatioii of ih& enemies' forCe. The atatement of their BupMiority encouraged kim in his eager pursuit* and he ^aid that he would attack the largest chip, desiring mu to engage the next in strength. This no- bl^ «f ampleinapir^d every tperson with confidence of success, and 6ach ship steered for her opponent ; but the enemy, determining to evade an action, steered away large under a press of sail, the smallest ship, at the same time, making off to windward. At 11-30, by onr snp6rior sailing, we ar* rited Within gun-shot of the enemy ; but as they appeared to close for the mutual support of each other, and the Unicorn being some distance astern, I judged it prudent to postpone our attack till slie was sufficiently advanced to occupy the attention of the French commodore. At this time they commenced a fire from their stern-chase guns. At 1 p. m., having ap- proached them within three-quarters of a mile, we fired our bow-:*un8 whenever a favorable opportunity presented itself, the enemy at the samt time yawing to discharge their broadsides. At 2 o'dock, the Unicorn being on our weather beam, we made sail, keeping up a runniug fight till 4-15 p. M., when the sternmost ship, finding it impossible to escape, put her helm a-port, and endeavoured to rake us ; but she was fortunately bafSed in this effort, which afforded us an opportunity of placing ourselves abreast of her within pistol-shot, when a quick and well-directed fire com- pelled her to surrender in less than twenty minutes. She proved to be la Tamise *, commanded by Mons. Fradun, mounting 36 guns^ with a CQW-^ plement of 306 men," We should here observe, that la Tamise mounted six brass 36-pounder carronades, in addition to twenty-six long 12 and ten 6-pounders. Her loss consisted of 32 persons killed and 19 wounded. The Santa-Margaritta, although measur- ing 337 tons more than her opponent, mounted only the same number of long guns, 12 and 6-pounders, and four 32-pounder carronades, with a complement of 237 men, two of whom were slain and three wounded. The other French ships, the ' largest of which was captured by the Unicom, after a pursuit of 210 miles, were la Tribune, of 44 guns and 337 ^^n, and la Legere, an 18-gun corvette f. ■ Alii:']'. A im inhf " It is with extreme pleasure," continues the captain of (he Santa-Mar- garitta, " that I seek the present opportunity of testifying my gratitude to the officer! and ship's company for their active zeal and steady unanimity at all times and in all situations, but more particularly in the (Uiptnrc of • la Tamise, on which occasion their courage and exemplary conduct H' . ■' ■•■■ l-H' 4>*i vor.. Formerly the British 32-gun frigate Thames i see p. 252, • t See Vol. I. Part F. p. 388. III. I'AKT II. 9 ) lu. ni ■4iil ! I t -..i 258 COMMANDERS. : worthy of the greatest praise. The readiness of Mr. Harlson the first lieutenant, and his prompt execution of ray orders, did essentially facili- tate our success." (Signed) " T. By am Martin." The officer thus highly praised, and whose immediate pro- motion to the rank of commander we have already noticed, obtained the out-pension of Greenwich Hospital in Mar. I8O7 ; and died at Edgcombe, near Launceston, co. Corn- wall, Aug. 17th, 1831. EDWARD KILLWICK, Esq. Was made a lieutenant in 1/82 ; and commanded the Sar- dine sloop, on the Mediterranean station, in 1796. From Mar. 170s until the peace of Amiens, he held an appointment in the Suffolk district of Sea-Fencibles. In the years 1806 and I8O7, he commanded the Howe store-ship, and was suc- cessively employed at the Cape of Good Hope and in South America. In the summer of 1809, we find him appointed to the Princess, receiving ship at Liverpool ; and about a year afterwards, the following paragraph appeared in the Naval Chronicle : ... " On Friday and Saturday, May 11th and I2th" (1810) " a court-mar- tial was held on board the Sal vador-del-M undo, in Hamoaze, for the trial of Lieutenant William Archbuld, late of the Princess ; that officer having requested that he might have a public opportunity of vindicating bis cha- racter from the odium thrown upon it by Captain Killwick. The Court, after having examined Captain Killwick and many of his officers, and duly considered their evidence, agreed, that the conduct of Lieutenant Arch- bold had been most officer-like and correct during the whole of the time he had served in the Princess, and did therefore most fully acquit him." In consequence, we believe, of this sentence, the Princess was immediately placed under the command of another offi- cer, whose predecessor does not appear to have been again employed afloat. He, however, obtained the out-pension of Greenwich Hospital, in Dec. 1814. His son, Lieutenant John Arthur Killwick, R. N. had the honor of presenting an address to King George IV., from the borough of Southwold, at a levee held on the 23d Feb. 1821. COMMA SnKRS. 259 JOHN DAVIES(fl), Esq. Was first lieutenant of the Heroine frigate, Captain Alan Hyde Gardner *, at the reduction of Trinconialee, and other Dutch settlements iti the island of Ceylon. After the sur- render of Columbo and its dependencies, he was sent to Eng- land, by the route of Suez, Alexandria, and Trieste, with a despatch, of which the following are extracts : — "Heroine, Columbo Road, Feb. 16M, 1/96. " Sir,— Havinjf received directions from Sir George Keith Elphinstonc, to take under my orders the ships of his Majesty, and those of the Honor- able East India Company, named in tlie margin f, and to co-operute with Colonel James Stuart, commander of the land forces, in the reduction of Columbo, it is with peculiar satisfaction I announce to you the surrender of that fortress, with the remaining possessions under the Dutch authority in Ceylon, on the 15th instant. I have the honor to transmit herewith the terms on which these places have become part of H. M. dominions * * • • • *. It becomes me, and is a very pleasing part of my duty, to make known to you, for H. M.'s information, the zeal and activity which have actuated every description of odicers and men employed under my orders ; and I am happy to inform you, that three seamen of the Swift, wounded, arc the only casualties of the siege. First Lieutenant Davies, of the Heroine, an officer of great merit, who has given me every assistance on this service which his relative situation enabled him to do, will have the honor of delivering to you this despatch ; and I beg leave to recom- tnend him to your favorable notice and protection. I have the honor to be, &c. CSigned) *' A. H. Gaudneb." *' To the Right Hon. Henry Dundas, Sec. iljfc. Sfc." After meeting with many impediments, including a deten- tion of forty days in the lazaretto at Boco di Cattaro, Lieu- tenant Davies arrived in England, and was immediately pro- moted to the rank of commander, by commission dated Aug. IGth, 1/96. He obtained the out-pension of Greenwich Hospital, on the 8th Dec. 1818; and died at Stonehouse, near Plymouth, Jan. 30th, 1830. ' I . • The late Viscount, t Rattlesnake, Echo, and Swift, sloops, Ciiptains Edward Ramage, Andrew Todd, ami John Sprat Rainier; three of the H. C.'s cruisers, and two Indiamcn. s2 E ..■; I:'J 260 COMMAND RRS. I HENRY PROBYN, Esq. Obtained his first commission in 1791, and the rank of commander in Aug. 1796; held an appointment in the Sea- Fencible service, under Captain (now Sir Charles) Tyler, at the renewal of the war with France, in 1803 ; and afterwards conmianded, for short periods, the Blossom and Bonetta, ship-sloops. THOMAS DICKINSON (a), Esq. Commission as commander dated Dec. 5th, 1796; died in 1888. i"-%;>t''i: ft'i'J i '■>tu\ ROBERT PEARSON, Esq. Obtained his first commission in 1781 ; the rank of com- mander Dec. 6th, 1796; and the out-pension of Greenwich Hospital, in Sept. 1806. He died at Bath, about Mar. 1827, after a lingering illness of more than two years. •^< ■'■iftf RANCEFORD TOOKEY, Esq. Was made a lieutenant in 1782; and promoted to the command of the Assurance 44, armed en^ute, on the Medi- terranean station, Dec. 6th, 1796. CHRISTOPHER NEVILE, Esq. Was made a lieutenant in 1790; served as third of the Orion 74, Captain John Thomas Duckworth, at the great battle of June 1st, 1794; and obtained the rank of com- mander in Jan. 1797. : i COMMANDERS. 261 JACOB JAMES, Esq. Received his first commission in 1784 ; served as senior lieutenant of the Victory, first rate, bearing the flag of Sir John Jervis, at the battle off Cape St. Vincent, Feb. 14th, 1797; and was promoted to the rank of commander on the 7th March following. WILLIAM BEVIANS, Esq. Son of lieutenant William Bevians, who commanded the Surprise cutter at the close of the American war, in 17B3; and was drowned with his boat's crew, and a lady passenger, in returnmg to the Insolente gr n-brig, after receiving orders from the Prince de Bouillon, in a. 891. Mr. William Bevians, junior j was first lieutenant of the Irresistible 7 A, Captain (now Sir George) Martin, at the battle off Cape St. Vincent, Feb. 14th, 1797; and obtained his present rank 8th March following. In 1801, he com- manded the Earl of Oxford, hired armed ship ; and in 1 803, served as agent of transports, afloat. His last appointment was to the Lyra brig, of 10 guns, which vessel wc find attached to the fleet under Lord Gambler at the memorable attack upon a French squadron in Aix Road, April ilth, 1809. On the following day, one of her boats was captured by two luggers, whilst employed in burning the enemy's ships *. The out-pension of Greenwich Hospital was granted to Commander Bevians in April, 1823. His brother, James Montagu, is a major in the royal marines. . JOHN LUCE, Esq. » Was made a lieutenant in 1793, and served as first lieu- tcnant of the Orion 74, Captain Sir James Sauniarez, at the • Sec Vol. III. Parti, p. 273. \i 5 :•' f ii. ;»* iv ■ I 262 COMMANDERS. battle of Cape St. Vincent ; on which occasion he took pos- session of the Spanish 3-decker Salvador-del- M undo. The following is appended to a biographical memoir of Sir James Saumarez, published in 1801 : — "The mind shrinkii with horror in relating the accunrsulatcd sufTerings which the wounded on board that ship endured. There were no less than 52 lying on the decks with wounds that required amputation. The Spanish surgeon, after dressing the other wounded men below, came upon deck and began the butchery ; after having separated the Tunb, he omitted to tic up the arteries. Bleeding returned as soon as the circulation was restored, and in a few minutes the victims bled to death. Sucli was the indignation felt by the English sailors towards the surgeon, that it required some efforts on the part of their officers, to prevent them from throwing him overboard. He was, however, stopped in his bloody career." Lieutenant Luce obtained the rank of commander Mar. 8th, 1797; married, in 1799, Miss Jane Scarville, of Newport, in the Isle of Wight j and died at Walworth, co. Surrey, May 8th, 1827, aged 70 years. EDWARD WILLIAMS («), Esq. Was made a lieutenant in 1779; and commanded the Advice cutter, at the close of the American war in 17H3. We next find him commanding the Speedwell, a vessel of the same description, in which he captured le Braave, French privateer, off the Isle of Wight, Aug. 22d, 1796. His pro- motion to the rank of commander took place in Mar. 1797. During part of the late war he held an appointment in the Sea-Fencible service ; and on the 13th Aug. 1810, he ob- tained the out-pension of Greenwich Hospital. MAHIIEW WRENCH, Esg. OnxAiNKi) his first commission in 1790; and distingMishcd himself, as lieateinmt of the Vulcan fire-ship, Captain Charles Hare, at the destruction of the arsenal and shipping at Tculon, under the imnirdiate direction of Sir W. Sidney v-Muith, Dec, IHth, 17l>3. He was promoted to the cummand of the Lace- COMMANDERS. 268 demoniian sloop, on the West India station, Mar. 27th, 1797 ; and captured by the French, but under what circumstances we know not, in the month of May following. He died at Widcombe House, near Bath, June 7th, 1831. JOHN GAISCOYNE, Esq. Brother to General Gascoyne, late M. P. for Liverpool. This officer was made a lieutenant in Nov. 1790 ; and served as such under Captains John M*Dougal, John Buzely, and George Wilson, in the Vestal frigate, and Alfred and Bellona, 74's ; from which latter ship he was promoted, by an Ad- miralty commission, to the conunand of the Pelican 18-gun brig. Mar. 27th, 1797- The Bellona was then employed at the Leeward Islands, from whence Cununander Guscoyne proceeded to the Jamaica station, wi.ere he assisted at the capture of la Republique Triomphante, a French national vessel, of 14 guns. He shortly afterwards had a very severe attack of yellow fever, vhich obliged him to go to sick-(]uarter8 at Cape Nic . da Mole, and ultimately, in Jan. 1798, to exchange into the Thorn, ship-sloop, then about to return to England. In the latter part of the same year, we find him escorting some ves- sels from Liverpool to the Orkneys ; then proceeding to Cux- haven ; and there taking charge of the homeward bound trade. On his arrival at Sheerness, the Thorn was ducked, found to be no longer sea-worthy, and consequently put out of com- mission. His next appointment was to the Sea-Fenciblc ser- vice, on the Kentish coast ; and after the breaking up of that establishment, in 1810, he appears to have been employed in raising seamen at Limerick ant'. Swansea, until the fmal ces- sation of hostilities, in 1815. Commander liascoyne married, in Oct. I7•^^ Charlotte, youngest datighlcr of the Rev. C. E. De Coetlogon, rector of Gudslone, co. Surrey. f^ ^^i I m '} ■ lil 'ii*' i: t 1 '. '" '^1 I I*- 2(J4 rOMMANO£Hl i Yfil/i M.n. WILLIAM MCGWIRE, Esq. ' A son of the late Arthur M*Gwire, of Cloiiea Castle, co, Waterford, Esq. , . i . This officer was born in 1766 ; and entered the royal navy, dt the age of thirteen years, as inidtshipman on board the Egmont 74) in which ship he served under Captains John Carter Allen and Robert Fanshawe, on the Channel and West India stations, until tlie end of 1/81. He had scarcely been a year at sea before he experienced a most dreadful hurri- cane, which spread desolation over the whole of the Carrib- bean Islands and Jamaica ; and in which the Egmont was totally dismantled '"*. During the reniainder of the American war, we find Mr. McGwire in the Proselyte frigate, Captain John Brown, on the Leith station ; and for three years after the termination of hostilities, in 17^3, he served as midshipman and master's- mate, under Caaptain Thomas Wilson, in tlie Racehorse sloop, on the African, Halifax, and North Sea stations. He next joined the Centurion 50, fitting out for the flag of Rear- Admiral Philip Affleck, commander-in-chief at Jamaica, by whom he was appointed to the command of the Advice cutter, with an acting order as lieutenant, in 1792. Mr. McGwire's first commission, appointing him to the Helena sloop, Captain William Cliarleton, on the same sta- tion, was signed in Jan. 1793. He subsequently served on board the Vestal 32, Captain John M'Dougal, in the North Sea ; and removed from that frigate into the Invincible 74, Captain the Hon. Th<)nia8 Pakenham, of which ship he was second lieutenant at the battles of May 29th and June 1st, 1794 1 ; aud became first, on the promotion of his senior olli- cer, the present Sir Henry Blackwood. In the spring uf 1/95, Lieutenant M'Gwirc followed Cap- tain Pakenham into the Juste HO, attached to the Channel • See Vol. I pp. fiH, lOr,, «-Mry. t Sec Jsuppl. Part J. p. tilH. it COMMANDKftS. 265 'f CO. Mr. fleet ; and he appears to have continued as first of that fine ship until his advancement to the rank of commander, May 22(1, \707' During the remainder of the French revolu- tionary war, the whole of the gun-vessels employed in prq- tccting the Irish coast were under his command. Captain M'G^vire's next appointment was, on tire renewal of hostilities in 1803, to the Sea-Fencible service in Ireland, between Cork Head and Youghall; and after the breaking up of that establishment, in 1810, he superintended the im- press service at Waterford, for a period of four years. This nrach. neglected officer's eldest son, a fine youth, dred of the yellow fever at Jamaica, whilst serving as midshipman of the Ferret sloop^ commanded by his maternal uncle, the present Captain William Hobson. He has still four chil- dren surviving ; and we arc informed that two of his bro- thers are in the church. » iv.^' HENRY CAREVV, Esq. Was first lieutenant of the Repulse 64, Captain James Alms, previous to the mutiny in the North Sea Heet ; and obtained the rank of commander for his meritorious conduct on that trying occasion. The following is the substance of an official letter which he addressed to the above officer on surrender, ig to him the command of the Repulse, after hav- ing succeeded in escaping with her from the rebellious fleet at the Nore, to Sheerness harbour ; dated June 9th, 1797 : — " Sir,-->It ia with much satisfaction I inform you, that a plait I this day laid, ill conjunction with the otlier lieutenants, the master, purser, murine officer, boatswain, ull the gentlemen of the quarter-deck, and the loyal part of the ship's company, for the purpose of regaining the couiinand of the Repulse, has fully succeeded. " I did not intend to carry this plan into rfTcct until II i> m. ; hut the Leopard was no sooner perceived under weigh, than our party took fire thereat, caught the moment, and carried our point : unfortunately, how- ever, it happened to bu low water; and the ship, soon uftur getting under sail, took the ground, remaining immovable for nearly two hours, under n lieuvy fire from the Monmouth, Director, (irumpuit, nnd lliuiger. I am sorry to state, thut the second lieutonuiit, (ieorge Augustus Dulunuc, lost 1 V^ir\77rj ri'-'- ' . I f > .1 '(.■; : ■t •*[ •i 266 COMMANDERS. t,; 1 ' III i 4./ "V his leg in this business, but from the nature of such a service it will strike you with astonishment, that this was the only casualty, although the hull, sails, and rigging was very much damaged. I am, &c. (Signed) " Hknry Carew." We have already intimated, t!iat the Admiralty, from a high sense of Lieutenant Carew's officer-like conduct and spirited exertions, were pleased to grant him promotion. His advancement to the rank of commander took place June 27th, 1707i at which period he had been eighteen years a commissioned officer. He was then appointed to the Swan sloop, on the North Sea station j where, in August follow- ing, he captured the Dutch privateer Goede Verwatging', of 8 guns and 28 men. Commander Carew's next appointment was, in 1800, to the Pheasant sloop, on the Halifax station ; from whence he returned home with despatches, Aug. 22d, 1803. In the summer of the ensuing year, ill health obliged him to retire from active service ; and the out-pension of Greenwich Hos- pital was granted to him, k» Dec. 1819. This officer married Elizabeth Maria, eldest daughter of the Rev. Thomas Fownes, of Kittery Court, co. Devon ; which lady died on the 4th Aug. 1831, in her 65th year. NICHOLAS KEMPE, Esq. ENrKRJiu the royal navy in 1769; obtained his first com- mission in 1780 ; and served as second lieutenant of the Inflexible 64, Captain the Hon. J. Chetwynd, in the last ac- tion between Sir Edward Hughes and Mons. de Suffrein, fought off Cuddalore, June 20th, 1783 *. He was promoted to the command of the Princess 26, on the Cape of Good Hope station, July 14th, 1797; a»d lastly employed in the Sea-Fencible service, between Flamborough Head and the River Tecs. He appears to have died in the summer of 1829. Sec Vol. I. Part II lust pur. of note at p. 125, ¥ I. strike ! hull, w." )m a and >tion. June Firs a 5wan Uow- ig\ of 9, . to ce he 1 the retire Hos. ;er of von ; ^ ? com- f the t ac- Irein, loted jlood 1 the 1 the imcr COMMANDBUS. 267 SIR JOHN FORBES DllUMMOND, Bakt. Was the second and youngest son of Robert Forbes, of Corse, in Banffsliire, N. B., by Anne, daughter of John Abcrnethy, of Corskie, Esq. ; but he asauined the surname and arms of " Drummond," in addition to those of his own family, upon his marriage with Mary, daughter of Dr. Ogiivie, and heiress, by special settlement of her cousin, Barbara, only daughter and heiress of William Drummond, of iJawthornden, co. Mid-Tjothian, Esq. He obtained a pa- tent of baronetcy in Feb. 1828, and died at Midfield, May 2'>d, 1829 J at which latter period he had held the rank of commander nearly thirty-two years. His only child having ivarried Francis, eldest son of the late James Walker, of Daley, in Mid-Lotinan, that gentleman has succeeded to the baronetcy, and likewise (..jsumed the additional surname and arms of Drummond. HENRY SAMUEL BUn\ Esq. Served as midshipman on board the Crown 50, bearing the broad pendant of Commodore the Hon. William Corn- wallis, in the East Indies ; obtained a lieutenant's com- mission in 1792 ; and was promoted to the command of the Explosion bomb, in Aug. 1797- VV'e next find him con- ducting the Falcon fire-vessel into Dunkirk roads, in the night of July 7th, 1800* j and subsequently commanding the inspector and Raleigh sloops. The out-pension of Greenwich Hospital was granted to him May 31st, 182(3. /Vi EDWARD HUTCHINSON, Esq. Was made a commander in Oct. 17^7 ; Jnul subsc(]uciitly employed as an agen* for transports and prisoners of war. ;.(!.«* See Vol. II. Part I p. 'J!Xl i.'f xc/. 1 1 '(■•; i 1 1 i| 268 COMMANDERS. ( THOMAS HALTON, Esq. Was first lieutenant of one of the ships engaged at the battle of Campcrdown, Oct. 11th, \7^ ', and obtained his present rank on the 2d Jan. 1798. JOHN MATHIAS SPREAD, Esq. Was made a lieutenant in 1790; and promoted to the command of the Ratler sloop, on the Jamaica station, June 21 st, 1798. He there captured a French privateer of 10 guns and 42 men, in 1799; and a Spanish gun-vessel, in ISOO. On the Uth June, 1802, he arrived at Portsmouth with despatches. JOHN ROBERT LEA, Esq. Was made a commander in Sept. 1798, and died in 1824. ht " i JOHN WHIPPLE, Esq. 'Commandkd the Leopard gun-vessel in 1790; served as first lieutenant of the Alexander 74) Captain Alex. J. fiall, at the glorious battle of the Nile ; obtained the rank of commander in Oct. 1798; held an appointment in the Irish Sea-Fencible service, during part of the late war j and was granted the out-pension of Greenwich Hospital, in June 1824. n '^'' '■•■'" JOHN JONES, Esq. Was made a commander in Oct. 1798, and died in 1824. .1:. I * (.1 t> COMMANDERS. 269 WILLIAM iv.OORE, Esq. Was promoted to the command of the Transfer 8loop, Dec. 24th, 1798; and subsequently appointed to the Vesu- vius bomb. He died in 1830. , , (•)(»■ i GEORGE JONES, Esq. ,, Skrved as first lieutenant of the Leviathan 74, Com- modore John T. Duckworth ; and brought home that officer's despatches announcing the reduction of Minorca, for which he was made a commander, Dec. 24th, 1798. During part of the late war, he held a command in the Swansea district of Sea-Fencibles. HENRY COMPTON, Esq. A native of Limerick, and son of Francis Compton, Esq., by Miss Widenham, one of whose brothers was an alderman of that city. This officer was born in 1774, and received the naval part of his education at an academy near Deptford, conducted by Lieutenant Lane, who had accompanied the immortal Cook in one or two of his voyages round the globe. Amongst his school-fellows were the present Vice-Admiral Fleemiiig and the late Captain James Moutray, who was killed in a battery at the siege of Calvi. Mr. Compton entered the service as midshipman on board the Cumberland 74, Captain (afterwards Admiral) Macbride, but first went to sea in the Actseon 44, armed en Jidte^ com- manded by the prosr it Vice-Admiral Joseph H unwell, and employed in conveying troops to and from the West Indies. On the breaking out of the French revolutionary war, he joined the Romulus 36, Captain John Sutton, then about to sail for the Mediterranean, where he arrived in time to wit- ness the occupation of Toulon ; after which he was obliged iIH his cabin, deliberrtoly writing a letter of remon- strance to the I)<»ge, against what he considered such an un- just attack. •' Be seated until my letter is ready," said the hero, " and in the mean time a boat shall be hoisted out." The despatch was soon sealed and handed to Lieutenant • See Vol. II. Purt II. p. .%(;, and Vol. I. Part II. p. 5l!». COMMANDERS. 271 Compton, with instructions to proceed immediately on shore and deliver it. On landing, he found the city in the greatest consternation, a strong column of French troops having gained admittance, and taken possession of all the sea- defences : his boat's crew were soon seized and imprisoned, but he himself succeeded in reaching tlie residence of the English consul, whose house was then completely closed, with a strong guard in front of it to protect him from threat- ened violence. He then proceeded, in company with that gentleman, to the palace of the Doge ; and on his presenting Nelson's letter, it was determined that the senate should im- mediately be summoned. After some time spent in delibera- tion. Lieutenant Compton was informed that a representation of the whole matter should be made to the English minister at Turin ; and he was also given to understand, though in an indirect way, that his detention had been resolved upon. He then retiu'ned home with the consul, who immediately de- cided upon endeavouring to get him off in a fishing-boat, could any native be found who would undertake so dangerous a service : his first efforts proved ineffectual, but at length he succeeded in finding a man who was in the habit of going out every night the weather permitted, and who, for a large sum of money, agreed to meet his wishes; which promise he most faithfully fulfilled. On the following morning, at day-break, not one of the squadron was to be seen, and it became a subject of deep and anxious solicitude with Lieutenant Compton, whether to re- turn to Genoa or to proceed in an open boat to Leghorn. He resolved upon going to the latter place, where he ex- pected to find the Agamemnon ; but it required the exertion of all his persuasive powers to bring the boatmen into the same way of thinking. A strong N. W. gale now began to blow, and drove him considerably to the southward of l)is intended course; it proved, however, the most fortunate cir- cumstance that could have happened, for on the evening of the second day after his escape from Genoa, he had the it fi- nite satisfaction of re-joining the Agamemnon, off Capreja, an isiland belonging to the Genoese republic, and which Nel- m f ■ '"i H ii h 272 COMMANDRRS. son was ihcn about to take possession of, ii; return for his late unwelcome reception*. The truly glorious part borne by the officers and crew of the Captain at the memorable battle off Cape St. Vincent, Feb. 14th, 1797> on which day they boarded and carried one ship of 112 guns and another of 8'1, has been fully noticed in Vol. I. Part II. p. 774 ef seq. and Vol. II. Part II. pp. 567—569. In the month of May ensuing, Lieutenant Compton fol- lowed Sir Horatio Nelson into the Theseus 74 ; and after the unsuccessful attack on Santa Cruz, we find him returning home with his wounded chief, in the Seahorse frigate, Cap- tain T. F. Fremantle. In Dec. 1797, he joined the Vanguard 74, fitting out for the flag of the great hero, and under which he bore a part at the memorable battle of the Nile. On the first anniversary of that glorious event, Nelson wrote to the Admiralty as follows : — "Foudroynnt, Naples Bui/, \gt Aug. 1799. "Too much praise cannot be givt-n to Captain Troubridge, for liis wonderful exertion in bringin,? about these happy events" (the expulsion of the French from Naples, Capua, and Gaietaf). "Captain HallowcU has also the greatest merit. Captain Oswald, whom I sent to EnfrlawJ, is an officer most highly deserving promotion. I have put Lieutenant Coaipton, who has served with iiic as lieutenant since January 1796, into, the command of the Perseus, and beg leave to recommend him as highly meriting promotion." In Sept. following, the Perseus was employed on the Roman coast, under the orders of Commodore Troubridge ; and on that officer being recalled by Nelson, after obtaining possession of Civita Vecchia %, he addressed the following order to her commander :— .1 - ,,, .f4-.1i "H. M, S. CuUoden, Sept. 30M, 1799. " Sir, — Having received directions from the Right Hon. Lord Nelson, K. D. to leave the fulfilling the solemn engagement which I entered into with, the French General commanding the troops of that nation in the Papal State* to a discreet officer, and to join him myself immediately, with all the force which con be spared from this service, off the west end of See SuppU Part IV. p. 133. t See Vol. I. Part II. p. 476 et teq. J See Vol. II. Part. II. p. 830. nt ( Ui .JO/ COMMANDEKS. 273 Sicily ; you will therefore reniuin here with II. M. ship under your com- maiul, and proceed to carry the articles of capitulation entered into with the French General into ctl'uct, conducting the transports in which his troops will embark, to Toulon, whence you will immediately proceed to Palermo, and, after communicating with II. M. Amhassadur at that Court, join Lord Nelson, according to the best infurmution which you may re- ceive there of his lordship's movements. (.Sijfned) " T. TnouoRiuoE." Cotnmander Compton was subsequently sent by Nelson to Alexandria, in Egypt ; and on his return from thence he appears to have been employed in the blockade of Malta, a service for which the Perseus was but badly calculated, she being an old ship, and in a very crazy condition. On her passage from off Malta to Naples, with despatches, she en- countered a severe gale of wind, and sustained so much damage, that Commander Compton, instead of returning to his former station, was under the necessity of proceeding to Gibraltar; where, it being found impracticable to repair the Ferseus sufficiently for active service, he received orders from Lord Keith to return home with a number of merchant vessels and transports under his protection. After leaving the ruck, he encountered a series of most violent gales, and the ship had frequently from four to five feet water in the hold : his convoy was dispersed, and he reached England in a state of great distress ; but had soon the satisfaction to learn that every vessel was safe in port. The Perseus was then ordered round to Woolwich, and put out of commission early in 1801. After this. Commander Compton's health became so bad,- owing to the fatigues of service, that he was obliged to re- frain from soliciting active employment. He married, in 1807> Miss MoUoy, niece to Edward Molloy, of Oporto, Esq., and has issue four sons and one daughter. One of his brothers, William, obtained the same naval rank as himself, commanded the Lilly sloop, and was slain in action with a' French ship cf superior force, on the Halifax station, July 15th, 1804. His other brother, Francis, an officer in the (i8th regiment, fell a sacrifice to the yellow fever, while serving at one of the West India islands. One of his sisters VOL. 111. I'AHT II. T 3 f ,. 1i i I 'I. : ■' :tHi 'H icS^ 1»n.?- V, IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) 1.0 1= 11.25 ■aiM 125 |S0 "^" ■■■ ^ 1^ 112.0 u 1.4 1.6 Photographic .Sciences Corporation 33 WIST MAIN STRUT WnSTM.N.Y. 14S80 (716) •72-4S03 ^>^ '^ -Vi V\ ^4 COMMANDERS. < is the widow of William Blood, Esq., who was mardered ' by a banditti when travelling from Limerick to Dublin ; and the other is mariied to M. Fitzgerald, Esq. of the Irish capital. •lUii DAVID GILMOUR, Ebq. !I» in :Wa^ born nt Portsea in 177&> &nd had his name entei^ed orl the books of the AtaiaAte sloop. Captain Thomas Mar- shall, in April, 1779. He first went to sea in ti merchant ship, under the cbre of the late Captain Nathaniel Portlock, to whom, in 17^5, a company of merchantiS) under the titie laf th« "King George'A Sound Company," had entrusted the ctHinnand of an expedition intended to establish & trade in ftfrsj between the western cbast of America and China. On tlie I5lh Nov. (a few days after the departure of the ships from St. lago), he fell overboard from the main-rigging, and woa some time in the water before he could be picked upk " %EAriy the next morning,'* «ays Mi*. Portlock, " we caught a shark, which had the greatest part of a large porpoise ilfi his ma\tr : this gave us fresh cause of thankfulness for the preservation of young GiloioUr." The result of the spccu- Jlatioki in which Mr. Portlock was then engaged will be seen by reference to p. 366 of Suppl. Part if. >i ■ I 'In June, 1789, Mn Gilmour joined the GudrdiAh 44, anAfed en JiiltB, commanded by Lieutenant Etlward Riou, and laden with stores destined for the new settlement at Pott Jtekson. The following is an authentic narrative of the disaster which befel that ship^ after Jier departure from thie C$pe of Good Hope ;.^a disaster turmouttted by the most intrepid Conduct) and terminated by the most miraculous p<^erv«ti()n ;-^ disalster, wbich had the dSkx^ of ti^sing heir commander and his courageous adhetents-'-^t once^^fVotti obscurity to fane { f,;„„, „,„if i.oui) io 'M\t:> oii) )«i h-r/m-t »/ *'On the Wtl» DW. 1789, behi^ In Iht. 44» S., lon}>. 4!|«»30' fi., tW lu wcntiier extramety fog!(y» mi island bf l<^e Was sefen about thwt ttjiles to the 8-. W. Lieutenant Rioa stood towards it, in order to collect lumps t>F ice n ^^\\i\ \. COMMANDERS. ^5 expedient, as the daily demand of water was prodigious, owing to the great qnanttty of cattle on board. As the ship approached the island, the boats were hoisted out, and several lumps collected. During this time the ship lay to ; and on the supply of water being brought on board, sail was made to stand off. Very little apprehension was at this time entertained of her safety, although the monstrous size of the island had not only a great efiect un the wind, but had caused a strong in-draft. On a sudden, the bow of the ship struck upon a part of the island, which projected under water considerably beyond the visible limits of it. She instantly swung round, and her stern coming on the shoal, struck repeatedly ; her rudder was knocked off, and her stem-frame almost beat to piecec. ** The ship in this situation became in a degree embayed under the terrific bulk of ice ; the height of which was twice that of the main-mast ofa ship of the line. *' At this critical moment. Lieutenant Riou and his officers, retaining^ their spirit, their example and vigorous exertions led the people to their duty ; but it was with difficulty they were prevailed on to overcome their first panic, and lend their assistance to trim and fill the sails. This being tit la^t efKiCted, and the fore-top-gallant-sail and stay-sails between the lore and main-uiast being set, she began to forge off, and the same itistant ■truck with greater force, if possible, titan before, nearly abreast of the inain<>chains, kept crashing for some time along the ice under her, and at last shot entirely clear of it. The weather continued very foggy, and the \vind blowing strong, they soon lost sight of the ice, and began to comfort themselves with the hope that no vei7 considerable damage had been sustained, excepting the loss of the rudder. This cheering prospect soon vanished, and a damp was suddenly thrown upon their spirits, when, at a quarter past eight o'clock, the carpenter came up from sounding the welt, and reported two feet water in the hold, and that it was increasing very fast. Tlie pumps were ordered to be rigged and got to work. The chain- pumps were at first found to be much out of order, which caused some de- lay. Mean time as many hands as could be spared were set to work to clear the deck of the cattle, &c. Abont nine o'clock all the pumps were at vnt\i. Three or four of the people were left IretAveen decks to hoist up, and heave overboard whatever they could manage. The water at this time had increased to three feet and a half, and was still gaining on the pumps. The few hands left between decks did almost more than, their strengtii could be expected to effect : in the coarse of half an hour they g6i up and hove bverboard most of the bags of flour, pease, wheat, barley, &c. received at tite Cape of Good Hope, besides two hogsheads of to- bacco. At ten, the water had increased to five feet. Since the first of their misfortunes, every officer and man had been employed ; and it wa« impossible for them to hold out much longer in this laborious work. Lieutenant Riou therefore dctenniued to divide the officers, scatnen, con- victs, &c. into two watches, to relieve altcrnatelv. .At about liaU'-past I 2 !'t .:'S^6 COMMANDERS. -ten the first (Uvisiun went to the pumps ; and each man was ordered a dram and other refreshments, which seemed to give them fresh spirits. At midnight the water had increased to six feet, and it was then blowing a very strong gale. At day-light on the 25th, a few bands were set ahout .filling one of the lower studding-sails with oakum, which they found some difficulty to get under the ship's bottom. By unwearied exertions at the pumps, the leak became reduced, utui continued to diminish until eleven .o'clock, when there was only nineteen inches. In half an hour the leak began again to gain upon them, and a second sail vvas fothered and got under the bottom ; but the gale was so strong, attended with a heavy sea, which broke frequently over the ship, that it had little, if any effect. At four in the afternoon, Mr. Clements, the master, went down by the way of tlte rud- der into the gun-room, and from thence into the bread and spirit-rooms, to endeavour to discover the leak ; not being able to succeed, it was thought ^ecessary to scuttle the deck close aft, which being out of th" roll of the water, would enable them to get up and throw overboard some of the pro- yUions and stores. . " This being done, Mr. Riou, the chaplain, the purser, and two meo^ were employed in this business; but unfortunately in endeavouring to get up a cask, it fell back on Mr. Riou, and bruised his hand in so shocking a wanner, as to disable him from giving any farther assistance. They then i;ave up all farther attempts to lighten the ship in this part« and again as- sisted at the pumps. . -i 1 . . .. . . " At midnight the water had increased to four feet and a half; at the l^ame time the winch of the starboard pump breaking, it became disabled, find the water at six in the morning had increased to seven feet; the night |iad also been very tempestuous, and by the violence of the wind the fore and main-top-sails were blown to pieces, and the ship left entirely at the mercy of a most tremendous sea. The people began to break off from the pumps, and to secrete themselves, and could only be kept to their ro. A small quantity of bisuuit, and an eighteen gaUoftcask of \vatq:, was tbeft letdown li«tween the main and nuzen chaias into the small cutter. Tb9 purser then got into the main-chains, and from thence kaped into her ; Mr. Wadman and Mr.Tremlett likewise fortunately got into her. TtvQ boat was with great difficulty- rowed clear of the ship, and steeriid for thelaunclv , . . „ ., .'. .U'^nbff. '* The agitation of mind on this melancholy occasion may b« liet er. imagined than, described. Air. Riou was walking the quarter-deck, and seemed happy the boat had got safe from alongside. The ^p waa dinftjng astern, and siiddng fast in the water. Mr. Clements began to be , afraid she would drive upon the launch ; and called to the crew to cut the tow-rope, and row out of the sliip*s widce. " Mr. Somerville, who was looking over the s]Hp*a Bter», hearing the order, prayed them to hold fast a moment, and he would jump overboard aodiswim to tliem : he did so, and was followed by John Speaman a s«aby. In her were Mr. Brady, midshipman,. Mr. Fleteher» captfun's clerk, and five seamen. " The jolly-boat had put off from the ship without either provisions^ water, compass, or quadrant, and rowed towards the launch in hopes of either getting relief from her, or the crew to be taken on board ) but she had already fifteen people in her, which were as many as she oould with safety carry ; and the quantity of provisions was very inadequate to sup- port such a number, who had 4 1 1 leagues to traverse in a boisterous ocean, without any means of relief. *' There being a spare compass and quadrant In the launch, Mr. Clements handed them into the jolly-boat. At this time one of the convicts attempt. ed to get into the launch, but was opposed by the crew, and pushed into the sea. This man in the struggle caught hold of Mr. Clements, who was with difficulty saved from being pulled out of the boat along with him. The people in the jolly-boat picked the unfortunate fellow up again, and then took to their oars, and rowed close up to the launch, as if determined to board her by force. To prevent, therefore, any scuffle, it was agreed im- mediately to make sail, and they took their final departure from this scene of misery and distress at about nine o'clock. The ship at this time appeared sunk down to her upper-deck ports. The large cutter and jolly-boat made sail after the launch ; the latter almost instantly filled and went down. The otiier cutter remained hanging on at some distance from the ship. l-< COMMANDSRS. 27^ ' At half.past eleven they lost eight of the ship and boats, and sliapcf! their course as much to the northward as tlie wind, then at N. W. wotdd permit" "Dec. 26th. — Strong gales, squally and cloudy weather, with remarfc." able high seas. We were this night very much benumbed and chilled mtk' cold, and could get no sleep. In the morning the weather became morel moderate. At four o'clock shifted the fore-mast to its proper place; ' stepped the main.mast, and set the fore and main-suU ; at eight the peo- ple were employed to make a niain-top*sail out of some sheets, and a yard out of one of the boat's thwarts ; the handle of a broken oar wajs converted into a top^maat ; a small tobacco canister was cut up to make a meaiure for the (tiatrihution of water, rather lest than a ^11, two of which H was- agreed to allow each man a day. ** Dec. 37th.— 'First part moderate breezes and cloudy weather. At one F. M , having boiled alt our poultry, and cut up a goose, which was but' small, into fifteen equal parts, one of the men forward tvas then b11ne ' strict cliBcipline be maintained, even in the midst of the al- ^ moat insurmountable diflicultiet* and dangers witli wliicli lie was surrounded. The people ut one time had carried Uieici disobedience so far, as to threaten bin life; and bad abso** < lutely completed a raft made of the booms, cm which they were determined to take their chance, rather than remain any longer on board the ship: fortunately, however, at the instant, it was about to be launched, a favorable breeze uprung up, i when, with a presence of mind possessed by few men, Lieute- - nant Riou, by his remonstrances, prevailed on thorn to give up > n plan which must inevitably have plunged them into certain destruction. The Guardian continued driving about, chiefly at the mercy of the wind and hca; though at times, in moderate weather, Ldeutenant Uiou was enabled to keep her bcutj the . course he wished to steer; and sometimes she was forceil < through the water at the rate of four knots an hour. At length on the 21st of February, 1700, to their inexpressible , joy, land was discovered ; and by the assistancQ of two whale, boats, which were sent out from a British ship lying in Table , Bay, the Guardian was towed into safe anchorage, by which , this excellent oilicer and bis companions were preserved,,, from utter destruction •. \, " On the 2*2d, a Dutch packet being about to sail for Europe, Mr. Riou sent by her the following letter:— ,. .^^ " Sir, — I hope this letter will reach you before any account can he given of the loss of H. M. ship Guardian : if it should, I um to beg you will make known to their Lordships, that mi the 23d of December the ship struck on an island of ice; and that on the 25th, all hope of her safety l>eing banished, I consented to as many of the ofUcera and people Ukin^ tQ * " It has been said that the Guardian fell in with a ship at sea, which had given her assistance into the Cape : this, I was assured by my late worthy friend, was not the case * what has been related concerning the fate of the Guardian, after the l)oat8 left her, I had from himself soon after his arrival at the Cape."— •(5't'A»mA Shortly after his return home, Mr. Gilmour was promoted to the rank of lieutenant, by commission dated Feb. 29th, 1794; between which period and Sept. 1799, he successively served in the Pomona frigate (latterly called Amphitrite)» Cumberland 7^9 ^nd Arrow sloop, on the Mediterranean, Channel, and North Sea stations: the officers he served under in those ships were Captains Henry D'Esterre Darby, Lord Augustus Fitzroy, the Hon. Charles Herbert, Bartho- lomew S. Rowley, Robert Montagu, and Nathaniel Portlock. His promotion to the rank of commander was the result of an action thus officially described : — .. .. •. ji • V, . r , .,;;.:,r . . . "H. M.S. Jrrow, Sept. 20th, 1799. *' Sir, — I have the honor to state to you, tliat in obedience to your orders of the 9th instant, I inamediately got under weigh, acQompanledt by the Wolverene, and proceeded pn the service. you did. ^e,the |^^f(^9,^J^fc honor to entrust \o my r rii ( ,^^*' On the evening of that day, the tide of flood being done, we anchored abreast of the Texel ; and on the afternoon of the following day we an- chored on the edge of the Flack or Flat, abreast of Wieriogcn. M this anchorage I found it necessary to lighten the ship, which was very speedily done, bringing her from twelve feet eight inches to twelve feet; and oja the day following we turned over the Flack, carrying shoal water from one side to the other. On the morning of (he 12th instant we weighed again, and proceeded on for the Vlie Island, on approaching which, we saw a ship and brig at anchor in the narrow passage leading from it towards Harlingen : it was.soou perceived that they were vessels of force, and bearing' the Bataviaii re^publiqan cploiirs. V^p approached,, the Brit isih and anjcient putch colours .flyijjg toge^liei;, MP,iiil within half gun.-ahot^p( th^ hrig^ §fj9, h^Vfg thp ue^fesftp M?^,\vi^hpu^e|th,qf,pf t^bem .^hapging, their cQ^9ur&^ the Dutch ensigns w^re then hauled down^and i, made ^|ie signal, to, engage the enemy as coming up with them, meaning the Woly^re;i|e,t^ ' engage the brig and tp, pa?3 Oft tp \kp sWpnwaeKf .,,,„,, „, , )„ ^nuUlUi^,. .jJwiin9rl,M()vl')(n')(}Y'*"f!C.i5'( i/* ••?ff--fi';r.(!-nf ( taibfttifv/firt'^brrB >llodT»9rf'' //Jfcyiulfi mi i'jl:(mij*:^«« Suppl, Part II. p. 3S yj ,j-ju,„ ,,y., j,,,i^P4ii hm *^..'i «i COMMANDERS. 28g '•} iff Captain Bolton anchoreil his ship in the most masterly Mid i^llant manner^ uod just in the position I could have wished, which was on hit weather-quarter, at u quarter of a cable distance, and so as to have enabled me, had it been necesi-ary, to give the enemy a broadside in passinpf, without annoying the Wolverene ; and after heavincf on his spring until his broadside bore on the brig, fired one shot just to try his disposition, upon which the enemy fired three guns to leeward, and hauled down his colours. ", I made the signal for the Wolverene to take charge of the prize, and desired the officer sent on board to send her pilot to conduct the Arrow to tlie ship (my Dutch pilots having declined the charge), and requested of Captain Bolton to follow me to the Jetting Passage, where the ship lay, and then pushed on towards her. We had to turn to windward tiowards i;he enemy against a strong lee-tide, which retarded our progress much ; she lay with springs ou her cables, and her broadside opposed directly to our approach, and for twenty minutes before we could bring a gun to bear with effect on her, annoyed us very much, and cut us up a good deal in the hull, sails, and rigging ; but after bringing the ship up by the stern and head in a very narrow passage at about a quarter of a cable from him, the contest became smart, but was short ; for she struck in about fifteen minutes after we commenced our fire upon her, and just before the Wolverene (which was pressing on in the most gallant manner to my aid) came up. I sent my first lieutenant to take possession of her. and found her to be the Batavian guard-ship De Draak, commanded by Captain- Lieutenant Van Esch, mounting 24 guns, sixteen of them long Dutch IS-pounders, two long English 32-pounders, six 50-pound howitzers, and 180 men. From the howitzers I rather suppose langridge was fired, as several pieces of iron were picked up in the ship after the action was over. Our loss in killed and wounded (considering the length of time we had to advance on her under every disadvantage, such as being exposed to her raking fire for about twenty minutes, working the ship in a very narrow navi- gation, shortening sail, and anchoring) h very small, having only to lament at present the death of one brave man. There are nine wounded, some of them badly, and myself slightly in the icft knee. ** The loss of the enemy 1 have not as yet been able to ascertain ; but two dead and three badly wounded were found on board her, and from the appearance of great quantities of blood, &c. covered with taupaulins, which Captain Bolton discovered, I am led to think it has been very consi- derable : indeed some of them confess that a number of men were put into a boat and sent to Harlingen immediately upon the ship striking; and from the number they at present muster not agreeing with the es- tablishment, I am induced to believe that was the case. " On my going on board the Draak I found that she had been built for a sheerhulk ,and converted intoaguard-ship; she beingextremely old, her masts and rigging very tnuch cut, and the vessel altogether unfit for his Majesty's :!■■ i.r' -m (.3 ,'j^ pRLf j_j-' K'v ■%'! \m m ^^^ m m .'if r« ■^: ■'' i ^ ' 1^9 '}' ■ ^a ' iHfl Us ''■H 'M ' mB ii-M SI la hi 286 COMMANDERS. Ii| 1 ^ tf service, determined me to destroy her. I therefore dlrectied CAptain Bolton to perform that duty, which he did effectually, by burning ber. Thb service performed, \ve weij^hed and pmceeded towards the Vlie Island, at which place we anchored on the 15th instant. I immediately sent Captain Bulton tb take possession of the Batavian ship Dolphin, ridii^ at anchor close to the town. She had on our anchoring hoisted the Orange colours, and the same step was taken on the island. A person came ofif from the municipality, who consented to surrender the island f the Government of the Prince of Orange ; and I have the honor to request yon will be pleased to direct some persons to be sent as soon as convenient to take upon themselves the arrangement and management of civil afiiurs there. " The island of Scheling has not yet adopted the same step ; I shall therefore, if it meets your approbation, take the necessary measures to induce them to do it. " To the captains and officers I have given paroles, which measure I hope will meet your wishes. The prisoners from the ship and brig, amounting to about two hundred and thirty, I have put on board the Dolphin, until I know your pleasure respecting them ; I think they will mostly volunteer for the Prince's service ; the command of the Dolphin I have given (until your pleasure is known) to Lieutenant M 'Dougal of the Wolvereae : this officer, from his zeal at all tiroes, from Captain BoUen't report, but particularly su on the service we were at present employed^ I think. Sir, will merit your protection. And now. Sir, permit me to have the hbnor of expressing to you the sentiments of gratitude I feel at the conduct of all those employed under me in this little expedition ; each individual has behaved well. To Captain Bolton, his officer^, and ship't company, I am particularly indebted for the gallant manner in which he pushed iiis ship on, in attempting our assistance; itideed I cannot hut acknowledge the greatest obligations to Captain Bulton for Us connael at all times. " To the officers of every description, seamen, and marines of the Arrow, I cannot svfficiently express my approbation of their cool and determined bravery ; they acquitted themselves as Britons. To Mr. QiU mour, my first lieutenant, the greatest praise is due, for tht prompt fuaivner in which he caused my orders to be executed in bringing the ship to an anchor under a heavy fire from the enemy « I therefore take the liberty of recommending this zealous good officer to your protection ; he is an old follower of mine, has been two voyages round the world with me, and was one of the three young nridshfipmen that remnined with Lfeu< tenant Riou during the distress of hia Majobty's ship fiuardian ) I therefore hope my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty wiU deem him worlihy' of promotion. I have given him the temporary con maud of the Bataviau republican brig Gier, and shall send her round to the Texel as soon as possible. She mounts fourteen long Dutch 12-pounders, with a complc* COMMANDUBS. 287 lucnt of eighty meo. She is a mo8i complete vessel, quite new, copper< t)ottriined, well found, and never yet at iiea, and in every respect fit for his Majesty's service, only wanting men. I mean to take four of her guns out, for the purpose of arming four schuyts to act hereabouts, either on the defensire or offensive. I have the honor to be, &c^ J., . (Signed) " N. Portlock." < ' " Statement of the British and Dutch force. " British.— 40 guns and 180 men. Dutch. — 54 guns and 380 men. ** To Fice-Admiral Mitchell." Lieutenant Gilmour's promotion took place, Sept. 28th, 1799 J and be subsequently commanded the Hermes, of 18 guns, and Traveller 14, on the North Sea station. He ttiartied, in June 1816, Eliza, daughter of the late Mr. Ed- ward Dean, surgeon, of Stoke, near Gosport, co. Hants j and died on the 17th Sept. 1829. ■I /I, V. »-. .-.It \"'f;^' '.'JOHN THICKNESSE, Esq: ' Sbii of the late Captain Philip Thicknesse, formerly Lieii- lehant-Govemor of Landguard Fort, grandfather of the pre- sent Lord Audiey, and author of several well-known literary productions, by his third wife, the only child of Mr. Ford, Clerk of the Arraigns, and niece to Gilbert Ford, Esq., Attorney*General for the island of Jamaica. This officer was made a lieutenant in 1795 ; and taken pri- soner, while commanding the Charlotte schooner, oif St. Domingo, in Nov. 1799. He obtaine pany with the Sheldrake, Strenuous (gun N. and brother to the late Lieutenant-General Richard Williams, colonel- commandant of the Portsmouth division of royal ma- rines, from April 1814 until July 1821. This officer was born at Devonport, Feb 10th, 1764 j and entered the navy as a youngster on board the fiienfaisant 64, Captain (afterwards Admiral) John Macbride, in 1774. He subsequently joined the Torbay 74, Captain the Hon. Henry COMMANDBRS. 291 St. John ; ^nd completed his time as midshipman under Cap- tain John Elphinstone, in the Magnificent 74> on the West India station. The lattei* ship sustained a loss of eight men killed and eleven wounded, in the action between Vice-Adf miral Byron and Count D'Estaing, oflf Grenada, July 6th, 177^ i Qud had six slain and thirty-three wounded, in the skirmishes between Sir George B. Rodney and Count De Guichen, off Martinique, April 17th and May 19th, 1780. In August following, Mr. Williams was appointed acting third lieutenant of the Bristol 50, Captain Toby Caulfield, which ship was soon afterwards totally dismasted, in the dreadful hurricane of which mention has been made at p. 68 of Vol. I. Part I, His first commission bears date Feb. 5th, 1781, from which period until the cessation of hostilities, in 1783, he successively served under Captains John Moutray, Sir John Hamilton, S.Cox, and the Hon. Peregrine Bertie ; in the Ramil- lies and Hector third-rates, Bustler sloop, and Fortitude 74. During the Spanish armament, in 1790, he was appointed second lieutenant of the Andromeda 32, Captain John Salis- bury ; and on that ship being paid off, towards the end of 1793* we find him becoming first of the Belliqueux 64, Captain James Brine. In June 1794, he assisted at the capture of Port- au-Prince, in the island of St. Domingo, on which occasion nearly fourteen thousand tons of shipping, together with an immense quantity of colonial produce, fell into the hands of the British *. From May 1 796 until May 1800, he was senior lieutenant of the Glatton 56, Captain (now Sir Henry) Trol- lope, whom he most ably and gallantly supported in the cele- brated action between that ship and a powerful French squad- ron, off Dunkirk, July 15th in the former year ; also at the commencement of the general mutiny in 17^7* Vor his highly meritorious conduct on the latter occasion, he received the especial thanks of the merchants and ship-owners of Lon- don, and was presented by their pianaging comn^ittec with » sword value one hundred guineas : bi^ promotion to the rs^ik of commander, however, did not take place before May 5th, .« Sec Y\)\. I. Part II. uote + at p. 806 et seq, u2 ''*:' 292 COMMANDERS. 1800. He was then appointed to the Selby sloop, and sub- sequently to the Osborne hired armed ship, both on the North Sea station ; where he likewise commanded the Alert sloop, from Aug. 1805 until Mar 1809, when he appears to have been superseded at his own particular request. Commander Williams married, in 1815, the only daughter of the late W. Whitmore, of Dudmaston Hall, in Shropshire, Esq., and sister to the M. P. for Bridgenorth. He died at Kempsey, near Worcester, Mar. 7th, 1831. JOHN CHILD, Esq. Son, we believe, of the late Admiral Smith Child *. He was made a lieutenant in 1790; promoted to the command of the Merlin sloop, on the Jamaica station, Sept. 15th, 1800 ; and employed, during part of the late war, in the Irish Sea-Fen- cible service. JOHN HENRY CARTIER, Esq. Was made a lieutenant in 1797> and a commander in Feb. 1801 . At the commencement of the late war, he commanded the Broderschap 22, stationed as a guard-ship at the buoy of the Knob, to assist in defending the entrances of the Thames and Med way. He died at Bethnal Green, near London, Nov. 19th, 1826. DAVID MUDIE, Esq. Was made a lieutenant in 1782 ; and employed in raising seamen at Dundee, on the breaking out of the French revo- lutionary war. He served as first lieutenant at thfl battle of Copenhagen ; obtained the rank of commander in April 1801 ; and died on the 3d April 1831, aged 76 years. • See Suppl. Part I. note || at p. 6. COMMANDRRS. 293 WILLIAM MORCE, Esq. Servbd as first lieutenant of the Ganges 74, Captain T. F. Fremantle, at the battle of Copenhagen ; obtained the rank of commander, April 27th, 1801 ; commanded the Am- sterdam 32, armed enjliite, at Cork, in 1809 and 1810 ; and died in 1823. JOSHUA JOHNSON, Esq. Served as midshipman on board la Concorde frigate, Cap- tain Sir Richard J. Strachan ; obtained his first commission in 1793 ; and lost an arm at the battle of Copenhagen, which circumstance was thus noticed by Lord Nelson, in a letter to the Earl of St. Vincent, May 8th, 1801 : ** At the commencement of tite action, Johnson was second lieutenant of the Edgar 74; but the first being very soon killed, he acted as such until his left arm was shot off. He refused the idea of being sent to England, and hoped that Captain Murray would be content with the first lieutenant's duty being done by a one-armed officer. He is now perfectly recovered, and doing his duty as first lieutenant : all his conduct has been so highly creditable, that 1 should be unjust not to recommend him to your lord- ship's protection." And in a private letter, the hero, again speaking of him, says, " He is an excellent officer and a good man. In nine days from the loss of his arm he returned to his duty as first lieutenant." Mr. Johnson's promotion to the rank of commander took place April 27th, 1801 ; and a pension for the loss of his limb was granted to him on the 19th Oct. following. He died in 1830. iril^ ANDREW THOMSON, Esq. . Was second lieutenant of the Irresistible 74, Captain George Martin, at the battle off Cape St. Vincent, Feb. 14th, 1797, on which occasion he appears to have been wounded ; first of the Foudroyant 80, Captain Sir Edward Berry, at the ' M •f- . 1 .i m i'l ■ h 1 .. Lj 2^ COMMANDERS. capture of le Gdn^reux French 74, Feb. 10th, 1800; and acting commander of the Strombolo bomb, at the surrender of Malta, Sept. 5th following. His appointment to that ves- sel was confirmed by the Admiralty, Oct. IJth, 1801 ; and he brought her home from the Mediterranean in June, 1802. This officer died in 1828. THOMAS HILL, Esq. Was promoted to the command of the Voltigeur sloop, Jan. 15th, 1802; and subsequently employed in the Sea- Fencible service. JAMES IRWIN, Esq. Was a midshipman on board the Royal George, first rate, bearing the flag of Rear-Adrairal Kempenfelt, when that ship unfortunately sunk at Spithead, in Aug. 1782. We next find him serving as first lieutenant of the Ville de Paiis 110, and obtaining promotion, on the hauling down of Admiral Corn- wallis's flag, in April 1802. He subsequently served as agent of transports, and received the thanks of Rear-Admiral George Murray, for his services before Buenos Ayres. In 1808, he commissioned the Rinaldo, a new 10-gun brig, fit- ting out for the Downs station. This officer died in 1825. WILLIAM RICH AN, Esq. Was made a lieutenant in 1781 j advanced to the rank of commander, April 29th, 1802; and subsequently appointed to the Norfolk armed ship, on the Leith station ; where he captured I'Adolphe French privateer, of 14 guns and 39 men, Jan. 26th, 1807. He died in 1829. ■ ■■■■». I I - - » I II ■ I • ARTHUR GRUMBY, Esq. Was made a lieutenant in 1781 ; promoted to his present rank in April, 18()2 ; and subsequently employed in the Sea- Fencible service. COMMANDERS. 2^6 JOHN MANLEY, Esq. Obtained a lieutenant's commission in 1782, and his pre- sent rank in April, 1802. PHILIP LAMB, Esq. Was a midshipman on board the Royal George when she sunk at Spithead, in 17B2 ; and appears to have been pro- moted soon after that disaster. He commanded the Kite cut- ter during the Russian armament, and at the commencement of the French revolutionary war j and obtained his present rank in April, 1802. JOHN RICHARDSON, Esq. Was made a lieutenant in 1790, and commander on the 29th April, 1802. THOMAS LYNE, Esq. Obtained his first commission in 1791, and was senior lieutenant of the Argo 44, Captain (now Rear Admiral) James Bowen, at the reduction of Minorca, in Nov. 1798 ; and at the capture of the Spanish frigate Santa Teresa, off Mjqorca, in the night of Feb. 8th, 1799. The following is an extract of the official letter written by his c&ptain on the latter occa- sion : — ** My first Iieuteinftnt, Mr. TlidmnB Lyne, has much merit in keeping sight, aad observing the different shifts, of the enemy, by which great ad* vantage was gained by the Argo during ttie chase. Much commendation is due to hia professional skill and great exertions after taking possession of the prize, in saving her totteHng mast from tumbling overboard." This officer was made a commander on the 29th April, 18(X3. w fl I t ^^if jf 296 COMMANDERS. PHILIP LYNE, Esq. Received his first commission in 1 794 ; and was a lieii* tenant of the St. George 98, bearing Lord >Jelson's flag, pre- vious to and after the battle of Copenhagen. He obtained the rank of commander in April, 1802; held an appointment, during the late war, in the Sea-Fencible service j and died at Fowey, Nov. 24th, 1823, aged 56 years. JOHN CHILCOTT, Esq. Was made a lieutenant in 1794; promoted to thie rartk of commander in April, 1802; and employed, during part of the late war, as regulating captain of the impress service at Cork. He died in 1829. ROBERT HAYLEY JUDD, Esq. Was made a lieutenant in 1794 ; and promoted to the rank of commander, while serving as third of the Formidable 98, Captain Richard Grindall, on the Jamaica station. His com*- mission bears date April 29th, 1802. HENRY WARING, Esq. Was, for several years, a midshipman of the Phcenix 36, successively commanded by Captains George Anson Byron and Sir Richard J. Strachan $ with the latter of whom he re- moved into la Concorde 36, soon after their return home from the East Indies, in 1793. On the 23d AprU, 1794, he assisted at the capture of two French frigates and a corvette, between Guernsey and Morlaix*. His promotion to the rank of lieu- tenant took place in the following autumn ; and we subse- quently find him serving in the Foudroyant 80, and Saturn 74, lender the flags of Nelson and St. Vincent, by the latter of • See Vol. II. Part II. p. 621, and Vol. I. Part I. p. 285 ei seq. •fill COMMANDERS. 297 whom he was made a commander, April 29th, J 802. His next appouitmeiit was> in May, 1803, to the Serapis 44, armed en flufe, which ship formed part of the squadron under Commodore Hood, at the reduction of Surinam, in May, 1804. He married, April 4th, 1805, Mary, only daughter of John Henrj-^ Franks, of Misleton, co. Leicester. His third son, David, a midshipman of the Active frigate. Captain Andrew King, died in consequence of a fall from the rigging, in 1823. JOHN DOUGLAS, Esq. Was made a lieutenant in 1794, and severely wounded in the hand while serving under Captain T. F. Fremantle, of the Seahorse frigate, at the unsuccessful attack upon Santa Cfuz, in July, 1797' He obtained a pension, the present amount of which is ^150 per annum, Jan. 30th, 1800; and was advanced to the rank of commander in April, 1802. GEORGE CLARKE HURDIS, Esq. Was made a lieutenant in 1 795 ; promoted to the rank of commander in April, 1802 ; and subsequently employed in the Irish Sea-Fencible service. f I; \ n JAMES JOHN CHARLES AGASSI^, Esq. Obtained the rank of lieutenant in 1795 ; and commanded the boats of a small squadron, under the orders of Captain Jonas Rose, at the capture and destruction of six flat- hot' tomed gun-vessels, and a vessel laden with pitch, tar^ and turpentine, near St. Valery, Aug. 21st, 1801. He obtained his present rank in April, 1802; and we subsequently find him in the Rattler sloop, employed in convoying the trade to and from Newfoundland. He has a son in the royal marines. i 1 :; f it '"1 T a 'I .i*^ 296 COMMANDERS. %^ uS^ DIGBY WILLOUGHBY, Esq. Cousin and heir-presumptive to the Right Hon. Lord Middleton. He received his education at the Maritime School, Chelsea ; obtained a lieutenant's commission in 1794; and was promoted to the rank of commander in May, 1802. ROBERT SAUSE, Esq. Was made a lieutenant in 1783 ; promoted to the rank of commander in 1795 ; and removed from la Sincere sloop to la Sensible troop-ship in 1798. In 1801, he accompanied Sir Home Popham to the Red Sea j and on the 3d Mar. 1802, he lost la Sensible on a shoal to the southward of Ceylon. He died of apoplexy, at Walcot, near Bath, June 13th, 1827. MALCOLM COWAN, Esq. Was made a lieutenant in Nov. 1790 ; presented with the Turkish gold medal, for his services during the Egyptian campaign in 1801 ; and promoted to the rank of commander Oct. 23d, 1802. In 1805, he published an essay on the construction of the sails of ships and vessels, with plans and descriptions, showing the many dangers that may be avoided, and the advantages derived from adopting sails of his own invention ; and on the 24th Aug. 1809, we find him writing to the Navy Board as follows :— " Honorable Gentlemen,— As it appears that proposals for the advan- tage of H. M. naval service, or for the saving of the public money in the naval department, have hitherto been chiefly referred to your Honorable Board, I beg leave to lay before you the enclosed observations on the dangers to which H. M. ships and vessels are unnecessarily exposed, from the present mode of making sails ; and, in consequence, the very great and unnecessary expence attending them, which I request you wil't be pleased to take into your serious consideration, with the reports froAi experienced officers on the new sails that I have had the honor of laying before vour Honorable Board, from time to time, for these four years COMMA NDKRS. ^m past. In the latter, you will find pruofa that all our ships with the old saiU are, in particular situations, exposed to unavoidable destruction. I have the honor to be, &c. (Signed) *' Malcolm Cowan." " Observations on the Dungcrt to which his Mnjesttf's Ships and f^essels are unnecessariltf earposed, from the present mode of making Satis in his Majesty's Navi/ ; and on the unntretsurt/ Expence attending them. By Captain MALCor m (Jowan, R. N. " The sails of ships and vessels, from \w'\n% made with the cloths and scams in a vertical instead of an horizontal direction, are more liable to split up and down, and to be bloicn to pieces, either when carrying a press of sail in a gale of wind on a lee shore, or from the shaking of the sails ; and a ship and crew mi^ht be lost from a few inches of a ver- tical seam giving way, when there might not be time to take the sail in to Repair it. " From the experiment that has been made in the royal navy, the dif. ference in the duralbn of the sails made with horizontal cloths, and thooe of the old make, has been proved to be as eighteen months to eleven •, making a difference of seven months wear in favour of those with the horizontal cloths ; and they are every way stronger, tnore eflFective, and stand nearer to the wind. " By the old method of reefing the courses on the yard, the loss of a ship and crew in a gale of wind on a lee-shore, may originate from either of the following apparently trifling accidents, which the old sails are liable to, and which could not happen to the new ssuls f that reef at the foot ; namely : " Courses that are half-wern may require reefing to presefve them from splitting, when there may not be sea-room to perform the operation, and either of them may split. " From the splitting of the courses in hauling them up to reef on the yard, or afterwards in setting th6m. *' From carrying away either of the two clew-garnets to each course in hauling them up to reef, which might split the sail by shaking it. - - « * * Number of Accidents, '^■ * " The common made sail lasted eleven months ; the sail with horizontal cloths and seams eighteen. A top-sail for a 64-gun ship costs 80/. t " A line-of-battle ship can re«f one of the new courses in two mi- Mrtes, without hauling it up, or starting tack or sheet. Tltis fact is Well known among the oflicers of the navy. r 1 if 300 COMMANDERS. " From carrying a«ray either of the four huntline leps, or of the two buntline whips belonginij to each course, in hauling up the courses to reef, wliich might split the sail by shaking " From carrying away either the tack or sheet of each course !n setting the sails after reefing them - . - Number of Accidents. 12 " Number of accidents the courses of the old make are liable to 26 " It is to be observed of these twenty-six accidents that the old courses are liable to, and any one of which unnecessarily exposes a ship to great danger, and in some situations to certain destruction, that there is not one of them wherein the resources of seamanship might not prove unavailing to remedy the accident in time to save a ship, when she is in that horrible situation) that the loss of a sail would cause her to drive on shore. It is well known to intelligent seamen, that the difficulty of performing any operation necessary to the preservation of a ship, increaaes with the danger; and that the loss, or want of one of the dependant sails for a few minutes only, might prove the loss of the ship. " The want of a chasing reef at the foot of the top-sails and top-gallant- sails may be sensibly felt, when it may be necessary to carry a press of sail in squally weather to avoid a lee-shore; or in chase ; or when obliged to haul suddenly to the wind from sailing large. Men of-war in chase cannot always risk carrying sail through a squall, and by lowering these sails down to reef al ihe head, they lose time ; and the sails are partly aback whilst they are reefing. " By diminishing the dangers of the seas (many of which might be easily averted) the attractions to a sea life are increased, and the sum of humau misery reduced ; /or every individual in the country is at this present period deeply interested in the preservation of the valuahle lives of British Seamen. (Signed) "Malcolm Covtan*." The other enclosures were as follow : — "H, M. S. Thisbe, Falmouth, Feb. 13M, 1805. " I am happy to inform you, that I had an opportunity in the late gale of trying your reef, which I approve of more than ever. Captain Norway, of the Tromp, and another gentleman, came on board this morning to look at it. They highly approve thereof, and think it a most excellent plan. My officers and men, from seeing the sail reefed in the gale, are quite delighted with it, now they perceive its utility. Depend upon it. • «« For a particular account of this improvement in ship's sails, vide the Naval Chronicle for April ISOfi, November 1807, and Novem- ber 1808.'» m COMMANDERS. 301 no seaman can start an objection, when they have seen your sail reefed in a gale of wiml. At che time when I made the experiment, it blew exces- sively hard, and the Thisbe shipped several very heavy seas. (Signed) " Lewis Shepheard, Captain." " To Cupt. M. Cowan, R. N." " H. M. S. Thiabe, Guernsey, Mar. 13M, 1805. " Sir, — I beg you will acquaint my Lords Commissioners of the At'i- miralty, that I had an opportunity of trying a main course, on Captain Cowan's plan, on the 12th ult. in a very strong gale of wind from the E.S. E. " I had occasion to reef the courses, and the main one was reefed in two minutes, without a man going aloft, and with very few hands. The sail remained perfectly quiet during the gale, without the least fret or cha6ng. " It has many advantages over the former construction ; not only for expedition, but when weakly manned, particularly on a lee-shore, when it would not be prudent to start either tack or sheet ; and the reef can as expeditiously be let out, should there be occasion to chase. " I find the sail to haul up far more snug than by the old way, and, in my humble opinion, I cannot find one objection against it ) and every sea- man must feel himself very much indebted to Captain Cowan for his most excellent plan. I have the honor to be, &c. (Signed) " Lewis Shepheard, Captain." " To fFiHiam Marsden, Esq. Admiralty" " H. M. S. Minotaur, off Ushant, April 6M, 1805. " I have tried Captain Cowan's main-sail, and tind it a very good thing; write to him, and say that I have written to the Admiralty and Navy Boards on the subject. I can reef it in two minutes : I practise my people at it very often, and it is much approved of by all my officers. (Signed) " C. J. M. Mansfield, Captain." " To the Rev. George Jope, Plymouth Dock." " H. M. S. Loire, Plymouth, June I'Sth, 1805. " The day after we sailed we bent your new main-sail, and during our cruise we had frequent opportunities of trying the reef, which the oiHcers and myself could not too much udtnire. Such an e.xcelleiU invention, ere long, 1 have no doubt, will be generally adopted. " To the merchant service it is of the greatest consequence, for it is so plain a thing, that the utility of it must strike every person who has ever been at sea. (Signed) " Jambs Lucas Yeo, 1st Lieut." " To Captain M. Cowan." «« r " H. M. S. Apollo, Spithead, Oct. 30th, 1805. To the mode of reefing the courses by the foot I am happy to give my decided approbation, as you are enabled to reef a course without losing the effect of the sail, it requires but a very few men tu take in the 'It! t t' 1. 309 COMMANDERS. reef; it is done in a shorter time than cuuld possibly be expected, and I hope it may be adopted genemlly throughout the service. (Signed) " £. Felloweb, Captain." " To Captain M. CQwan." "Ship Queen, Barbadoes, March 29M, 1806. *• With respect to my patent fore-sail, I had it bent during the bad \yeather at our first sailing, and it certainly answers every purpose that the patentee intended it ; for at different times during the had vyeather, I sent the watch forward to reef the fore-sail, which cuul4 be done in three or four minutes, without starting tack or sheet. (Signed) " John Ponler." '• 75? Lawrence Bruce, Esq. Jamaica Coffee-House, London." *' London, Map 28^A, 180G. " Sir, — Having tried your course in H. iVl. sloop Surinam, under my command, during the winter, when we had almost incessant gales of wind, and in the Bay of Biscay, when it became necessary to reef without other- wise shortening sail, I beg to assure you that we found it answer every end you propose; and I have no doubt, when better known, it will be generally adopted. (Signed) ♦' Alex. Shippard." " To Captain M. Cowan." " London, May 29th, ISOfi. " I hereby certify that H. M. sloop Nautilus, late under my command, was supplied with a set of the courses on the plan of Captain Malcolm Cowan, and that having tried them in bad weather, I much approve of them for many superior advantages over the old sails, and consider it an invention of extraordinary beiiefit to the sea-service in general, particularly to merchant vessels, as tending immediately to their preservation on a lee- shore. " They can be reefed while set on the ship, without lessening any other part of the effect of the sails, and in a simple maimer by few hands, and the reef let out again with great expedition in the worst weather. They are also less liable to split in taking in or setting. (Signed) " John Stkes." " London, July \Oth, 1806. " Being first lieutenant of his Majesty's ship Minotaur, I had frequent opportunities of trying your new main-sail, that reefs at the foot, which answers beyond expectation, having repeatedly taken in the reef, and let it out, three or four times a day, which was done in a few minutes, without taking the sail off the ship. But it was particularly of service to us, after the action off Trafalgar, while carrying sail off the lee-shore, and here wc found the greatest benefit, in being able to take the reef in during the heavy squalls, and let it out again so expeditiously when it moderated. (Signed) " J. Stuart.'* " To Captain M. Cowan." COMMANDERS. 303 " Batson's Coffee-Houte, October 20M, 1S06. " It gives me great aatisfactioa to inforin you, that I have received a very favorable account of the great advantages of your valuable sails from the master of the ship Cognac Packet, belonging to Hull, who has had one of them in constant wear for these twelve months. It is my intention to adopt them in every ship I may be concerned in. *' I have heard that Gaptuin Hornby, of the Birna, of Grimsby, tried your sails in a voyage to Greenland, and speaks very highly of them, and recommends them strongly. (Signed) " Edwabb Harper." " To Captain M. Coutnn, R. N." "Decemfjer\st,]806. *' I approve of Captain Cowan's sails very much : the experience I had of them during our voyajje to Davis's Straits, convinced me they answered every purpose set fortli in the directions ; and as long as I am enabled, I shall not go to sea without theip. " I am well aware there are men in most professions wedded to old customs and opinions, and vuin would it be to attempt to point out to them their utility; but to me the satisfaction I experienced in reefing courses without startiii;; tack or slieet, or shaking the sail, will never be effaced from my memory : and let those seamen who were never on a lee- shore, or in a narrow passage, in a ship badly manned, in a gale of wind, reflect that they are still liable to such cases, and then disapprove of it if they can. " These sails do not shake in hauling up to reef, therefore must lust longer. (Signed) " Francis Hornby." *' Liverpool, December 27th, \S06. " This is to certify, that the Lark, Dublin packet, of Liverpool, has had a patent fore-sail, and main-stay-sail, made with the cloths and seams hori- zontal, which, after trying in very hard gales of wind, I found to answer as follows. " The sails are stronger, stand nearer the wind, and can be reefed with great ease and expedition, without starting tack or sheet. (Signed) " Hugh Williams, Master." "Hull, Nov. 2(1, \S07. " Dear Sir, — I think it but justice to give you a further account con- cerning your valuable improvements in reefing sails at the foot, and making them with the cloths horizontal. " With respect to your courses that reef without starting tack or sheet, the Cognac Packet has had one in use above two years ; and from every account I hear, that very easy, expeditious, and safe plan of reefing cannot tail of being generally adopted ere long. " P.espectiiig the horizontal cloths, I had a main-top-sail and main-stay, sail made for her on that plan a year ago at Liverpool, and I have examined ''U-l f. »■: :1 !■: ) i'141 n I 304 COMMANDERS. theHi^after the many hard gales they have stood, and I find them much less chSfed, &c. in proportion, than any sails in her on the old plan. ** Sb perfectly convinced am I of the superior aaring' and safety of your tho^e' of reefing, and making with horizontal cloths, that I have had a fore- t(dl on thai plan made here, and I shall; in every ship that I am concerned in, not fail having my sails -made on your plan. ' ", tt' :*■■■•. " Fstrspect few men who har^; experienced a severe gale of wind on a lee-shore, will f«r a moment hesitate in believing your mode of reefing, without starting tack or sheet, and strengthening sails by making them with horizontal cloths, will be the means of saving lives and property. (Signed) " Edward Habpbr." " Sunderland, January 30th, 1808. " Mr. Stafford has had some more sails (with horizontal cloths) made for the Hero, and a main-sail, top-sail, and fore-top^mast stay-sail, made for the John; the main-sail and top-sail were made by Mr. Randolph, who objected very much at first to make them after the patent mode ; but Mr. Stafford insisted on having them made with horizontal cloths. The sails gave great satisfaction, and Mr. Randolph now speaks of theA in the highest terms of approbation. " "' " Mr. Todd (sail-maker) is now convinced that any saii'diiiy'be' made with horizontal cloths, and he has made a fore-sail, top-sail, and top-gallant- sail for the ship Barbara and Ann, Captain Bowness, who is in the trans- port service, and wrote for them from Deptford, particularly requesting that they might be made with horizontal cloths, and the fore-sail witli the l^atent reef, " Captain Ditchboum, of the Durham, says he has made use of the reef in his fore sail several times lately, in very heavy gales of wind, and it stands exceedingly well. ■*.* Mr. Gregsun, of the Speedwell, told me that he has found the reef in . Jus.lLop-sail very useful, and he is going to have a reef in his fore-^nil, and ijatends to have all the new sails patent made. ,,, " Captain Bowser desires me to inform you, that he intends 'io have nil his new sails made the patent way. " I have had a top-sail and jib made for the Good Intent, and I send you a certificate from the master. nn ■'*' I fin( li • See Nav. Chron. vol. 21, pp. 138—143. VOL. III. PART II. X ^ i! : '] it ..I \''' H 1 ;l 1 1 u 906 COMMANDBRS. Admiralty some improvements in the construction of ships, which, though not approved of at the time, have been since adopted. In a letter to a friend he says, — " I formerly pro- posed to the Admiralty to fill in between the timbers, and make all solid, and to caulk inside and outside before the plauk was put on, and then not to plank the inside, but to lay riders fore and aft diagonal;" the diagonal riders, the vertical timbers, and the horizontal planks forming a series of triangles. It may not Lc amiss in this place to insert the following copy of a document presented to his late Majesty, when Prince Regent, by Mr. (now Sir Robert) Seppings, dated Mar. 1st, 1819:— " The humble Memorial of Robert Seppings, one of the Surveyors of His Majesty's Navy : " Sheweth, — ^That your Royal Highness's memorialist, on the 26th August, 1800, proposed an alteration to be made in the I)race3 and pintles, or mode of hanging ships' rudders, to remedy the inconvenience, and to prevent the expence, arising in consequence of the wearing away of their crowns by the action of the rudder, which was immediately adopted, and generally introduced in His Majesty's dock-yards per Navy Board warrant dated 28th August, 1800. " That your Royal Highness's memorialist, on the 1st January, 1801, proposed a plan for removing blocks from under sliips in dock, to enable the workmen to remedy defects in ships' keels, to make additions thereto, or to caulk the garboard or lower seams of the bottom, without lifting the ships. — ^The advantages of this plan in the saving of expence and labor were so obvious that the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, by their letter dated 5th February, 1803, ordered it to be generally introduced in His Mi\jesty'8 yards, and as a reward for this invention, your Royal High- ness's memorialist was presented with 1000/. by Government, and a gold medal from the Society of Arts. *' That your Royal Highness's memorialist, on the 1 3th February, 1806, proposed a plan for scarphing strait timber to obtain a compass fo.*m, by the adoption of which the Warspite, of 74 guns, (which although ordered to be built many years could not be proceeded with for the want of com- pass timber) was completed in twenty-one months, including six months for seasoning : the other advantages arising from the adoption of this plan, nre that of i^'ving a ship's frame an equal degree of seasoning, which was heretofore unavoidably composed of a mixture of seasoned and unseasoned materials, bj whicu the timber in the same ship had different periods of durability, and ilic!* which was seasoned was affected liy tlT.f, wf>!ch was in a green state, thereby occasioning rapid decay. — ^The importance of this ce COMMANDERS. 307 f>1ah \vas 80 obvious that it has been generally introduced in His Majesty's dock-yards, by order of the Navy Board, dated let January, 1808. "That your Royal Hinthness's memorialist, on the 28th May, 1807* proposed a plan to build round bows to ships of the line, which gives great additional strength to the ship, more convenience and comfort to the crew, and security in time of aciion. The superiority of this plan was so apparent that it has been generally introduced in His Majesty's navy, by directions from the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, dated 29th May, 1811. " That your Royal Highness's memorialist, in the early part of the year 1800, partially introduced a plan of laying materials diagonally in His Majesty's ship Glenmore of 36 guns; and on the 19th May, 1805, pro- posed a similar introduction of materials in the Kent of 7^ guns, in conse- quence of her extraordinary defects arising from weakness, of which the Navy Board approved by their warrant dated 4th June, 1805. " The advantages which resulted from a partial introduction of the diagonal system induced your Royal Highness's memorialist, on the oth February, 1810, to propose that it should be fully carried into effect in the construction and repairs of His Majesty's ships, which has lieen the cause of a total change in our national bulwark, by the introduction of a diagonal trussed frame, the filling in of the spaces between the timbers, below the orlop-deck with wood and cement, a new mode of attaching the beams to the sides, laying the decks diagonally, and by omitting a considerable quantity of materials hitherto unnecessarily or injudiciously applied : the furtherance of this plan, and the bringing it to maturity by furnishing drawings, rules, regulations, and by giving active personal inspection, have been the labor of nearly nineteen years, by which the health of your Royal Highness's memorialist has been much injured, and his domestic comforts much interfered with. — The results of this plan, generally introduced by directions of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, dated 29th Octo- ber, 1812, are, economy in the construction or repairs of His Majesty's ships, by a saving of a considerable quantity of scarce and valuable ti^iber, and substituting old ship-timber and new timber of inferior quality and lengths in its stead, which is peculiarly applicable to the new principle, and in many instances carried to a considerable extent. — It is difficult to uiak^ any calculation of the saving to the public by the increased durabilitt/ of the ships, and the saving of materials to a considerable amount, great strength (however) is obtained, and the health of their crews promoted (with regard to the latter, see Sir Gilbert Blane's " Treatise on the Health of the Navy"). All these have been proved by the severe trials to which several of the ships have been put, which have been constructed on this principle, and the success of which induced the Royal Society, in 1818, to honor your Royal Highness's memorialist with their gold medal. — The account of this new principle of ship-building is published in the "Trans- actions of the Royal Society," in 1814 and 1818. " That your Royal Highness's memorialist, on the 12th April, 1812, X 2 tl : Vii * ; ■ I ; r li H ) f H' 1 »*'l I ' 308 COMMANOEUS. proposed to construct a sheer-hulk for Ciiatham yard, with strait fir tim- her, preventing thereby the consumption of much valuable compass oak timber, and causing a considerable saving of expence. — ^The Lords Com- missioners of the Admiralty, hy their order dated Ist May, 1812, approved of this proposition being adopted, and the hulk has been found fully to answer the purposes for which it was constructed. " That from the great accumulation of small or frigates' timber in the several dock-yards, remarked l>y the Lords Commissioners of the Ad- miralty, on their visitation in the year 1813, your Royal Highness's me- morialist, on the 5th November of that year, proposed a plan for building ships of the line with timber hitherto considered applicable only to frigates, and applying that which was fit only for inferior uses to principal purposes; it also obviates the necessity of using compass timber for floors, transoms, &c. The expence of the frame of the Thunderer (now named Talavera) built on this principle by direction of the Lords Commissioners of the Ad- miralty, dated 2Sth February, 1814, and lately launched at Woolwich, is 900/. less than that of the Black Prince, a ship of similar dimensions, built on the Old principle. This method of connecting the timbers was the ground work of the present mode of framing the British navy, by introduc- ing the same union of materials in the ships built with large, that had been applied to small timber; and decreasing thereby, very considerably, the consumption of timber, and rendering the ships much stronger, as was ascertained by a trial of the frames of the before mentioned ships. " That your Royal Highness's memorialist, on the 25th April, 1815, proposed a plan for making top-masts by scarphing or lengthening the sticks l)e1ow the cap, and substituting those of less dimensions, conse- quently of much less value. These have, on trial, beeti found fully to an- swer the intended purpose, as appears by a letter from Sir Benjamin Hal- lowell to the Navy Board, dated 28th July, 1818, enclosing a re|>ort from the captain and carpenter of the Ramillies, dated the 24th of tlie same month, in which ship they have been in use upwards of three years, and Are still in a good state. The saving produced by the adoption of this pro- position, although considerable, is of little moment, in comparison with the inconvenience and delay before experienced for the want of the article, ivililch, in many instances, cuuld not be procured but with the greatest itifiiculty. The Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty directed the intro- duction of this plan on the 3d February, <819. f* That your Royal Highness's memorialist, on the /th June, 1816, pro- .^nsed a plan for the introduction of circular sterns to ships, whkh causes i'lgreat increase of strength, forms a mure extensive and efficient battery ia the stern for attack or defence, affords protc(*tion when raked, prevents in- jury from explosion in firing the gnus, gives a facility of working those ia the stern equal to those in the sides,— in fact renders that part of a ship .cnpuble of making resistance which was heretofore defenceless. In the went (if the ship lieing pooped, no evil can arise; and, if required, the ship COMMANDKUS. 309 may be moored by the stern. With these advantages the consumption of compass timber is decreased. The general intruduction of tbi» plan vms directed by order of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, dated 1 3th June, 1817. "That your Royal Highncss's memorialist, on the 17th July, 1816, proposed a new method of raising the lower masts of ships out of their steps, by means of a simple and portable apparatus of his invention, which requires only four men to raise a first rate's main-mast, instead of about ninety. The adoption of this method has rendered two sheer-hulks uime- cessary, one at Portsmouth, and one at Plymouth, which had been kept up at an annual expence of nearly 2,000/. It has also, by the removal of the hulk lying at Plymouth to Sheerness, where one was required, caused an immediate saving of 14,000/., the expence incurred in fitting the Sampson sheer-hulk at Woolwich ; and a similar sum would have been require^ to fit a sheer-hulk for Portsmouth, in lieu of the Neptune, which had been found so defective as to render it necessary to take her to pieces. In a series of years, tlus expence must again have been incurred (when from age or accident the hulks required replacing), which is now prevented. The risk and expence of moving either ship or hulk, which wa& before necessary, is avoided by this apparatus. The heels of the ma8t« (resting on a pig of ballast) can thus at all times be examined (instead of being lifted as heretofore trlennially, at a very considerable expence), and the decay occasioned by their being stepped in the mortices prevented. This causes a saving beyond calculation. This proposition was approved of by the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, 2d September, 1816. " That your Royal Highness's memorialist, on the 8th October, 1816, proposed a plan for mooring slups in Ordinary with chun slip bridles, which affords a more easy way of extricating the ships from their mooif> ings in case of fire, or the necessity of moving them, from any other cause, as well as removing a most injurious weight from their bows. It will also cause a saving in mooring ships in Ordinary of nearly one hftlf of the quantity of chain, amounting in value to not le^s than 10,000/.; and, from the frequent necessity of changing the hempen bridles (where used) by their rapid deterioration to prevent accidents to the ships, will occasion an annual saving of some thousands of pounds, " That your Royal Highness's memorialist, on the 27th January, 1817* presented & plan for substituting iron chain or rods for harbour rigging, in lieu of cordage, which on adoption has caused a very considerable saving of expence ; and a still further saving will be produced annually, by the durability of iron compared with that of rope. It also tends much to put a stop to extensive embezzlements. Its introduction was directed by the Navy Board's warrant, dated 5th February, 1817. " That your Royal Highness's memorialist, on the 5th September, 1817f proposed a plan for reducing the length of the timbers of a ship^s u^me^ and doing away the chocks at their heads and heels, which chqcks m ji 1 1 . r Itji n i-i i': I '{=f, ^- /t*V , 310 COMMANDERS. ' I 1} not only produce decay as it respects themselves, but infest the timbers with which they come in contact. The introduction by your Royal High- ness's memorialist, of coaks, and worlcing the timbers with square heads and heels, has given a strength and connection hitherto unknown until introduced in the frame of the Thunderer (now Talavera). The simplicity of the workmanship, and economy in the conversion of timber, although of considerable moment, are of trifling importance compared with the plan of rendering- timber generally more applicable to the frames of ships, \vhich heretofore was only partially so, and causing them to possess greater strength and durability. As a proof of the utility of the plan, two 28gun ships are now constructing solely of fir timber, which never was before done by any mode of framing, as considerable quantities of oak and elm timber were before introduced in the construction of what were termed fir frigates. This plan is generally introduced in all classes of Hia Ma* jesty's ships, by directions from the Lords Commissioners of the Admi- ralty, dated 4th February, 1818. " That your Royal Highness's memorialist, on the I5th January, 1819, proposed a plan for the introduction of iron laid diagonally, instead of wood> in frigates, which will cause considerable durability to the ships, and prevent the consumption of much useful timber. It wiU also give greater room for stowage, shorten the fastenings, and consequently give increased strength. This plan has been directed to be gtnei'ally intro- duced by order of the Lords Commissioners of the AdmiraltVf dated 23d January, 1819. " Your Royal Highness's memorialist was apprenticed in March 1782, to Sir John Henslow, late Surveyor of His Majesty's Navy, who was then Master Shipwright of Plymouth Yard ; and was at a considerable cxpence to his friends during that apprenticeslt'p ; and by regular grada- tions, after a service of more than thirty-one yea>'ii, arrived at the situation which he now fills, making at this time a servitude of thirty-seven years. Tliat your Royal Highness's memorialist has had no pecuniary or other advantage (except in one instance as herein stated) for the numerous inventions and improvements which are here detailed, and for others of minor consideration, which have been introduced in His Majesty'b naval service, notwithstanding such immense sums have been saved to the public by the adoption of the plans of your Royal Highness's memorialist, and On which Government have expended, and are expending, to the amount of some millions of money ; and that in point of fact he sacrificed comfort and gained no emolument (as stated by the Select Committee of Finance in their 6th Report, page 190 *), by leaving the situation of Master- * "While calling the attention of the House to this particular branch of scientific instruction, your Committee deem it their duty particularly to notice Mr. Seppings, one of the surveyors of the uavy, to whose abilities COMMANDBRS. 311 Shipwright of Chatham dock-yard, and accepting that of ' inr«yo ,■ «f Hi* Majesty's navy, and which he was induced to do only fron the iumtW* ^ ation that he would be empowered thereby to protect those plans whit • he had brought forward, and to introduce others for the good of His Mb- jeoty's service. Models, drawings, and descriptions of the several in- ventions herein detailed, are in the possession of your Royal Highness'a memorialist, which will more fully explain what he has endeavoured to describe. " Your Royal Highness's memorialist therefore prays that your Royat Highness will be pleased to take into consideration the many and im- portant services that he has rendered to his Country, with the heavy responsibility he incurred in carrying his plans into execution ; and that your Royal Highness will be graciously pleased to confer on him such reward as your Royal Highness may consider him deserving. (Signed) " R. Sbphngs.*' ^ l;il • '( )'^ JAMES MTARLAND, Esq. ,; Acted as signal-lieutenant of Lord Howe's flag-ship, the Queen Charlotte, at the memorable battle of June 1st, 1794; received his first commission soon after the return of the victorious fleet to Spithead ; subsequently served under Captain (now Sir William) Hotham, in the Lancaster 64, on the Cape of Good Hope station ; and was there appointed and exertions this country is mainly indebted for many of its most valua- ble improvements in Naval Architecture, the ingenious models of which have been submitted to the inspection of your Committee, with all the necessary explanations of their several uses and application. Your Com- mittee do not pretend to describe or appreciate with accuracy the value of these improvements, to estimate which to their full extent requires con- siderable professional experience. They are, however, fully convinced that the result of them will be to effectuate in the construction of ships of war, a great saving of expenditure to the public, and to secure « proporttoiMte economy of human life, arising from their superior durabi- lity and greater power of resistance to the elements, and to the casualtiet incidental to nautical life, which the modern system of keeping our fleeta at sea, at all seasons and in all weather, has rendered of the utmost im- portance. These services, although they have nothing of that brilliancy which forcibly attracts public admiration, will continue to confer a lasting benefit to the British Nation, long after that period, when the beneficial effects of victories, however splendid, shall have passed away." • vo'^ •> ■^ i t ;.c Htn i "1 ill ii'i Si f ^ II ^ if h i! I ih |v 318 COMMANDERS. acting commander of the Penguin sloops in June, IS02. He obtained his present rank on the 18th June, 1803, and was afterwards employed on the Sea-Fcncible sefvice* i *M- "'jli lU .>Jn.i t.-Ji-' » r ■; '» TERENCE O'NEILL, EsO. '"'^^ "' Is the son of an old naval officer, a branch of the O'Neills, of Shanes Castle, co. Antrim, Ireland. One of his grand- uncles was a Portuguese Field- Marshal, and another held the same rank in the Spanish army. This officer was born at Bristol, in, we believe, the year 1773 ; and towards the end of 1781, we find him joining the Magnificent 7^> Captain Robert Linzee, in which ship he was present at the battles between Rodney and De Grasse, April 9th and 12th, 1782 ; and also at the subsequent cap- ture of two French 64's, a frigate, and a corvette, in the Mona Passage^ by a squadron detached under the command of Rear-Admiral Sir Samuel Hood. On the former occasions, the Magnificent had six men kUIed, and eleven, including Captain Bagg, of the marines, wounded. Mr. O'Neill next joined the Shrewsbury 7^» Captain (now Sir Isaac) Coffin, and had the honor of serving on the Ja- maica station at the period when his present Majesty \^as there in the subordinate capacity of midshipman. At the commencement of the French revolutionary war, he was received on bo^urd the Britannia, first rate, bearing the flag pf Vice-Admiral (afterwards Lord) Hotham, by whom he was appointed a lieutenant of la Censeur, French prize 74, in March, 1795. During the siege of St. Lucia, by the fortes under Sirs Hugh C. Christian and Ralph Abercrombie, he CQmmanded a prize-schooner, of 1() guns, taken by the Aetpsea frigate, and named after the latter officer. On the reduction of that island he returned to the Astrsea, in which ship he had proceeded from England to the West Indies, and ' Hi ivhith he subsequently served, under the command of Captain (npw,yiee-Admi^^^ the North Sea station^gj^ •tf^h ov (ll- IVi aji.U'Jui. »»>t ;.1 COMMANDBR8. 313 On tlie 27th April, 1797* the Albion, two'-decker, Qiiptam Henry Snvage, having been wrecked on the Middle Siindy iih the Swin Channel, the Astrsea was sent from the Note to assist in saving her stores ; on which occasion the boats of the frigate were placed under the directions of Lieutenant O'Neill, who, in the course of thirty>six hours, succeeded in removing all her bent and spare sails, running rigging, and every o»ther portable article, amounting altogether in value to upwaraa of £\0fiO0 ; nor were his exertions discontinued until a gale of wind obliged the AstrsBa to cut and run, the Albion at the same time falling to pieces. I In June following, having previously assisted in rescuing the Astrfea from the mutinous fleet at the Nore, Lieutenant 0'N«ill addressed himself to Admiral Duncan as follows t — *'^slraa, off the Texel, 27th Jtine^ I797y ^l*** Sir, — it appiearing practicable to me to burn the transports Abw lyingf in the Texel, I beg leave to offer myself as a candidate for that ikr* vice.-- J have the honor to be, with great respect, &i'. , ucjj ■j( (' r -, ; ., (Signed) " Tkeencb O'Nwll.** " Sir, — Should the subject of the letter In which this is entldsed mieet your approbation, 1 most respectfully beg leave to point out the plan which^ to me would appear most practicable ; but any other you may tbink necessary I shall use my utmost exertions to execute, should you be pleased to honor me with your commands. " From the number of galliots passing and repassing, a vessel of that description would be least liable to suspicion ; therefore, if one is obtained and fitted up as a fire>ve88et, with so much secrecy as to prtVetit the enemy having any knowledge of it, and being seen off and on the' Texel the evening preceding the night of the attempt^ under Danish (if oecessary to hoist any) colours, apparently endeavouring to get in, she would, I think, pass without any particular notice, and consequently be enabled to efTectually perform the proposed service : the Dutch transports being moored together so thicli that they cannot easily separate themselves. " I further beg leave to observe, that I cannot suppose we- shall l)e challenged until nearly abreast of the transports; and if we are then unable to proceed without molestation, we must dash boldly oni (>at, from the short distance between the fort and the transports, I may r«a. sonably hope to get the vessel laid in the best situation circumstances will admit of, and to set her on fire, before the enemy will be enabled to judge our intentions : nor can they well fire at us, as we shall l>e )ti i'H&e , ) 314 COMMANDERS. between skips and batteries ; and before they shall have recovered from their surprise and confu&ion, I hope we may be able to escape. To effect this, I would request a good rowing boat, with stout fellows, well armed» and any vessel you may be pleased to appoint to pick us up, and to pro- tect us from pursuers. But above all, I beg leave to observe, it will be absolutely necessary to have a good pilot, to enable us to go in with safety ; our escape we can effect in any direction, unless very bad wea- ther. I have the honor to be, &c. ,1 r (Signed) "Tkuknce 0'Nbh.Ii, Lieut." ** To Admiral Duncan, Sfc" Although not permitted to attempt the destruction of the Gallo-Batavian transports, then collected for the invasion of Great Britain, Lieutenant O'Neill was warmly applauded for his zeal, and afterwards employed by the heroic Duncan in many services of a confidential nature. On the 10th July, 1797, he was sent with a flag of truce to Admiral De Winter, and it being found necessary for him to remain at the TeiKel until a message could be received from the Hague, he con- trived to obtain some valuable information, which again obtained him official commendation. On the 30th April, 1798, he was appointed by Earl Spencer to command the Cobourg hired cutter, of 210 tons, 16 guns, and 60 men ; and on the Ist Feb. in the ensuing year, he captured the FI'!shinger, Dutch privateer, commanded by the captain of a frigate. Whilst serving in the Cobourg, which vessel was latterly brig-rigged, Lieutenant O'Neill paid frequent visits to the Texel, with messages from his commander-in-chief, and on every occasion acquitted himself so as to obtain general commendation. So highly pleased were the Dutch autho- rities with his gentlemanly and officer-like demeanour, that on one occasion, when very short of provisions, he received an abundant supply from those whom, in the performance of his public duty, he was strenuously exerting himself to annoy, and which present was accompanied by the following note : — , " On board the tVashir.gton, \Ath Aug. 1799. *' Commodore Capelle takes the liberty to send these few refreshments, an • some meat and vegetables, to the disposition of the commanding officer of H. B. M. cruising cutter the Cobourg, and hopes that Lieu- COMMANDERS. 315 tenant O'Neill will accept them, with the assurance of the Commodore's best respects." In the course of the ensuing month, Earl Spencer's private secretary wrote to Lieutenant O'Neill as follows : — " Sir,— Lord Spencer, in answer to your letter of the 1 0th instant, has directed me to say, that your conduct has been very satisfactory; and that, by-and-by, his lordship hopes to have an opportunity of promoting you : but he cannot do it at present. I return Commodore Capelle's note, and am. Sir, &c. (Signed) " R. Martin." About this period, an agreement was entered into between the hostile powers, that the fishing vessels of England and Holland should be allowed to pursue their avocations, within certain limits, unmolested. iV complaint of an infraction of this agreement having been forwarded to Lord Duncan, then at Yarmouth, the commander of the Cobourg was immedi- ately despatched, vested with discretionary authority, to take cognizance of the affair. On the 25th Mar. 1800, we find him addressing the senior naval officer at the Texel as fol- lows :— " I have been directed by my admiral to inform you, that the British fishing vessels have been chased and disturbed in his district by a cutter presumed to be a Dutch privateer. I am therefore commanded to acquaint you that, if enquiry be not made into the same, and satisfactory and im- mediate redress given, he will not permit fishing vessels to come out of any port in Holland. I have the honor to be, &c. (Signed) " Terence O'Neill." In answer to this intimation, Admiral De Winter and his locum tenens at the Texel both wrote to Mr. O'Neill, ac- quainting him that the offence had been committed by a French privateer, over which they could not possibly have any control. In addition to the foregoing services, this active officer ob- tained information which led to the capture of two Dutch men-of-war by the Sirius frigate. Captain (now Sir Richard) King ; an event which, owing to the hitherto improper repre sentation thereof, we shall hereafter more fully notice. Ou the 25th April 1800, Lieutenant O'Neill received the follow- ing satisfactory announcement: — t ■ i- % I iti 'A' i I I i 11 i r -tj .1 '1(1 316 COMMANPBRS. " Lord Spencer has directed me to inforin you, that you are appointed to the Tromp *, with the rank of master and commander. I am. Sir, &c. (Signed) " Johm Harrison." The Tromp was destined to be converted into a prison- ship, and stationed at one of the Leeward Islands, the com- mander-in-chief on which station received instructions from the Admiralty to place Captain O^Neill in the way of further promotion. Lord Hugh Seymour, however, the officer to whom we have now occasion to allude, was under the neces- sity of suddenly proceeding to Jamaica, and unfortunately neglected to inform his successor, the late Sir John T. Duck- worth, of Earl Spencer's favorable intentions. In conse- quence thereof. Captain O'Neill, after burying most of his officers, and nearly one-half of his crew, found himself under the necessity of returning home, at his own expence, pas- senger on board a transport ; the Tromp having been placed, as was originally intended, mider the command of a lieutenant. This most mortifying disappointment produced the following communication from Earl Spencer, then no longer in office :•— ^^ . . " St. James's Place, 3\st Oct. 1801. " Sir, — I am very sorry that my delay in answering your letter of the 1 3th instant, which arose from the accidental circumstance cf my having moved about very much in the country since I received it, should hav^ given you the trouble of writing again, and occasion to suppose my silence w^a owing to some other cause. " I have no hesitation in repeating to you what I said in my last letter, that I think your case peculiarly hard. My only motive for giving you promotion, was the very active manner in which you had on several occa- sions distinguished yourself, in the North Sea and on the coast of Holland, during the war; which had obtained you repeatedly the strongest expres- sions of approbation from Lord Duncan and other your superior officers. Your appointment to the Tromp was under the expectation of your being able, on your arrival in the West Indies, to get removed to some more active situation, which would have given you an opportunity of further distinguishing yourself, though by some untoward accidents, in which ydu hi»d no share, it proved of serious disadvantage and inconvenience to 'ydii ; and after your return home, 1 fully intended to have availed myself df the earliest opportunity that might present itself, consistently with bther very pressing engagements, to put you again into active service, in "I I' • A Dutch 50, armed enflHte. )\i.''i'«J Jilf J(<;j! COMMANDERS. 317 » ' " ■ ^. order to make you some amends for your disappointment. I have no ob- jection to your makins^ any use you please uf this letter, if you think that my testimony to the above circumstances can be of any service to you." In April 1802, an extensive promotion took place, but the subject of this memoir was not included. He consequently made another appeal to Earl Spencer, and received the fol- lowing answer : — " St. James's Place, 27 ih May, 1802. " vSir, — I am concerned to find you have not been included in the late naval promotion, and be^ you will not suppose that any thing in your former letters has given me the least offence, or caused any other impres- sion than that of regret. I was so circumstanced as not to have it in my power to be of use to you on the occasion. (Signed) " Spencer." On application to the Earl of St. Vincent, he was, Mar. 12th, 1803, appointed regulating captain of the impress ser- vice at Poole, with permission to select his own lieutenants. Soon after his arrival there, he had occasion to counteract >various attempts to bring that ever unpopular service (which -liad been in a manner forced upon him) into still greater dis- repute. In the month of May following, he received a letter from the Earl's private secretary, acquainting him that the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty were well satisfied with his conduct, *' and that it would not fail to operate in his favor." He also received the following letter from one of the members for Poole, whose son he had obliged to apo- logize for soir e intemperale conduct : — 1,1,,. • ( (,(( " London, 0th May, 1803. " Sir, — In addition to many reasons you have before given me to approve the equally liberal and spirited manner iu which you have exerted yourself to discharge the painful duties of the impress service at Poole, I beg leave to add my acknowledgments for your recent conduct towards the crew of the ship Industry. 1 do not wish to weaken those sentiments in your opinion, and I assure you they have not been lessened in mine by Bny extraneous circumstaitccs which arose relative to that ship, and which, although matter of regret, can never be to you or me subject of reproach. But if any thing relative thereto, which in the slightest or most remote degree implicates the character of my son, has been mentioned to the Ad- miralty, if it be not making an impr(>j)cr request, I beg the favor of a cor. rect copy thereof; and with respectful complinients to Mrs. O'Neill, I have the honor to remain, &c. ,^ ^j , (Signed) ' " Gi:o. Cauland, M.P." \4' I,:- i.Ai^ i f '-'3 ni \ t'> ir il : i i I ■ f • M 318 COMMANDERS. On the 7th June following, Captain O'Neill was appointed to the command of the Nimrod 18, then the finest and most handsome ship-sloop in the British navy ; and on his appli- cation she was armed with 24 instead of 18~ponnder curron- ades, and her complement increased from 86 to 121 men. Whilst employed in this vessel, with the Sea Gull sloop and two revenue cruisers under his orders, on the Mount's Bay station, he was informed that some improper reports respect- ing him were in circulation at Poole, upon which he directed his informant to stick up in the town-hall a paper, wherein he dared the corporation and inhabitants, both generally and individually, to openly exhibit and substantiate any charges disreputable either to his private or public character. The result of this challenge was thus officially communicated to him : — " Poole, 6th December, 1803. " Sir, — Mr. Strong has communicated to me the subject of your letter lately addressed to him, and lean truly say, that my astonishment was only equalled by my indignation at the infamous insinuations which have been made to you respecting the intentions of the merchants of this place. " I consider it a duty incumbent on me, and an act of justice due to them, to deny the truth of it in the most positive and unequivocal terms ; and to pledge myself, that either individually or collectively, they have never, in the most distant manner, entertained so ungenerous an idea. Be assured. Sir, that they are as incapable of the meanness imputed to them, as thet/ are satisfied that you are of any action unbecoming of an officer and a gentleman. I trust that you will think it a piece of justice due to them to trace, if possible, this malignant report, which I am satisfied will be found to have its origin in malevolence, that has perhaps equally for its object the merchants of Puole and yourself. I am. Sir, &c. (Signed) *• Mark Street, Mayor." About the same period. Captain O'Neill received the thanks of the Admiralty, for communicating to their lordships his ideas on the subject of a new code of signals. In July 1804, he felt himself obliged, in consequence of suffering most se- verely from sea-sickness in bad weather, occasioned, we are told, by the effects of an attack of brain-fever in early life, to resign the command of the Nimrod. That he was not a vo- luntary seceder from the service of his country, at so momen- tous a period, will be seen by the following document :-> COMMANDERS. 319 " Admiralty, 29th July, 1804. " Sir, — I have received your letter, and herewith return the enclosures transmitted therein. I have perused the memurial you addressed to the Board, and, in consequence of the circumstances stated therein, I shall be glad, when ray arran/;![ements will admit of it, to give you some suitable employment. I am, &c. (Signed) " Melville." On the 14th Oct. 1804, Captain O'Neill was appointed to a command in the Kinsale district of Sea-Fencibles ; and on the 15th Dec. in the same year, the following communication was addressed to his senior officer : ** Sir,— -Having laid before my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty your letter of the 9th instant, inclosing one from Captain O'Neill, request- ing that the Sea-Fencibles under his command may be paid for the assist- ance they rendered to the crew of a vessel which was wrecked within his district, I am commanded by their lordships to ac<|uaint you, that as Cap* tain O'Neill states he has pledged himself for the payment of this charge, they are pleased to allow it, being satisfied mth his motives for incurring it. But although the conduct of the persons who exerted themselves on this occasion, in saving the lives and property of their fellow creatures, is highly meritorious, it has no relation to the service for which they were enrolled, and the^precedent, if followed in all other parts where Sea-Fenci- bles an; established, would occasion a very heavy expence to the public. I am, Sir, &c. (Signed) " William Marsden." " To Captain Samuel Campbell Rowley, S. F., Kinsale." In Nov. 1805, having the chief command during Captain Rowley's absence on leave, and reading the account of Nel- son's victory and death, Captain O'Neill instantly called out his men, proposed to them to subscribe one day's pay for the widows and children of the slain, advanced the amount, 42/. 12*. Td.) out of his own pocket, and immediately trans- mitted it to Rear-Admirul WoUeley, superintendant for the levy of seamen in Ireland. In addition to his setting this ex- ample to other naval officers in Ireland, he influenced M ajor- General Champaigne and the forces under his command to promise to subscribe their pittance, if leave could be obtained from head-quarters. If he had carried his point, this would not only have been the tneans of raising a very large sum for the present, but would also have established a precedent for similar united-service subscriptions on every future occasion. Jealousy, however, caused cold water to be thrown on the I \ (St M 320 COMMANDERS. J, project ; and it was even intimated to Captain O'Neill, by a high naval personage, that to propose such a thing officially would appear like dictating to the army. In the ensuing sum- mer he saved the crew and cargo of a vessel laden on Govern- ment account, which service was thus acknowledged : •* Nttty Office, July 8th, 1806. " Sir,— We approve of the award you have made to the different persons employed in saving the stores out of the Mary sloop, and you may draw upon us for the amount. We very mucli approve of the zeal and exertions you have manifested, not only in saving the stores, but in making the award to the several persons concerned. We are, &c. (Signed) " S. Gambier. " F. J. Hartwbll. " E. BOUVERIE." •♦ To Captain O'Neill, Kinsale," This active and zealous officer was subsequently removed to the Bunowen district, county Galway, where he remained until the general breaking up of the Sea-Fencible establish- ments, in J 810. He married, first, in June 17^) a Miss Stuart, by whom he had three sons, viz. Charles Stuart O'Neill, the eldest, born on board the Tromp, off Madeira ; served sixteen years as midshipman and master's-mate } obtained most handsome certificates of superior talent and merit, from all his captains, together with strong recommendations for promotion, " as one who would do honor and credit to the service ;" and died in command of the Cochin schooner, of 14 guns, tender to the flag-ship of Rear-Admiral Gage, on the East India station : the second son is married to a lady of fortune at Dublin ; the youngest died at Scilly. Cap- tain O'Neill married, secondly, Helena, eldest daughter of John Burke, of Derrymacloughney Castle, co. Galway, Esq. (one of the most ancient and respectable families in Ire- land), and relict of Andrew French, of Rahoon, in the same county, Esq. r ^ '''{'/ V^A 1 ' COMMANDERS. y 321 •1 . '" r; • .f<^ ' ' ROBERT PETTET, Esq. Was made a lieutenant in 1794 ; and promoted to the command of the T ; .. „ ,,^ ,*' Conceiving it of importance that H. M. Ministers should be made acquainted as soon as possible with the recapture of this island, I lidve purchased a small brig, and sent my first lieutenant, Mr. Charles Pickford, an intelligent and deserving officer, to England, who will have the honor, to present my despatches ; and I beg leave to recommend him in the strongest manner to their lordships' favor." Mr. Pickford landed at Portsmouth on the 26th April, VOL. 111. PART II. Y •A ; < fH '.;. Mil \- "a ■ ;!i, 322 COMMANDKRS. 1904, and was, next day, promoted to the command of the Discovery bomb. In 1809, he commanded the Glommen sloop, on the West India station. JOHN SMYTH, Esq. Odtainkd a lieutenant's commission in 1800, and his present rank on the 4th May, 1804. THOMAS MAYNARD, Esq. Was made a lieutenant in 1796, and commander on the 12th Jan. 1805. U ^ \\Tc^^\ I^O'J JAMES GRANT, Esq. In 1800 and the two following years, this officer, then a lieutenant, commanded the Lady Nelson, alias " His Ma- jesty's Tinder- Box," a brig of only 60 tons burthen, fitted with sliding keels, and employed on a voyage of discovery in the southern hemisphere. The published narrative of his proceedings includes remarks on the Cape Verd Islands, the Cape of Good Hope, and that part of New Holland opposite to Van Diemen's Land ; various details of his interviews with the natives of New South Wales ; observations on the soil, natural productions, &c. of that country ; an account of the then state of Falkland Islands ; observations on the origin and utility of sliding keels, &c. 8cc. He obtained his present rank on the 12th Jan. L805 ; and a pension for wounds received in action M'ith the enemy, the present amount of which is ^150 per annum, Jan. 23d, 1806. We subse- quently find him commanding the Raven and Thracian, sloops. M COMMANDERS. 323 WILLIAM LAYMAN, Esq. In answer to a circular letter from the Admiralty, dated July 30th, 1817, this officer wrote as follows : — " When master's-mats of the Myrmidon, I did, at the ajje of seventeen years, scuttle the lower-deck In a very heavy {i^ale of wind, to which mea- sure was attributed the preservation of the ship. When paid off, after having been four years in tlie Myrmidon, I received the strongest testi- mony as to the execution of my duty, witli a recommendation to Captain Brown, slating that I should be found * a great acquisition on board tlie Amphion.' The manner of ray performing my duty in tliat ship will speak for itself; the Duke of Clarence, when commanding the Pegasus, in the West Indies, having twice applied for me : but Captain Brown declined his assent, and did not afterwards, when I was seized with fever (from my exertions in heaving down the ship, after both lieutenants had died at Jamaica), acquiesce in my leaving tlie ship, until the medical men represented that a change of climate was the only chance to save my life. In consequence of the report of the Commissioners of Woods, Forests, &c. published in 1/92, stating, ' Such is the present state of the growing timber, and the prospect of future supply, that this country will, in all probai)ility, experience a fatal want uf great oak timber, and become dependent on other powers for the means of supporting her navy,' I was induced to pay the most unremitting attention to the resources of our Eastern possessions for naval purposes ; and upon which subject I sub- mitted some suggestions to H. M. Ministers, in 1797 : these were well received." In 1800, Mr. Layman was promoted to the rank of lieu- tenant ; on which occasion he made an application to the Earl of St. Vincent, which was thus replied to : — " I desired Captain Grey to assure you, that I should be happy to have you in the ship with me; and, if there is nothing to detain you longer ashore, by shewing this letter to the captain of any ship of war under my orders, coming to this rendezvous" (before Brest), " you will be sure to receive all the attention due to your character, and the very laudable zeal wluck inspires you to serve under the auspices of (Signed) " St. Vincent." On joining the Earl's flag-ship, Lieutenant Layman pre- sented to his Lordship a plan for building a ship of the line and a frigate annually at Bombay, which was soon afterwards ordered to be carried into execution. He also suggested, Y 2 <' i* I \i\ ■m m. .^. 324 COMMANDERS. f during the scarcity in 1800, the propriety of restricting ships bound to India from carrying out superfluous bread iind stores ; which proposal met with great attention, and was acted upon. Shortly before the battle of Copenhagen, being then a lieutenant of Nelson's flag-ship, he thus ad- dressed that great hero : — " My Lonl, — I heg leave to request, tliat in the event of boat duty, for cither I)oanling, towing off the enemy's tire- ships, carrying down our own, or any other particular service, your lordship will do me the favor of employment. And as the best concerted plans often miscarry, from one man being made to depend en another, should the nature of the service require hut one lieutenant, and I have the honor of being engaged in the undertaking, it will be an additional favor conferred on, my Lord, your most obedient, &c. (Signed) •' W. Layman." The high opinion entertained of his conduct on the me- morable 2d April, 1801, will be seen by the following tes- timonials : — "Merlon, Surrey, March \st, 1802. " My dear Sir, — I have been favored with your letter, requesting I would state the nature of the services you had been employed in from the St. George. *• That you were always ready to go on every service I am sure ; for the only favor you ever asked of me was, to be sent on all services of dan- ger and difficulties, and I always understood you acquitted yourself as an able officer and seaman. You were in the Isis at the battle of Copenhagen, and Captain Walker gave me a high character of the conduct of the officers and men of the St. George. Believe me to be fully sensible of all your merits; and I have no scruple in saying, that if your interest does not get you promoted, at any future time when I may be employed, I shall be happy iu receiving you; for I am your sincere friend. (Signed) " Nelson & Bronte.** To Lieutenant Layman'* " Charles Street, St. James's, May 26th, 1802. " Sir, — r do not hesitate to state it as my opinion and firm belief, that very important services were rendered by you on the 2d of April last year, on board H. M. S. Isis, during the action off Copenhagen. I may venture too, with less presumption, to give this opinion to the world, when I ac- company it l)y Captain Walker's avowal of the fact, and the general ad- miration of your conduct on the occasion, evinced by the officers and men of my regiment, who were so fortunate as to be under Captain Walker's command, and employed with you on the Isis's lower-deck, at that period COMMANDERS. 325 of the battle when, from five puns only workinp, you, by great exertions, manned and replaced the whole of the larboard battery, and that under a fire from the enemy, which the state of the Isis, after the enpatrement, fully bore testimony to the weight of. Not having been on board the same ship with you on that memoraI)le day, I have only to state my firm reliance on the accuracy of every degree of honor which was attributed to you ; and, after having heard hut one general opinion in the Bailie fleet on the subject, it is with regret, as well as surprise, that I now learn, from your letter, that the noble lord at the head of the Admiralty considers your ser- vices, which were great as well as voluntary on the occasion in question, aa but of small importance. My information, as well as the general opinion at the above period, must have widely erred, if such a subsequent review of your conduct can now prove to be a correct one, or what is merited by you. With every expression of wish for your future success in your pro* fession, I beg leave to subscribe myself, &c. (Signed) " W. Stewart *." During the peace of Amiens, notice having been given in the House of Commons, by Mr. Canning, of an intended mo- tion respecting the cultivation of Trinidad, Lieutenant Lay- man submitted to His Majesty's Ministers that the most effectual manner of doing away with the slave-trade would he to introduce the skill and industry of free labourers, toge- ther with the valuable productions of the East, into the West Indies ; and at the same time he proposed the establishment of Cliinese husbandmen in the island of Ceylon. Both of these suggestions were considered deserving of adoption, aa shewn in the following letters :— " N. M. S. Centaur, Sept 37, 1806. *' Sir, — I have to acknowledge the receipt of your letter, on the subject of a plan you submitted to Government in 18(12, for the cultivation of Trinidad, which was referred by the Secretary of State to the Commis- sioners for that island, and in consequence of which you met us by ap- pointment at the Treasury, and were informed by the Right Hon. John Sullivan, then Under Secretary of State, that the execution of the measure only wailed an official report of the Commissioners. The termination of the commission, owing to the disagreement between Colonels FuUerton and Picton, certainly prevented the report; and as you state it is unknown to his ftlajesty's present Ministers in whom the idea first originated, I have ■ t '^ J ♦ Commander of the land forces employed in the expedition against the Northern Confedenicv. i( J\ 326 COMMANDERS. Its • I'M" :li ••• IH great picasuie in telling you, I always understood the plan of introducing Chinese into the West Indies was first suggested by you, whilst I was one of the said Commissioners; and I must. Sir, do you the justice to say, I never heard of any otlier person having proposed such a measure. Yours, &c. (Signed) " Samuel Hood, Commodore." " October \st, 1810. " Dear Layman, — My brotlier, who has lately returned from Ceylon, tells me, that upon his arrival there he was surprised to find the ship sur- rounded by boats, loaded with vegetables of all kinds, for sale at moderate prices, and particularly so, as on a former voyage not a cabbage or pump- kin could be procured. On inquiry, it appeared that this circumstance was owing to the industry of the Chinese. General Maitland, the governor, being desirous of having a large morass cleared and drained, had some time before applied to some of the natives of Ceylon, who had given in an esti- mate of tlie expcnce and time within which they would undertake, with 100 men, to complete it. The general, not satisfied with this, applied to some Chinese, and having agreed to give them the produce of the soil for a certain number of years, twenty-five of them cleared and drained the morass, and converted it into a productive garden, in less time than the ONE HUNDRED natives had proposed. " My brother went over the garden with the governor, and nothing could be more complete. The Chinese had fenced it, and built houses ; had divided it into different allotments among themselves, and, by turns, guarded it by night. They were peaceable and orderly to a degree ; they worked in the gardens, and the women regularly took the produce to market for sale. " I have thought this would be interesting to you, knowing what your mind is employed upon. I talked to my brother about introducing Chinese into the West Indies, and he has no doubt it would answer. His ideas of their indefatigable industry, agricultural talents, and disposition to emi- grate, are precisely the same as yours. General Maitland is encouraging them to make sugar in Ceylon, which is in some progress. I am, dear Layman, your's sincerely, (Signed) " William Le Blanc *.'* On the 28th May 1803, Lieutenant Layman, then again serving under Nelson, was appointed prize-master of I'Am- buscade 32, in which ship he captured two of the enemy's merchant vessels, whilst on his passage to Gibraltar. In October following, he was promoted to the command of the Weazle sloop; and on the 6th Mar. 1804, the following * See Nav. Chron. xxxvii, 452-^iSB. f-i IN ting jonc Jrs. COMMANDERS. 327 address in his favor, signed by all the principal merchants and inhabitants of the above rock, was presented to Lieu- tenant-Governor Sir Thomas Trigge : — " We, the undersigned merchants and traders residing at Gibraltar, con- ceive, with sincere concern, that the late loss of 11. M. S. VVeazle, com- manded I>y (Japtain Layman, will materially aflFect the security of our trade, unless early remedied. Having witnessed and felt (he lienctit result- ing from the extraordinary and unremitted exertions of Captain Layman, in keeping the Straits free from French privateers, which ha»' so long been destructive to the trade of this port ; and as few or none of these cruisers have of late dared to venture into the Gut, it is beyond comparison a proof how fully the Weazle performed the service on which she was employed. We, therefore, sincerely lament that the late boisterous and thick foggy weather has for the present deprived us of Captain Layman's exertions and skill, by the loss of the said vessel on the rocks off Cabritta Point. Being persuaded that no man is more capable of supporting and protecting the trade passing the Straits, and convoying the supplies to this place, from his constant study and knowledge of the different bays and inlets, as well on the neighbouring coasts of Spain as those of Barbary, we shall be exceedingly obliged, if your Excellency will do us the favor strongly to recommend to Lord Nelson, that Captain Layman, his officers, and crew, may be appointed to a vessel of force suitable to support and protect us, in the manner they have hitherto done, not only to our satisfaction, but to the benefit of the public in general. We shall feel highly gratified if your Excellency will second our wishes, by a statement to Lord Nelson of the advantages we have experienced during the time Captain Layman has been on this station, as well as of the necessity of having a suitable vessel stationed in the Gut; and we beg that, if necessary, his Lordship will have the goodness to represent this our petition to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty." On the 2d of the follovring month, Nelson, then unaware of the disaster which had befallen his protege, wrote to a mutual friend as follows : — *' I hope the Admiralty will confirm Layman ; for he is not only attached to me, but is indeed a very active officer. It was his venturing to know more about India than Troubridge did, that made them look shy upon him ; — his tongue runs too fast. I oftcu tell him neither to talk nor write so much." In the course of the same vear, Commander Layman was appointed to the Raven sloop, of which vessel the following mention is made in a work entitled " Elements and Practice of Naval Architecture :'* — i J i. ■! f- rf 328 COMMANDERS. if.; ' ' ■ ■■'■11 " The Raven upon being fitted for sea, at Woolwich, under the direction of her very active and ingenious comniandor, liad, ngreeal)Ie to his rcconi- inendiition, among other alterations, the two foremost ports closed up, and the guns taken away. In lieu of them was fitted a. lid-ships, imme- diately before the fore-mast, a r)8-p«)under carroiiade, upon a traverse car- riage, so as to fire clear of the gunwale, in almost every directioii ; and, iti lieu of the two stern-chasers, a similar carronade was mounted abaft. The wonderful accession of force derived from these alterations, and the great advantages to be derived from them in chase, in clearing an enemy's coast, &c. are too obvious to need a comment." In Feb. 1805, Commander Layman, then a prisoner-of- war at Puerto-Santa-Maria, near Cadiz, made the following report to Lord Nelson : — " It is my painful duty to narrate to your lordship an event as grievous as unexpecteil ; for having quitted England on the 21st instant, in com- mand of H. M. sloop Raven, charged with despatches for Sir John Ordc and your lordship, with directions to put myself under your orders, I arrived at the rendezvous of Sir John Orde's squadron, from two to ten leagues off Cadiz, on the 28th, with a fresh breeze from the westward, when not see- ing any thing of the squadron, I reduced the sail from whole to treble- reefed topsail, and hove-to at 9 p. m. ; a few minutes before 10 o'clock, I went upon deck to look round, and desired the lead to be hove ; and on the officer of the watch reporting there was not any soundings with 80 fathoms of line, I delivered the following order in writing : — 'Memorandum. — Januan/ 2Sth, 1805. ' With the wind westerly lye-to with head to the southward till 4 A. m. and then to the northward ; keeping the lead going every half hour, and acquaint me if there are soundings, or any alterations. (Signed) * W. Layman.' " I then retired to my cot, and about 12 o'clock was called by the officer of the watch, and acquainted that he saw the lights of the squadron ; but before I could get on my things, the officer came down the ladder, and said they were the lights at Cadiz ; at this time he appeared ti> me flurried. I instantly went on deck, veered ship, and hove the lead ; had ten fathoms the first cast, but only five before the vessel was round, and we veered on each tack as the water shoaled ; for the night being dark, with heavy rain, and the alarm frequently given of rocks and shoals, it was impossible to anchor, or see our way out till day-light; when I must beg of our lordship to judge of my feelings, in finding we were within the enemy's ships of war at anchor ofi' Cadiz on one side, as well as the batteries and Fort Santa Catalina on the other, with the wind then blowing strong from the westward, and a very heavy swell ; but I was determined the Raven should not be tamely surreudered, and by a press uf sail not only cleared tho enemy's vessel gi and cries 10 o'cio when th vessel d of the g us; but were re the win( dark ni^ and cal end upc lence both, shortly Ii COMMANDERS. 329 enemy's fort and I)atterie8, but the ships and gun-hoats ; l)y carrying the vessel gunwale under, I heat her over tlic slioals, notwitlistaiiding the fears and cries of nmny of the crew, amongst w/ioin wis (lie boatswain ; and liy 10 o'clock was to windward of San Sebastian, and laying up W, S. W. when the main-yard broke in the slings. From this serious accident, the vessel driving fast to leeward, obliged us to anclior on the Rota siyard, and were ready to make sail, for which we anxiously waited an opportunity, the wind having increased to a very heavy gale, with a tremendous sea, dark night, and heavy rain. As the vessel at first drifted with one anchor and cable down, we were now riding by two anchors and two cables in end upon each ; but it was impossible for them to long withstand the . io- lence of the wind and sea, and with one tremendous surge she parted from both. Sail was instantly set, and a last attempt mai!e to work out $ but shortly after she struck, when the despatches, signals, and all other papers of consequence, were thrown overboard by me, with two 3l21b. shot, and some lead, to sink them, as it appeared now impossible to save the vessel, which was completely at the mercy of the wind, and heavy rolling ground- swell ; as, however, the flood-tide and indraught was setting strong, the close-reefed fore-top-sail was set on the cap ; she was kept athwart the tide and swell, until a-breast a bight near Fort St. Catalina, by which the lives of all the people were saved except two, and even those wouhl not Lave been drowned, had they not (piitted the vessel contrary to my positive orders : for the gale being at its greatest height at the top of high water, when the vessel went on shore, and bilged in three places ; she laid com- paratively (|uiet as the tide receded; and as the wind had lulled consider- ably by low water, when the inner and heeling side was left dry, the people were enabled to land on a sandy beach. " After getting on shore, Iconceiveil it necessary, from the circumstance of being prisoners, that inquiry should be mat/e, whether the orders I gave had been complied with ; and it appears, from the declaration of the ijiiwter- master at the conn, man at the wheel, boatswain's mate of the watch, Sfc. that the lead had not been hove from the time I quitted the deck, and that when the lights were seen, the ofBcer of the watch was below, and not then sober. Should the evidence of these people at the court martial correspond with their deposition so recently after, when the events are so fresh in their memory, I shall have to lament that an officer whom on former service I have had occasion to commend for his vigilance, should, from neglect, have been the cause of so fine a vessel being wrecked, " Of my own conduct on this trying occasion, it would be presumptuous in me, my Lord, to speak ; but in this afllictivu event, it is the greatest consolation, from the praise you have been pleased to give me, that on this occasion, when the eyes of all Cadiz were spectators, I have received the most honorable testimony from the very people that I was employed ' , 330 COMMANDERS. Jfif }i '. 7 VM against, as will appear by the accompanying letter from the Captain- General the Marquis de la Solano; and which is the more gratifying, as I was unacquainted with such intention until the letter was very hand- somely conveyed to me by our late Consul-General, Mr. Duff. " I am informed by the agent for prisoners of war, that an exchange will soon take place; after which I shall lose no time in bringing the officers and people to your lordship ; and, in the interim, beg leave to assure you, that misfortune will not make me lose sight of my duty ; and that in a great national object, which I know your lordship to have in view, I hope to make myself usefr.I. ! have the honor to be, &c. (Signed) " W. Layman." [translation op esclosure.] " Cadiz, February 13M, 1806. " Sir, — ^By the next post I shall forward to the Captain-General of Catalonia, tlie letter you sent me in your's of the 8th instant, for Vicc- Admiral Lord Nelson, since it only contains the loss of the English brig of war Raven, whose captain, in honor to truth, I must acknowledge, from what I saw myself, and what I heard from the most intelligent men em- ployed upon the naval service of the King my master, used all efforts imaginable that depended upon great exertion and good seamnnship, to save the vessel, and manoeuvred with the greatest skill and judgment. (Signed) " El Marquis de la Solano." " To James Duff, Esq.** Unfortunately for Commander Layman, he was advised by Lord Nelson, as an act of humanity, to cancel what he had written respecting the pusillanimity of his boatswain, the negligence of the master of the Raven, and the still more reprehensible conduct of the officer who had charge of the first watch on the night of Jan. 1805. " You will not be censured,*'* said Nelson ; " but it will give an opportunity for ill-natured people to say you had no occasion to make this official statement ; and, as it is the business of the pre- sident of the court-martial, by which you are to be tried, to find out all these things, I wish you would omit the passages reflecting on their conduct ) but particularly that part relative to the misbehaviour of the officer of the watch, who will be sentenced to death, if your narrative, worded as it is at pre- sent, is laid before the Court.'* To Commander Layman's infinite astonishment, the Court declared that there had been a great want of necessary caution on his part, in approaching ject has been tlie principal object of my r "arch, both at home and abroad, for many years, and all the knowledge 1 ii. '• ac(|uired, from observation and study, of a matter so closely combined wi the mari- time strength and finances of the United Kingdom, I am ready to commu- nicate freely for thu benefit of my country; and which I should prefer to any gain I might derive from an exclusive patent, or by imparting the in- vention to other nations. But as every one has a fair and just claim to expect that his talents or his industry should be rewarded, in j)roportion to the advantages which the public or individuals derive from them, I trust it will not be considered by your lordship as improper on my part to pre- mise, that before I make any disclosure of this discovery, I shall hope to receive some assurance, that if the principle of the plan proposed is ap- proved, I may rely upon receiving public recompense by promotion, and auch suitable employment, as under the direction of the Lords Commis- sioners of the Admiralty, may successfully effect the great and desirable object of extricating the country from dependence on foreign powers for the means of supporting our navy, by reducing the consumption of timber to the least possible expenditure, and by increasing its duration, &c. ; as well as providing within ourselves a future permanent supply, equal to such expenditure. (Signed) " W. Layman." " To Robert discount Melville." "Admiralty, 2\st April, 1812. " Sir, — I have to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 18th instant, enclosing a Prospectus on the improvcmetit of Forest Trees. " I am much obliged to you for laying before me the general outline of your plan, and perfectly agree with you, that every individual is entitled to reward, in proportion to the advantage which the public may derive from his talents or industry ; but as I do not feci myself at liberty to hold out to you any expectations of promotion or employment, as a reconipcnsc • The substance of this Prospectus is inserted in Nicholson's Philoso- phical Journal, for May, 1813. VOL. III. PART II. Z \ *t ii^h .1' 338 COMMANDERS. in for your discoveries, I shouli:h3), having become a matter of serious conse- quence, I have ascertained a mode by which not only the cause of such premature decay may be removed, but the progress of dry rot prevented j which I am prepared to prove, should your lordship think proper to direct a piece of the most decayed, and a piece of the soundest timber of the Queen Charlotte to l)e delivered to me. I have been induced to trouble your lordship with this letter, from feelings strongly impressed with the great advantages which would result by increasing the duration of sihips, and decreasing the consumption of timber ; but should my plan not be thought deserving the attention of the executive naval government, I can- not satisfy my own mind that it should be lost to the public, and shall therefore have it submitted to the consideration of Parliament. (Signed) " W. Layman." " To Robert Fiscount Melville." ■y 3 '3 If % (' - • « This experiment was made to show in how short a time wood could be prepared for use from a growing tree ; but a young standing Weymouth pine, which was experimented upon with a view to masting timber, and which was three days in preparing, had not only all its corruptiiile juices withdrawn, by which its weight was reduced, but its strength increased from 243 to 450." z2 310 (OMMANDKRS. 11 I !l " Admmtlljf, lOlh July, 1812. '• Sir,— I have received your letter of yesterday's dute, and I have trans- niitted it to the Board for consideration. (Signed) " Melville." " Ci/ptuin Laj/mun.'" On the 1 1 th of the same month, the Secretary of the Ad- mh'alty wrote to Commander Layman as follows : — " Sir. — ^The Viscount Melville having luid before my Lords Commis- sioners of the Admiralty, your letter to his lordship of the 9th instant, de- tailing the result of certain experiments which had been made with the preparation invented by yourself tor increasing the strength of timber, and preventing the appearance or progress of the dry rot therein ; I am com- manded by their lordships to acquaint you, that they have given directions to the Navy Board, for two pieces of the wood of his Majesty's ship the Qneen Charlotte, the one in the soundest, and the other in the most decayed state, to be furnished to you, as you have desired, in order to its being subjected to the trial that you propose to make. " My lords have, however, directed me to add, that having given direc- tions for making experiments with regard to this matter upon certain plans that have been offered to them, with a reasonable prospect of success, their lordships see no reason to give you any trouble upon the subject in ques- tion; especially as your statements do not materially differ from those which they have already received, and upon which the experiments are founded ; but, with reference to the last paragraph of your letter, my lords have directed me to Inform you, that tliey have not any objection to your laying your plan before Parliament. (Signed) " J. W. Croker." " To Captain Layman, R. /V." In August 1812, Commander Layman again entered into a correspondence with the Admiralty :— " Sir, — Having demonstrated before the Navy Board the facts annexed, as proofs of preserving timber from decay, increasing its strength, and also submitted specimens to shew the practicability of preparing forest trees, so as to remove the cause of premature decay, and thereby render them fit for immediate conversion on being felled ; as well as a mode of giving to wood the pliability required in naval architecture for thick stuff and plank, without the evil consequences which accelerate decomposition whpu the timbers are covered in with boiled plank, or the injury received by burning ; I was desirous to establish the fact upon a more enlarged scale, by the building of a frigate or any other ship, as a test of increased strength and duration ; but as the Navy Board informed me, ' that if they Imd the inclination they had not the power,' I am induced to request you years, Hi COMMANDERS. 341 will submit the circumstances to the determination of tlic Lords Coinmis- sioncrs of the Admiralty; as, should their lordships think proper, ships may not only he built of increased strength and duration, but I am ready to prove, that other English timber, as well as ouk, may be rendered supe- rior to what is precariously obtained at s^reat cxpence from foreign coun- tries. I am Sir, &c. (Signed) *' \V. Layman." "J. fr. Croher,Esnr " AdmiraW/'Officc, 22(} August, 1812. " Sir, — Havincf laid before my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, a report from the Navy Beard of yesterday's date, upon your letter of the 14th inst. relative to your plan for the preservation of timber, I am com- manded to acquaint you, that their lordships do not think it necessary that you should give yourself any farther trouble on the subject. (Signed) " J. Baruow." '* To Captain Layman, R. N." Shortly after this. Commander L-ayini.i ad^iressc;' the Nt;vy Board as follows : — " Gentlemen, — The evils which arise from tliC ri'.pid deca^ of "ur ships of war, cannot but occasion me to regret, that my (nviJr;-.!vourr .(i verify the facts upon a more enlarged scale — of the pracli\:ab;ri^y «f \)v iinu'iu^ f(;.-e;,t trees for immediate conversion, as well as increasii'Sf *1"; .jtrength niM? <'v,':'a* bility of all timber, by the building of 3 'hip as a ♦cr.t of du'ttioa, 3'?.:>i!!i not have been considered as a proper objecr for tiie offifcrs in that de^f.ri' ment to recommend, when the subject was referred from tin A luiiriity vo the Navy Board ; particularly, as exclusive of the prc;«)atuii; dei.ay 'Mv: I observed to have commenced on the outer side of ihJ tiiiioer?. of the '^uecn Charlotte, next to the boiled plank, which being exdudcil Trotn li^'.it rtk>l air, accelerated fermentation rnd putrefaction, thereby prou^oting decf>ni- position, I was forcibly struck with the pernicious efTt-cr which the (vaP.ie acid contained in the oak, and acting upon an iron hoit , ha' ,iirodu.cci» cu the timber in not more than two years, This corrosion, althou;:;-?! different; in its action, and not so rapid in its progress as the rot, is cqua'ly (!v st,:uc- tive to the timber, and a great cause of the frequei'*. and large repairs our fleet requires ; as iron, from its strength, is in many purts of a ship ir.ui >• pcnsablc. " I exerted myself to discover a mode by unith (lis evil comequence might be prevented, by preserving iron from corroi-ion, and was proceeding with every prospect of success, as t^^ i- of my expcrhnents had not con- tracted any rust whatever, although one hud been immersed in a li(|uid much more acrimonious i\\u,\ j.i contained even in the timber of Brazil, which it appearc is about tu be introduced : but great was my disappoint- merii ; avA I caii^ut bac lament that all my labours and expente for twenty years, to acquire the means of increasing the duration of our navy, so obvi- 11^ I i< [I V: F. 'k m& 342 rOMMAXrKRS. ously important in its conwequcnces, by materially decreasing the consuini'- tion of timber and demand for ships, should iiave been rendered abortive by opinion only, without test by comparison. I am, &c. (Signed) " W. Layman." I ts on timb er earn ed on "^ at December, 1812, the experiments Woolwich by a Mr. Lukiii, under the immediate direction Ci the Admiralty and Navy Boards, as stated in Mr. Croker's letter of July 1 1th, 1812, " with a reasonable pt'ospect of suc- cess," was rendered conelusive, as the timber exploded, iho building and part of the dock-yard wall was blown up, and several men killed and wounded. In Jan. 1813, Commander Layman published the " Precursor " to a work which he was then employed in compiling, entitled " An Outline of Mari- time History, with General Events, from the Creation of the Universe to the termination of the French Revolutionary War, 1814-J5; including a particular account of the State and Condition of the British Navy at the latter period; with a Supplemental Memoir on Forest Trees and Timber, as con- nected with the Naval Power and Prosperity of the United Kingdom ; containing an Expose of a discovery for speedily preparing Forest Trees for immediate conversion and service, by removing the Cause of premature Decomposition, and en- creasing the Strength, as Avell as Duration of Timber — thereby furnishing the means to prevent the possibility of rapid decay by Dry-rot, or otherwise, in Ships, and all Structures v/herein Wood is used : demonstrated by actual experiments." During the sitting of Parliaiuent, in 1813, the rotten con- dition of our navy was stated in the House of Peers by Earl Darnley, who noticed ihe neglect of Captain Layman's pro- posal to prevent the evil in future ; said that, " if any one wished for information on the subject, he should read the ' Precursor ;' and hoped the noble lord at the head of the Admiralty would pay due attention to the subject," intimat- ing, that otherwise he should bring the matter before their lordships. Viucount Melville, in reply, stated, that the Ad- miralty were at nil times disposed to attend to this subject. But as )",o notice whatever was taken by the next session^ Captain Layman thus addressed the First Lord : — COMMANDJSllS. 343 '•( 'T "Mf.j/3 COMM AN UKU6. 345 JAMES MANDERSON, Esq. Author of *' A Letter aciJressed to the Prime Minister, and First Lord of the Admiralty, on the Extension of the Na- val Establishments of the Country." " An Examination into the true Cause of the Stream running through the Gulf of Florida." And " Twelve Letters addressed to the Right Hon. Spencer Perceval; on th- Magnitude of tiie JJritish Navy, the Importance of Fain '>uth Harbour, 8ic. ike." This officer was made a lieutcnaiit in 1795 ; after which lie appears to have been principally employed in receiving and prison ships. He obtained his present rank on tiio 22d Jan. 1806. WILLIAM BARNHAM RIDER, Esq. Was made a commander on the 22d Jan. 1806 ; and em- ployed for a considerable time afterwards, in the Challenger sloop, on the Channel and other stations. On the 20th Nov. 1810, he lost his commission, by the sentence of a court-mar- tial, for having returned home with despatches from the Lieu- tenant-Governor of Cura9oa, without obtaining the previous authority of the naval commander-in-chief at Jamaica ; but the Court being strongly impressed, that, in the commission of this offence against professional etiquette, he had been misled by error of jud^^ment, arising from the best motives for the welfare of his King and Country, earnestly recommended him to the favorable consideration of the Admiralty. He was consequently restored to his former rank in Mar. 1811. JAME8 GALLOWAY, Esq. Was made a lieutenant in 1/99 ; presented with the Turk- ish gold medal for his services during the memorable Egyp- tian campaign ; promoted to his present rank on the 22d Jan. 1806; appointed to the command of the Irish Sea-Fencible Service, Killybegs district, in 1809; and removed froni thence I h'; 346 COMMANDERS. 'fy to the Princess receiving-ship, at Liverpool, in 1810. flis next appointment was, Dec. 19th, 1812, to the Desp;itch of 18 guns, in which sloop we find him very actively employed at the siege of St. Sehastian's, in 1813. He subsequently commanded the Penelope frigate, armed enjliite, and had the misfortune to lose that ship in a snow-storm, when proceed- ing to Quebec, April 30th, J815. The following narrative of this disaster is given by an officer who was then serving un- der his command : " We had a favorable passage from Spithead to the Banks of Now- fouiulhmd, where we met with ice, fogs, and S. E. gales. On tlie 27th April, 1815, we entered the (iulf of St. Lawrence; and on the 2f)t!i, saw the coast of Lower Canada, about Cape Rozearo, wind north. On the 3()th, we stood to the eastward till the ship broke ofl" to the southward of cast ; then tacked and stood for the Canadian shore. At sun-set, the sliip lay a good course to clear all the land, had not a strong current (unknown to us) been setting in from thfc S. E. ; the weather being thick and cloudy, the lead vvas kept going, the master ordererl not to leave the deck, and the watch to keep a good look-out. At 8 p. m., we sounded in /I fathor.is ; and, thirty minutes afterwards, the Penelope was hard and fast : at the mo- ment of her striking on the rocks. Captain Galloway and his first lieutenant were looking at the chart ; the line was passing forward, and the ship going about four knots ; heavy snow falling, and the wind blowing fresh from N. E. " The helm having been put 'own and the sails thrown a-back, the quarter-boats were lowered down and sent away with the stream-anchor, which was dropped on the weather \'. * ', B ^■< . 35G COMMANDERS. winter of 1794 having set in early, and proved uncom- monly severe. Lieutenant Love's next appointment was to the Helena sloop, Captain (now Sir John) Talbot, which vessel, when proceeding to America, encountered the same tempestuous weather which proved so fatal to the fleet under Rear- Admiral Christian, in Nov. 1795*; in consequence thereof she was obliged to return to Plymouth, after throwing overboard all her guns, and every thing on the main deck. In April 179^, Lieutenant Love was appointed to the Formidable 98, Captain the Hon. George C. Berkeley; and during the mutiny at Spithead we find him left commanding officer on board that ship. Previous to its termination, the Intrepid 64, then recently commissioned, and under sailing orders, came out of harbour, anchored near the Formidable, and soon evinced the usual symptoms of disaffection. Ob- serving her crew reeve yard- ropes, &.c. instead of weighing anchor, when tliey had been paid their two months wages in advance. Lieutenant Love sent an officer and a few trusty men to remonstrate with them, and soon had the satisfaction of finding that this measure, adopted with the concurrence of their captain (th<» present Sir William Hargood), had pro- duced the desired efTect. In June, 1797, the Formidable and six other ships of the line were ordered to join Admiral Duncan, in the North Sea. On this occasion. Lieutenant Love observed that the Ceesar 80 was very tardy in her movements ; and the same men whom he had before senfr to the Intrepid, were immediately de- spatched to reason with her crew, which proved equally suc- cessful. The Formidable was subsequently fitted for the reception of Admiral Duncan, and bLe sailed through the Downs to join him on the very day that he gained his most brilliant victory off Camperdown. On her return to Portsmouth she was selected for the flag of Sir Charles Thonipson, by one (f whose followers Lieutenant Love was suj^crseded • Sec Vol. I, Part I. potc t iit |). H!> of npq. 1 in Nov. 1 1 Admiral) % and assist< 1: has been i f 1799, he March fol Mars 7-l> der whom until that sign his < to a close him with " My (lea motion wou tbid board, 1 " Tlie H Lieutei during th unpleasai tial parti; been sent absence c to reside formance squadron Formidal 1 She subi dies, and ^ i'lg her Ji ■ took pla ■ notwiths I messmat 1 himself ) 1 was the ■ jjerkclij n- COM.MANDKHS. 357 in Nov. l/^* He afterwards served under Captain (now Admiral) Lavvford, in the lloniney50, stationed off Dunkirk; and assisted in detaining a Swedish convoy, of which mention has been made in p. 49/ et seq. of Vol. I. Part II. In Jan, 1799, he obtained the command of the Alert cutter ; and in March following, we find him appointed first lieutenant of the Mars 74, flag-ship of the Hon. Rear-Admiral Berkeley, un- der whom he continued to serve, off Brest and Rochefort, until that officer was compelled by severe indisposition to re- sign his command. As the war was then evidently drawing to a close, the following could not do otherwise than inspire him with sanguine hopes of speedy promotion : ' ' Adm iraltif, 1 st August, 1 80 ! . " IVIy dear Admiral, — *••♦.! told you distinctly, that no pro- motion would be made before a perrc took place, and that, if I was then at this board, Lieutenant Love should be included in it. * * * *. (Signed) " St. Vincent." " Tlie Hon. Rear- Admiral Berkeley " Lieutenant Love was first of his old ship the Formidable) during the mutiny at Bantry Bay, and was charged with the unpleasant duty of seeing the fatal sentence of a court mar- tial partly carried into effect ; one of the ringleaders having been sent for execution on board the Formidable, during the absence of Captain Richard Grindall, who had obtained leave to reside on shore until the trials were over. After the per- formance of this melancholy duty, the signal was made for the squadron under Rear-Admiral Caujpbell to weigh, and the Formidable was the first ship that anchored at St. Helen's. She subsequently accompanied tliat officer to the West In- dies, and returned with him from thence in Sept. 1802. Uur- iMg her absence from England the expected grand promotion took place, and Mr. Love had the mortification to find tliat, notwithstanding Earl St. Vincent's pr(>mise, and altliough his messmate, the third lieutenant, was made a connnandcr, he himself was not included. After the renewal of hostilities, he was tjje bearer of the following letter from Rear-Admiral Berkeley to the Chairuian of the Transport Board : 358 COMMANDERS. " IFood End, Sept. 30///, 1803. " Dear Sir,— The officer who will deliver this is Mr. Willlain Love, who served with mc during the late war, until I hauled my Aug down, when he was my first lieutenant, and was actually promised promotion hy Lord St. Vincent : I believe he is not the only instance where disappointment has followed the most sanguine hopes ; and as I cannot assign any reason for it, any more than his lordship, I must endeavour to provide for a most deserving officer in any way which will gain him employment, and bread for his numerous family. IVly own opinion of him is such, that if I were employed, Mr. Love would certainly be my first lieutonant, and I should spare no means to promote him ; but as that is not likely to happen, J should really esteem it a favor if he could be employed in the transport Hcrvice. I believe there are such thiti<;s as resident agents, which, perhaps, may suit his convenience as well as my own ; but as possil»ly no vacancy of this sort may at present occur, I shall equally bo bound to you, to put him in any Hituation for which his zeal, talents, and honorable character may fit him. I remain, &c. (Signed) " G. Berkeley." " To Sir Rupert George, Dart:' Inconsequence of this recommendation, Lieutenant Love was appointed principal agent for transports at lieer Haven in Ire- land, with a division of victuallers under his pendant, to attend the western squadron. In 1804, on Rear- Admiral Berkeley being appointed to command the whole of the English Sea- Fencibles, he was selected by him to serve as his aide-de-caiup and secretary. During the two years that he was thus em- plo) ed, the whole coast between the viver Thames and Bristol was visited, and the state and efficiency of the amphibious corps minutely inspected and reported on. In the spring of 1806, we find him proceeding to the North American station, as flag-lieutenant to his friend, then Vice-Admiral Berkeley, by whom he was, immediately on their arrival at Halifax, ap- pointed acting commander of a sloop not yet launched 5 and eoon afterwards to act as captain of the Cleopatra frigate, then heaving down, and ordered to be re- equipped with the utmost expedition, for the purpose of convoying two siilps, laden with masts, to the West Indies. On the third day after this appointment he made the signal for his charge to weigh. After touching at BarbadocH, Antigua, and Jamaica, the Cleopatra returned to Bermuda, where Connnander Love, whose promotion to that rank was confirmed by the Admi- ralty on the Robert Sini him cruisin 4 piratical scl The Drii r the Leande rious office ^ Governmei the deceits induce Mr I an edict, \ ever prohil sequence t mander Ix I " Sir,— T clamation b^ of war Driv( and the said clamation, 1 do depart f of. Need I any blood b tion be no charged wii (Si] In ans " //. 1 " Sir,— rity by wh head befoi '.m^ your Gove ^! However, according ndmntafff- 1 shall do the difficu for the pt arc con»r thought ( Majesty '■ COMMANDERS. 359 rally on the 13th Feb. 1807, exchanged ships with Captain Robert Simpson, of the Driver ; in which sloop we next find him cruising on the coast of South Carolina, in search of a piratical schooner. The Driver, it should be observed, was in company with the Leander 50, Captain Henry Whitby, when that merito- rious officer rendered himself so obnoxious to the American Government, by his activity and perseverance in detecting the deceits and frauds practised by sea-faring Jonathan, as to induce Mr. JeflFerson, President of the United States, to issue an edict, by which the Leander and her consorts were for ever prohibited from receiving any aid or supplies. In con- sequence thereof, the following letter was addressed to Com- mander Ivove, on his anchoring in Charlestown harbour: " Fort Johnson, 4 P. M of May 2d, 1807. " Sir, — The President of tlie United States of America having, l»y pro- clamation bearing date 3d May, 1806, for ever interdii.'tcd H.B. M. sloop of war Driver from enterinjr any port or harbour of the United States, and the said vessel having entered this port, in contempt of the said pro- clamation, my duty compels inc to demand that the Driver sloop of war do depart from this harbour within twenty-four hours from the date here- of. Need I add, Sir, how repugnant it would be to my feelings should ony blood be spilt, which must inevitably be the case if this communica- tion be not complied with. Lieutenant \Vindlv\m, of the artillery, is charged with the delivery of this : he will receive your reply. (Signed) " JMicuael Kalteisen, Captain commanding." In answer i,o this, Commander Love wrote as follows : — " I/.M. S. Driver, RebcHhn liar hour, C/iarlestoirn, May 3d, 1 807. " Sir, — I received your letter j but having some doubts as to the autho. rity by which it was wriiten, I thought proper to satisfy myself on that head before I should reply. By the threat it contains, you appear, like your Government, to have something to learn, •»•••••, However, as my proceeding to sea comes vvitliin the limit of my intentions, according to the orders I am under {trhicit orders nan e for their view the ndvantage of the Jmerioan flag, as tcell us the protection of the British), I shall do so whenever the pilot thinks proper. But I must observe, that the. dirticulty 1 have experienced in obtaining a sullicient quantity of water, for the purpose I wish, ol)liges me to have recourse to such methods as are completuly vvitldn my power, which I otherwise shouhl not havo thought of. In the mean time, it is necessary to inform you, that his Majesty'.'^ -hip under my commund is at all tiinc!> ready to resist, and '}»' • 360 COMMANDERS. piuusb, any insult that may be offered to the SMg she has the honor to bear, to the last drop of blood that shall remain of the dutiful and loyul subjects of a beloved Sovereign, and an exalted country. , , , . (Signed) " William Love." 'Ull ^f ill:j On the 12th June, 1807, Commander Love fell in with the pirate he was in search of, and succeeded in decoying him under the Driver's lee-bow • the following is a copy of his official letter on this subject: — . . i -i.j , •' Sir,— By the capture of the Spanish pacicet Ranger, on the 20th of April last, I obtained information of a schooner having been purchased at Charlestown, and fitted as a privateer at St. Augustine, to intercept which vessel has occupied much of my attention ; and I have great sai'tsfaction itt acquainting you that she was captured this day by H. M. ship uiider my command. She proves to be El Boladora, armed with one G-pouuilcr, and having on board twenty-five men, amongst whom are several Amo- rScans, commanded by Robert Ross, a man notorious on many occasions, but particularly at the massacre of the crew of the Esther, of Liverpool, off Charlestown. £1 Boladora had been at Norfolk, and sailed from thence on the 6th instant, in company with the British brig Ceres, James Nevin, master, bound to Liverpool, with logwood, which vessel she boarded, captured, and sent for St. Augustine, at 2 v. m. the same day, being at the time within eight miles of Cape Henry light>house; she had not made any other capture, but had committed various depredations on American vcs* sels. I have the honor to be, &c. (Signed) *• William Lovb." " To the Hon, Fice-Admiral Derkeley." i Respecting this capture, the following was addressed to Commander Love : — " London, 'i5(h July, \»0t ' *' Sir, — We have the honor to acknowledge the recei|)t of your letter of the 21it ultimo, and are very happy to observe that you have at length succeeded in capturing the privateer commanded by Robert Roar. We lost no time in stating the fact, and other particulars of the case, to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, and we have the pleasure to annex the copy of a letter from their lordships, by whicli you will observe that Ross is ordered to be sent to this country, to be dealt with according to justice. " We are not aware that any reward has been offered for the capture of Ross, either in this country or in America : there may have been one in Charlestown, but certainly none here. We shall feel much pleasure in lending our aid to obtain for you some remuneration for the services you have (lone to both countries on this occasion. It will give us great satis- COMMANDKRS. 3m I faction to lay a statement of your very per.scverinji;, and at length fortunate, exertions for the general good, '.)efore the merchants and others interested in the trade, as well as before the Committee of the Patriotic Fund, to whose notice we consider you to possess a considerable claim. We have the honor to be very respi'ctfully, yours, &c. (Signed) " Caldcleugh, Boyd, and Reid." , Robert Ross was born in Scotland ; but as that fact could not be proved on his examination, he escaped the punishment his monstrous crimes deserved. In Oct. I8O7, the Driver sailed from Halifax, accompanied by the Mullet schooner and thirteen sail of merchantmen, bound to the West Indies. In crossing the Gulph Stream, the wind then blowing violently from N. VV., she was struck by a most tremendous sea, which stove in the two foremost ports on the starboard side, and cleared her deck of boats, booms, &c. Whilst lying on her beam-ends, in the trough of the sea, it was proposed to cut away the lower masts ; but this her commander would not assent to : instead thereof, the cables being still bent, a bower anchor was let go, by which, and cutting away the topmasts, a service voluntarily undertaken by Lieutenants Stanly and Sandford, the ship was brought nearly head to wind, and enabled to weather the storm. The Mullet was never afterwards heard of. In Sept. 1809, Commander Love was appointed to the Tisiphone sloop, stationed off Lymington, to guard the Needles Pa,..nge ; and on the 22d June, 1811, his tender captured le Hazard, French privateer. In April, 1813, he was srperseded, the Admiralty having resolved that in future no officer should hold a stationary appointment upwards of three years. The following testimonials were granted to him by the successive commanders-in-chief at Portsmouth : "Dec.'Mst, IHIO. " Dear Love, — I have not heard a word nliout any ship being in pre- paration to take the place «»f the Tisiphone ; and as I uui bound to say you have conducted the business of your station with great propriety, I should certainly be very glad if you were to continue in it. If any change takes place, and nu opporttinily sliould oiler fur my saying a word in your favor, I will certainly avail myself of it. Uelievc me very sincerely yours. (Sigacd) U0(iKU CUUTIU. ii 362 i9 commanukhs. " y/pril \Gt/,, 1813. " Dear Sir, — • • • i ^\y^\\ always be ready to bear testimony to the propriety of your oomliict in the stutioii ussij^Micd to you when .serving under my couunund. Udieve uiu yours very t'uillkfully, .,, , (Signed) " 11. Bickerton." Commaiulcr Love's next appointment was, through the rceoniineiulation of Viscount I'it/harris, (Jovernor of tlie Isle of \\ ight, to the Medina yacht, an e.slahh»hinent which had existed upwards of a century, but which was done away witli in the year 1817. I !<' obtained tlie out-pension of Cireenwich Hospital ill Feb. IKSO. This zealous ollicer married Harriet, youngest daughter of (.labriel Acworth, ICs(|. Purveyor t)f the Navy, nephew to fciir Jacob Acworth, Surveyor of the Navy, who was grand- father of the late Sir Jacob VVheate. One of Conunander Love's sons, Henry, is a lieutenant in the royal navy. His eldest brother, Thomas, served as nias- ter's-matc of ii:<; Berwick 71> Captain the Hon. Keith Stew- art, in Keppe 'a action with D'Orvilliers ; and as master of the Alfred, Captain John Ha/ely, at the glorious battle of June Ist, l/iM: lie died at Great Marlow. His other brother, Richard, after accpiiring the professional knowledge recpiisite to (jualify him for receiving a lieutenant's commission, ac- cepted a command u': the Russian murine ; incurred the dis- pleasure of Prince Potemkin, by whom he was imprisoned ; HutTered shipwreck on his return to England from the Black Sea ; was subse(|uently invested with authority by the Cirand Soignor and the Psabob of Arcot, and died ut Joppa in com- niaud of a country vessel. WILLIAM MATHER, J'.sq. OuTAiNKi) bis first commission in 1799; i^'id repeatedly distinguished himself whilst serving as lieutenimt of the Mercury frigate, Captain Thomas Rogers, by wh t.i a letter to the following effect was addressed to Vice-Admiral Lord Keith, May 2Gth, 18l)l : *• INIy TionI, — Hnvinjj rcoeived iuforniulion, by u small vessel I enptured COMMANDKHS. 36;i yi'RtcnIay from Aiicoiin, that II. M. laic sloop Dull-dog wus lyiii;,' in iKc inolo of lliiit port rt-ady for 8ea, witli Hupplies oit Itounl for tltu IVciu-Ii army in Hjifvpt, I jii(i;(c.->rant jot without reach of the battel ies, and was completely ours : — unfortunately it fell calm, and the current si.-ttiii^ iicr along tin; coast near the shore, a crowd of boats (some uf which were gun-boats), filled with men, cumc out to attack her: Mr. Mather now found his sitiiatifm extremely critical, having the hatchways to guard to prevent the enoujy rising from below, the boats' crews fatigued with rowing all night, and the gun-boats approaching fast, and raking the ship, lie had therefore the mortificutiou of feeling himself obliged to relinquiKh his prize, after being in possi>ssion of her above three hours; and unfortunately failed in several utlenip'", before he retreated, to set her on fire. The mmnent I could discover the Bull-dog was out of the mole, I got the Mercury under weigh; but it was almost a calm, and impossible to get near her, as she liad drifted with the current to a considerable distance from where the Alercury lay, und we experienced the mortifying disappointment of seeing her towed back tn the very Sfiot from whence she had been so gallantly taken : it is nevertheless some degree of satisfaction lo know, that her voyage must be ut least delayed for a considerable time, if not (piite de- feated, her masts and yards being shot through, and disabled in uiany ])lace8, luid she has i-cceived considerable damage in her hull und rigging. The gallant conduct of the oAicers and men employed upon this enterprise will. I trust, meet with yocr lordship's approbation; and it is from a desire of doing justice to their merits that I have been drawn into this, otherwise nunecessary, long detail. I have to regret the loss of two brave fellows killcMl, and four wouwied, upon this occasion. The enemy hud above twenty killed, wounded, and drowned. I have the honor to be, &c. (Signed) "T, II0GEI1.S." Ill the fuUuwiug uiontli, u pirulicul vcsacl nuiticd Ic Tigt'c, :!a .364 COMMANDERS. of eight guns and sixty men, was captured among the Tremiti islands, by a detachment of boats belonging to the Mercury and El Corso, the whole under the command of Lieutenant Mather j whom we next find serving under Captain William Bolton, in TAiniable frigate, stationed off Ostend; where he was wounded in an action with the Gallo-Batavian flotilla, May IGth, 1804. His promotion to the rank of commander took place on the 23d Feb. 1807 j and he appears to have been afterwards successively appointed to the Combatant, Rapid, and Twee'l ; which latter sloop he had the misfortune to lose, in Shoal Bay, Newfoundland, Nov, 5th, 1813. SAMUEL JEFFERY, Esq. Was made a lieutenant on the 13th Feb. 1805, and ad- vanced to his present rank Feb. 23d, 1807. WILLIAM COOTE, Esq. Skrved as midshipman of the Edgar 74, Captain George Murray, at the battle of Copenhagen, April 2d, 1801 ; ob- tained a lieutenant's commission in 1802 ; and was promoted to the rank of commander. May 6th, 1807, for an exploit thus officially recorded : " H. M. S. Cerberus, ofMnrtmique, Jan. Sd, 1807. " Sir, — I beg leave to ac(|uaint you, that in pursuance of your orderij to me by Captain Pigot, of the Circe, I reconnoitred the ports of Guada- loupe and the Saintes : after huvinj; so done, and pcrceivinji^ uo force of any consequence, except a bri^ of sixteen guns, lying in the Saintes, I left Captain Pigot otflluU port, aid was proceeding to my former station in further pursuance of your directions, when on the 2d instant, as I was beating to windward between Murtiidque and Dominica, I observed a priva- teer schooner, with a schooner and a sloop in company, standing for St. Pierre's with French colours flying : 1 gave chase, and prevented them fruui reaching that port, upon which they all three anchored under a bat- tery to the northward, near the Pearl Rock, and very close to the shore. '* It, however, appeared to me practicable to cut them out in the night. I couBuUcd Lieutenant Coote on the occasion, who, with Lieutenant Bligh, volunteered the attack ; and, about eight o'clock, they very gallantly f COMMANDERS. 366 boarded two of the vessels, under a most tremendous fire from the shore, bringlnjr tliein out, notwithstanding the enemy had taken the precaution to unbend tlieir sails. Our loss has, I am concerned to say, been consider- able. Lieutenant Coote has received a most desperate wound in the head, winch has deprived him of his eye-sight; one midshipman (George Sayer) was wounded by a musket-ball in the log; two men were killed, and eight more wounded. The privateer made her escape under cover of the dark, ness of the night. I have the honor to be, Sec. | ' (Signed) " W. Selby." " To the Hon. Sir Mex. I. Cochrane, Sfc. Sfc. Sfc" On the 22(1 May 1807, Comiuandei- Coote was granted a pension, the present amount of which is 400/. per annum. JOSEPH HOY, Esq. Was made a lieutenant in 1/83, and promoted to the rank of commander, Nov. 20th, 1807, for his gallant defence of the Louisa tender, a vessel mounting only four 3-pounders, with a complement of eighteen men, against a French privateer of fourteen guns, by which he was attacked on the 28th Sept. preceding. He obtained the out-pension of Greenwich Hos- pital, Jan. 14th, 1826; and died in the year 1820. ANDREW HODGE, Esq. Was made a lieutenant in 1800, and received the Turk- ish gold medal for his subsequent services in Egypt. His commission as commander bears date Dec. 4th, 1807, ^it which period he was employed in the West Indies. .1 1 BENJAMIN WARBURTON, Esq. Served with great credit under Captain Lord Cochrane j obtained the rank of commander Dec. 16th, 1807 > a pension for the loss of the use of his limbs by a fall, April 20th, 1810 (at which period he held an appointment in the Wexford dis- trict of Sea-Fencibles) ; and the out-pension of Greenwich Hospital, June 23d, 1824. He died in 1829. ij^ if I* i| ; IT (It I f'^M J^ rOMMANDKRS. SAMITL FOWELL, Esq. Was mjule a lieutcMiant in 1/91 ; and served as first of the Malta 80, Captain lionjaniin Hallowcll (now Sir B. Il.Carcw), in the expedition aiijainst Alexandria (Ejjypt), I8O7. lie snh: equently commanded a sloop on the Mediterranean sta- tion ; and died Mar. 30th, 1823. THOMAS PINTO, Esq. Bkcame a commissioned oflicer on the 20th Feb. 1805, and was promoted to the comm: nd of the Dart sloop, in the West Indies, Feb. 9th, 1808. Early in 1810, being then on the same station, he liad the misfortune to lose the Achates of 18gmis. FREDERICK HOFFMAN, Esq. W^ AS made a lieutenant in 1/99; appointed acting com- mander of the Favorite sloop, on the African station, in July 1807; and promoted to his present rank, Feb. 22d, 1808, In the beginning of May 1812, he lost the Apelles sloop, that vessel, then under his command, having unfortun.itely run on shore to the westward of Boulogne, where himself and nineteen of his people were obliged io surrender as prisoners of war ; the remainder of his offietrs and crew effected their escape, and the Apelles was very soon afterwards recaptured by the Bernmda sloop. Captain Alexander Cutmingham. EDWARD BURT, Esq. Was made a lieutenant in 1802, and promoted to his pre- sent rank on the 1st April, 1808, previous to which he had commanded the Sandwich schoonir. In the following year, he assisted at the reduction of the city of St. Domingo, as will be seen by the following official extract : sioii to state ccr in the h stances of g Antlrd Bay ahnost impi Was n he now commanc of four S on the 1 comman( Eldes master i Deal. This 0 man and Vincent, sloop, ai gar he w Onth nant ; a sloop, C commei coast of rank of In 1^ :nand o expedit COMMANDERS. 367 " Captnin IFilliam Pnjce Cumhy to ncc-ziilmiral fi. S. Rotrlet/. " I must, in juslice to Oaptaiu Burt, of the Sparrow sloop, beg permis- sion to state the great prouiptitutle, zeal, ami ability evinced by that orti- cer in the landing of the lower-deck guns from this ship, under circum- stances of great dilliculty and labour ; two of which he transported from Audrd Bay to the cast battery, a distance of near thirty miles, across an almost impassable country, prior to the arrival of the troops." HENRY BAUGII, Esq. Was nuide a lieutenant in 1700, and promoted to tlie ranli he now holds, May 19th, 180H, for his gallant conduct as commander of the Rapid hrig, at the capture and destruction of four Spanish gtm-vesscls and two valuahle merchantmen, on the 'J3<\ of the preceding month *=. He suhscqtiently commanded the Vulture bomh. WILLIAM CUTFIELD, Esq. Eldkst son of Mr. J. Cutfield, upwards of fifty years a master in the royal navy, and latterly master-attendant at Deal. This officer entered the navy in l/OG; served as midship- man and mate, under Captains John Bazely, Richard Budd Vincent, and William 1 1 ai good, in the Overyssel 04, Arrow sloop, and Belleisle 74. At the memorable battle of Trafal- gar he was wounded in the breast. On the 17th March, 18(){), Mr. Cutfield was i«ade a lieute- nant J and soon afterwards •.ppoititcd to the Grasshopper sloop. Captain Thomas Searle, in consc(|uence of whose warm commendation of his conduct in an action near Faro, on the coast of Portugal, April l?3(l, 1808 f he was promoted to the rat)k of commander on the 19th of the ensuing moiitii. In 1809, Commander Cutfield was appointed to the com- mand of all the small hired craft attached to tiie VValcheren expedition j in Jidy, 18 H, to the Woodiark sloop ; and, Oct. See Snppl. Part I. p. 312 rt acq. t Sec id iff. ;:?i i' ly IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) fe {./ /.Q './. So 4x 1.0 I.I y^|Z8 |2.5 |50 ■^■1 HiH 2.0 UUu IL25 i 1.4 IE 1.6 % o> /^ ^'[S Hiotographic Sciences Corporation 33 WIST MAIN STRUT WIBSTIR.N.Y. MSSO (716) 872-4903 A<^ 368 COMMANDERS. 14th, 1821, to the Barracouta, surveying-vessel, fitting out for the coast of Africa. On his return from the surrey o^ one of the rivers which run into Delagoa Bay, after an absence of fourteen days in an open boat, he fell a victim to the fever of the country, which also proved fatal to sixty- 'iight of his com- panions. He was then, Nov. 30th, 1822, in the thirty-fifth year of his age. CHARLES CHAMBERLAYNE IRVINE, Esq. Entered the navy, as midshipman on board the Orion 74» Captain Charles Chamberlayne, in 1789, and was promoted from the Queen Charlotte, first rate, bearing the flag of Lord Keith, into the Princess Royal 98, flag-ship of Rear-Admiral T. L. Frederick, in Aug. 1799. He subsequently served un- der Sir Charles Hamilton, Bart, in the Melpomene frigate, at the Texel and on the coast of Africa. During the latter part of the French revolutionary war, we find him commanding the Goree, a ship mounting 16 guns, employed in cruising between Senegal and Sierra Leone, for the protection of the trade, which had previously suffered much from the enemy's privateers in that quarter. After the renewal of hostilities, in 1803, he served in different ships, on the West India, Bou- logne, Irish, and other stations. In Mar. 1808, being then first lieutenant of the Eagle 74) Captain (now Sir Charles) Rowley, he was appointed to the pro-tempore command of the Glatton 54, employed in the Mediterranean ; and on the 24th May following he obtained the rank of commander. His subsequent appointments were, to the Lord Eldon and Duch- ess of Bedford, hired armed ships, the latter of which was paid off in 1810. .:a'.>A t ».• *^ ' ••? t\ > • < ••*' »> - »« !i, Zt^ ROBERT PARREY, Esq. . »,i ^i ^ ' . Was made a lieutenant on the 2d Nov. 1790, and promoted to his present rank in Aug. 1806. 9 ,-? ■>**• fi< - mast gave way, and we were enabled by it to reach a small rock above water; the struggling and confusion that wc experienced in thus far es- ^ping (Iraili, is i;ot to lie described : several of our unfortunate shipmates were drowned, ship sheltered our situation e soon be oblige another that i mined to folio seas, had safel mination, and an immense ( the channel W( at once to risl were n^ost se in gaining the our feet were with blood. " Day-light the 5th of Jo morning — wh vered with th( companions w the dead and to afford then wreck — in tw crew placed ii and affrightetJ sidered our rt of Heaven. above the wai been about i\ We were at k found to be t Archipelago. had escaped vessel might which we ha( the neighboi distant. Bu the inclemen difficulty, by taken out of which after j a kind of ten could find of few clothes i comfort, ani COMMANDERS. 373 were drowned, and one roan liad his arm broken. For a long time the ship sheltered us from the surf; but as our poor vessel broke up, we found our situation every moment becoming more perilous, and that we should soon be obliged to leave the part of the rock we were then on, to wade to another that appeared to be somewhat larger. It was therefore deter- mined to follow the example of our first lieutenant ; who, by watching the seas, had safely got to the other side. We had scarcely formed our deter- mination, and prepared to put it in execution, than we had to encounter an immense quantity of loose spars, that were thrown immediately into the channel we had to pass ; but we were compelled to be desperate, and at once to risk our fate. Many, in crossing from one rock to the other, were most severely wounded ; and we all suffered more at this time, than in gaining the small rock ; the loss of our shoes was most severely felt; our feet were dreadfully lacerated, and the legs of many were covered with blood. " Day-light now began to appear, and soon sh'iwed us the morning of the 5th of January, surrounded with horrors : to us a most memorable morning — what a sight had we to witness ! The sea all around was co« vered with the wreck of the ill-fated Nautilus ; many of our unfortunate companions were seen floating away on spars, and other parts of the wreck: the dead and dying mixed together — without a possibility of our being able to afford them the least assistance. Our much admired ship was a perfect wreck — in two short hours had she been completely destroyed, and her crew placed in a situation that at once reduced them to despair. Our wild and affrighted looks plainly marked our grief and horror : wheu we con- sidered our real situation, there was nothing left but resignation to the will of Heaven. We found ourselves placed on a barren coral rock, scarcely above the water ; and which, from the writer's recollection, might have been about three or four hundred yards long, and two hundred broad. We were at least twelve miles from the nearest islands, which we afterwards found to be those of Cerigotto, and Pora, at the western entrance of the Archipelago. It was now first reported that a small boat with several men had escaped ; but her fate was uncertain : our only hope then wa3,,tli^t a vessel might pass near us, and probably might see our signal of distresB, which we had raised on a long pole fastened in a hole of the rock. From the neighbouring islands we could not expect relief; they were too far distant. But we were doomed to suflf'er still greater distress. To avoid the inclemency of the weather, which was extremely severe, we with much dKHculty, by the help of a knife and a flint, and with some damp powder taken out of a small barrel washed on shore, endeavoured to make a fire; which after great trouble was accomplished. We then proceeded to make a kind of tent, with pieces of old canvass, boards, and such things as \ye could find of the wreck ; and by these means were enabled to dry the very few clothes we had about us. \N'e had now to pass a long night with little comfort, and without hope: but wc were in some measure consoM with iM :r ''•'I m' J w '\m *' ' ' : ■■■: t V r: 374 COMMANDKRS. the thought, thut utir lire might perhaps lie seen in the niglit, and he taken for a signal of distress ; and it was to this circumstance, and to the exer- tions made by a brave sliipmate, that we who now survive, next to Ilcaven, owe our existence. The boat, that has been mentioned as rcporUMJ to have escaped, was a small whale boat, whidi at the time tlic ship struck was hanging over the quarter, into which the captain's coxswain ((looprc Smith), an officer, and eight men got ; and by immediately lowering them- selves into the water, most providentially escaped ; they had, however, to toil at their oars for a considerable time, and at length reached the Kiniill island of Pora, after having rowed twelve miles against a very high sea, and with the wind blowing exceedingly hard. They found Pora to he scarcely more than a mile in circumference, on which were nothing hut a few sheep and goats that had been placed there by the inhabitants uf Cerigo ; who in the summer months come over for the breed of those ani- mals, leaving as many as they thitkk sufficient for the returning season. Some rain water in the hole of a rock, was all the fresh water they could find, and that was barely sufficient to last those that afterward remained for four days, although most sparingly used. Our more fortunate com- panions had not the least idea, that any but themselves could have escaped a destruction which appeared to them so inevitable ; but our fire during the night, which they saw, made them conjecture that some had sur- vived. With this idea the coxswain proposed to risk again the boat, and to endeavour to afford those that might be thus left every possible as- sistance : though this met with some little objection, yet this brave fellow was determined to assist us, and by his persuasions induced four others to accompany him. ** It was about nine o'clock on the morning of Tuesday, the second day of our shipwreck, that we discovered the whale boat coming towards us ; when all uttered a cry of joy ! If a reprieve gives to the mind of a criminal emotions that may be fatal to him, what must have been our sensations at the sight of our little boat — but alas, many were too, too sanguine, in this expectation : Why had not the rude and boisterous element rather have swallowed up at once those dear fellow-sufferers, who were afterwards doomed to a lingering and melancholy death : Merciful Providence ! for- give the agonizing remembrance that inadvertently dared to ask the ques- tion.— The writer of this narrative not but with tears recollect their unhappy fate : the remembrance of their looks, their actions, and never-to- be-forgotten friendship are engriiven on his heart : The last dying looks of his departed and lamented friends are still before him. It was his first inten- tion to have given a more particular detail of the sufferings of these indivi- duals ; but a regard to the feelings of those relatives they have left, prevents him. It would be impossible to describe the surprise which the sight of so many survivors ganre to the brave coxswain and his crew ; they soon came near us, and we had the happiness to greet our more fortunate shipmates, and to devise a plan for our release : one difficulty occurred, that of their coming on she imprudently c tion, the capt was a Greek, pilot informe( doiibt woubl I if Heaven hat dark black cl violent storm fury : the wa was nearly (v higher than t There nearly rope fttstenet by each othe being swept fatigues we 1 night, were became delif no longer, the fears we draw more r then were ; into oblivioi many hards crossing the dashed aga a dreadful o next mornir to meet the without coi of our boat and before and mercifi the minds < lection of ( afflicting s< our deparl cheering i fatigue, the weathi cold alone stance of i yet uuknu a disgrace 1 fS, ken ■"•V ccr- f,' ■eii, >i'\ 1 to lick Tjre "fflK; em- m , to Ws.i null fil COMMANDKHS. ;i75 oomliiff on shore to us, as the surf run very high, aiul several of our people imprudently endeavoured to get into the bout. After some little eonsulta- tion, the captain ordered the coxswain to take on hoard the pilot, who was a Greek, and to make the Itest of their way to (leriijotto ; where the pilot informed us they would tind some families of fishermen, who without doubt would readily relieve us. Soon after the departure of our boat, aa if Heaven had decreed our destruction, the wind began to increase, and dark black clouds fast a|)proached us : we had all the apprehensions of a violent storm : in about two hours it reached us, and blew with the greatest fury : the waves rose considerably, and soon destroyed our fire. The rock was nearly (covered, and we were compelled to fly to a smull part rather higher than the rest ; the only part indeed that could utT'ord us any shelter- There nearly ninety men passed a night of the greatest horror : u small rope fastened round the summit of the rock, and with diliiculty holding on by each other, were the only means we had of preventing ourselves from being swept away by the surf, which every moment broke over us. The fatigues we had already gone through, and mort; particularly those of this night, were too much for many of my unfortunate shipmates : several became delirious — their strength was exhausted, and they could hold on no longer. Our afiliction was still further increased before the morning, by the fears we entertained, which appeared prol)al)le, that the wind might draw more round to the north, so as to bring the sea to the place where vvc then were ; in which case rer of his situation, and immediately left us. How we envied those two men who had escaped; but those who returned were very justly censured for the step they had taken : had they accomplished their olyect in reaching the boat, ihey cer- tainly would have swamped her, and then our fate would have been deter- mined for ever. The events of this day entirely occupied our minds, but it increased our weakness. Toward eveninff, the writer of these pages found himself fast approaching to annihilation ; his eyesight began to fail ; his senses were confused ; and his strength was most visibly exhausted : he turned his eyes on the setting sun, perhaps the last sun he was ever again to witness — he was struck with unutterable grief. This last night of our miserable situation passed, without his being scarcely sensible of its events ; and he cannot but feel gratitude to an Almighty Providence in escaping from such a night of danger. He was astonished in the morning to find himself alive, and more particularly when he found that several very strong men had fallen in the night. We were reflecting on their fate, and con- sidering this day as the last of our lives, when unexpectedly the cry of The boats are coming ! was heard : now does language fail in relating the extravagant joy that possessed us ; the little blood we had left, rushed to our hearts at the long expected moment of relief. Our little boat with four large Ashing vessels was very near us, and shortly after the crew landed : they brought with them a large quantity of water, of which they suffered us to drink most plentifully. Ah ! little did we before this moment know, how many blessings we had enjoyed in simply possessing fresh water; more delicious than the finest wines, more grateful than it is possible to convey an idea of. We trust that our prayer of thanksgiving reached the throne of God. " Anxious to leave a spot on which so many of our dear friends had terminated a life of sufferings, we eagerly prepared for our departure for the island of Cerigotto; where we arrived about six o'clock in the evening, after passing six days from the night before the ship struck : until the fol- lowing Saturday at noon, we had not taken the least kind of sustenance, unless the little we had with so much disgust received might be called so, and it was not every one that partook of it. It undoubtedly was an un- paralleled instance of a most miraculous deliverance, and of a series of sufferings scarcely credible. Had we been left until the next day, very few would have survived to tell the melancholy tale : our loss amounted to COMMANDKns. 379 6hy-eight men, out of 122, the number on board at the time of our shi|)- wreck, of which eighteen, as we supposed, were drowned when the ship struck : five were lost on the small raft, one was drowned in trying to get to the boat, and thirty-four perished by famine." Mr. Nesbitt, who was then second lieutenant of the Nau- tilus, obtained a commander's commission in Jan. 1809; married, in 1811, Maria, youngest daughter of William Fisher, Receiver-General for the county of Norfolk ; and died, we believe, in the year 1824. P '; GEORGE HALSTED, Esq. Brother to Admiral Sir Lawrence W. Halsted, K.C.B. He was made a lieutenant in 1796, and promoted to the rank of commander in Jan. 1809. # WILLIAM BISSELL, Esq. Was the son of a clergyman, and a native of Tattenhall, in Cheshire. His younger brother. Captain Austin Bissell, an eminently distinguished officer, perished in the Blenheim 74, bearing the flag of Sir Thomas Troubridge, on his return from Madras to the Cape of Good Hope, in Feb. 1807. This officer entered the navy as midshipman on board the Inflexible 64, Captain Rowland Cotton, with whom he sailed to the relief of Gibraltar, in Mar. 1781 : he was also in the same ship under the comniand of Captain the Hon. J. Chet- wynd, in the last action between Sir Edward Hughes and Mons. De Suffrein, fought off Cuddalore, in the East Indies, June 20th, 1783. On his return to England, he joined the Culloden 74, then commanded by Captain Cotton ; and we subsequently find him serving in the Fortune sloop, Orion 74, Porcupine 24, Victory first rate, and Winchelsea frigate. In the beginning of 1/90, he was entrusted with the com- mand of a small cutter, borrowed from the Commissioners of the Irish Revenue, and employed as a tender to the Porcu- pine ; on the 18th May in the same year, he was severely ^.-•^.■- 380 COMMANDERS. wounded in a rencontre with a large armed smuggling lugger ; and in July 1794, he received the subjoined testimonial : on the 22d of the same month, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant. " These are to certify that Mr. William Bissell served as midsliipman on board H. M. S. Orion, under my command, in Admiral Earl Howe'a engagements with the French fleet, on the 29th May and 1st June, 1794, in both which actions he distinguished himself by spirited exertions and officer-like conduct, (Signed) " John T. Duckworth." Mr. Bissell'^ first appointment, as lieutenant, was to the Gibraltar 80, Captain John Fakenham, which ship formed part of the fleet under Vice- Admiral Hotham, in the action off Frejus, July 13th, 1795. He was likewise present at the battle of Camperdown, having been appointed to the Mon- tagu 74> Captain John Knight, a short time previous to that memorable event. In Oct. 1800, he commanded the boats of that ship at the capture and destruction of thirteen French vessels, in Port Danenne ; and three others at the entrance of the Loire : the former was described, by Earl St. Vincent, to be " a meritorious piece of service ;" and, in reporting the latter exploit. Captain Knight, after alluding to the position of the enemy's vessels, powerfully protected as they were, in the broad face of day, says, "the boats of the Montagu, with great intrepidity and alacrity, brought them out." Other services in wh'ch Lieutenant Bissell participated are noticed in p» 354 et seq. of Suppl. Part III. in 1801 , this officer was appointed first of the Donegal 80, Captain Sir Richard J . Strachan ) and he continued to serve in that ship, under Captain (now Sir Pulteney) Malcolm, until Dec. 1805 ; when he was removed, on his own applica- tion, to the Powerful 74, Captain Robert Plampin, then off the Canary Islands, and destined to the East Indies. But for this removal he would have been present in Sir John T.Duckr worth's action, at St. Domingo, Feb. 6th, 1806. us: aiShortly after the arrival of the Powerful in India, Mr. Bisr 8eU was taken ill ; and whilst an inmate of the hospital at Madras, he received the lamentable tidings of his gallant brother*s unhappy fate, by which all his hopes of obtaining i COMMANDERS. 38l promotion oh that station were extinguished. He returned home in the Salcette frigate, early in 1808; and subsequently served as first lieutenant of the Brunswick 74, Captain Thomas Graves, on the Baltic station. In the beginning of 1809, the Brunswick was beset with ice, and repeatedly driven into very shoal water; on her arrival in Yarmouth roads, she had not a gun or shot on board, the only anchor at her bows wanted a fluke, and she had but one ton of water remaining. In the postscript to Lord Gambler's official despatch, reporting the result of an attack upon a French squadron in the road of Isle d'Aix, April 11th, 1809, we find the following mention made of Lieutenant Bissell : — " Since writing the forejjoing, I have learnt that the Hon. Lieutenant- Colonel Cochrane, and Lieutenani; BisseU, of the navy, were volunteers in the imperieusc, and rendered themselves extremely useful ; the former by Gomniandin.£f some guns on the main-deck, and the latter in conducting one of the explosion vessels." , u . •; • n -i^, ,\ The vessel thus alluded to contained about 1 .500 barrels of gunpowder, started into puncheons placed end-upward, fastened to each other by hawsers wound round them, and joined together with wedges, having moistened sand rammed down between them, so as to render the whole, from stem to stern, quite solid, and thereby increase the resistance : be- sides which, on the top of this mass of gunpowder, lay between 300 and 400 charged shells, and nearly as many thousands of hand grenades. She appears to have been ignited when within less than three-quarters of a mile from the enemy's line : how near to it she exploded, and what effect the blast produced, the French themselves are the most competent to state. . ; For his gallant conduct on this occasion, Lieutenant Bis- sell was promoted to the rank of commander, and his com- mission dated back to April 11th, 1809. He subsequently commanded the Savage, of 16 guns ; ^nd was dismissed from that sloop, by the sentence of a court-martial, for running her ashore at Guernsey, in Jan. 1814. He died at Kentish Town, near London, Mar. 3l8t, 1826. . • :A| lif! S, '1 W' ■■A 1 1, '■ ;ff-i'i \l. ■vi,, -il 382 COMMANDERS. WILLIAM ROBERT SMITH, Esq. Was made a lieutenant in 1/91); and promoted to his present rank, for conducting an explosion vessel into the road of Isle d'Aix, April 11th, 1800, at which period he was first lieutenant of the Theseus 74. He subsequently com- manded the Shearwater sloop, on the Mediterranean station. THOMAS GOLDWIRE MUSTON, Esq. Obtained his first commission in July 1804 ; served as lieutenant under Sir James Saumarez and Lord Gambier, in the Victory and Caledonia, first rates, on the Baltic and Channel stations, and was promoted to the rank of com- mander, for conducting an explosion vessel into the road of Isle d'Aix, April 11th, 1809. He married, in 1816, Susanna Eliza, daughter of Nathap'el Godbold, of London, Esq. HENRY JONES, Esq. Was made a lieutenant in Nov. 1805 ; and served as such under Sir Robert Stopford, in the Spencer 74 and Ceesar 80. He was made a commander, for conducting a fire-vessel into the road of Isle d'Aix, April 1 1th, 1809. This officer died, June 20th, 18'29, aged 47 years. WILLIAM HEXT, Esq. Second son of the late Francis John Hext, Esq. formerly an attorney-at-law, but latterly residing at Tredethy, near Bodmin, co. Cornwall, [an estate he possessed in right of his wife, Margaret, daughter of E. Lang, of Plymouth, co. Devon, Esq.], and a junior branch of the family of the same name, settled at Lostwithicl and Treiuirren, near St. Austle. ' This officer was born at Bodmin, July 5th, 1780 ; and re- ceived us midshipman on board the Russel 74, by that distin- COMMANDKRS. 383 guislied character, the late Rear-Admiral John Willet Payne, in 1793. He was consequently present at the defeat of the French republican fleet, on the glorious 1st of June, 1794 ; and, under the command of Captain Thomas Larcom, an oflicer of equal merit, at the capture of three ships of the line, near I'Orient, June 23d, 1795*. He afterwards served under Captain Payne, in I'lmpetueux 74 ; the Hon. Robert Stopford, in the Phaeton frigate; and Captains Sampson Edwards and Sir Edward Pellew, in I'lmpetueux ; of vvhich latter ship he was appointed a lieutenant, Aunj. 8th, 1799. His subsequent appointments were, in June, 1802, to the Clyde frigate, Captain John Larmour, on the North Sea sta- tion ; — May, 1804, to the command of the Sheerness, hired armed cutter, employed off Brest ; — and, Jan. 1805, to be senior lieutenant of the Santa- Margaritta frigate. Captain Wilson Rathborne, under whom he assisted in capturing four French line-of-battle ships, on the 4th Nov. following f . In the beginning of 1808, he sailed for India, as passenger on board the Barracouta sloop ; and on his arrival at Madras, joined the CuUoden 74, bearing the flag of Sir Edward Pel- lew, then commander-in-chief on that station, where he also served for some months as first lieutenant of the Blanche frigate. Captain George Bell. In Jan. 1809, he was ap- pointed acting commander of the VVilhelmina, hospital-ship at Pido-Penang, where he continued until Feb. 1810. His commission as con inander bears date April 28th, 1809. After his supercession in the command of the VVilhelmina, the subject of this sketch returned home in an Indiaman, and was not again employed until June, 1813, when he was ap- pointed to the Vesuvius bomb, but ordered to assume the pro-ternpore command of the Unicorn frigate, and to assist Captain John Hancock, of the Nymphen, in escorting the outward bound trade to Portugal ; after which he proceeded, with some merchantmen nnder his convoy, to Gibraltar. His subsequent services in the Gironde river were most highly • See Vol. I. Part I. p. 240 et seq. t Sep Vol. II. Part II. p. 742. H 'i 3) k m if it I. ' w i II i L n, ■'• ■ ' i m^% ' 1 ri. I w r VI 'I .•■}. 38i COMMANDERS. spoken of by the late Sir Charles Penrose, aud have been briefly noticed at p. 287 et seq. of Suppl. Part II. Commander Hext married, in Sept. 1B12, Barbara, young- est daughter of the late James Read, M. D., of Tremeare, near Bodmin, and sister to Lieutenant John Read, R. M., who was killed at the attack upon Cayenne by Sir James Lucas Yeo, in 1809. His eldest and only surviving brother, the Rev. F. J. Hext, is rector of Helland, near Bodmin. The next, Samuel, a major of the 83d regiment, who served with great credit in Egj'pt, under Abercrombie ; throughout the peninsular war, under Wellington : and subsequently at the Cape of Good Hope and Ceylon ; died after ente'Ing the River Thames, on his return home, in 1822. His youngest brother, Lieutenant George Hext, of H. M. S. Barrosa, a most promising young officer, was shot by a rifleman while leading the boats of that frigate to the attack of some Ameri- can vessels. His eldest sister married the late Rev. C. Ken- dall, of Pelyn, near Lostwithiel, brother to the late Captain Edward Kendall, R. N. ' ^jj^;,ff,»v ^ ^. THOMAS OLIVER, Esq. Obtained his first commission, and commanded the Ber- bice schooner, at the Leeward Islands, in 1793 j was wounded while serving as a lieutenant of the Leyden 68, at the unsuc- cessful attack made by Lord Nelson upon the Boulogne flo- tilla, in the night of Aug J 5th, 1801 ; promoted to his present rank in Jan. 1806; and appointed to the command of the Apelles sloop, on the North Sea station, about Sept. 1808. He was attached to the expedition against Walcheren, in 1809 ; and we subsequently find him capturing a French pri- vateer, of 18 guns and 56 men. Mr. James, in his Naval History, Vol. III. p. 187, gives this officer the credit of having performed a "noble exploit," at Mariel, in the island of Cuba, April 5th, 1805 j and follows up his error, by observing, in the succeeding page, that " the name of 'lliomas Oliver among the commanders of the year COMMANDERS. 385 shows, that his conduct, as all similar conduct ought, excited the notice of those to whom the power belonged of dispensing rewards to the brave and meritorious." The service in question, viz. the storming of a tower, and cutting out of two vessels, laden with sugar, was performed in the manner Mr. James has stated, but under the directions of Lieutenant James Oliver^ who did not obtain the rank of commander until Dec. 4th, 1813. ALEXANDER KENNEDY (a), Esq. Was made a lieutenant in April, 1806 ; advanced to his present rank in June, 1809 j and dismissed from the com- mand of the Forrester sloop, by sentence of a court-martial, for disobedience of the orders of Rear- Admiral William Brown, commander-in-chief on the Jamaica station, April 26th, 1814. In the preceding year, while accompanying the trade from England, he assisted at the capture of an Ameri- can privateer. *■-?« wi*, ROBERT TUCKER, Esq. Was born at Devonport, on the 7th Feb. 1769 j and had his name entered on the books of the Boyne 70, commanded by the late Admiral Herbert Sawyer, in 1777. We first find him serving in an hired armed vessel, the Three Brothers ; and, in 17^5, he appears to have joined the Weazel sloop. Captain (afterwards Sir Samuel) Hood, then employed in surveying the coasts and harbours within the limits of the Halifax station. On the completion of this service, about May, 1788, Mr. Tucker was removed to the Pegasus 28, Captain (now Sir Herbert) Sawyer, on the Newfoundland station ; which ship he left, in order to rejoin Captain Hood, who had been ap- pointed to the Juno 32, in the summer of 1790. The ships in which he subsequently served, as midshipman and master's- mate, were the Diana frigate, Captain Thomas Macnamara VOL. III. part ir. 2 c I t- . r ia i • * •'... •> ' % 386 COMMANDERS. Russell ; Dover 44, armed en Jhite, Lieutenant . Drummond ; Vengeance 74, Captain Sir Thomas Rich, Bart.; Berwick 74, successively commanded by Captains Sir John Collins, Knt., William Shield, George Campbell, William Smith, and Adam Littlejohn ; and the Britannia, first-rate, bearing the flag of Vice-Admiral (afterwards Lord) ilotham, by whom he was promoted into the Courageux 74, Captain Augustus Montgomery, shortly after the action between the British and French lieets, off Genoa, in March, 1795 *. The Courageux was subsequently placed under the com- mand of Captain Hallowell (now Sir Benjamin H. C;u'c\v), and Lieutenant Tucker was almost constantly employed in her boats, attacking the coasting trade to the westward of I'ou Ion, skirmishing with gun-boats, and obtaining information from the shore. On several occasions we find him capturing and destroying vessels close to the enemy's batteries. The melancholy fate of the Courageux has been recorded in p. 4G7 et seq, of Vol. L Part II. We have here to add, however, that at the period when she was wrecked, Captain Hallowell and Mr. Tucker (then third lieutenant) were absent on duty ; the first and second lieutenants sick ; and the ship and all on board under the charge of a very young and inex- perienced officer. Subsequent to this disaster. Lieutenant Tucker joined the flag-ship of Sir John Jervis, by whom he was ordered to assist in bringing home the San -Josef, a Spanish first-rate, captured oflf Cape St. Vincent, Feb. I4th, 1797- VVe after- wards find him first-lieutenant of the Saturn 74 ; from which ship he followed the late Rear-Admiral Totty into the In- vincible, of similar force. On the 16th Mar. 1801, the latter ship sailed from Yar- mouth Roads, for the purpose of joining the expedition scut against the Northern Confederacy ; and she was proceeding with a fair wind, at the rate of nine knots, when she unfor- tunately struck upon Hammond's Knowl ; both the master and the pilot having neglected to make allowance for a rapid See Vol. I. Part I. p. 340. COMMANDERS. 38/ tide then running to the eastward. In this situation she continued, beating heavily, for three hours, during which time many heavy stores were thrown overboard, and the pumps kept incessantly at work, until they became choaked and useless. The mizen-mast having fallen, the main-mast was then cut away, and the ship at length drifted over the bank into seventeen fathoms water. Night now approaching, an anchor was let go ; and the pumps being again rendered efficacious, the water in the hold was soon reduced from ten to four feet : owing, however, to the master having stoppered the cable when only one-third had run out, and the rudder having been knocked away, she again struck the shoal about 10 P. M., and with such violence as to convince every one on board that she could not long hold together. At this awful jiuicture, a fishing-smack approached ; and Rear- Admiral Totty, Mr. John Clyde (purser), four young midshipmen, and one boat's crew, succeeded in reaching her. During the night, four other boats were cut adrift with people in them, the whole of whom had the good fortune to get on board a merchant brig to leeward. On the following morning, at day-light, the flag of the commander-in-chief in Yarmouth Roads was seen ; but, although a cutter had answered the first guns fired as signals of distress, and immediately stood for that anchorage, nothing could be discovered coming to- wards the Knowl. At 7 a. m., the Invincible once more drifted into deep water, and immediately began to sink head foremost. Lieutenants Tucker and Quash, two master's- mates, the boatswain, and a few seamen, then got into the Ittunch, the only remaining serviceable boat, and were the happy means of saving nearly 120 persons : the total number of oilicers and men saved auiounted to 19S ; that of the un- fortunate sufferers to about 490. After this sad catastrophe. Lieutenant Tucker acc()n)panied Rear-Admiral Totty to the Baltic and West Indies, in the Zealous 7i, and their old ship, the Saturn. On the 28th May, 1802, he was appointed acting captain of the Excellent 74, bearing the broad pendant of Commodore (now Sir Ro- bert) Stopford ; and we subsequently find him commanding 2c2 f' ■ ' it''' i li ■' i\ 1/ 1- 388 COMMANDERS. the Hornet and Surinam, sloops, in which latter vessel he was sent by Commodore Samuel Hood, to demand the liberation of two British officers, who had imprudently thrown themselves into the power of the brigands at St. Domingo, although instant death was the declared fate of every white person who should then venture to land within the space under their jurisdiction. Having, at the risk of his own life, and by the aid of many presents, ascertained, that one of those officers had been executed, and that the other had escaped to Port-au-Prince, Commander Tucker proceeded from the neighbourhood of Gonahives to Jacquemel, where he rendered such material assistance to the besieged French garrison as procured him most handsome letters of thanks from the commandant and principal inhabitants, the latter of whom concluded their address to him as follows : *• We beg you. Sir, to receive the thanks of all our fellow citizens, for your voluntary stay among us, and for your spontaneous offer daily to harass the insurgents, a measure so necessary towards the security of our women, children, and sick, and the further preservation of the town. We have seen with the most lively interest the effects of a proceeding so noble, and which, whilst it convinces us of the goodness of your private charac- ter, assures us at the same time of the union and good understanding be- tween our respective Governments. V/e have the honor. Sir, to salut& you with sentiments of the most perfect consideration. ,ii (Signed by the Council of Select Men of the , town of Jacquemel) "Duray. "Thecret. *• Aquaute." ■I-T-: vr. hu:\- 7 . The following cruel and infamously false charge is alleged against Commander Tucker, in James's Naval History, Vol. III. p. 411 e^ 5^9-: ; ^ r,.„-,i ... i. . .,,.^ *' ** When, in the middle of the year 180d, intelligence of the declaration of war against Holland reached Port Royal, Jamaica, the lO-gun schooner Gipsy, acting Lieutenant Michael Fitton, was despatched to Cura^oa, to warn any British cruisers that might be lying there, of what had taken place, in order that they might provide for their safety. Arriving in the harbour of St. Ann, the Gipsy found at anchor there the 18-gun ship-sloopi Suriiiam, Captain Robert Tucker. To this officer, in as secret a manner as he could, Lieutenant Rtton communicated the intelligence, and advised him immediately to get under weigh. ' No,' says Captain Tucker, * I'll summon the fisc ant represent th numerous batti and made his p official account his word, but Knowing well had weighed a by two armed \ Tucker's impri In refutat tract of a le then lay be count of the imprisonme " Sir,— 1 th statement ma volume to whi affair of whlcl lion, / never name of her c liY IN ERROR. ** To Comman " On the says Comn top-mast, with so mu ally fell to in dangerc Cura9oa, ai when privs me to bel: long, be aj efforts; an the Surina ing any si when a pri test, when COMMANDERS. 389 summon the fiscal to surrender the island to me.' In vahi did the lieuten- ant represent the folly of such a proceeding ; in vain did he point to the numerous batteries around the harbour : Captain Tucker went on shore, and made his proposal in form. The Dutch authorities had received no official account of the war; but they took the captain's word, and not only his word, but his sword, and his ship, and all that were on board of her. Knowing well what would happen. Lieutenant Fitton, in the mean time, had weighed and stood out; and the Gipsy was soon chased off the port by two armed vessels of superior force, which, in consequence of Captain Tucker's imprudence, had been despatched in pursuit of her." In refutation of this statement, we shall first give an ex- tract of a letter recently written by Lieutenant Fitton ; and then lay before our readers Commander Tucker's own ac- count of the causes which led to his detention and subsequent imprisonment. "H.M. S. Agincottrt, Devonport, 20/A Nov. 1831. ' " Sir, — I this day received yours of the 15th instant, informing me of a statement made in James's Naval History. 1 immediately sent for the volume to which you refer, and am sorry to find my name mentioned in an affair of which I never had any knowledge : — to the best of my recollec- tion, / never saw the Surinam ; and never, till this day, did I know the name of her commander : — the historian, therefore, is complete- ly IN ERROR. ••♦••. (Signed) " Mich'. Fitton." ^ ** To Commander R. TticherP " On the second day after my deptirture from Jacquemel," says Commander Tucker, " the Surinam sprung her fore- top-mast, had all her lower-rigging stranded, and pitched with so much violence that the casks in the ground- tier liter- ally fell to pieces, leaving all the other contents of the hold in dangerous motion. Thus circumstanced, I steered for Cura9oa, and was there busily employed in refitting my ship, when private information from the island of St. Thomas led me to believe that Great Britain and Holland would, ere long, be again declared enemies. 1 therefore redoubled my efforts ; and, although not quite ready for sea, had warped the Surinam to the head of the harbour, in hopes of prevent- ing any similar information reaching the Dutch governor, when a prize-schooner, in charge of Lieutenant Thomas For- tekt, whom I had despatched to Commodore Hood, and who fM ::* Br 390 COMMANDERS. was returning from that officer with orders for my future guidance, ran past me, and incautiously proceeded until she reached the government- wharf, when some of her late crew, who had so imprudently been aflforded the opportunity, jumped on shore, and reported that the Britisii had already commenced hostilities. f . . "On receiving the orders brought by Lieutenant Forrest, 1 instantly sent him back to his schooner, with directions not to remain a moment longer in the harbour ; at the same time intimating my intention of immediately putting to sea ; but before I could do so, the Surinam was hailed by a Dutch frigate, and threatened with instant destruction if she at- tempted to move ; the forts and batteries were then evidently preparing to carry this menace into effect. I was soon after- wards sent for by the governor, who acquainted me that, according to affidavits then lying before him, Dutch vessels had been detained by the British squadron on the Leeward Islands station ; but that if I would recal the schooner, and her commander would pledge his word and honor to the con- trary, the Surinam should not be detained. This, as I then felt convinced, was merely a ruse, and I therefore considered it my duty likewise to dissemble : I accordingly professed to acquiesce ; but instead of recalling Lieutenant Forrest, I hailed the Surinam, directing that he should be ordered by signal to proceed to the commodore. There not being any possibility of effecting my escape, I now employed myself in taking plans of the forts and batteries, and in ascertaining the disposition of the inhabitants of St. Ann ; transmitted all the information I acquired both to Sir John T. Duckworth and Commodore Hood ; and was informed by those oihcers, that as soon as troops could be spared, an expedition would be sent against Curagoa. My last despatches, however, were treacherously delivered into the hands of the Dutch governor, who immediately demanded the surrender of my ship, and ordered me to be confined in a room over the soldiers' bar- rack, the windows of which were level with a rampart, and watched by two sentinels. In the course of the same evening, two musket-balls were fired into this room, one ot COMMANDERS. 391 which struck a table that I had just before removed from. On the following day, my servant was informed by a Mr. Ricardo, captain of the burgher-guard, that if we were not very particular I should be poisoned. Several shot were afterwards fired into my prison-room, and had I not shifted my bed repeatedly, every night, some one or other of them would probably have proved fatal. On one occasion, 1 was threatened with confinement in a dungeon, and actually placed for a few hours in one, because I would not divulge the names of the inhabitants through whose hands 1 still con- trived to send and receive letters. In this state of suspense 1 was kept for four months. " My men, 1 should observe, were sent to Jamaica soon after the surrender of the Surinam, the enemy hoping that an equal number of Dutch sailors would have been exchanged for them ; instead of which, however, only a receipt for the number was returned ; as I had pointed out to Sir John T. Duckworth the probability of H. M. late sloop being instantly sent to cruise against our trade. At length the enemy con- ceived it a good plan to send me, with my officers and the receipt, to Barbadoes ; but in this instance likewise they were unsuccessful. Finding no man-of-war at that island when we arrived there, I however took upon myself to send them back nine Dutch clergymen in lieu of us ; and I have the satisfaction to add, that, when tried by a court-martial, 1 was acquitted of all blame for the loss of the Surinam." ■ i-' .i i nm CHARLES ALLEN, Esq. Is descended from Captain William Allen, of the Bona- venture 50, who, in 1G96, retook the British settlements in Hudson's Bay ; and, on his return home, was mortally wounded in action with a French private ship of war. A medal which he obtained from Pope Innocent II. is novv in the possession of Commander Allen, whose grandfather died captain of the Mary yacht, in 1752; and whose father, the late William Allen, Estj., was many years in the Stamp If^'^w^ ilr^^ C01lfMANDBR«. ^OM'^ • See Vol. II. Part I. p. 74. '• n 4 'Ort her arrival in the chops of the channel, the Victoriodi ehcbil^tered I a severe gale of wind, and was obliged to hear up for Lisbon, yAx&tt she I M(i)iiKeouden)aed and broken up. Sft^ CiOMMANDERS. 393 PuiDt, and il^ intrepid {raUantry with which they boarded and brought off six ^un-boat8, carrying heavy metal, and a complement of men nearly *T'. '». il,''' PBTAiNED the rank of commander in Aug. 1809. .. . tii>r \i »! Ji'* .i-rr WILLIAM MAY, Esq. , .,, Was made a lieutenant in 1/98; presented with the Turkish gold medal for his services during the Egyptian ; campaign ; and promoted to the rank of commander, on his i arrival in England with despatches from Rear-Admiral Sir Richard J. Strachaii, announcing the reduction of the islarid of Walcheren, in Aug. 1809 ; on which occasion he was re- commended to the Admiralty " as an officer of meiit.** He married, Jan. 1st, 1814, Miss Flamark, of Newton-Abbott, CO. Devon. ■■) 'ii Mi -rj )v: rfii! CHARLES BEECROFT, Esq. A FOLLowfiR of the heroic Sir W. Sidney Smith, to whose notice he was first introduced by the lamented Captain John Westley Wright, and with whom, after receiving a severe 1 1 'Im i. ,,,_. •Sm 'l.-i I ' M (" t [ i w I ■^::i!' 394 COMMANDERS. wound, he was taken prisoner, near Havre, in April, 1796. He obtained the rank of lieutenant in 1802 ; and was most honorably mentioned by Sir Sidney, in his reports of the cap- ture of the island of Capri, and the destruction of a Turkish squadron at the entrance of the Dardanelles, in May, 1806, and Feb. 1807> His commission as commander bore date Oct. 3d, 1809; and at the time of his decease, in 1825, he enjoyed a pension for his wounds, of £\ 50 per annum. HENRY CONYNGHAM COXEN, Esq. Was made a lieutenant in Nov. 1803; and advanced to the rank he now holds in Oct. 1809. THOMAS CUNNINGHAM, Esq. Was made a lieutenant in 1765 j and commander Oct. 25th, 1809, on which day His Majesty King George III. en- tered into the fiftieth year of his reign. This officer died in 1823. JOSEPH HAYNES, Esq. Was made a lieutenant in 1771j and commander Oct. 25th, 1809. He died in 1828, aged 84 years. GEORGE TURNBULL, Esq. Was made a lieutenant in 1774, and commander Oct. 25th, 1809. He died in the beginning of 1826. JOHN WYBORN, Esq. Entered the navy in 1793, as midshipman on board tlic Savage sloop, on the Downs station ; but left that vcsBel, and joined the Ramillies 74, Captain (afterwards Sir Henry) COMMANDERS. 395 Harvey, early in 1/94 : he was consequently present ut the defeat of the French republican fleet, by Earl Howe, on the glorious 1st of June; and he appears to have continued in the same ship, under Captains Sir Richard Bickerton and Bartholomew S. Rowley, on the Channel, West India, New- foundland, and North Sea stations, until after the mutiny at the Nore, in 1797* He subsequently proceeded to the Cape of Good Hope, in the Lancaster 64, bearing the flag of Sir Roger Curtis. In 1800, he suffered very great privations, and narrowly escaped being devoured by the Caffres, on the east coast of Africa, whilst employed in conducting a pnze from Mauritius to the Cape. On the 17th Jan. 1801, he was promoted by Sir Roger, into the Diomede 50, Captain the Hon. Charles Elphinstone (now Fleeming) ; and his appoint- ment as lieutenant appears to have been confirmed by the Admiralty, on the 19th Nov. following. He shortly after- wards went to the East Indies, first of the Rattlesnake sloop, and remained there, in that vessel, and as senior lieutenant of the Sceptre 74, Captain (afterwards Rear-Admiral) Joseph Bingham, until 1808. Towards the end of that year, he was appointed to the Sirius frigate, Captain Samuel Pym; but on the Sceptre being re-commissioned by Captain Bingham, in Mar. 1809, he rejoined that ship, and, as we have already shown, highly distinguished himself at the attack upon Flush- ing, in the months of July and August following *. After th'i reduction of Walcheren, the Sceptre, then com- mandod by the late Vice-Admiral Ballard, was ordered to the West Indies ; and on the 18th Dec. 1809, Mr. Wyborn was again officially commended, for the prompt measures he adopted in destroying the batteries of A nee la Barque, in the isli'iid of Guadaloupp, after having assisted iit the destruction of two heavy French frigates lying under their protection. For his conduct on this occasion, he was promoted to the rank of commander, by commission dated back to the day of the action. After the conquest of Guadaloupe, he re- turned home passenger on board the Cormorant stove-ship. 1: m • See Vol, II. Part II. note + at p. 907- m COMMAND KRS. and was not able to obtain any further employment until 1819, when we find him appointed to assist in superintending the Ordinary at Sheerness. "^ THOMAS SWINNERTON DYER, Esq. , Brother to the late Colonel Sir John Swinuerton Dyer, Bart., a groom of the bedchamber to his late Majesty King George IV. when Prince of Wales. This officer was made a lieutenant in 1793; and advanced to his present rank in Jan. 1810 ; previous to which he had commanded the Ready gun-brig. One of his daughters is married to J.S.Williams, Esq., late of the Bengal native cavalry; and another to the Rev. Richard William Kerly, .;j).i!;o; JOSEPH SIMMONDS, Esq. i ^ oi . . Commission as commander dated Mar. 7th, 1810. ' '^' ' "^^f/'-/''i"'' GEORGE BROWN, Esq." ^''^^'^^ w"-; ..(111 ..1. , , ' ■■ .Commissions as lieutenant and commander dated Oct. 18tb, 1804, and Mar. 7th, 1810 j! rr,oi( », d^ /^ . ru.iv. JAMES ROBERT DALTON, Esq. , .!. Obtained the rank of lieutenant in Nov. 1806, and a commander's commission on the 30th April, 1810. " '' Uu\l>ir-!q f ' '■ — - .-.'•.'./. Ami 'f WILLIAM HENRY SMITH, Esq. r .^AS made a lieutenant in Dec. 1799 ; and promoted to the cpmrnand of the Demerara sloop, on tlie West India station^ lyiay 2d, 1810. He died at Essequibo, of yellow fever, Mar. 9th, 1826, aged 41 years. ,. .,, :.,.,,^^,j_ .,, ,,,,,,,( COMMANDERS. ^'^^ HENRY NATHANIEL ROWE, Esq; ^ ' ' Youngest son of the late Rev. Henry Rowe, LL.B. of Padnal Hall and Toby Priory, co. Essex, rector of Ringshall, in Suffolk, by Harriet, daughter of the Rev. Thomas Bland, vicar of Sittingbourn, co. Kent, and rector of Warley, in Essex. His grandfather, Nathaniel Rowe, of Eastworth House, Chertsey, co. Surrey, sailed round the world with Gomtnodore (afterwards Lord) Anson, and was a nephew tb Lord Bathurst, then High Chancellor of England. His more remote ancestor. Sir Thomas Rowe, was knighted in the field bf battle, during the crusades, and from him branched the celebrated poet, Nicholas Rowe, who sang of Tamerlane, and whose mortal remains are entombed in Westminster Abbey. ''"'^ - - ;...,,, This ofl&cer commenced his naval career at a very early age, under the auspices of Isaac Hawkins Browne, Esq., M. P. for Bridgenorth, by whom he was recommended to the protection of Captain Thomas Parr, commanding the flag- ship at the Great Nore, in 1798. He subsequently served under Captains Jeffery Raigersfeld, Wright, and John Wight, in the Hermes and Wolverene sloops, on the North Sea and Channel stations ; as supernumerary midship- man on board the Andromeda frigate. Captain James Bradby, with whom he proceeded to Martinique j as master's-mate of I'Eclair schooner, Lieutenant (afterwards Captain) Ken- neth M*Kenzie ; and as acting lieutenant of the Guachapin sloop, commanded by the same gallant officer, under whose orders he succeeded in cutting out many of the enemy's vessels, and assisted in capturing several French privateers, on the West India station. From thence he returned home passenger on board the Arab 20, bearing the broad pendant of Commodore the Hon. Robert Stopford, Mar. 7th, 1803. We next find him joining the Impetueux 84, Captain (now Sir T. Byara) Martin ; from which ship he was appointed 8ub-lieutenant of the Aimwell gun-brig, stationed in Black- Water river, about the close of 1804. On the 19th Mar. fol- lowing, he obtained the rank of lieutenant in the Ajax 80, y w\ W\ 398 COMMANDERS. then commanded by Captain Christopher Larochc, but after- wards by Captain William Brown, in Sir Robert Culdcr's action with the combined fleets of France and Spain ; by Lieutenant John Pilfold, at the memorable battle of Trafal- gar ; and by Captain the Hon. Henry Blackwood, in the expedition against Coji tantinople. The destruction of that ship by fire, in the night of Feb. 14th, 180/, has been noticed in p. 648 et seq. of Vol. I. Part II. . During the subsequent operations of the squadron under Sir John T. Duckworth, Lieutenant Rowe served as a vo- lunteer on board the Windsor Castle 98, Captain Charles Boyles, which ship, when returning through the Darda- nelles, was struck by several marble shot of great size, ojie in particular measuring six feet eleven inches in circumfe- rence : her total loss, however, did not exceed four men killed, and twenty, including Mr. William Jones, master's- mate, wounded. ' : Lieutenant Rowe's next appointment was to the Valiant 74, Captain James Young, thci» about to sail for Copenhagen, under the orders of Admiral Gambler. During the siege of that capital, he was placed in command of the Charles armed transport, attached to the advanced squadron, which vessel was blown up by a shell pitching into her magazine, whilst engaged with the Danish flotilla and land batteries, Aug. 3l8t, I8O7. On this unfortunate occasion, Lieutenant Rowe had his leg shattered above the knee, his collar-bone broken, his body dreadfully lacerated, and his head and face so vio- lently contused, as to be for some time bereft of sight. Thus mangled, he fell into the sea at a considerable distance from tlie spot where the explosion took platu;, and was in the act of shiking when a seaman caught hold of his hair and drag- ged him into a boat belonging to the Thunder bomb, on board of which vessel he underwent immediate amputation: the other sulTerers by the same unlucky event were thirty in number, of whom the master of the transport and nine men were killed, and a mate of the Valiant (named Philip Tomlinson) and nineteen men wounded, the former mor- tally. . y < ''• . . • ■ . !• >f ■•>> COMMANDERS. 39i) On the 11th Jan. 1808, Lieutenant Rowe obtained a pen- sion for his wounds, the present amount of which is 200/. per annum j and when sufficiently recovered he was ordered out to the Leeward Islands on promotion. He accordingly pro- ceeded thither in the Rosamond sloop, Captain Benjamin Walker; and after serving for a short time iu the Abercrom- bie 74, Captain (now Sir William Charles) Fahie, was ad- vanced by Sir Alexander Cochrane to the command of the St. Christopher sloop, an appointment which appears to have been confirmed by the Admiralty, May 2(1, 1810. After the reduction of Guadalonpe, he was removed to the Asp sloop, and sent home with despatches j since which he has not held any appointment. In 1819, Commander Rowc published a poetical work, en- titled " Sacred Beauties ;" and he is now, we understand, employing his leisure hours on another, to be entitled " The Intellectual Globe," and addressed to William Lawrence, Esq. Professor of Anatomy, author of " The Natural His- tory of Man." This officer married Joanna, youngest daughter of Mr. Thomas Crew, and allied to a very respectable family in Che- shire, by which lady he has issue two sons and five daughters. His elder brother, John, died of yellow fever, in the West Indies, while serving as midshipman on board the Severn 44, Captain John Whitby. '\^ V V ■' % HENRY WILDEY, Esq. Obtained a lieutenant's commission in 1/9/; and com- manded the Whiting schooner, fitted for throwing rockets, at the attack made upon the French squadron in the road of Isle d'Aix, April 11th, 1809. He was advanced to his present rank on the 8d May, 1810. JAME8 MOLINEUX, Esq. Obtained his first commission in 1794; and served as a lieutenant of the Defence 74, Captain John Peyton, at the 400 COMMANDERS. memorable battle of the Nile; and of the Windsor Castle 98, Captain Charles Boyles, in Sir Robert Calder's action with the combined fleets of France and Spain, July 22d. 1805. We next find hiin flag-lieutenant to Rear-Admiral Thomas Wells, at Sheerness, where he continued from the end of 1808 until promoted to the rank of commander, May 4th, 1810. The oUt-pension of Greenwich Hospital was granted to him in Nov. 1827. PETER PROCTER, Esq. Was made a lieutenant in 1798 ; and presented with the Turkish gold medal for his services during the Egyptian cam- paign, in 1801. He appears to have been first of the Aj ax 80, Captain the Hon. Henry Blackwood, when that ship was destroyed by fire, in the night of Feb. 14th, 1807 > and we subsequently find him commanding the Thistle schooner, of ten 18-pounder carronades, with a complement of fifty offi- cers, men, and boys ; in which vessel he captured the Dutch national corvette Havik, of ten guns, principally long 4- pounders, and fifty-two men, having on board a flag-officer, late lieutenant-governor and commander-in-chief at Batavia, and partly laden with spices and indigo, Feb. 10th, 1810. In the action which took place on this occasion, each party had one man killed; and the Dutch admiral, and seven of his men, Lieutenant Procter, and six of the Thistle's crew, were wounded. Mr. Procter was promoted to the rank of commander, whilst serving on the Halifax station, June 2d, 1810; and afterwards appointed to the Post-office packet Prince of Wales, which ship he had the misfortune to lose on the S. W. side of Heneaga, when proceeding with a mail from the Bahamas' to Jamaica, July 19th, 1811 *•. He subsequently commp-nded the Lady Wellington packet ; and died in Mar. 1826. in comm • See Nav. Chron. vol. xxvii, p. 47. !' COMMANDERS. ■■'.• l.'i-. * 5»»' 401 »• ' HENRY THOMSON, Esq. ' ' '^'^'^* Was made a lieutenant in 1802; promoted to the rank of commander in June 1810 ; and appointed to the Portia sloop, in August, 1811. He died at Marseilles, Jan. 23d, 1827. ciTiiii .-.. i. •4 , 1. . ' ^.4 ,1 PETER GILES PICKERNELL, Esq. Obtained his first commission in 1800 ; commanded the Gallant gun-brig, on the North Sea station, in 1809 and 1810 ; was advanced to his present rank July 4th in the lat- ter year ; and appointed to the Ordinary at Sheerness, under Captain Samuel Jackson, C. B. in Sept. 1823. • NATHANIEL BELCHIER, Esq. Obtained the rank of lieutenant in 1794 ; served as such under Captain (now Sir Robert Waller) Otway, in the Trent 32 ; and commanded the boats of that frigate at the capture and destruction of a Spanish ship and three schooners, lying in shoal water, under the protection of a five-gun battery, at Porto Rico, in Mar. 1799. He afterwards served on the coast of Egypt, and was presented with the Turkish gold medal, in common with his brother officers. We next find him first of the Thetis frigate. Captain George Miller, by whom he is highly spoken of in an official letter addressed to the senior officer off Guadaloupe, reporting the capture of a French na- tional corvette, le Nisus, and the destruction of the fortifica- tions of the port of Des Hayes, Dec. 12th, 1809 *. He was advanced to the rank of commander, while serving as first lieutenant of the Neptune 98, at the Leeward Islands, Oct. 21st, 1810. This officer married, April 28th, 1803, the daughter of the Rev. Edward Bryant, of Newport, co. Essex ; and became a widower in May 1830. • See Suppl. Part II. pp. 201—203. VOL. III. PART II. 2 U •-; ..■U, ^ «'• :v:il (■ III 1^ 1;^ 402 COMMANDERS. JOHN HOULTON MARSHALL, Esq. Obtainbd the rank of lieutenant in 1/94 ; Jiiid was first of the Naiad frigate, Captain William Pierrepoint, at the capture of the Spanish national ship Santa-Brigida of 36 guns and 300 men, having on board 1,400,000 dollars, with a cargo of equal value, Oct. 18th, 1/99*. We next find his name mentioned in an official letter addressed to Admiral Cornwal- lis, of which the following is a copy : " Naind, in Pontevedra Bay^ May \1th, 1801. *' Sir, — ^The boats belonging to the Naiad and Phaeton, manned by vo- lunteer officers, seamen, and marines, under the direction of Lieutenant Marshall, highly distinguished themselves on the night of the IGth instant, by the capture of I'Alcudia, and destruction of El Raposo, armed Spanish packets, in the port of Marin, near Pontevedra, under the protection of a live-gun buttery, 24-pounders, prepared to receive them. L'Alcudia, the largest, commanded by a very old lieutenant in His Catholic Majesty's ser- vice, was moored stem and stern close to the fort, and her sails had been sent on shore the preceding day. This service was undertaken from in- formation that she was a corvette of 22 guns. I am happy to state, that four men only, belonging to the two ships, were wounded. I have the honor to be, &c. (Signed) " W. H. Ricketts, Captain." This officer was advanced to the rank of commander while serving as first of the Africa 64, in Oct. 1810 ; and had the misfortune to lose the Halcyon sloop, in Anato Bay, on the north side of St. Domingo. May 19th, 1814. CHARLES CLYDE, Esq. Was made a lieutenant in 1794 j and advanced to his pre- sent rank, whilst serving as first of the York 74, on the 21st Oct. 1810. He married, April 20th, 1818, a daughter of the Rev. William Milton, vicar of Heckfield, co. Hants. Son of 1 H. M. nai This of] mander, w Oct. 1810, ♦ See SuppI, Part II. p. 475 et seq. Was m Naval Hit Cadiz floti 98, July 3 from the Drake sic and subsec RO A SON c whose onl Brisbane. This offl 15th, 1773 June 1786 in various dia station tenant of t Otway, wh in the acti French coi 1795. H( during the ticulcirly a' of which 1 (^n the fori COMMANDERS. 403 THOMAS VIVION, Esq. Son of the late Mr. Thomas Vivion, the senior purser in H. M. navy. This officer was made a lieutenant in 1794 ; and com- mander, while serving as first of the Royal Sovereign 1 10, in Oct. 1810. k'ili GREGORY GRANT, Esq. Was made a lieutenant in 1795 ; and appears, by James's Naval History, to have been wounded in an action with the Cadiz flotilla, while serving in the boats of the Prince George 98, July 3d, 1797. He was promoted to his present rank from the Royal Oak 74, in Oct. 1810; appointed to the Drake sloop, on the Heligoland station. Mar. 12th, 1812 j and subsequently sent to Jamaica. ROBERT BENJAMIN YOUNG, Esq. A SON of the late Lieutenant Robert Parry Young, R. N., whose only sister was the wife of the late Admiral John Brisbane. This officer was born at Douglas, in the Isle of Man, Sept. 15th, 1773 } and first went to sea, in the Cruiser cutter, about June 1786 ; between which period and Sept. 1794, he served in various line-of-battle ships, on the Channel and West In- dia stations. At the latter date he was appointed acting lieu- tenant of the Thorn sloop, Captain (now Sir Robert Waller) Otway, who makes honorable mention of his spirited conduct in the action between that vessel and le Courier Nationel, French corvette, ending in the capture of the latter. May 25th, 1795. He also distinguished himself on various occasions during the Carib war in the Island of St. Vincent, but par- ticularly at the attack of Owia and Chateau-Bellair, the loss of which posts obliged the enemy to retire into the interior. (^n the former occasion, he commanded the party landed witii 2d2 404 COMMANDERS. a detachment of H. M. 60th regiment, led the boats himself through a heavy surf, and had his hat and coat shot through, whilst proceeding to the assault. His first commission from the Admiralty, appointing him to the Majestic 74, bearing the flag of Sir John Laforey, and about to return home from the Leeward Islands, bears date Jan. 21st, 1/96. He arrived in England on the 24th April following : and subsequently served under Captains Charles Lindsay and Richard Retalick, in la Bonne-Citoyenne sloop, on the Channel and Mediter- ranean stations. Whilst thus employed, be witnessed the battle off Cape St. Vincent, Feb. 14th, 179/ J and assisted in capturing two French privateers, le Pluvier and la Carnarde. In Oct. 1798, he was removed, at Naples, to the Colossus 74, Captain George Murray ; with whom he suffered shipwreck in St. Mary's harbour, Scilly, Dec. 1 0th following *. Lieutenant Young's next appointments were, — in April 1799, to be first of the Savage sloop. Captain Norborne Thompson, then employed on the Boulogne station, and af- terwards in occasional co-operation with the British forces at the Helder ; — in 1802, to the Goliah 74, commanded by his first cousin, Captain (afterwards Rear- Admiral Sir Charles) Brisbane, under whom he assisted at the capture of la Mig- nonne, French corvette, near Cape Nicola Mole, St. Domin- go;— Sept. 30th, 1803, to the \vmdsor Castle 98; — shortly afterwards to the Foudroyant 80 ; — and, Mar. 28th, 1804, to command the Entreprenante cutter. His exertions, as first of the Goliah, during, and after a midnight hurricane, in which that ship was laid on her beam-ends and dismasted, on her return home from the West Indies, appear to have been no less deservedly than highly praised ; for we are informed, that on the very next day she was in full chase of, and succeeded in recapturing, a merchantman of considerable value. It was in the storm to which we allude, tliat the Calypso sloop, Cap- tain W. Venour, then under the orders of Captain Brisbane, was run down and sunk by one of the homeward bound con- voy ; not an individual on board of either escaping. TheE on King Crescent plies to near whi 1805, sh the day ] LieutenE son's fla home wi wards tl TAchille ploded ; the Pick Swiftsui tunate ei and, to guns, wl prompt! his liuei received that imt with pr was ind position been ru Instead decease convey instead donatio guineas Fund. in wat( arduou few mo * See Nav. Citron. I. 86. COMMANDERS. 405 The Entreprenante, after having had the h( or o' aAtenf'ing on King George III., at Weymouth, in coi ipany wit' the Crescent and iEolus frigates, was employed in escorting sup- plies to the blockading squadrons off I'Orient and Huv^re, near which latter port she made several captures. In July 1805, she was attached to the Mediterranean station ; and on the day previous to the ever memorable battle of Trafalgar, Lieutenant Young received directions to keep close to Nel- son's flag-ship, the heroic chief having resolved to send him home with the account of his justly anticipated victory. To- wards the close of that celebrated engagement, a French 74, I'Achille, caught fire, and, in about an hour afterwards, ex- ploded ; but not before the Entreprenante, in conjunction with the Pickle schooner, and the boats of the Prince George and Swiftsure, had succeeded in rescuing about 200 of the unfor- tunate enemy. This, we should observe, was a most dangerous, and, to Lieutenant Young, an expensive service ; TAchille's guns, when heated, discharging their contents ; and humanity prompting him to distribute among the captives the whole of his linen, wine, and other necessaries, for which he never received the least remuneration. During the tremendous gale that immediately ensued,the Entreprenante, although crowded with prisoners, and in the greatest distress for want of water, was indefatigable in ascertaining, and correctly reporting the position of the prizes, one of which, the Bahama 74, would have been run into Cadiz but for her timely telegraphic intelligence. Instead, however, of being sent to England, according to the deceased hero's intention, Lieutenant Young was ordered to convey the duplicate despatches to Faro ; and, consequently, instead of obtaining preferment, and the usual handsome donation, all that he received was a sword, value one hundred guineas, presented to him by the Committee of the Patriotic Fund. In 1806 and 1807, he was almost incessantly employed in watching the enemy's fleet at Brest, a service of the most arduous nature. In 1809, after having been indulged with a few months' relaxation, for the recovery of his health, he was appointed first lieutenant of the Ulysses 44, Captain the Hon. Warwick Lake ; and he appears to have been the senior offi- i f : 1^ 406 COMMANDERS. cer of his rank employed in flat-bottomed boats during the Walcheren expedition. On the termination of that service, he was removed to the Princess Caroline 74, Captain Charles Dudley Pater ; under whom he was serving, in the Gulf of Finland, when promoted to his present rank, Oct. 21st, 1810. Since that period he has most reluctantly continued on half-pay. This officer married in Mar. 1810, and has issue three sons and two daughters. His grandfather died first lieu- tenant of the Cumberland 6Q, bearing the broad pendant of Commodore Pocock, on the East India station, in 1755. His paternal uncle, James Young, Esq. was a lieutenant-colonel of marines : and his brother. Lieutenant John James Young, R. N. died afloat in the vear 1796. WILLIAM RICHARD BAMBER, Esq. Obtained a lieutenant's commission in 1796 ; and com- manded the Bouncer and Havock, gun -brigs, between 1801 and 1810. He was promoted to his present rank on the 21st October in the latter year; appointed to the Imogene sloop, Oct. 7th, 1813; and employed in the Ordinary at Portsmouth between 1825 and 1828. His eldest son, a midshipman of the Hyperion frigate, was drowned off Monte Video, Jan. 6th, 1820. HENRY DAVIS, Esq. Was made a lieutenant in 1796 j promoted to his present rank, whilst serving as first of the Venerable 74, Oct. 21st, 1810; and appointed to the Ordinary at Portsmouth, in 1822. HYDE JOHN CLARKE, Esq. Was made a lieutenant in 1797? and commander Oct. 21 St, 1810. Was Turkish campiiign Oct. 21st Was France, s of that < 1790; a lutionarj guns, Ci Savage ; the Alfr« June 1st ofl&cer, i Toulon, Sir Johi squadroi fence, C Watson ship, ac WilUan perdowi occasioi George Aftei Isis, at subseqi wood, i appear! convert tempt roads ; COMMANDERS. 407 ALEXANDER ROSE, Esq. Was made a lieutenant in 1/97 j presented with the Turkish gold medal, for his services during the Egyptian campaign, in 1801 ; and promoted to the rank of commander Oct. 21sr, 1810. He died in 1826. JAMES LEACH, Esq. Was born at Deal, in Kent, Oct. 16th, 1778 ; and sent to France, at a very early age, in order to acquire the language of that country. He commenced his naval career in Aug. 1790 ; and served until the breaking out of the French revo- lutionary war, as midshipman on board the Cockatrice, of 14 guns, Captain Walter Locke; Pomona 28, Captain Henry Savage ; and Kite 14, Captain William Lamb. He was in the Alfred 74, Captain John Bazely, at the great battle of June 1st, 1794 J in the Blenheim 90, commanded by the same officer, at the destruction of I'Alcide 74, in the vicinity of Toulon, July 13th, 1795 ; in le Censeur 74, Captain {now Sir John) Gore, when that ship was taken by an enemy's squadron, under Mons. Richcry, after a most obstinate de- fence, Oct. 7th following; in the Isis 50, Captain Robert Watson, during the mutiny at the Nore ; and in the same ship, acting as lieutenant, under the command of Captain William Mitchell, at the defeat of the Dutch fleet, near Cam- perdown, Oct. 11th, 1797. For his conduct on the two latter occasions, he was promoted into the Albatross sloop. Captain George Scott, on the 18th of the ensuing month. After a short period. Lieutenant Leach was removed to the Isis, at the particular request of Captain Mitchell ; and we subsequently find him serving under the late Lord CoUing- wood, in the Triumph 74, off Brest. His next appointment appears to have been to the Falcon 14, which sloop was converted into a fire-vessel, and sent with three others to at- tempt the destruction of four French frigates, in Dunkirk roads ; an enterprise already noticed under the head of Cap- I i 408 COMMANDERS. tain Patrick Campbell *. Between July, 1800, and Nov. 1801, he commanded the hired armed vessels Thetis and Earl Spencer. After the renewal of hostilities, in 1803, he was successively appointed to raise seamen at Lynn, in Nor- folk ; to serve under Captain Richard Grindall, in the Prince 98 ; to command the Jennet cutter ; to assist in training the Topsham district of Sea-Fencibles ; to be a lieutenant of the Audacious 74, Captain (now Admiral) Lawford ; and to com- mand the Prince Frederick, convalescent-ship, and, July 30th, 1806, the Milbrook schooner, which vessel was wrecked on the Burlings, near Lisbon, Mar. 26th, 1808. Previous thereto, he had received the following handsome testimonials from the British Factory at Oporto : " September 2d, \S07. "Dear Sir, — I have herewith the pleasure to send you a copy of the resolution taken at a general meeting of the Factory on the 31st ultimo, with a bill for the purchase of the token therein mentioned. *' To this public testimony of the deserved esteem in which you are held by all your countrymen here, I beg leave to add the assurance of my personal regard and most friendly consideration. I shall be at all times happy to be in any shape useful to you, in this part of the world ; and with my best wishes for your health and happiness, I am, dear Sir, your most feutbful, humble servant, (Signed) *' William Warre, Consul." (Enclosure). ** Resolved, — ^That Mr. Consul be requested to convey our hearty thanks to Lieutenant Leach, commander of H. M. schooner Milbrook, for the effectual protection he hath afforded to our trade, as well as to the ti-ade in general of this port, during the time of his being stationed here ; and together with the assurance of our best wishes for his health and hap- piness, to beg his acceptance of a piece of plate, of the value of 50/., as a token of our regard, and of the high sense we have of his professional merit." (Signed by the Consul, by Richard Pennell, Esq. the Treasurer, and by the heads of fourteen mercantile firms). Copies of these documents, together with a letter signed by most, if not all, of the masters of merchant vessels then employed in the Oporto trade, were transmitted to the uuder- • See Vol. II. Part I. p. 290 ct seq. J COMMANDKRS. 409 Writers at Lloyd's, and by them hiid before the Lords Com- missioners of the Admiralty. The court-martial by which Lieutenant Leach was necessarily tried, for the loss of the Milbrook, not only acquitted him of all blame, but deemed his conduct highly meritorious and praiseworthy ; and the crew of that vessel, in order to evince their esteem and gratitude, requested his acceptance of a sword, value fifty guineas. We next find Lieutenant Leach proceeding in the Black Joke lugger, to the coast of Spain, on a special service ; and afterwards commanding the Desperate, mortar-vessel, on the Downs station. He served as an agent for transports during the Walcheren expedition, in 1809; obtained the command of the Arrow schooner, on his return from the Scheldt ; and was advanced to the rank of commander in Oct. 1810. Be- tween Sept. 1814 and Dec. 1815, he commanded the Martial sloop, successively employed on the Irish, West India, and Channel stations. From June 1825 until July 1828, he as- sisted Captain John Bowker and his successor, in superin- tending the Ordinary at Plymouth. * Commander Leach died at his native place. Deal, Aug. 22d, 18t31. He was twice married j but left no issue. JOHN CARTWRIGHT, Esq. {Better known as Major Cartwright, the celebrated political agitator). This officer was descended from a family, the head of which represented the borough of Retford, during the reign of Charles L One of his brothers, Charles Cartwright, Esq., was author of " A Journal of Transactions and Events during a Residence of nearly sixteen years on the coast of Labrador," 3 vols. 4tG. published in 1793 j and another, the Rev. Ed- mund Cartwright, D. D,, rector of Goadby Merwood, co, Leicester, and prebendary of Lincoln, a gentleman of ex- traordinary mechanical talents, and author of several works. Mr. John Cartwright was born, we believe, at Marsham, €0. Nottingham, in 1740 ; and entered the royal navy just in f\vl 410 COMMANDERS. time to witness the demolition of Cherbourgh, by the forces under Lieutenant- General Bligh and Commodore Howe, in Aut^ust, 1758 *. He was likewise present, and behaved well, at the battle between Hawke and De Conflans, near Qui- heron, Nov. 20th, 1759. After attaining the rank of lieu- tenant, we find him proceeding to Newfoundland, in the Guernsey 50, bearing the broad pendant of Commodore Hugh Palliser, by whom he was appointed to the command of a cutter on that station, in 1766. About four years after- wards, he went on half-pay, and began to wiite political pamphlets. In 1775, he became major of the Nottingham militia ; and in the following year, declined serving at sea under Lord Howe, because he disapproved of the American war. On account of his repeated attendance at seditious meetings, his right of succession to the vacant lieutenant- colonelcy of the above regiment was, on five successive oc- casions, set aside by the Duke of Newcastle, then lord-lieu- tenant of the county; and he was at length finally dismissed from that corps, in 1792. From this period, down to the day of his death, in 1 824, he was continually before the eye of the public, as the most indefatigable of all the preachers of radical reform, annual parliaments, and universal suffrage. It is a singular fact, that, on the 25th Oct. 1809, nearly forty years after he had quitted the navy, this gentleman's promotion to the rank of commander was announced in the London Gazette. We shall here give a list of the principal of his printed works, which, exclusive of innumerable con- tributions to newspapers and magazines, amount to at least fifty volumes octavo. " American Independence tlic Interest and Glory of Great Britain," 8vo. 1774.— "A Letter to Edmund Burke, Esq. controvertincf the Principles of Government laid down in his Speech of April 9th, 1774," 8vo. 1/75.— *' Take your (Jhoice, Representation and Respect, Imposition and Con- tempt, Annual Parliaments and Liberty, Long Pariiaments and Slavery," 8vo. 1776, (reprinted in 1777, under the title of, " The Legislative Rights of the Commonalty Vindicated.")—" A Letter to the Earl of Abingdon, • Sec Vol. I. Part I. p. 165 et set]. COMMANDEIIS. 411 (llscussinnf a Position relative to a Fundamental Right of the (Constitution, contained in his Lordship's Thoughts on the Letter of Edmund Burke, Esq." 8vo. 1777. — "The People's Barrier against undue Influence and Corruption," 8vo. 1 7^0. — •' Give us our Rights," (a letter to the electors of Middlesex), 8vo. 1782. — " Internal Evidence; or an Inquiry how far Truth and the Christian Religion have been consulted by the Author of 'Thoughts on a Parliamentary Reform*,'" 8vo. 1784. — "Letter to the Duke of Newcastle, respecting his Conduct in the Disposal of Conirais- fiions iu the Nottingham Militia," 8vo. 179'2 — "Letter to a Frienrj at Boston, and to all other Commoners who have associated in support of the Constitution," 8vo. 1793. — "The Commonwealth in Danger; with an Introduction containing Remarks on some late Writings of Arthur Young," 8vo. 1795.— "A Letter to the High Sheriff of the County of Lincoln, respecting the Laws of Lord Greuville and Mr, Pitt, for altering the Criminal Law of England respectiag Treason and Sedition," 8vo, 1795. — " The Constitutional Defence of England, Internal and External," 8vo. 1796. — "An Appeal on the Subject of the English Constitution," 8vo. 17^7; enlarged and reprinted in 1799. — "A Letter to the Electors of Nottingham," 8vo. 1803. — "England's iEgis; or the Military Energies of the Empire," 2 vols. I2mo. 1803-6.--" The State of the Nation, in a Series of Letters to the Duke of Bedford," 8vo. 1805.—" Reasons for Reformation," 8vo. 1809. — "The Comparison; in which Mock Reform, Half Reform, uml Constitutional Reform, are considered," 8vo. 1810. — He was also the author of several papers in *' Young's Annals of Agriculture." The subject of the foregoing sketch married, in 1780, the eldest daughter of Samuel Dashwood, of Wells, co. Lincoln, Esq. CHARLES BENNETT, Esq. Was made a lieutenant in 1797 ; and served under Cap- tain (now Sir Charles) Tyler, in the Tonnant 80, at the me- morable battle of Trafalgar ; towards the close of which he boarded and took possession of the French 74 Algesiras. On the evening of the following day, the perilous situation of that ship compelled him to liberate his prisoners, by whom he was carried into Cadiz, with about fifty of the Tonnant's crew, the whole of whom, however, were allowed to return to the ( I' II M Soamc Jcnyns. I 412 COMMANDERS. British fleet in a frigate sent out to receive the wounded Spaniards found on board the prizes. His commission as commander bears date Oct. 21st, 1810. JOHN NORTON, Esq. Was born at Yarmouth, co. Norfolk, April 15th, 1771 ; and appears to have entered the navy in 1789. We first find him serving under Sir Richard J. Strachan, in the Piicenix frigate, on the East India station * ; and next in the Alexan- der 74, commanded by the late Sir Richard Rodney Bligh, with whom he was taken prisoner and carried into Brest, in Nov. 1794 f. On his return from captivity he joined the To- paze frigate, Captain Stephen George Church ; and on the 28th Aug. 1796, assisted at the capture of la Elizabet, French frigate, near Cape Henry, on the coast of America. His pro- motion to the rank of lieutenant took place in 1799 ; and he was afterwards successively appointed to the Resolution 74, Captain the Hon. Alan Hyde Gardner, with whom he sailed for the West Indies, Feb. 7th, 1802;— to the Trent 36, bear- ing the flag of Admiral Lord Gardner, at Cork, in 1804 ; — to the command of the Frisk cutter, in 1805 ; — and to the Fame 74, Captain Richard H. A. Bennet, fitting out for the Medi- terranean station, in May, I8O7. Whilst in the Frisk, he as- sisted at the capture and destruction of a three-gun battery, situated on Pointe d'Equillon, in the Pertuis Breton, and was highly commended, by Lord Cochrane, for his conduct on that occasion. He obtained the rank of commander in Oct. 1810, since which he has not been employed. This officer married in 1803, and has issue one daughter. • See Vol. I. Part I. p. 286. t See p. 254 et seq. of this volume. COMMANDRRS. 413 WILLIAM KELLY {a), Esq. Was made a lieutenant in 1799 ; and promoted to the rank of commander, whilst serving as first of the Illustrious 74, Captain William Robert Broughton, Oct 21st, 1810. He died in 1824. WILLIAM SLAUGHTER, Esq. Was made a lieutenant on the 18th Sept. 1806; and dis- tinguished himself whilst serving as third of the Amphion frigate, Captain William Hoste, at the capture and destruc- tion of an enemy's convoy, moored in a strong position under a battery of four 24 pounders, in sight of the Italian squadron at Venice. The official details of this " very gallant and well-conducted" enterprise will be found under the head of Captain Charles G. R. Phillott, in Suppl. Part IV. The ser- vice for which Mr. Slaughter was promoted to his present rank, Nov. 21st, 1810, is thus described in the London Gazette : — " Amphion, Gulf of Trieste, June 29M, 1810. " Sir, — A convoy of several vessels from Trieste were chased inio the harhour of Grao by the boats of the Amphion yesterday morning, and the officer (Lieutenant Slau{>hter), on his return, reported that they were laden with naval stores for the arsenal at Venice. As the Italian Govern* ment are making great exertions at the present moment to fit out their marine at that port, the capture of this convoy became an object of im- portance ; and I was the more induced to attempt it, as its protection (it was said) consisted only in twenty-five soldiers stationed at Grao, an open town in tlic Friule ; the sequel will shew that we were deceived both as to the number of the garrison and the strength of the place ; ard if I should enter too much into detail in relating to you the circumstances attending its enpture, I trust, Sir, you will consider it on my part as only an anxious de^iro to do justice to the gallant exertions of those who were employed on the occasion. " The shoals of Grao prevent the near approach of shipping of burthen ; the capture of the convoy therefore was necessarily confined to boat ser- vice, and I telegraphed toH.M. ships Cerberus and Active on the evening of the 28th, that their boats and marines should nssetnbic alongside the Am- phion by twelve o'clock that night. It fell calm in the early part of the even- H Si' M; '\n n ; :J ( 1, ■ I 'h '■ 10 414 COMMANDERS. ing' ; and conceiving, from our distance from Grao, that the boats of the Active (who was consideralily in the offing) would not arrive in time, I wrote to Captain Gordon to rcchief off Ushant and the blockading squadrons off Rochefort and Ferrol. In the course of the latter service, she was twice on the point of foundering, and obliged to throw overboard all her guns. The following are copies of letters written by the officer who commanded her at the commencement of the late war : *' H. M. shop Rambler, Aug. 16/A, 1804. " Sir, — I have tlie honor to acquaint you, that, being between I'IsIe Dieu and the Mainj on the morning of the 7th instant, I observed nine sail close inshore, steering to the south-eastward. About 9, it fell calm. I then sent the boats, under the command of Lieutenant Forman and Mr. Cox, nFtaster's-mate, to take possession of them ; but, favored by a light Mr, they came to an anchor under the battery of St. Gillies, within mus- ket-shot of the shore ; notwithstanding which, two sloops were brought off, mth great gallantry, under a smart fire from field-pieces and mus- ketry. The others cut their cables, and ran aground, so near the pier-head that it was imponible to get them off. I have the honor to be, &c. (Signed) *' Thoicas Innis.** ** To Sir C/uirht Cotton^ Bart. dfe. ffo. tfc:* " • See Vol. 1. Part I. p. Xeidetaeq. t See Vol. II. Part II. p. 760 ei teg. VOL. III. PART II. 2 B i if:'" \i: I I ■ « ii Ill ■! f .--^[^ 4)9 CO»S«lS. lo loLncmnio'i OifJ ,;0!^1 ,vn/i /Ijj ."X>^«/* October \)th, 1927r.j^ " Dear Slr^ — -I have received your letter, aod am extremely happy to have it in my power to hear testimony to your meritorious conduct during tb&tiitoe yitU' served as lieutenant in H. M. sloop Rambler, whien' under iwfoomniand, in 1803 and 1804, particularly the gallantry you displayed )a cutting out Xvfo vessels belonging to a small convdy, whiuh took shelter in the harbour of St.OiUies, under a heavy fire of field-pieces and musketry from the shore ; and I remember the readineat with which you voiunt^mred your terviceg in all times of danger. ■-: ^ • -^A^^vc jil a i^L'Ou ,v !Jn«lhrji •^( "Admiral Cornwallis mentioned to me your offer to join in an attempt M destroy the French fleet by fire-ships ; for which purpote antkngemeftia were made : but the removal of the fleet into the inner harbour pr^venttid the admiral from patting his design into execution. I am, dear Siv, yo4ni very sincerely, (Signed) " Thomas Innis, Captaiii'/^J " i f* To Commander IFulter Forman.** . - •" ■•"♦>;»» " Ift 1805, the Rambler, then cotnmanded by the pi*esent Captain Henry E. P. Sturt Grindall, engaged three ^''re'ncfi national vessels, each mounting fourteen guns, and ^rpve them and the vessels under their protection into the harbour ofCouquet. Her log will prove, that she was several ,o,ther times engaged in skirmishes with coasting convoys, under tlie enemy's batteries. ,, . ,. , r ' : i ' Lieutenant Forman s next appomtment was, shortly afteir the battle of Trafalgar, to the Queen 98, in which ship,^iip- cessively bearing the flags of Lord CoUingwood, the late Admiral John Child Purvis, and the present Sir George Martin, he served nearly two years, off Cadiz and in the Archipelago. In 1806, being then at ^Gibraltar, the \)oat!^ ^f \ke £uryalus frigate were placed under his command^ and sent to rescue an English gun-vessel which had drifted close to the shore, in the neighbourhood of St Roque : — although exposed to a heavy fire from the Spanish batteries, he,suc7 ceeded iii warping her clear of all danger, and that withoujfc losing a man. /* IJis removal from the Queen," says hojf^ Collingwopd, ** was at his own request. He preferre4 .1^ small ship ; and I thought it proper to gratify an active and zealous officer with a situation which he considered vax^ likely to afford him an opportunity of distinguishing hii^se|[. '*^'accpy[ngiy appointed him first lieutp|ipnV,9S\jKvB^^^^ fft-: yto W' to k<:b COMMANDERS. 4l9 sloop of WSLT," On the 14th Nov. 1807, the commander of that ship made the following report to his lordship : " My Lord, — In the execution of your orders, when off Otranto, with H. M. sloop under my command, on the 25th ultimo, I observed an armed trabaccolo under that fortress ; and conceiving it practicable to cut her out, under cover of night, I despatched the boats, directed by Lieuteoant Walter Formao, who executed the orders given to him with the greatest gallantry, under a heavy fire of great guns and musketry, both from the vessel aiHl the shore. She was shortly brought out, and proves to he le Caesar, French privateer, of four 6-pounders, belonging to Ancona, having on board a cargo of rice and flour, on account of the French Government^ bound to Corfu. The crew defended her until the boats were alongside^ when all, excepting four men, escaped by a stem hawser. The Herald hay received some little injury both in the hull and rigging ; but I am happy to say that my object was obtained with only one officer (Mr. James Wood, carpenter, dangerously) wounded in the boats, and three seamen in the ship. I have the honor to be, &c. (Signed) "G.M. HoNy." ** To the kight Hon. Lord CollingtoQod, . ' ' ;' . .,:..■'■. ifc. e(c. e(c:* . , mi( ' On a subsequent occasion, Lieutenant Forman, in the Herald's gig, with only four men, captured a large coasting vessel, in a bay at the mouth of the Dardanelles, her crew, consisting of thirty Greek sailors and ten armed furks, de- serting her before he got alongside, leaving two long 4- pounders and a number of small arms already loaded and primed. A short time afterwards, in the same small boat, he got possession of a similar vessel, close to the rocks of Scio ; but being exposed to a smart fire from the Turkish znusketry on shore, and pelted by the Greek crew with heavy stones from the overhanging cliffs, he was obliged for a time to abandon her, with one of his men severely wounded in the face. On being joined by the Herald's cutter and jolly- bbat;, tie Immediately landed, drove away the enemy, and brought off hi^ prize in triumph. Another time, while suc- cessfully attacking some vessels at the island of Cephalonia, & man in the same boat with him was shot through the arm. Hie subsequently drove on shore and destroyed a large bri^. Under a heavy fire of musketry, by which a man close to niiu, Hhd tiirb bthcrs, belonging to the Paulina iloop, wefe very 2b2 -J COMMANDERS. 430 severely wounded. We, next find him sent with the boats of the Herald alone, to board a large armed transport ship, ]vhich had been driven on shore, in the middle of the day, witli\n musket-shot of a martello tower, about half-way between Brindisi and Otranto, where she was also protected by about forty Italian grenadierS) with a field-piece on the beach. This service was performed in the most gallant and masterly manner, under a very heavy fire of grape shot from the ship, the tower, and field-piece. After carrying the former, the launch^ armed with a carronade, drove the sol- diers out of the tower, the gun upon which was soon dis- mounted, by turning those of the prize against it. She proved to be laden with corn, and bound to the island of Corfu; but, unfortunately, she could not be warped out, and was consequently set on fire. In the performance of this brilliant exploit, one of the gallant party was shot through the body, by a musket-ball from the shore. A few days afterwards, Liutenant Forman landed in the island of Santa Maura, under a heavy discharge of musketry, and succeeded in bringing off a brig, with a similar cargo, and likewise bound to Corfu, then strictly blockaded : his loss on this oc- casion consisted of one man killed* one mortally and tw6 severely wounded. ; V \ " ■ -« '> t, - jif/,.^irH|[ , On the 4th June, 1809, the following letter was addressed to Lord John Thynne, by the officer who had some time before succeeded Captain Hony in the command of the Herald: , , ^ , . - ■ - : - -^ *• My Lord,— Though I have not the pleasure of your lordship's ac- quaintance, yet, at the desire of my first lieutenant, Mr. Walter Fprmali, I am induced tq address you, m order that his merits may not pass un« kiotidcd. -''3fj-;um n-jyunfl odi,\o jHiit h^xhiu.wn ?^,ur n/;mio''l ^ " Understanding that your lordship is about to intercede with the Aidmimlty to get lum promoted, may I beg to assure you that there cao- 1)0^ he a person ntore worthy than he is ; t^at I have several times been an eye-mtness of his gallantry i^pd j^i^mept as an officer, in very dashing affairs] and there is no one in the service, whom tarn moTe desirous' to see proij|i(^ted than my worthy friend Mr. Forman. I have the honor to ll'fij.^tk/ . i . . (Sieraed) "George Jackson." -Win^TiA 'iiu iv eTM\i.>it:tfnnw[J ^^Tm ©lots! f^iF -;; it^iiTr. •> '. ^ t^uiDuriM^i the period^ thfltfi!iB8u€eiiani.Formftn.je»y«4w»^;tJie Ufiiii JViiil i , ,'ij :.■.■, ■ .1. .,1. ,., .'A v.* .'ln|),..,lUi' ■ i «/' »_i; i!-iACi»i ■ .-5 >, •■ I. ' ■•/ I • COMMANDERS. M d Le d in le Herald^ under Captains Hony and Jackson^ he commanded the boats of that sloop in thirty close actions wit^ the enemy ; captured and destroyed more than forty vessels of different descriptions, includiog those already mentioned; and had between twenty and thirty of his subordinates killed and wounded. In 1810, he was, for a short time, first lieutenant 9f tji^, |*rincess Charlotte frigate. Captain George Tobin, and Presc^t at the capture of two French privateers. In tl^e ]l)^iuiing of 1811, he was ordered to India, on promotion; and proceeded thither in the Actaeon brig, Captain Bertie Cornelius Cator. On his arrival at Ceylon, he was ap- pointed first of the Bucephalus frigate. Captain Driiry, t^en at Java, and sent to join her in the Cornelia 32, Captaiti W^ F. Owen, by whose directions he did duty as senior lieu- tenant during the whole of the passage ; and from whom he subsequently received an order to act as commander of the Procris brig, in which vessel he accompanied the late Captain Jajnes Bowen, of the Phcenix frigate, on an expedition against 3amt^as, a piratical state on the western coast of Borneo. Finding, on his arrival off the principal river, that frigates could not cross the bar. Captain Bowen then hoisted a broad pendant on board the Procris, and proceeded in her, accom- panied by two other small vessels and the boats of the squadron, to the attack and capture of Palanibang, situated ^i^ty miles from the sea. On his way thither, batteries containing altogether 101 pieces of cannon, were taken witl^- out resistance ; as was likewise the Sultan's palace, although 140 guns were mounted for its defence. After commanding the Procris for five months, Lieuteriaiit Forman was appointed first of the Malacca frigate. Captain Donald HughMackay; and, finally, promoted to the rank of commsnderj Dec. 18^1813. Since that period he 'has iiever teen ' ehipl6y^d, tfhough, as appears by the foflo^ahg documents, he has repeatedly tendered his serVitesr'^"^''^ "^ ' ^* Sir,— Having laiil before my Lok-ds Commissioners of tlie Adiftimlty y6iiFlet^n fn/ -'i^ umi - The next is a letter addressed by Captain Forman to Viscount Melville, just before the conclusion of the war with America.' '^ '* ■' ^■..■\.. ; .;' :^" •" *■/■.;.- i.^i...^ " My Lord, — ^As I conceive it to be the duty of every Englishman to impart whatever observations may tend to promote the good of his coun? try, I do not hesitate to address myself to your Lordship upon a subject Which, if not the most important, at least affects the honour and national feelings of this country more, perhaps, than any other possibly could, — { mean the ascendency which the American men-of-war seem to possess, individually, over the ships of His Majesty's navy. If we may credit newspaper reports, the American corvette Wasp recently sustained an en- gagement with His Majesty's brig Avon for nearly two hours ; and then, after receiving two broadsides from the Gastilian (another English man-of- war), sheered off, without apparently having received any material da- mage, while her opponent was left in a sinking state. ,, ** This wonderful success, my Lord, on the part of the Americans, cannot be solely attributed to disparity of force. The difference of a few guns was not an object of calculation during the French war, and cannot possibly be the principal cause uf the results which we now so often wit- ness. Had the guns of His Majesty's brig, in this encounter, produced the same effect in the Wasp, proportioned to their number and weight of metal, as the guns of the Wasp did in her, her opponent (the Wasp) would have been, very nearly, in as helpless a condition as herself, and might easily have been captured by the Gastilian. Either these two ves- sels fbught at some distance from each other, and the guns of the Wasp were plied with greater precision than those of the English brig, or, if they were close alongside of each other, there must have been some cause, independent of a triBing superiority of force, which gave the American corvette so great an advantage over her English antagonist. As I do nor happen to be acquainted with any of the officers that have been engaged irith the Americans, I have no means of proving the justice of my opinion ; bat as it is clear that the ships of both nations are composed of the same materials, the same force ought to make the same impression on both sides, which does not appear to have been the case in some of our reoeqt naval engagements with the Americans. It is therefore very natural to conclude, that the effect of our guns must either have been weakened by having been overloaded, or else (in compliance with an order which was once issued by the Admiralty respecting carronades) our ships* carronades, when closely engaged with the enemy, have been loaded soletj/ with grape «»d caaisler, wJiioh will not penetrate > ship's side,. wbil^ the 4^<««ricB0i •'1 to Hth to jetft M r IiAyi»mad»>v«ftof rowid sho^ooly. Even ^t^;}()W)^l^aif,|^,gUDa ,9^9)^0 ship9.iver(} iQaded with round, ^hot, together with grape and canister » Wf4^ that the Americans used round shot only, the Amerl(;anB qven then (nigjit have reloaded their guns much oftener than we could, and their fire, at the same time, vvouM have been more efficacious. As a proof of tl^ifs, the Brunsyrkk, inl^prd l{o>ve's engagement, used, J befieve, notkiag ^pu.'f round shot, and sunk her opponent, the Vengeur ; and, after the action, a great many of the Vengeur's grape and double-headed shot were found stickfadg- in the Brunswick's sides. Be this, however,, as it may, k !Would be worth while to ascertun how our guns (and, if possible, hovv t^ American guns) have been loaded in the late actions; and we might th^ deternvine, to an t^solute certsuoty, which method should be adog^teii lor tbe.ftiture.. •'";•'• ij ^j«'-' ;':^- .-.lO. :■ . , / ., f..,.. r .... .. ,? ..ni-d ' " AgfUH, my Lord, the American ships, from being much better ma^^d tban oars; have usually a greater number of smaU-arm men ; and on thi^ account, the commanders of our ships may, perht^a, be disposed to avoids coming in close contact with them ; and, if so, they giv^ the AmeHpftQS the principal* if not the only advantage which they can derive from thevT superior numbers. T)ie Americans, from being better manned, c^a manoeuvre their ships and fight their guns well at the same time, while w«^ have not a sufficient number of men to do both together ; and accordingly ive find that, in every one of the recent engagements, in which our shi|>8i have been unsuccessful, the Americans have reaped great advantage from this very circumstance ; for they have invariably crippled oi^r sblpdj, withr out being materially injured themselves. In short, my Lord, when a ship ffe constrained to engage another of superior force, her best chance of SiUCr needing is to reduce the two forces as nearly as possible to the same ^vf^ ^and her only way to do this is to lay her adversary close on board ; l^ei> «au3e, in that case, if her adversary should be ever so much longer, she •can*' only bring the uame number of guns to bear upon her ; if she has Hsoi'C men to fire musketry, she has more men exposed to b^ f hot \ and if the smaller ship should take the lee^side instead of the weather-side, t,he men stationed in the tops on board her opponent,. will be precluded )}^Mf mihi from taking aim. The little loss which was sustained by tl|e Sl^^o^ in iMir (.Ym^ engagement with the Chesapeake, aitd th^ very severe ]p9^^ which our other frigates sustained in their uusucoesifi^ eugagemeivts >Yii|lfi the enemy, afford pretty strong grounds to tvwrant such an assi^mptioo. ■ •" Having now, my Lord, laid before your lordship piy opinion rq^iPegt- tngdie principal causes of tome of our recept defeajts, I beg leave t0|;^- new my ofiers of service ; and to request, that if you should approjre j^f what I have written, you will afford n)e the opportunity of puttii^.^y ■ehemes in practice, by appointing me to the command o( Q9i^ 9lr^)^ Mi^esty's sloops. I am, &c. »-, ' ' ' W » nlrtrj liiw V;'M">v, l.'.>b»?i.| /wd i' (Signed) ,,| ;|,,j;WAtTBiiF9R>iAN.*; '""fid^ift «tin^lderabl« time flinoo, the aathor t«ceiv«Ml a^leMer 1^ Jl. ii s: J cmnaMomM, i^n-CooBDifeiider vFoKtnaii^ 'rdative to » fMopoetl* of bi«^' to joint 'iki€ >Greek serviee^ tihd«r the comndkiid ^f Lord Cochrane, ii6#"fi«rl ttf Duhddnald :--t!ie follovdrig iis tkcbpYV'^"^- ^^^ ^ h-><;5f()li]; ddafSir^^^iIitraply to yotr letter, oE Ar a7(h iritiyk^vUeh j^u request me to fonyard to you whatever documents il any ponseai, se- iJ«liiffe"t» mj Bitttl' «nrviee» dnriiif th6 late warjlUifd toH>bsent; iir the ^lAraKytoee^ that IskouU be#eU pleased t&rafier my^^.naipe.t»<:te8Min fiijtrhtn, It is M; present) in oblivion, tf I could be oertain lhat» lif paaaiig J ilover tndioat notice, you would not, indireoHjf, •briui ^ witii««tifntt» ;:^tiueh all who know me will say that I do not deiervsi offiaihrrniol "rfi T , ^u\ *'I haive little to say of anyservicei that! have perforned; but I ean safely lay my hand upon my heart, and declare, in the presence of God, ' ttat rnot only n6v€e wiUingiy^ diissed a fnr opportoidty of distiHguisfaing M myself in the service of my country, but lAve frequently tendered my I personal services, and proposed plans for distresungr the enemy^ which ^(^bether justly or not is no matter) have been thought too hazardouato be put in execution ; and therefore, if my name is to appear in your wtok, I'ltttiat beg^ you to have the goodness 16 publish, at the same time, all the documents which I herewith transmit to yott'; and which, if called Upon to dp it, I am ready to authenticate by producing the originals. I am, .JKT dear Sir, your very obediect servant, , ;< tni (Signed) ), **^7b Lieutenant John Marthall, B. N," ,. In justice to this gallant, zealous, and truly respectable oif&cer, the author cannot decline complying with his request. The documents are worded as follow : InA 1 • "4, Pierrepont StfeettBathfJlfarch\3thil825i ** Sir, — If I should be informal in addressing^ you as the Chairman of M'tbe Greek Committee, I trust that you will impute it to my ignorance, i( .And not to my intention. I eannot mean to offend where I wish to obtain a favor; and my anxiety to benefit a cause, in which you take so lively an interest, will, I dare say, be deemed a sufficient apology for the liberty which I am goipg to take. }I')-« f^^Q((Q 1^ tedious, I rA/nA that I could suggest a very practicable Oiltchimib'for destroying a great part, if not the whole of the Turidsh fleet ; ;)ujod'I oddresa myself to you. Sir, in^he hope thAt» if you should approve ^\^(^ thf plfti^ you will make use of iy»ur interest to procure for n^ an . .9fiP<^ui^Uy of sharing the danger, as well as the glory of tha enterprise. %^ ^ "^t sb&U ^B V^ towii in th'e early part of next month ; and then, if you ~"Wfll ^Vbr me with an Interview, I think that I shall be able to convince ^^ 'lyoiH'iniiti If nly phib Ahonld be addpied, 'nothing, in M humtin pri^Mittf, ft3iidUita»ifM|tiag tO(iMlir«»«ii«c«B,ltydHfl^ ctMWgfttSMl.dsteriniartion M' ;• :roYT,WA>.T«a,Fo»MA«f.** tntfilMt yek»< . lodeed, fer my own part,l aiftjo M«Si4^Mb^i:|^^, I am quite ready to wake the sacrifice, provided I can be sure of obtun- •'frra<'^f^<:Muntai(l' of one df the Gteek fire^sU^ that wddd bi) «i^l5yed flpon this occBMoh. ■•■ C- bM^-'-A --l .-.;rr5 ^^.itfc.":.! ^ dceKlie ' iii]t Overtures^ and it was only to-day, on reading in the papers an accottnt of the formidable preparations that the Turks are making for the ensahig ^oaAiptilgn'afainit the Qreelcs, that it occurred to me to hpply to yoii for aii ifatredoctioo. ' • ' "^"^ iivt ir¥ Lhavc now. Sir, only to add^ that^ if yOu should thfaik it worth wille to lasten to py proposal, I shall be happy to wut upon you at any tine that you may think proper to appoint ; but, unless the occasion should be urgent^ it would be rather inconrenient to me to leave Bath before the 6th •f«ext month. I am. Sir, &c. "i /-A '''''■' ' ■ '-"^ 'Hii'Wv^ ,3(nlt -^fv (Signed) ** Walter Forman, Commander, R. N.** fim^Jo$eph Hume, Etq. M. P." « J'W ^ ' "London, \Ath March, \S25: ** Sir, — I have received your letter of the I2th instant, and have to state, lb tasV(«r1;o it, that if you wili call (when you come to town) on Edward EUice, Esq. M. P., Freeman's Court, Cornhill, your proposals, in regard -to Greece, will be attended to. I am, &c. •-^^<>^'^' r (Signed) .twq^ Ciapft^'H Fotmnn, R. NJ* "Joseph HuMB." " Mr. Ellice presents his compliments to Captain Forman, and encloses a letted of introduction to the Greek deputies, to whom Captain F. had Ji. belter commmiicate his plan. )*i.- .. '"Vi ' ' 'f ''sMrfsni — .^F?!** ,-)u mitted to the inspection of Mr. EUice, and transferred, as before stated, to the Greek deputies. ' ""'^ •" *''""■ - •• f- * " ' ** In all cases, hitherto, where fire-ships have been employed for the purpose of destroying ao enemy's fleet, the attack has either been made ia the night-time, when the enemy's ships were' at anchor, or in the day-time, under cover of a protecting force, when they were under weigh ia the open sea. " Both these plans are necessarily sobject to many great inconveni- ences ; and my object is, teith several additiotu of my own, to combine tlie good parts of both of them, and leave out all that is bad ; or, in plain English, I propose to make the attack in the day-time, instead of the night, when the Turkish fleet shall be at anchor upon a lee shore. " In a night attack, fire-ships, owing to the darkness, almost invariably miss the objects they are intended to destroy ; they are generally fired too aoon ; and if by accident one, out of a dozen, should fall on board an enemy's ship, it must necessarily have so much way (i. e. velocity), in consequence of not shortening sail, that it is hardly possible for its grap- plings to hold. Thus, for instance, in Lord Cochrane's celebrated night attack upon the French squadron in the road of I'lule d'Aix, not one of these ships was injured by a fire-vessel ; and, if the captains of these ships had had the presence of mind to remain quietly at anchor, they might have laughed at our impotent attempt to destroy them. " In a day attack by fire-vessels, in the open sea, the chances of success •re not much increased. The ships that are attacked see the danger ap- proaching, and, most generally, have the means of escaping : and, more- over, whenever any of them happen to be set on fire in this way, the mischief ends there ; because, in the open sea, it is not likely that they can drift upon other ships that ar*) under weigh, and, of course, in a con- dition to avoid the contact. The English and French have long since given up this mode of warfare, because it is long since they have discovered the inutility of it. The Greeks, owing to alarm and want of coolness on the part of the Turks, have certunly reaped considerable advantage from it; but, after all, with the loss of nearly one hundred fire-ships, they have done little more than intimidate the Turks, without naaterially crippling their resources. " What I propose, then, is to wait the opportunity of catching a Turkish i.l n u 428 COMMANDERS. fleet ^tiimehop^ ia such' a skuatipn as would rqnd«r it iinp>os«ible for any oneofTth«ini4oescaf>fr, except t^y running iQR ahorei.aud/to, pja^e Ibe a^tatfk M vesa^l^. caiiiiu>t, poissihly :,rm^ t^t;^ i9^J.?PM i ^^ as the weather-ships will be fired first of all, these will necessarily, drift dhwh)ii^B*t)b()6e that are to leewitfd, and w\^IL j^epoiAi& , fir^sl^i]}^!;^ their turn.' 01 vT/i>.ft')on« ^hjw\r>?i\r, oifi tnchr nndi p.qnh-mj) -Mh hif^cul no n'tJt? 'l^Inttfa^: Mediterraneau' and luevant seas, the ni^dya«i« weUhnoien* nkoBttgieflefallT, m the summer tea^Ut .blovvs> directly- int», ail h^cbpi^p^ duHng the afternoon and early partpf tin? jojghl; Jsq.thaA,\f tl^e f^i^?^ fit'e>shHw ahoukl make their attack i^ the early pa^ of the ev^ij^Log, th^y woiilfttilronce tee the oftject of attach, and be«ure of having a leading wind iBV vvfaich in all probability would n(rfi fail them before they pomple^^y effected the object in contemplation. • .i}\fnvlnr6rth's squadron was disntasted in passing through the DardaDeH?|> itt th^ day-time ; and not one of Lord Nelson's ships was dismasted at t^f battle of Copenhagen, till long after every one of them had taken hei| pr(^ per'pDsition. It is morally impossible, therefore, that more than twp out of a dozen of the Greek fire-vessels could be dismasted, or materially crip- pled, by the Turkish batteries, in passing, with a fair wind, into apy har- bour, before they had run the enemy's ships on board'. ' "In the second plaice, I propoise that the fire-^hips shall makfe'the aYtkijIt "hi couples, connected by a cablet, or chain, fastiehed t6 th^ quarters; by which means, if (iroperly conducted, they will be suj^e to MClose the objects of their attack, and must necessarily remain in contact, even if" the gfappUngs should not retain their hold. It can hardly be pef?essary to' point out the dvantage which this mode of attack would possess over every other. Xsihglefivz-%}iA^tWitHnoofi^atth6htbH,h very ftkely to pass wide of the bhject 6f attack; c»r her grapplings May not yistdt^'^theifhotd, tii^'M shefshbuli get alongfside^ ivhto shets gvi^^r,*«hief^viitbe rigging. ^'"' '^-"^'^'^ •."*• A-.-vnlnvyu 'iM f.r *' In the next plaee, I recommend that no other combustiiilea dpuld be taken on board the fire-ships than what are absolutely necessary to caist them to take fire readily ; knd then, as there wili be no fear of bniixplo- aion, there will be no necessity for the Greeks to quit their ftre^vesselsr until h will be impossible for them to miss the shipping which ihey in(end.to fire. Some wetted straw, and damp powder formed into devils, might be Ignited, on entering the harbour, which, by producing a great deal of iimok^,tn!ght occasion alarm, and prevent the enemy's boats frodo ^ proaching the fire-st , in order to tow them into another direetioa< )ul]:i "With these pfeparations, if the attack should be made, ^ u, pretty strong" sea-breeze, ?L little befofe the close of day, the Greek seamen will at once be able to see the object of attack, and will pass too rapidly by the batteries to be materially injured by them in going in. In which caw, if they shonid possess sufficient resolution to remain on board their owo ships ^{7/ Ihey are on the point of grappling' with the enemy, they will pot 6nly succeed in their enterprise, but may be morally certain tbt^t (be Titrkfsh boats will be too much occupied in taking care of theit qln<)»l \^it\ y'n i'm.niiv.\ v.ii. ).. .3j;il, • i.r : /« 4^ pterrepont Street, Bath, Atig. 22«f. 1825. "• ** My l/bnt/^l KwVe ju« Been it stated in the papers, that yoar loniship hftS accepted the command of the Greek navy ; and presuming that yon will not be offbnded at an ihtnision which is meant to benefit a cause in which your lordship takes so lirely an interest, I take the lil>erty of re- commiending to yonr notice the enclosed rough sketch of what is, in m'tj opinion, a more effectual plan for destroying the Turkish fleets than has yet been adopted by the Greeks. It is offered, however, merely as a hint for your lordship to impro?e upon ; and, if it should meet your approbtt- tion, I trust that you will permit me to share in the glory of the enter- prise. Indeed, under any circumstances, I should be most hftppy to serve under your lordahip, in so good a cause, with &/air prospect of having ah opportunity of distinguishing myself, though I must mtike a sacrifice of all I hate in the world by so doing. By the Foreign Enlistment Bill', t am liable to be deprived of my rank, as a commander in His Majesty's navy, with the half-pay attached to it, if I accept any appointment in the service of tb:^ Greeks : and these I would willingly sacrifice, in exch&n^e for the glory of sharing (not to say commanding) in such an expedltioh as I am suggesting to your lordship. 1 ><: "Your lordship, I am sure, mil appreciate the feelings of an offlttiF,' who IS iliost anxious to rescue the Greeks from their horrible thraldoni j but, at the same time, would not wish to risk the loss of bis commission unnecessarily. Perhaps it might he contrived to let me go oUt without having any ostensible appointment in the Greek service, until an oppor- tunity offered of putting my plan in execution, and then I shall be quite r6ady to risk the consequences. I remain, my Lord, with great respect, your lordship's most obedient and devoted servant, '* ' '**" " * -** •*'^ '• ' (Signed) " Walter Form an. Commander, R. ]^.*»"" " To tha Right Hon. Lord Cochrane." . i''- " Sir, — As it appears, by the concurrent testimony of all the papers, that Lord Cochrane has certainly sailed on his expedition to Greece, I have ventured to take the liberty of forwarding to you the copies of a letter and a plaa for xh% destruction of the Turkish ileets»i wW'h I addressed to bis Lordship immediately after it ^vas announced that he had accepted a cbiof command in the Greek navy ; in order that, if my plan should be adopted by his Lordship, you may be enabled to bear me witness, that 1 was the pro- poser of it ; and if it should not, that you may judge between us, whether the Greek cause will have derived any benefit by his neglecting it. • jii-,< " I am afraid, Sir, that being a stranger, you will think I am guilty of a» COMMA»BE in a cause which he professes to have so much at heart, deserved at least to be treated with that politeness, which, in all civilized society, is supposed to be due from one gentleman to ano- ther. Man, Sir, is but a man, whatever may be his rank and condition in ^ life ; and if his Lordship's plan of operations should turn out to be no better ) than, mine, the honor of having even Lord Cochrane to command them will > hardly m;>ke amends to the Greeks, for a delay of nearly twelve months, r during which time they have constantly been losing grounds Fifte^a ; months ago, (quite time enough to have prevented all the disasters that r have befallen the Greeks since the landing of Ibrahim Pacha in the Morea)(i I presented this plan to tbe Greek committee, and offered, at the imminent,, risk of losing my commission in His Majesty's service, to go, atonet, without further preparation, to put it in execution; and that without^ putting the Greek Government to any further expence than that of far-. > nishing me with a conveyance to the scene of action : his Lordship, on the f. contrary, required very nearly ticelve months to prepare for his expeditiorr, during which time the Greek cause has been all but annihilated ; and Chen >t sails with an overwhelming force, (that has been collected at a very great r expence) which would ensure to any seaman the commaml of those seas, .; let his talents be what they may. If my offer had been accepted, tlie,j Egyptian fleet might have been destroyed at Modon, and Ibraliim Paehdi ' cut off from all supplies, without robbing the treasury of more than ^2,000.i or >£3,000 at the utmost. My offer, however, was declined by the Gre§k / committee, on the plea that they had no power to treat with me, though it appears that, only three months afterwards, they possessed full powers to ' appoint, or, at all events, to recommend, Lord Cochrane to a chief com- mand on bis own terms, which amoimted, by the way, to ah cxp£ 100,000 which was laid out in America for the purchase of two large frigates, of which only one was forwarded to Greece. In one word. Lord Cochrane's plans and appointment cost upivards of iS300,000, while mine, wluch must, at least, have been equally effective, would not h»ve cost more thay the hundredth part of that sum. .sMisrv.; tfc»«>^''N'.(i/y '»'!■ p^.T"'' !'•■':'.*' >-^'«'>'.yli>,^' ;■ COMMANDRRS 433 nttaci, at fpropoied, upon the fleet ; which, as usual, did some damage, hut not auflTicieat to prevent the sunte fleet from sailing in a few daya, and ,, briugiiig back a eonsideraliiu reinforcemenl. " There are four difi'erent inetliods of inuldng an attack on an cociny's fleet by fire^ahips : at anchor, and at sea, in the niglit-tiine, and in day« . light. At sea, an enemy's ship, if it sails equally well, has the opportu- nity of ranning away from a fire-ship ; and, in the nightAimt, from not being able to see the objects, the fire-ships are very apt to mi»s their aim. It was for this reason that nut one of the French ships in Aix tloadswas injured by the fire-ships that were sent in to attack them under the com- mand of Lord Cochrane; and, for the same reason, but little damage was done to the Egyptian fleet in the harbour of Mndon ; but if, as I proposed, the attack had been made in the daytime, and the firij-ships coupled us 1 have represented them in the plan, they could not possibly have missed their aim, and the Egyptian ships could not possibly have escaped : the weathcrmost ships would have been set fire to by the Greeks, and these, as they parted their cables, would have become fire-ships in their turns, and have destroyed those that were to leeward, as they drifted down upon them. By this means, a very great part of Ibrahim's fleet must inevitably have been destroyed, his supplies would have been cut off, and he would not liave had it in his power to march his anny against the town of IMisso- longhi; and even if this opportunity had been lust, the Capitan Pacha's fleet before Mistolonghi might have been destroyed in the same way, AKD THEN suppllei, rould hupc been thrown into the town *. " With the Greek Deputies I left my address, and almost di petition to their Government to be allowed to rescue their country from impending destruction, but have not been favored with any answer. The moment I heard that Lord Cochrane had determined to join the Greeks, I sent a parcel, containing the letter and plan, to his Lordship, the copies -.f which arc here enclosed, and directed it to be forwarded to him by the Greek Committee. After waiting some time without receiving any answer, I wrote to Mr. Ellice, to beg him, as a member of the Greek Committee, to inform his Lordship, that I was desirous of serving under his command, and wished to know whether he had received my communication. Mr. Eilice, who was out of town, informed me that there was no Greek Committee in existence, and recommended me to apply to his Lordship's brother. Colonel Cochrane, who was then in town, to make inquiry about this parcel. Not having been favored with any answer from the Colonel, I at length traced the parcel from the coach office to his Lonlship's hotel, near Berkeley * As Sir Edward Codrington's squadron did carry a leading wind into the harbour of Navarin in the day>time, the Greek flre-ships might have done 80 also ; and here it is evident that there could have been nothing to prevent the execution of my plan, but apprehension of the result. - - VOL. Ill, PART II. 2 V Ha p I i -^Jm^ ^f34 Ct>M1»ANf»BRS. Bqndre^Tamfakft » iecondlcMerfor bimkiftlKilmdkird's h«h#^.'wbtf #m- i?^etQ b^, with great respect, he. Sec, (Signed) " WxiiTKR F'orman." " To Colonel the Hon. Leicester Stanhope." r, u -T V!r »'", '*: Stable Yard, J^^ fJ{»* i»iii uin) l)'j:>uU\.nhn ^^.H ij:)** The lenricea of able naval officen ire much required in Greece^ ,^ l regret ,^lyo^r9 Iwve w>t b^R J^^»4^d ^ ,f»^j^jj ^fu^ (» ^v^ dj^- . " I concur with you in considering that the exertion ^hould hdve l&een aikle earlier, and that had the loan been properly expended, t^ie catise of Greece would have been advancing instead of retrograding^ ' Tb» ftiUU Wb tvith the subscribers to the loan, and the contractors^ The muiwy ahouid bftve beea placed in the hands of some strqiifg 1 ,a'iOH;':> qT '» 2f2 .. I -1- , It Ji 'yCt .f\ 'Ti o( A- 3^fvr,\ , ''P:^"'^' ■'•^; ''^^■' .'. -I .,:"'';'- I? ^tm.v;o?!,OM%n«tf ,br)Ja•3•'■• »v'. li.ici ;;,i(> jo/j ,'jniv« y.^.l) 7„s!t «,fiihfii» !T>hi!«il«< '.nMvt^ 1'"* .-.ittal K - M,t V, .,,,,, ;.,,,, HCAiiBa :.riJ V. 3.«il} ohIk lud 'vmqoiq " *'■""""* ■'""*'' TO POST-CAPTAINS OF 1814. "'"It JiiHl «n^-^» • :i /») vih liimyhtvyh' '■'''■■ ' ■ '', Sn« ,j'nt)!)iit;*I .lunvvV JAMES JOHN GORDON BREMER, E8q.,C.B. This officer's proceedings, while commanding the Tamar 26, and employed in forming a settlement upon Melville Island, in the Gulph of Carpentaria*, are noticed in King's Australia, vol. ii. p. 233, et seq. On the 8th Feb. 1827, he made the following official report to Rear-Admiral Gage, commander-in-chief on the East India station :— '" ' '' ' ' '^ " Sir, — I do myself the honor to inform you, that, having sailed from Bombay on the 20th of December, I proceeded with the squii^dron under my orders, in the further execution of the instructions I had the honor to receive from you. " Cape Aden, on the coast of Arabia, was seen on the Gth of January, and having cruised tliere two days, I was, according to previous arrange- ment, joined by the Hon. Company's ship, Amherst, from Mocha, having Captain Bagnold, the British Resident at that place, on board. I pro- ceeded across the sea to the African coast, and on the jiQ^)), in the afternoon, made Burl)urra. " A number of native vessels were in the harbour, which, on our approach, got under weigh, and, by keeping close in shore, succeeded in escaping us, although n fire was opened on them, as it was my intention to have commenced a strict blockade of the port. " Oa anchoring at the entrance of the bay, I sent Lieutenant (John) Downey, with an interpreter, on shore, to the Sheiks of the place, ex- plaining to them the object of our visit (of whioh they had long been in expectation), and desiring to see thuia on board, giving them every iMBurauce of safety : Uiey promiietl to Gouae ofif the following morning. -w!i '* Having, during the nighty nvyself sounded the bay up to the town, at dajhlight on tlii) 11 th, the Tamar^ Pandora (sloop) and Auxberst, »trt.>t I Sec Supplement, Part HI. p. 300. ■ luw aiudt Y 411111 i ADDENDA TO POST-CAPTAINS OF 1814. 437 i)ii: ion weighed, and stood towards it. On the Amherst, which led, letting go her anchor, the natives set fire to the town in several places, and commenced a general plunder; finding that they were destroying, not only their' own property, but also that of the Banyan merchants (natives of India and British subjects, who, conse(|uently, had a right to our protection), and considering that if the place v«rere entirely consumed, the chances of obtaining any thing in the shape of restitution from the offending tribe would be much reduced, I judged that it woukl be best at once to shew them that they were in our power. The ships, therefore, opened an occasional fire of round shot only (over them), and the boats of the Tamar, Pandora, and Amherst, being manned with 240 men, including the marines of H. M. ships and the sepoys of the Amherst, were des- patched under the command of Captain (William Clarke) Jervoise, of the Pandora, to take possession of the town, and endeavour to save as much of it as possible. 'tUi^t /'UiiiU)' j /.ii'M* /,/liMAif " The natives were formidable in point of numbers, consisting probably of 2,000 men, armed according to the custom of the country ; but on the boats landing many of them dispersed in various directions : the judicious measures taken by Captain Jervoise, who occupied, with the mariuei, « comuianding hill in the centre of the town, and two other positions to the right and left of it, soon reduced the fire, and restored some con- fidence ; the people coming in by parties, and voluntarily giving up their arms. Part of a division, under Lieutenant (Jeffrey W.) Noble, f)eing in advance, was, however, attacked, and a marine belonging to this ship ivas unfortunately killed ; several of the natives also have fallsa, whkli I much tegret. " Two of the Sheiks now came off; and having seen that order was In some degree re-established, our force was withdrawn at eleven o'clock, ftAd i negociation entered into, regarding the retribution to be rendered ~to lis. The Sheiks solemnly promising to use every exertion in their power to bring back the others of their tribe, and to settle the affair as we should direct. They had, however, been so dispersed, that it would require some days to recall them, and to convince them that we 'did not wish to injure them. Four days were accordingly given them to efitsct this object ; and, as a proof that they were desirous to come to some understand er i»f his otm men i it may conse- qtl(!nily be takeh its an earnest of what inight becxpected, when an oppor- tunity more worthy of the display of his gallantry and professional talents •I! t ! ",1 ! "1 li: ■■> I, *^ii8 kBilEl^DA'TO POST-CAPI'ATNS OF 1814. ''Ahiftiri^i^bnt'itBelf. Cdptttin Jetvolse jpeaks in tlie highest MimiB of tfac ieonddctbf Mr. Dofi^ey, senior lieDtemnt of this ship, yrho was constantly jbridt- Mtti;^h(I to Whos« presence of mind and steadiness he was much tniilebttid. liieittiemint Downey has been several years with me ; and I iilhberdy'Witih thbt the circumstances had been of a more important cho- 'i^tlef,6n his acc^ount; for lie is an old, gallant, and deserving o&cer. Ii!eti(entrtt (Johti) M'lDonell, of the Pandora, was the oi|fan of eommuni- ^ itiAtn between Captain Jervoise and nayself, and is most highly spoken of fny his t'Ottimander ; who also reports, in the strongest terms, the officer.like ^hduct of Lieutenants Sawyer, of the Amherst, and (John Septimius) Hois and Noble, df the Tamar : — in truth, the presence of mind and steadi- litn of every officer and man was admirabie, in a situation (surrounded as they Were) in which the smallest indecision might have produced most icliep/lorable consequences, and a shedding of blood, which it was my most anxious wish to avoid,— consistently with my determinatioa to shew that nve must be respected. ' " Captain Maillard, of the Amherst, ran his ship into an. unknmen port, 'inftdfnirai>le style : and I can only say, that, on real service, I should not •desire a more able coadjutor. *' I fear that I have been betrayed into great length in the rdation of lihflse circumstances ; but> when officers and men have so well pierforiiied ■their task, I trust you will eoneider that I ought not, as I feel tliat I •could not, refhdn from offering my testimony as to their merit.; hi i -lu V " "The Atholl having chased to leeward, by signal, did not gain the«n- -diorage until the afternoon « or I am sure I should have received all the assistance from Captain Murray which the occasion could by any possi- 4)ittty b«ve required. I now beg leave to proceed in my narrative of >subs«qiient etents. > "Ota the day appointed, ten or twelve of the Sheiks came on board : they expressed their contrition for the outrage on the brig, and their ^ 'tainett desire to make every restitution in their power.— They said, how- ': >ev«r, that, unfortunately, the season throughout the whole country had *lMen peculiarly bad; that their people had, in a ir.omeut of panic, des- troyed the town, and a great quantity of valuable goods ; and that the \ %\Btta 6f our visit had been so great, that the caravans from the interior, '' 'by which alone they could hop« to repay us, would not approach the < coast : they therefore besought us to deal as leniently with them aii pos- "'sibtoi Thirty thousand dollars were at first demanded i but on their '■ - on th« Kdran to abide by this arrangement) and numbcfi of the people returned tu the town daily, after the reiultwus made known. Considering, '-'liowevAf; tbit^t'would he neoessary to have a written document regardinjr 't'^lhc francootloti, I 'drew op articles of ngreomcnt, bitKling them to a due » rli A]>D^NOA TJO i>QfiT-PAin'A^Ni^ pjr^l^^.4. W be Uy ch I pBifotmtmo oC their oovepanf^ It mtw, i£K)st c(^t>inly4itb«jfi|:m^]iv^^;(biey had over bi«eo parses to any thing ia th« shape qC \n^^tf^ ^rfi^^g^^^\^\^.t I was anxious (a giveth«m an idea of the j^usiipe of our 4e&lH^ >vi|,b» and int«ati«in» toward \bwi.t I <»Ieo gontidered, that by ^deayQMriJPf; to nieeilien ia thmr own estimation, I should not only advance them in the acaie of dvilksatioB, bM.t add to the security of the commercial intercourse which laiglit hereafter exist. The sum which ihef have agreed to piy falk fiir short of that which Mr. Lin^rd, the late master of the JVlary- Anne, has stated to be his loss ., Lut on an attentive consideration of this statemeat, it will be seen that m ucb of it depended on his probable profits, if he had been in possession of bin vessel ; a mode of calculation certainly not admissible under such circunistanceSk It is well known, that the last •season has been unusually bad throughout the whole of Abyssinia, no rain having^ fallen, and the crops consequently failing : the unfortunate burning 4tf Burburra, by which property probably to the amount of 50,000 dollars was consumed, was another circumstance which rendered the expectation of a larger sum hopeh^sa at tlie moment. On the other hand, it must be observed, that produce to the amount of fifteen thousand dollars at Bur- burra, will, on an average, bring at least twice that sum in the Indian or Arabian markets ; and I therefore beg to express my hopes, that, on a view of the ease in all its bearings, you will. Sir, consider that the arrange- ' ment entered into was the best that circumstances enabled me to make. The inhabitants of that part of the coast had never before seen ships of war; the appearance of the squadron has had the best effect, by shewing 'tb^m the power of that flag which they had ventured to insult. Intelli- -' gence of our force was, I know, sent from one extreme to the other ; «nd ^ 'their astonishment at the strength and magnitude of our vessels wau so great, thut I am convinced they will hereafter be glad to cultivate our frieudsbip,. and that a British vessel may trade without the smallest risk of i molestation. ^; , .■.j,^^ " I «m happy in thinking onr visit has opened a new and wide field for * mercantile adventure, and the employment of British capital. The port of BurSMirra Is a very tine one, and the articles of export from it are valuable^— ■ tlicy consist of gums, myrrh, copal, the best kinds of hides, ostvich'fea* . thert, ghee, in immense quantities, ivory, and occasionally a small quantity •■' of goldrdust : — their coffee is in extreme abundance, and is s(ud to be equal to that of Yemen. These articles are brought down by caravans > ft^m the interior to Burburra, in the N. E. monsoon, from October to ' April, during which period tlie weather is very fine. In exchange for these vaUiBble ardcles uf trofio, they take iron and linens, British or Ifldian t but it is very probalde tliM broad cloth, and many other avtiples : of English manufacture, would here find a ready sale, She^p om) 9jen « are abundant and good ; the former, indeed, excellent. ,,ij oj Itmnin .1 ,^iiil*< Burburra, unfortunately, does not, however, offord watert but, > ''clf htecn miles to the eastward of it, at a place called <{eorra, are jjeod *440 AiibiiNoA, &c. to post- captains op 1815. wdlst which produce that necessary in audi qunntitiet. that th« «q«airpa completed m three days; in quality it was superior to any which is to be bad in these seas, with the exception of Maculla, in Arabia. '' '' "On the 6th, I received a request from Captain Bagnold, regarding the movements of the squadron, which I will make the subject bf « s^nte tetter; but I cannot close this without expressing itfy thanks 'to that officer, for the assistance I received from him on all occasions in wluch hia local knowledge of the customs and languages of the coQqtr^j$q|ild be useful...,^ .^ , ; ...*k,,^. ir i ,„„„i> ,.%♦„,<-> •» ^^L. .jf. .,, " Considering that no further necessity existed for the continuance of the squadron at Burburra, I sailed theuce on the 6th, and intend to {Iro. ceed fo Aden, in order to take a cursory survey of that bay, atut the one to the westward of it, as they are both imperfectly known, but appear to be excellent anchorages. By the means of thirty sets of sights for diro- Dometer8,the longitude of Burburra is 45° 4' \d>' £., by luiuu- observations 450 4' 30" ; and its latitude is 10« 26' 4 \" N. I have the honor to be, &c. (Signed) " J. J. Gordon Bremer.*' ..ft ttit. •4 1 SAMUEL ROBERTS, Esq. C. B. -tf Grbat-nbphew to Thomas Santell, Esq. who lost his life while serving under the late Admiral Sir Hyde Parker, as first lieutenant, during tVe American revolutionary wan^'^^ We have stated in p. 29 of Suppl. Part IV., that this officer (whose whole life has been enthusiastically devoted to his profession, and whose achievements have obtained for him all his commissions) commanded a detachment of fifty sea- men, at the capture of Monte Video ; and that he rendered important aid to the right column of assailants, ** by seal- ing the walls of the town, near the north gate, and help- ing to force it open from within." It is true, that Lieu- tenant Roberts landed with the army under Sir Samuel Achtnuty ; that he performed the duty of an officer of artil- lery, until some time after the capture of Monte Video ; and that he shared also in the different actions and severe duties that took place previous to the storming of the town. It is likewise true, that fifty or dixty seamen were lauded to be under his orders ; — one-half of them serving under his immediute command, the rest attached to a corps i I ID >e le te at h ' (>T ptk0iilen^ wlra carried scaling-ladders on tike monning of the z^satilt: but to Mr. Henry Smith, a inid8h{|>tnftn of the -Unicorb, the credit is due for having scaled the ^sill, a^d. opened the gate from within, so as to admit the right r^Iumaofthe assailants; on wbieh occasion that gentleman received a severe wound. Since the publication of Suppl. Part IV., in 1880, the following instances of cool bravery, OH the part of Captain Samuel Roberts, have come to our knowle^ge^^^ ,^;„ ^ r een €onBider<>d an act of unpardonable temerity: on the ui contrary, had be precipitately retreated, it >vould not. have nrl tbeen relished by the gallant fellows under his ccmiuiand': — 01 he Uiejrefoi'e determined to form a line abreast| and within i^(, piatolrshut of the flotilla} anxiously hopiag, that other beats ^rpWPUld' (%><«<%< 0rme,t4} lui» ^MMP«»rt. . ^,thj» B$9tQ pf iug- m W ? ! h ' il42 AfJDBNDA TO POST-CAPTAINS OTISIS. peuse he remained for about a quarter of an hour; bat with- out receiving the smallest reinforcement. The launch, armed with a carronade, and her consorts, with musketry, then opened upon the enemy, who returned their fire with twenty- £uld interest, each French vessel having a long gun in the bow, Bwivelu on ttie gunwales, and her deck filled with sol- diers. The necessity of giving up so unequal a contest soon became apparent ; but still sauve qui peut was by no means the order of the day: — instead of an inglorious flight, a steady retreat was commenced, in the true Comwallis style : the launch, towed by the other boats, kept up an incessant fire ; and so completely were the enemy daunted by the coolness and determined spirit evinced by Lieutenant Roberts «nd his gallant party, that, though they could have closed whenever they pleased, they kept at a respectful distance from their opponents until the latter were not more than a mile irom the Unicorn, when they gave three cheers and departed. In thiti rencontre. Lieutenant Hamilton, a fine spirited officer, had his head severed from his body by a cannon shot ; a si- milar fate attended one of the barge's crew ; and several other men were wounded, l-. I'n i's i./ i-j ia.' ^iv.'- /i:jozd dH On the afternoon of the 12th April, 1809, the Unicom followed Lord Cochrane into the road of Isle d'Aix, and there assisted in subduing la Ville de Var»ovie, of 80 guns, and TAquilon 7'1- At intervals, as the smoke cleared away. Captain Hardyman observed some of the crew of the former French ship endeavouring to strike her colours, which were evidently entangled at the mizen-peak : the Unicorn's fire ceased ; but the otlier frigates stiii kept up a tremendous raking cannonade. Lieutenant Roberts, with instantaneous promptness, took advantage of his captain's suggestion, push- ed off in the gig, boarded la Ville de Varsovie through the lower-^eck port abaft the gangway, and, with the coxswain, John Newton, made his way through her crew, at quarters, to the poop. — Finding there an English union-jack amongst a. confused heap of flags, dead bodies, and lumber, the cox- swain proceeded with it flying in his hand, to the mizen-top- maBt heady— a token of submission, and a hint to the British ADDENDA TO POST-CAPTAINS OF i815. A48 frigates to turn their fire to a more deserving object. The captain of la Ville de Varsovie, and the whole of his officers, then delivered their swords to Lieutenant Roberts, whose inorti6cation must have been very great when he received directions to give tbeni up to the first lieutenant of the Va- liant 74, the captain of which ship had by that time taken upon himself the command of the advanced squadron : nor was this the only mortification he had to endure; for he found afterwards that those swords were distributed amongst officers in the squadron, without regard to his prior claim even for one of them. It must be admitted that he earned so trifling a memento, if not more. Few persons have served more constantly, and very few have experienced in greater abundance the hard rubs incident to a sea life, than the subject of these Addenda. — ^The cer- tainty of death, if in our Country's cause, carries with it a consolation,, and it is met with fortitude: but the dark san- guinary blow of the assassin brings no alleviation ; and such was the character of an attempt made upon the life of Lieu- tenant Roberts, when belonging to the Courageux 74, in 1811. He had been sent on board the United States' frigate Essex, lying at the entrance of Hamoaze, to claim a deserter ; the man in question, a black, not being able to produce an Ame- rican protection, was unhesitatingly given up, and directed to return with his officer ; but this he refused to do, swearing at the same time most vehemently. As he followed Lieu- tenant Roberts out of the captain's cabin, he made use of some incoherent expression, seized an axe from among some carpenter's tools, and made a blow at him : providentially, an American officer, on the opposite side of the half-deck, observed the fellow lay hold of the axe, and with a loud voice called out" Run, Sir, run for your life, run !" The lieutenant's attention had luckily been drawn to the side of the deck whei?e the officer was, and observing his gestures, indicative of a mind between hope and fear, he sprang forward, ran until he reached the fore-bitts, and then, turning round, found that the bluck had pursued him as far as the gun be- fore the maiti-mast, uu the breech of whioh the blood-thirsty 44,4 ADDENDA^ &C. TO CAPTAINS OF 1825. wretch very deliberately laid his left hand, and cut it off about the wrist. This man was allowed to proceed to Ame- rica in the Essex, the commander-in-ghief at Plymouth con- sidering that he had punished himself stifficiently. We have never heard of a more wanton attack on the life of an officer, who was but obeying the orders of his superior; nor ever heard of a more astonishing escape. ' ' Captain Roberts's brother, Thomas, is a comtnander, H.N* His services will be noticed at the commencei^nt of oui next volume. ' •^'^ i'l^^ii Jci j jaj iio ,Bg av/oH i»dj ujni b-jwot iliilV'i'.wJ -Mi;. .■Ajtil 'lid biiii GEORGE GOSLING, Esq. .j ,j ,,,a Offj ^K'K'^' Tii is officer, while serving as lieutenant of the 'Hatranh^ frigate *, was, from his knowledge of the French languisigei often employed in conveying flags of truce to Brindisi, &c. &c. and always acquitted himself to the perfect satisfaction of his : superiors. The merchant ship and sloop mentioned in p. 277 of Vol. III. Part I. were captured tWo days "previous to the landing of the British troops near BailKf, in the island of G^uadaloupe. In speaking of the capture of the piratical schooner Veloy, we have stated that sixteen of her crew were secured ; whereas the numbier taken prisoners amonnted to eighteen, one of whom, the boatswain, was hung at Jatnaica, it having been proved that he was the man who fired the gun which wounded Lieutenant Lloyd. An act of parliament was afterwards passed, granting head-money for all pirates captured subsequent to January 1st, 1820: but the officers and ship's company of the Ontario were refused any compen- sation by the Lords of the Treasury, because they had broken the ice, by taking the Veloy, on the 17th December, 1819. Captain Gosling married Miss Felicia June Johnson, on the 20th Nov. 1821 ; not in the year 1822, as is stated at the conclusion of bis memoir in VoLllI. Part 1. 1^^ See Vol. III. Part I. p. 2/6. ;CVf ^4^^ f... -noo riUiouv/V] b; i^' -L>i OVBd-tW .; JAMES ADDK!f DA, &C. TO CAPTAINS OF 1828. (laoifio n,'i ^o ilii bi.\i n.- ^^^^ ^^ 22.) ' '^'^'^ ^ ^'^ h-^mA isvnn vj7a ion jioiiaqiid e-^ul • i^niv idc .IimT acw oilvr Was born at London, June 18th, 1790; and entered the liavy, in Sept. 1803, as midshipman on board the Phaeton frigate, Captsup (now Sir George) Cockbum, whom be ifA-r lowed into the Howe 38, on the East India station^, in J^ne» 1805. We next find him serving under Sir Thomas Lavie, in the Blanche 38, and subsequently under Captains Cockburn and Sir Richard King, in the Captain and Achille, seventy- fours. In 1808, he joined the Pomp^ej and in 1809, the JB^jieisl^ then at Martinique, and about to return hom^ in charge of the late French garrison. Together with his first commission^ he received a letter of thanks from Rear-Admiral jSir Richard G. Keats, for his conduct during the operations against Flushing and up the Scheldt. In 1810, he served as lieutepant of the Fleche and Myrtle, sloops, commanded by ji^^ptalus George Hewson and Clement Sneyd. In 1811, he joined the Grampus 50, bearing the broad pendant of dom- modore Cockburn ; and in 1812, he removed with that officer^ Uien a Rear-Admiral, into the Marlborough 74, ' r ,; iP^ptain Scott never joined the Thistle; but he commanded \^\G. Meteor bomb, from May to October 1824. His wife is .t^e only cl^ild of the late Richard Ponovan, Esq. (men- tioined in p. 23), by Caroline Elizabeth Yate, only grand-child of Robert G. Dobyns Yate, of Bromesberrow Place, co. Gloucester, and the last descendant of the ancient; families of. Yate, Baun, and Dobyns. He has one son and one -:' - ■ > ufijiqjiC^ *dJ J« {>i. u. i ■T,''. p. \ n^^ .W\ ,\'JJ y,Z ' 446 llflB !,.■<: ADDENDA TO CAPTAINS OF 182B. !trv/ti.? -ti?! <)! !.'f, !>,.! ,mi-i- ^ i.ijiv. iili'ii(.">l «m'» ,■! fn.i( Tji ;>/ WILLIAM CLARKE JERVOISE, Esq. '•••' "•"'•■ ' • /i'-"> (See p. 46.) On the 15th Jan. 1830, this officer, then in Cockbum Sound, Western Australia, addressed his commander-in- chief as follows : " Sir,— I avail myself of tbe only opportunity which has occurred, by the arrival of the Norfolk, on her way to India, to have the honor of Sn^ forming yon, that I quitted Port Jackson in His Majesty's ship Success; under my command, on the 27th of October, for the purpose of proceeding to Madras, in pursuance of instructions from Rear-Admiral Gage ; and ta I bad to take the western passage through Bass's Strait, I deemed it of the utmost importance not to pass the new settlement of Swan River, without ascertaining whether my services might not be required ; particu- larly as the Governor of Port Jackson remained hi ignorance of its fate, and strong rumours existing of a powerful French squadron having put to sea, to effect, if possible, a settlement before us { and as Captain Mon- tague, in the Crocodile, had not succeeded in reaching it on his passage from India, I was the more desirous of satisfying myself with the state of the new colony for your information. " It is now. Sir, with extreme concern, I have to report to you, that iri the performance of this service the ship grounded on a reef off the south end of Pulo-Camac, on the morning of the 28th Nov., whilst making for Cockburn Sound, and was not extricated until the 3d Dec, when, after being lightened of every thing except the ballast, site was hove off and warped into Cockburn Sound, a distance of seven miles. ■ ^i'(titi x.i Uup " The damage was found to be considerable, having broken all the pintles of the rudder, part of the main keel gone, larboard bow' stov^ in below th6 water line, and part of the stem carried away, which caused the ship t& kak so much, that nothing but the mott unparalleled exertion on the part of the officers and crew, with the most resolute determination to save tite ship, could have kept her free. It is in the full confidence of a continuance of their extraordinary zeal and enthusiasm, that I am not without hopes of heaving the ship down, and putting her in such a state of repair as to be able to proceed, in furtherance of my orders, to Madras. ** Previous to my having attempted the passage, I took the precaution of ascertaining from the master, Mr. R. W. Millroy, (who was in the ship, and said he had sounded the passage, when commanded by Captain Stirling) whether he felt himself competent to take charge of the ship ; to which he replied, with the utmost confidence, that he was fully capable, and recommended Cockbum Sound, as a much better and safer anchorage than Gagt's Roads, where I had otherwise intended to have gone. ADJMINDA TO CAPTAINS OF 1SS8. 447 " As we had a fine leading wind, I shortened sail to the topsails, and placing' an edditiontl look>oat at the jib^boom-end and inast^iieads, I allowed him to proceed; keeping the leads going on both sides, and hands stationed constantly by the bower-anchors. Whilst running down, I observed to him that we were ranning far to leeward { when he replied, ' We must do so. Sir, to bring the south end of the island to bearE. N. £, before we haul up/ The ship was scarcely brought to the wind, and the tucks hauled on board, when she grounded. " A party has beea sent about 30 miles up the river cutting wood, to make good our defects : the people employed in getting the guns and stores from Carnac to Gardeu Island, and caulking the ship preparatory to being Uore down, which, with the assistance of the Sulphur, I hope to be abb to effect, having throughout experienced from Captain Dance, his officers, and crew, the greatest support and most zealous co-operation, which call for my atrongeet admiration and most cordial thanks. " In these operations also, I have met with every assistaDce from Lieutenant-Governor Stirling that his very limited means would adoiit. *' I trust, Sir, I may lie permitted to avail myself of this occasion to recommend to your notice Mr. (Edmund) Yonge, the senior lieutenant of this ship, whose conduct I cannot too strongly appreciate, or admire, for his ability and unremitting attentions, [and whose great assistance and exertions in his promptness to second my efforts, exceed any encomiums I could bestow. Much of this arduous service naturally devolved ob this valuable officer, wlio is of some standing, and well known to many of the first officers in the service, whose esteem he possesses. "To Lieutenant (Edward) Littlehales and acting Lieutenaut (P.) Blackwood my warmest thanks are due; the former, who by hia example and exertions inspired confidence in the people at the pumps, and kep^ them constantly gcHOg at the most critical moment; to the latter, who though on the sick list, and in a weak state, requested to do duty, and vfa» djireoted to land on Carnac Island, to superintend the debarkation of the sick, guns, shot, stores, provisions, &c., all of which he performed with unremitting attention, and ultimately with very inconsiderable loss. *' Although from the general ability and attention of the surgeon, Mr* (William) Leyson, the sick list at this time was small, and therefore re- quired but little of his attendance, yet I have the greatest pleasure ia stating, that his general exertions were afforded on every occasion, and in every part of the ship where he thought they could be most beneficial. . *' By the usual forethought and attentions of Mr. (Frederiuk), HeHyer, the acting purser, all the provisions were landed in perfect order, where be se(;nred and superintended them, together with the chronometers and ship's books, most imremittingly ; and to his care I attribute the prcx servation of this most essential part of the service. " It must be a pleasing refieotioa to the relatives of these youog gentle- men, whose names I have the honor to lay before you, to hear (hat they i 448 ADDENDA TO CAPTAINS OF 1^8. have merited my warmest praise and admiration, for tlieir spirited end undaunted exertions in the execution of the very arduous duties they liad to perform, vie. Messrs. Moorman, Lodwick, Noble, Smith, Dawes, Branch, and Harvey. " Amongst the general good conduct of the warrant officers of this ship, I beg leave to call your attention most particularly to that of Mr. Lewis, the carpenter, whose great attention in plugging up the holes in the bows, and attending to the leaks, and who, in an almost incredibly short space of time, knocked up a temporary rudder, by which the ship was steered into Cockbum Sound. " In concluding this letter, the conduct of the ship's company naturally calls for some remarks. I beg to assure you. Sir, that it surpasses any praise I can bestow. When I reflect, that during our perilous situation, the little hope or prospect of safety there was at times before us, not a single instance of insubordination was observed. On the contrary, al- though occasionally the physical strength of the men was nearly exhausted by their unremitting labour during five days, their cheerfulness, their exertions, and their determined perseverance, at no one moment deserted them. It was to these exertions, used under tl>e protection and guidance of Providence, our fate on this day depended, and which gave me the strongest hopes of ultimate success r they have, indeed, rendered them- selves worthy of their Country, and of the service to which they are attached. " The Archdeacon Scott (who was passenger ou board, on his way to England from New South Wales) was kind enough, at my request, to offer up thanks for the officers and crew, for our miraculous deliverance from our late perilous situation : this excellent man was often requested by me to ensure his safety by landing on Carnac Island : but so determined wa» he to link his fate with his old shipmates, that nothing could induce him to quit whilst any doubt remained of our safety. " From the great scarcity of 'provisions at present prevailing in the colony, I have found it expedient to purchase some bread, beef, and pork, from the Norfolk merchant ship, and shall continue to do so, by every opportunity that may offer, as the Government here can no longer afford us the necessary supplies. " I shall use the utmost despatch in endeavouring to make good the defects, which I fear will not be so rapid as I could have wished, being chiefly left to our own resources. " I beg to annex a narrative of our proceedings from the commence- ment of our moat perilous situation, in which I trust it will be found no human exertion of aoy individual was wanting to rescue the ship from her almost helpless fate. I have the honor to be, &c. (Signed) " W. C. Jbrvoise, Captain." " To Rear.Admiral Sir Edward Owen, K. C. B. Sfc. Sfc. Sfc." % ADDENDA TO CAPTAINS OP 1828. 449 \i i'itVj « (enclosure). ^ Nurrative of the Proceedings on board His Mnjesty's Ship Success, which grounded on the ^Sth Novemher, 1829, nnd teas not extricated until the 3d of December, 1829, a period of five days. "Ou the 27tli of November, 1829, at 6 p. m.. Cape Naturaliste bore caat, distant three leagues ; — freah l)reezcs from the southward. At day- light OD the morning of the 2dth, the land about Garden Island (Buache of the French) bore N. E. b. E. At 6, the uiaater (Mr. R. W. Millroy) requested my decision on going into Cockburn Sound. Going on deck, and looking at the land, I asked him if he felt quite sure that he was right, to which he replied, he ' was quite sure all was right, and that as soon as that point (pointing with his glass to the south end of Carnau Island), bore E. N. E. it would be time to haul up.' From the great con- fidence he seemed to express, I permitted him to take charge ; the people were ordered to their stations, the sail shortened to the topsails, steering at the time N. E. b. N., an additional look-out placed on the jib-boom end, the leads were kept going, and hands constantly by the bower-an- chors. At (>-30, the north point of Garden Island bore S. S. E., and the S. E. end of Puio-Carnac E. N. E.; altered course to E. S. E., and set the courses and driver by request of the master, the duty of the ship at this time being carried on by the senior lieutenant, Mr. Edmund Yonge, under my directions. About 6-45, in hauling up to the S. E., the sails were scarcely trimmed, when the ship took the ground ; the last cast of the lead being half-three. — ^The best-bower was instantly let go, and almost imme- diately parted ; the sails were furled, top-gallant yards and masts got down on deck — let go the small-bower, to which the ship swung to the wind for a short time only, as the chain parted, and v^h^ again paid round with her head to Pulo-Carnac, and was driven close in shore. Sent the master away in the second gig, to sound round the ship, and report upon the best position for laying out an anchor; the boats were then hoisted out and lowered down ; — tne wind increasing made it necessary to strike the top- masts. The master returning, the kedge-anchor was laid out to the southward, for the purpose of assisting the boats in warping out the spare anchor. At this period, two boats were reported to me, ^ coming down from the anchorage in Cockburn Sound, which proved to belong to the Sulphur, in one of which was Captain Dance and the master of that ship (Mr. John Perriam), who came to offer every assistance; and the other, under the direction of acting Lieutenant Marritt, with a stream-anchor and cable, which was most speedily laid out in the same direction as our own. The streain-cables being hove taut, the Sulphur's yawl and one of our own pinnaces were directed to hang the spare-anchor, with a 14 i inch cable, between them ; and, hauling themselves out, to let it go in the direction of the stream-anchors. About this time, the ship striking hard, the rudder was unshipped, all the pintles and the lower gudgeon being carried away VOL. III. PART TI. 2 G J^. 4fe(> Ani^fei^iyA t6 r^^lPYAiNs or 1828. the tratisom sprunji; Ity tho iron tilteri and eventually out to enable us lo uhship it. In heaving on the spare anchor, which h«(i heen laid ont to the southward Uvo cahles' leng'lhs, it parted^ the cable being cut through by the rocks; the kedge and stream parting at the sr.me time. The sheet was instantly let go, whii-h did not hold a minute, both flues l)cing broken offal the crown. The ship's head was again forced to the northwarrfiliav- ing the stem exposed and left to the mercy of a strong S. W. sea breeze, with some swell, causing the ship to strike violently, making five feet water an honr, and in this position she continued all night. " At this critical period, \ thought it necessary to assemble the ship'i compony, to apprise them of the perilous state of tho ship, and to express niy strong approbation and admii'atlon of their great exertions froirt the commencement, and recommended a continuance of the same as the only means of effecting the safety of the ship :— this seemed to excite i^n addi> tfional degree of enthusiasm, and, amidst the loudest cheering and the strongest exertions, they returned to the pumps, si^ca^ing they would ncfoi* quit her whilst she would swim. Captain Dance remained on board all night, and at day-light the following morning was th. — From tho peculiar situation of the ship I judged it ne- eessaiy to lighten her, and commenced by landing some of the guns unil Other stores. At .3 p. m., tho Sulphur's yawl came alongside with u bower- anchor and cable, which was laid out to the southward, bent to one of our own hempen cables and passed through tjie rudder hole; brought it to the capstan and tried to heave off, when the cubic parted, and tho ship forced hdrsolf txnvardr u lodge of rocks about threu feet above water. Tho end of the M-t-inch caJ)lc, parted from yesterday, was crept up, bent to, a shroud hawser, pnsteil tlirnngh tho starboard stern port, and huv« taut. 3Mio boltsin that part of the keel in the brcad-room having started, the intter began to make its way among tho bread, when Mr. (Frederick) Hellyor^ acting parser, with his usiial forethought; and prcmution for tlic difcty oFhij stores, reported to mo tlic state tlicruol« on whiuh I.requcttlcd A»^KNOA TQiCAm'AJHtl l(» 0iidii.9ccuiUbi«, t^Mlicri wH)f, 4 ''t^ i.-broitMi]otvL'»^ auil Itis own storrs, atxA prvcueil lDi8e«k,» i)Iih?c uf sufftyil^/^., thwii k)|iy werttietovd in, mkJi tke«utwator cvuiplcif'lygrwuii^i^wukjt t(>.thi; wuiUfiyf;iii|^ ugainstttbe rocks^ ,i ih\ .uiirii j. 'jloil h>u iabihuWi i.t,.|.,| vini ■.i«(u »^«" -vViNiov. aOtii.— At 7 A. M.» crb!>tup tho end of tlie cable partetl ,fron» yeateftiay, lusUcd hoth inesseogurt) to it, tuid liovu tiiut tltiough ilie rmid«c Uole. Crept up ,tliu sjiiull^brnvcr chuin whicU li^d parted uii the 28t);> passed the end of a henipea bowur-ual>le, with a splicing piece oOiit,^ ikufitigUtha etarbourd after-port un the half'deck, and hovu it taut. 1/ ' : *^r]'iHi,LieutenBnt-(iovDriior ciimo 011 Itoard, and rciimincd all lught , tHtjotitirg. of ussiataiice were uuieh felt by all on board. Un vvut> kind, (ttluii^'li to lexpreas hi» appvobntiou at,the€;k-uriion uud perseverauct^ iM^^ir f>6tml by all. As tUe ship woh a^aia seuured, und tlie !ieu-bruc2c coutlnur iii^ tnblo^v fresh,, wvjinude nu utteiupts to heuvu the bhip utf, but li^htm^d' bar uB.fuid ns pnsaibUf, by jotting out stilus niiot, ballusit, provitiiona, aud olliCr 8t pUi^Hin^ up the holca made in the buw;r*7 the tshipaC this time' makinjr eight feet water per hour. Duririf(.|tbis aiui the foi1iueirduy6,tbe people v;crc without interval kept at the chaiuypMwp^ and tli««be«irfal manner in wliich tliia was performed could atone give m aay hope. 'iiifVAB'it.was neecstary tltat aoine oilicer shuukl be landed to direct U)^ necessary arrangement of all the Btores, and receive the sick, acting Liuuter nnnt DIackwood was selected for this service, who merits my !'.^ irobuliou in every way from his gfent wish to do duty at the time tlie Hliip grounded, fttthough ho had been in the sitk list for several inontha befuru^ and* wtt^ BtitI in a weakly state. )ii;(-( •.;. (II ■Virifo ."irtd^ -I '^Dccetnber l3t.>«*-Landed the assistant-surgeon witii the sick on Pulof Carnac, ni\d part of the stores. At ii i>. m., nuide an attempt to bcavv the ship otjl', baving shifted the stern-cable to one of the larboard quarter main-deck ports. She started a few feet when the cable parted. Succctacd in clinching it again, hove taut, 8eizcepingthc messenger also on it, and hmught-to; — pteple continirally employed at the pumps, clearing ship of all her stores to, tb^ ballast, thrumming a sail, and rafting the spurs. As a rise of tide waa M)? tieipatcH' wo htui still a hope of saving the sliip. .. j c 1 " Dee. 2d. — Contiivucd landing stores of every description. At 3 I'. M., made an attempt to heave off by the Sulphur's anchor, with two hempen cables an end on the larboard (|Uartcr, leading tliruugh the second after I)ort on the main-deck 5 to these were hitehctl and aeized t\ir own tw messengers, the hempen one brought to the capstan on the raain-deok ; tlie coir, with u runner on it, wna bitted forward : the latter was intended to assist the former, but from having .- less purchase was more of n ilaiul- by : they were c^ t olf as s:)on as .ve hu keep an equatstrain on tlie two bowers whiUt heaving off; by a r^y ^1^ ;^9tan, however, one of the cables gave way ; lost no time in recovenng ^s end and re-bending ; the power at the capstan was reduced to'tivo ^'anns to aW, and the falls on the malb-deck (or rather the other 6^(eyW(^iitir ''ib&tintfd, and by 7 r. M. the ship ^s in 7^ fafthoins ifat«rv ^ <*Mtitl- 'b'of^ver-chain was then unlhac^led from the hempen caibte, aad passed fr^tn the starbtfard quarter port to the hatvse hole on th«same ajd^f, jibe, lar- board cable was buoyed and slipped, the sbreud-bawser taken to t,iie liir- board hawse-hole, the ship swung wiijh her head to the QortIhvard,'and moored with nearly three lengths of chain on the starboard cable. ' '' !> > «r jy^f, 3d.— At 4 A. M. hove up the sinall-botver*. At 8; hove «p ifte hethp^n bower, and comra«nc<5d warping the sbip CoiMrds Garden' klaod; lelt an officer with a party at Pulo-CarnaCr for the pr«tq($tioa «f.the stovts and provisions. Ship making three feet water ad liour, At 7^^0 i>. ^., anchored in Cockburn Sound, u 9 fathoms, veered to 29 fathoms^ and moored ship with a kedge to the northward. (' ' (Signed) "W. C. Jbuvoise, C«piiii».»*'^ . ^ . ■ , . .. . ,\ Nothing short of such wonderful exertions as were used by Captain Jervoise, his officers and crew, (first in extricating themselves from their perilous situation, and afterwards in heaving down and tepalring their ship,) coAid pbs^My have saved the Success. On his arrival at Trincomalee, he was most highly complimented by tbat excellent officer and sea- many Sir Edward W. C. R. Owen, in company with whuiQ he sailed for Bombtiy, in Maifeh ;18>31 ; it having been previously determined that \m little frigattf, supposed as she tbeu was, to be no longer fit for the public service, should either be sold or taken to pieces. On her being docked however, the sur- veying ofljcers reported, that, with the exception of her want- ing a new liiddtr^ the Waa peifeotly. At foe socv. : |/ / i. At this period, Captain Jervoise was ordered to assume the command of the Calcuftk, a ikw 84 ; but, as Sir Edward Otven had resolved tliafe tk^ J^ucbraB jrironld neither .bo 'dold nor bioken up in India, he iie.'^\-Wj>tv^^i ^^^ RICHARD FREEMAN ROWLEY, Esq. ^t 1 18 bfijS TVoiilf) Jo'.ii:):-.; V'^^' *25). ,.^uuU\iVK\:t vluj^iii ^tuiu ' I« the third son of Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Rowley, K. C. B. He married, July 12th, 1828, Elizabeth Julia, youngest daughter of John Angerstein, Esq.... ......i.^^ij,, •'■;»' ' lUi a9ji|iiui on 'jU (>i Mit ui\i , yj V.I )i <.>i\ im<«ii>»-,'jij )f'i '•' (V'Ahj lo JAMES WALLACE GABRIEL, Es I Prrvious to his return home from Jamaica, on which sta* tion he hady for soine time, boeir the aenior officer^ Captain 454 ADDRybA+d CAPTAltiSOr 1881. Gabriel received the following handsome testimonials from his comniander.'*iii4cbitf xiid^e'mayaC'QJ^K}i)gston : " H. M. S. Champion, Bermuda, 22d Sept. 1831. " Sir, — In acknowledgiiiif the receipt of your several letters by Falcon, datfeil^ between the 22(1 July and Q6th Au^oot; I bav« to express m^, tfuil aiM entire approbation of your procie4inga, iu the, disposal, pi t^^ ves^jb of tlt« squadron under your ord^rs^ at ^^Mnaica. I am^^^c. , .j^j. i y,,^.* .;*i'.^..- t.>..,iw ■wu.O inM^f^X ^^^^'P^^'^tL: »i? ; i!.Jiri)»:> viujB .l(ui;7' (PWuffte). . .tj-jsmU JiuOuil xiiJUq«:> ^^'•♦'Klf (learJ^ir,— It j^ave nrtc very jCfr^at {)'I6ttjiite*to Iwar 6f yonf p^'omoi. t^t^ti, 'dixn have trow only to regret, that iny iutenti*nsiof'berving yQUi iti 'Atfiefvitttfars, should liavebcen fcu^tratedhy ypur apppv^tiTii^iit tu ^i^ l^ia^- ui^ueat } (or Lad you remained in^he C(>luii|luue^eu. a feyv yve^'k^ 1r"8.^'> jit^i|4)p,«;^j-s you would, liave picked tin vvh)irew|t,hal at least Hk tiefrav the expense of yoi;r outfit; but with us all' is a ibttdry, ^and ti'iify f)^'T3'ji/Ac Tortu'ne in such matters you have not Ireerr favt)rVd. ¥Svi4li'w!lh ttlt iWy 1i6art tliht Sir James Grdhatn would, in farther > c^hiiderMioiv nrtfiiormer se^viiL-es, a^)rd mo an oppdrtunity of makin;;^ itptOfyou foriwh9t^Pi>'l(%ve miifsed, by sending yvu out here in coioinanc^ of, Oi ^Uijp« 1 ^eipain, ^ly dear Sir, very faithfully and truly yonrs, (Sijineil) " E. G. CoLPors.'* "My dear Sir, — I return you the letters, and cannot take my leave withi)ut cxpressinjf to you my warmest acknowlei' fT' " G. Yatbs, Muyor." 3lii)« i ./'xrw .^'iisj^intuu aqiii ..iu.j .>... n,, 'jj:. ,.,.,;,„■, ;!;,,■, ^k»i I ,ii%i, JBom i'l (! Jill'/, iniwti. iNfi.fih'W') trill •■iiifi'i '■'>>.•■'" «;'♦». tr, .-i.M ■»,, iftan '-I' ad) mtnl ^n DIGBY WILLOUGHBV, EsQ. n ', v '" "Was Wi board the Crtllodon 74, at the battle of June ist. .y??'V, ..,. ■jviiu 'CJduiiiiiuiu ,\;inoti .uii*J«|l«.l ,nuo y(u ol -niMi^ a( ,(jub i I'l.ili ,'juf--.hio,I 1 itiv .iniiltii (-! ii ; W,l-. ii ini.'. viif no wo'.i ,'i\\U\iuitUh^ liHOonaq oj boJJiojftus ?«?/ Imk .mid diiv* vloii)n«» eitai »b««ov.in«fti'i «.» AODENOA to COMMANDERS. 455 ■■-• .. .,.!'/"- TERENCE. O'NEILL, Esq, muu.uunn ^hi ' IW'DaHBs home frotn Jamaica in the Ajax 7^) Captdin Nicholas Chnrringtoii ; and subsequently served under Cap- tains Lambert Brabazon, Thomas By am Martin, Robert Hall, and George Gregory ; Lieutenant George Clarke Searle ; Captain Robert Linzee, and Lieutenant Henry Gunter ; in the Porcupine 24, Pylades, and Serpent sloops. Liberty brig, Saturn 74, and Pilote cutter j on the Channel, West India, and Irish stations. At ihe commencement of the French revolutionary war, he successively joined the Alcide74, Cora- i^p/dore R. Linzee ; the Windsor Castle 08, bearing the flag of the same oifficer as ; a Hear- Admiral ; and the Britannia first raite, flag-ship of Vice-Admiral Jlotham. He removed from la Censeur into the Cyclops 28, Captain William Ho- tham, and in that frigatri visited the Archipelago. — - .^TO'ijo,) ; I i "'"''";::;;'';■'''' , william love, esq. "'■' {Seep.S62.) " I >•■'.< If,', f'., ,; ij,| yviiil iii>,' )<'.n tidi nd i On the 14th Dec. 1831, this most respectable officer ad- ' dressed the following letter to the Lord Mayor of London : «•• * My Lord, — I liejf to npologise for a trcspas? on your Lordship's time, but I rely with confidence on your Lordship's indulj^ence, when I stiUe that my only oliject is thul those who apply and uxort their minds for the benefit of tl>e public, should enjoy ihut crcdituble reward which is most justly their t.ue, and whidh tlicy are at all tliues sure of receiving from the chief magistrate of the city of London. " Having just read in the Allilou newspaper, of the 12th instant, a , vtatement of a Mr- StcQvcns having presented to your Lordship a model of pad