received intelligence that a hostile fleet was off the coast; but owing to the violence of the weather, it was not until the 6th that he could go in quest of them.

"On getting under weigh," says Sir George, in his official despatch," an officer from the shore came on board, to inform me, that a number of ships had been seen the preceding night in the offing, near False Bay: I then resolved to steer to the south-west, in expectation of their having taken that

course.

"The squadron continued cruising in the most tempestuous weather I have ever experienced, which damaged many of the ships, and at one time the Ruby had five feet water in her hold.

"On the 12th I returned, with a fresh breeze blowing from the south-east; and upon anchoring in Simon's Bay, the master attendant came off with the information, that the ships seen, consisting of nine sail, had put into Saldanha Bay on the 6th, the same day on which I had proceeded to sea; that they remained there by the last advice, and that four ships had been despatched in quest of me, to communicate this welcome intelligence.

"I immediately made the signal to sail, but the Crescent had got ashore; the wind blew strong, and increased the following day to a perfect tempest, in which the Tremendous parted two cables, drove, and was in great danger of being lost: so that, notwithstanding every exertion, and the most anxious moments of my life, we could not get out till the 15th."

On the 16th, at sunset, the Vice-Admiral arrived off Saldanha Bay, when the enemy's squadron were descried, consisting of two ships of 66 guns each, one of 54, five frigates, and sloops, and one store-ship. Sir George, seeing the inferiority of their force in point of numbers, came to anchor within gun-shot of them, and sent an officer to the Dutch commander, with a request, that, to avoid the effusion of human blood, he would surrender to the British fleet: intimating, at the same time, that resistance to a force so superior

must expose his ships to certain destruction. The Dutch Admiral, Lucas, perceiving that it was impossible to escape, and that opposition would be of no avail, presented terms of capitulation; all of which were accepted by Sir George K. Elphinstone, excepting the second, wherein the Dutch commander required two frigates to be appointed cartels, to convey himself, officers, and men to Holland. This was refused, in consequence of the cartel ships which had been sent from Toulon and various other places, under similar circumstances, having been detained, and their crews imprisoned, contrary to the laws and usage of war, and general good faith of nations. On the 18th, the whole of the Dutch ships were taken possession of by the British.

After the completion of these highly important and valuable services, Sir George sailed for Europe, and arrived at Spithead, Jan. 3. 1797. On the 7th March following, he was raised to the dignity of a Baron of the kingdom of Ireland, by the title of Baron Keith of Stonehaven Marischal. In the month of May, the same year, he superintended the naval preparations at Sheerness against the mutineers, who at that time unhappily held the command of several ships of war at the Nore, and had committed various acts of insubordination and outrage. This storm being dispelled, his Lordship for a short time commanded a detachment of the Channel Fleet. He afterwards proceeded, in the Foudroyant, of 80 guns, to the Mediterranean station, as second in command, under the Earl of St. Vincent, whom he joined at Gibraltar in December 1798. On the 14th of Feb. 1799, he was promoted to the rank of Vice-Admiral of the Red.

The Commander-in-Chief being seriously indisposed, gave charge of the fleet off Cadiz to Lord Keith, and our gallant officer remained employed in the blockade of the Spanish fleet, consisting of twenty-two ships of the line, until the 4th May 1799, when he discovered the Brest fleet, consisting of twenty-four sail of the line and nine smaller vessels, which had escaped the vigilance of Lord Bridport, at some distance to windward, steering in for the land. The Vice-Admiral did not

hesitate a moment what part to act, although the wind at this time was blowing extremely hard right on the shore: he instantly weighed, stood off, and undiscouraged by the numerical superiority of the enemy's force *, offered them battle, which they assiduously declined; neither did the French Admiral, Bruix, persevere in the attempt to join his friends at Cadiz, which port was not more than seven or eight miles to leeward. During the ensuing night the storm was so great, it was with much difficulty the ships could be kept together. At day-light on the morning of the 5th, only four sail of the enemy were to be seen, to which chase was given, but without effect. Lord Keith remained on his station until the 9th, when he suspected, from not again getting sight of the French fleet, that it had passed the Straits. He first bore up for, and anchored at Gibraltar, and then cruised off Cape Dell Mell. Having by this time learned that the French were at anchor in Vado Bay, he determined to attack them there; but Earl St. Vincent, who had received intelligence that the Spaniards meditated a descent on Minorca, immediately dispatched him to the relief of that island. In the mean time, the French commander reached Carthagena, where he was soon after joined by Admiral Massaredo, with five ships of 112 guns each, one 80, and eleven seventy-fours, together with the following flag-officers, viz. Gravina, Grandillana, Cordova, Nava, and Villavincencis.

The Vice-Admiral on this collected his whole force, and proceeded in quest of the combined fleet; but on his arrival off Cadiz, he learned from one of his cruizers, that they had sailed for Brest on the 21st of July, and, on his repairing thither, found that they had entered that port only five hours before! After this long and unsuccessful pursuit, his Lordship steered for England; but his cruise did not prove upon the whole unfortunate, for, on the 19th of June, a part of his squadron, consisting of the Centaur, Bellona, Santa Teresa,

* The British squadron consisted only of one first-rate, five other 3-deckers, two ships of 80 guns each, and seven seventy-fours.

and Emerald, captured a 40 gun ship, a frigate, and three small armed vessels, bound from Jaffa to Toulon.

Towards the latter end of November 1799, his Lordship sailed from Plymouth in the Queen Charlotte of 100 guns, to resume the command of the fleet in the Mediterranean, which had been resigned to him on the second of June by the Earl of St. Vincent, in consequence of increasing ill health. He arrived at Gibraltar on the 6th December. The season for brilliant operations was in some degree over in that quarter, in consequence of the severe losses which the enemy had sustained, and were in no condition to repair; but much praise was due to Lord Keith for the excellent disposition of the force under his command, and the judgment with which he stationed his cruisers, so that few of the enemy's vessels ventured out of port without falling into the hands of some of our ships of war.

Early in the year 1800, his Lordship proceeded to Malta, and cruized off the port of La Valetta, to intercept any succours that might be attempted to be thrown in during the blockade. In order more completely to ensure success, he ordered Lord Nelson to cruize to windward with three sail of the line, while he himself remained with the flag-ship and a small squadron at the mouth of the harbour. This judicious arrangement produced the capture of Le Généreux of 74 guns, carrying the flag of Rear-Admiral Perrée, and having a number of troops on board for the relief of the place, together with a large store-ship.

On the 7th March, 1800, his Lordship anchored at Leghorn, for the purpose of co-operating with the Austrian army against the French, under the command of General Massena, who at that time occupied the city and territory of Genoa. On the 14th he issued a proclamation, wherein he signified to all neutral powers, that the ports of Toulon, Marseilles, Nice, and the coast of the Riviera, were in a state of blockade,

Being now determined to seize on the island of Cabrera, then in possession of the French, as a proper place for refreshing his men, he detached Captain Todd with the Queen

Charlotte for that purpose; but on the 17th of March, when between Leghorn and the island of Cabrera, the Queen Charlotte was discovered to be in flames, and in the course of an inconceivably short period, upwards of 600 gallant men lost their lives, and one of the noblest ships in the British navy was totally destroyed, His Lordship was on shore at the time the conflagration happened; after which he hoisted his flag in the Audacious, but subsequently shifted it to the Minotaur, and proceeded in that ship, with part of his fleet, off Genoa; in order to co-operate with the Austrians, who were at that time besieging it. As there was little probability of being able to reduce the place by any other means than famine, it became an object of the first importance to cut off all supplies by sea; and this service was so effectually performed, that in the beginning of June the French general was obliged to capitulate, being reduced to the greatest extremity for want of provisions. This achievement in our naval annals would not have failed to be estimated as it deserved, had not the disastrous result of the battle of Marengo, and the convention of Alexandria, between the Austrian Baron de Melas and General Buonaparte, overwhelmed Europe with astonishment and dismay. It is here proper to remark, that the Austrians never fired a gun against Genoa, during the whole of the siege, and that its reduction was wholly caused by famine, which the vigilance and severity of our sea blockade had occasioned. *

On the 4th of September following, the Island of Malta surrendered to a detachment of Lord Keith's fleet.

It being now determined to strike a mortal blow at Spain, orders were sent from England for collecting ships and troops for that purpose. Accordingly, on the thirteenth of September, Admiral Lord Keith repaired with the fleet to Gibraltar, and the transports, with Sir James Pulteney's division of

* During the blockade of Genoa, the city and mole were frequently bombarded by the British flotilla; and on one occasion la Prima, the principal galley in the port, having on board two brass 36-pounders, 30 brass swivels, 257 men, and rowing 50 oars, was brought off in triumph.