altercation concluded, he paid a visit to Ireland, and was there seized with a fever, which suddenly closed his career at the date specified on his monument.

ADMIRAL WATSON.

HIGH above the door opening into the north cross aisle* of Westminster Abbey, is a sumptuous monument to the memory of Admiral Charles Watson. The design being wholly figurative is censurable, but the execution is masterly. The Admiral, robed in the Roman toga, is introduced amidst a grove of palm trees. On the one side is a personification of the Goddess, or Genius of Calcutta, prostrate; and on the other a similar emblem of Chandernagore, which is to be distinguished by the chains with which it appears bound. The inscription runs thus:

To the Memory of CHARLES WATSON,
Vice-Admiral of the White, Commander-in-Chief

* In the adjoining aisle, but more to the east, is another monument, to Admiral Holmes, an officer of whom mention has been repeatedly made in these pages. He is represented as a Roman warrior, resting his hand on a cannon mounted on its carriage. An anchor, flag staff, and other naval emblems diversify the back-ground. It is a striking performance, from the chisel of Wilton, but one in which truth and propriety are sacrificed to effect. The inscription is thus engraved :—

To the Memory of

CHARLES HOLMES, Esq.

Rear-admiral of the White,

Commander-in-Chief of his Majesty's Fleet, stationed at Jamaica,

He died the 21st of November, 1761,

his Majesty's Naval Forces in the East Indies, Who died at Calcutta, on the 16th of August, 1757, In the 44th year of his age.

The EAST INDIA COMPANY,

As a grateful testimony of the signal advantages which
They obtained by his valour and conduct,

Caused this monument to be erected.

There are also three shields, conspicuously placed, with the

The earliest account preserved of Admiral Watson, in the annals of the navy, is an appointment to be captain of the Garland frigate, in February, 1738. He retained the command of this vessel until the year 1741, when, being stationed in the Mediterranean, he was removed into the Plymouth, of 60 guns. His next ship was the Dragon, on board of which he attracted distinction for his gallantry in the subsequent affair off Toulon. Returning to England, he soon after obtained the Princess Louisa, also of 60 guns, which was attached to the two squadrons under Anson and Hawke, that encountered Messieurs De Jon quiere and De L'Entendier in 1747, occasions on which Watson greatly improved his reputation for bravery and discrimination.

A short interval of peace supervened, out the government was so well pleased with Watson's conduct, that during the course of the same year he was made Rear-admiral of the Blue, and Commander-in-chief of the North American station, with the local rank of Governor of Newfoundland. From these occupations he was withdrawn, in 1754, to be transferred to that scene of his greatest honours, the East Indies, over which, after a very brief, but most brilliant period of service, he ranked as one of the most signal founders of the British ascendancy. Arrived at Bombay in November, 1755, he promptly undertook to overthrow the power of the noted pirate Angria, by reducing the fortress of

Geriah, which was the capital of his dominions. The port and harbour having been safely sounded by a ship belonging to the Company, Watson collected his squadron, and after receiving on board a detachment of troops, headed by Colonel Clive, set sail for Geriah, on the 7th of February. As he approached the place a Mahratta fleet, with a land force of 8000 men, put themselves under his authority, in the character of allies. Thus ably succoured, he reached his destination in safety, and immediately sent a flag to summon the fortress. By this time it was discovered that Angria had quitted the fort, but his wife and family still remained in it, and his brother-in-law, who commanded in his stead, boldly declared that he would fight to the last extremity.

The overtures of amity having been thus peremptorily rejected, formidable arrangements were made for the attack. The English passed into the harbour in battle array, about noon, on the 12th instant, and were saluted as they entered with a heavy cannonade from the batteries on the land and armed vessels on the water. This first assault was hotly returned, and the contest raged on until four in the afternoon, when a shell descended upon one of the largest vessels among the Indian fleet: she took fire, the flames circulated with fierce rapidity, and after an interval, the whole armament was consumed. Still the enemy were undaunted, and the fight was maintained until six in the evening, when another shell was thrown into the fort, and that took fire also. The bombardment then ceased on both sides, and the English indulged in anticipations of a surrender.

Aware that the Mahratta allies had been engaged in hostilities against Angria before the British interfered, and suspecting that if forced to cede the place, the enemy might prefer a native to a foreign victor, Watson advised Colonel Clive to avail himself of this temporary suspension of arms, and land his forces to watch the issue of the siege. But the followers of Angria were even yet indisposed to yield: they reduced the conflagration in the fort, and recommenced the cannonade with hearty spirit. The superiority of the British, however, was by this time evident, and the fate of the besieged became inevitable. Watson had warped his ships close to the walls, and his guns soon broke in a breach. This fresh advantage acquired, he dispatched a flag of truce to

the fort, and invited the governor to surrender: yet once again was the offer unequivocally refused.

The intervention of night occasioned a pause in the proceedings; but on the following morning, the English resumed the attack with vigour. The enemy remained resolute, until about one o'clock, when their principal magazine blew up, and the gradual enervation of their fire showed that their spirits were broken. At length a white flag was hoisted at about four o'clock, and a parley ensued. Even in this extremity the besieged disdained the terms proposed for their acceptance, and the battle continued until past five o'clock, when the brother of Angria finally struck his flag, and submitted at discretion.

The power of Angria was now upset, and his mother, wife, and children, became prisoners to the company. Two hundred pieces of cannon, six brass mortars, a large stock of ammunition, and specie, and effects, to the value of 13,000, fell into the hands of the conquerors. Watson, garrisoning the fort with six hundred men, stationed four armed vessels to protect it by sea, and then returned with ease and safety to Bombay.

After refitting his vessels, he set sail for Madras, and there received intelligence of the capture of Calcutta, and the tragedy of the Black Hole, by the Nabob Rajah Dowla. No time was now to be lost;-Clive, Watson, and the government of the district hastily concerted measures, and on the 5th of October the army was embarked, and the fleet set sail for Calcutta. On the 5th of December, the squadron cast anchor in Balasore Road, on the coast of Bengal; and the 28th Watson proceeded up the river with the Kent, Tiger, Salisbury, and the Bridgewater ships of war, and the Kingfisher sloop. By the next day Clive had landed his men, invested the fortress of Budjio, and after an hour's contest, reduced it to submission. The ships now proceeded in their course up the river, and as fast as they advanced the enemy retired from their possessions along the shore, until Watson came to an anchor before Calcutta, on the 2d of January, 1757.

A sharp cannonade was instantly opened, but so superior was the conduct of the British, that after a struggle of two hours, the batteries were completely silenced, the enemy flew from their guns, and the various defences were successively

seized upon with unexpected ease and despatch. In this happy movement, which restored the British to their power on the banks of the Ganges, only nine seamen and three soldiers were killed, while the loss amongst the enemy was truly considerable. Ninety-one pieces of cannon, four mortars, and an abundant supply of ammunition, stores, and provisions, were seized upon, and it only remained to urge the tide of success into other quarters.

Accordingly, a fresh enterprise was determined on without delay, and the city of Hughly, situated higher up on the river, was besieged. At this place lay the Rajah's great storehouses of salt, the granaries for the support of his army, and the various depots from which alone he derived his means of carrying on the war. The importance of such a place was great, and no mean opposition to the besiegers was anticipated. Yet, fortunately for their cause, the attack was crowned with a success so speedy, that no detail of its progress can be desirable.

Endeavours were now made to bring the Rajah to a treaty, but he rejected every overture, whether from Clive or Watson. with passionate energy, and vowed to extirpate the British from the East. With these declarations he mustered an army amounting to 15,000 foot, and 20,000 horse, and on the 2d of February, 1757, established himself in a position distant only a mile from Calcutta. In the engagement which ensued, Watson had no share, though he contributed to the result by detaching from the fleet a body of sailors 600 strong. The Nabob was forced to retreat with great loss and precipitation; and ere long, overcome by the peremptory expostulations of the vice-admiral, he entered into a correspondence for peace, which was ratified without farther bloodshed.

But, though tranquillity was thus established in one way, the condition of our affairs in the very same quarter was still deemed precarious. Our ancient rivals, the French, held a strong position in the neighbourhood, and it was ascertained, upon evidence strongly presumptive, that they sought to tamper A determinawith the fidelity of our new ally, the Nabob. tion to eject the French from the country was accordingly formed, and the reduction of their chief settlement at Chandernagore was entrusted to Vice-admiral Watson and Colonel Clive. The