but I was laid in bed for a week by getting under the mainmast (which had fallen towards the shore): and my back was cured by Lord Spencer's having conveyed to me by letter his Majesty's intention to dub me baronet. No more have I to say, except that I felt more pleasure in giving to a mother's arms a dear little infant only three weeks old, than I ever felt in my life; and both were saved. The struggle she had to entrust me with the bantling was a scene I cannot describe: nor need you, and, consequently, you will never let this be visible."

It is due to the merits of a deserving officer, to supply one omission in this interesting letter. Soon after Sir Edward reached the wreck, a small boat belonging to an Irish brig got alongside, with two persons who greatly assisted him in this work of benevolence. One of these young men was the mate, whom Captain Pellew on the following day received into his own ship, and thenceforward became his steady friend and patron. It is almost unnecessary to add, that this officer is now Captain Coghlan, R.N.

For the manly conduct displayed by Sir Edward on this occasion, the Corporation of Plymouth presented him with the freedom of that borough. On the 5th March, in the same year, he was advanced to the dignity of a Baronet of the United Kingdom, as Sir Edward Pellew, of Treverry, in Cornwall. About the same time, Sir Edward proceeded on a cruise in the Indefatigable, a cut-down 64, mounting 46 guns; with four frigates under his command.

On the 9th of April, the squadron fell in with, and captured, a fleet of French merchantmen, and drove La Volage, of 26 guns, on shore. Four days after, L'Unité, of 38 guns and 255 men, was taken. On board her were Madame Le Large, wife to the governor of Rochefort, with the whole of her family and domestics; her son, an ensign of the frigate, Sir Edward, with great feeling and politeness, suffered to return to France in a neutral vessel, taking the parole of the young man not to serve until exchanged.

On the morning of the 20th, whilst the squadron was lying

to under the Lizard, waiting till the prize had got safe into Falmouth, a large ship was observed standing in for the land, which, when the private signal was made, tacked, and stood off. Sir Edward Pellew, certain of its being an enemy's frigate, immediately gave chace, in company with the Amazon and Concorde. About midnight, after a chace of fifteen hours, and having run one hundred and sixty-eight miles, the Indefatigable, by her superior sailing, got alongside of the enemy, and brought her to close action, which continued without intermission, under a crowd of sail, for one hour and fortyfive minutes. At this time the enemy's ship, whose commander defended her with great bravery, had her mizen-mast and main topmast shot away. In this situation the Indefatigable unavoidably shot ahead; her mizen top-mast and gaff being gone, and the main topsail rendered useless, with her running rigging cut to pieces, she had no sail to back, until new braces could be rove; neither did Sir Edward Pellew think it prudent to throw his ship in the wind, lest he should be exposed to a raking fire; he therefore remained at a proper distance ahead of the enemy, until he might be enabled to renew the attack. Just at this moment the Concorde ranged up under the enemy's stern, and Captain Hunt was preparing to rake her, when she fired a gun to leeward, and surrendered. She proved to be the French national frigate, La Virginie, of 44 guns, 18 pounders on the main deck, and nines on the quarter deck and forecastle, manned with 340 men, and commanded by M. Bergeret, Capitaine de Vaisseau, from Brest, bound on a cruise off the Lizard. When taken possession of, her hull was a complete sieve, and four feet water in her hold. It is remarkable that in this action the Indefatigable had not a man hurt. La Virginie, on the contrary, had 15 killed and 27 wounded, 10 of them badly.

The year 1797 afforded fresh proofs of the vigour and enterprise of Sir Edward Pellew. On the 13th January, while cruising to the S. W. of Ushant, in company with the Amazon frigate, commanded by Captain Reynolds, he perceived a large ship in the N. W. quarter, steering under an easy sail

towards the coast of France. At this time the wind blew hard at west, with thick hazy weather. Chace was instantly given. At four P. M. the Indefatigable had gained sufficiently upon the strange ship for Sir Edward to distinguish very clearly that she had two tier of guns, with her lower deck ports shut, and that she had no poop. At a quarter before six he brought the enemy to close action, which continued to be well supported on both sides near an hour, when the Indefatigable unavoidably shot: ahead at this moment the Amazon appeared astern, and gallantly supplied her place; but the eagerness of Captain Reynolds to second his friend had brought him up under a press of sail, and, after a well-supported and close fire for a little time, he also unavoidably ran ahead. The enemy made an ineffectual attempt to board the Indefatigable, and kept up a constant and heavy fire of musketry till the end of the action, frequently engaging both sides of the ship at the same time.

As soon as Sir Edward Pellew had replaced some of the disabled rigging, and brought his ship under a proper sail, and the Amazon had reduced hers, they commenced a second attack, placing themselves, after some raking broadsides, upon each quarter, often within pistol shot. This attack lasted without intermission for five hours; when the Indefatigable was obliged to sheer off, to secure her masts. The enemy also lost her mizen-mast; and having expended nearly all her shot, latterly returned the fire of her opponents with shells; still making a formidable resistance, though steadily pursuing her course for Brest.

About twenty minutes past four in the morning, the moon, shining rather more brightly than before, showed to Lieutenant Bell, who was watchfully looking out on the forecastle, a glimpse of the land, which he had scarcely reported to Sir Edward Pellew, before the breakers were seen. At this time the Indefatigable was close under the enemy's starboard bow, and the Amazon as near her on the larboard; not an instant could be lost-every life depended upon the prompt execution of orders: nothing could equal the activity of her brave crew,

who, with incredible alacrity, hauled the tacks on board and made sail to the southward. Before daylight they again saw breakers upon the lee bow, and wore to the northward. Not knowing exactly on what part of the coast they were embayed, the lingering approach of daylight was most anxiously looked for; and soon after it opened: the land was seen very close ahead; the ship was again wore in twenty fathoms water, and stood to the southward. A few minutes after, the Indefatigable discovered and passed within a mile of the enemy who had so bravely defended himself; the ship was lying on her broadside, and a tremendous surf beating over her. The miserable fate of her brave crew was perhaps the more sincerely lamented by those of the Indefatigable, from the apprehension of their suffering a similar misfortune, having at that time four feet water in the hold, a great sea, and the wind dead on the shore.

Sir Edward Pellew was now able to ascertain his situation to be that of Hodierne Bay, and that their fate depended upon the possible chance of weathering the Penmark Rocks, which, by very skilful seamanship, and by the uncommon exertions of her fatigued and exhausted crew, in making all the sail they could set, was happily accomplished at eleven o'clock; passing about a mile to windward of them.

The Amazon was not so fortunate; when the Indefatigable had hauled her wind to the southward, she had hauled hers to the northward: Captain Reynolds, notwithstanding every effort, found his masts, yards, rigging, and sails so miserably cut and shattered, with three feet water in his hold, that it was impossible to work off the shore; in this condition, a little after five in the morning, the Amazon struck the ground. The crew (excepting six, who stole away the cutter, and were drowned) saved themselves by constructing rafts, and upon their landing, they were, of course, made prisoners.

In this gallant action, which commenced at a quarter before six P.M., and lasted (excepting at short intervals) until half past four A. M., the sea was so high that the people in both ships were up to their middles in water on the main deck. Some of the guns on board the Indefatigable broke their

breechings four times over; others drew the ring-bolts from the sides; and many, from getting wet, were repeatedly drawn immediately after loading. The loss sustained was only 19 wounded on board the Indefatigable; among the number, Mr. Thompson, the first Lieutenant. The Amazon had

3 men killed, and 15 badly wounded. The enemy's ship proved to be Les Droits des Hommes, of 80 guns, commanded by Captain ci-devant Baron Le Cross. She was on her retreat from the disastrous expedition to Bantry Bay; and had on board 1750 men, including soldiers; 1350 of whom perished.

In the following year the success of the Indefatigable and the western squadron was remarkably shown by the capture of fifteen of the enemy's cruisers. In 1799 Sir Edward Pellew removed into L'Impétueux, of 74 guns, and served in the Channel fleet.

In June, 1800, he was sent by Earl St. Vincent, with a squadron, consisting of seven ships of the line, one of 50 guns, nine frigates, a sloop of war, and a cutter, having on board a detachment of troops under the command of MajorGeneral Maitland, to co-operate with the French royalists and Chouans, in Quiberon Bay and the Morbihan. But the issue of this enterprise, though not so disastrous and fatal as that which had formerly taken place under Sir John B. Warren, was not attended with any important or permanent success. This was owing entirely to the circumstance of the Royalists being much less formidable than they had represented themselves to be. The forts on the south-west end of Quiberon were silenced and destroyed; several vessels were cut out and captured; but this was nearly the sum total of the result of this expedition.

As so little could be effected at Quiberon, Sir Edward Pellew and General Maitland resolved to make an attack on Belleisle. If this had been done as soon as the plan was matured, it probably would have succeeded; but some delay took place from unforeseen circumstances: the enemy were alarmed and prepared; and on the morning of the 19th