found in the bay, and taken possession of: three of them from Batavia, with valuable cargoes on board, and two from Amsterdam, which had delivered their lading previous to the arrival of the British.

The next day the enemy endeavoured to regain the important position they had lost, having drawn out their whole force from Cape-Town, with eight field-pieces; but were every where repulsed. Upon this occasion the seamen and marines particularly distinguished themselves, and manœuvred with a regularity that would not have discredited veteran troops.

From this period no material circumstance occurred till the 4th Sept., when the Vice-Admiral was joined by fourteen sail of Indiamen, having on board a large body of troops, under the command of Major-General Alured Clark. Upon this accession of strength, it was determined to make an immediate attack upon Cape-Town; accordingly the troops, artillery, and stores, were landed with the greatest expedition; and on the morning of the 14th the army began its march, each man carrying four days' provisions, and the volunteer seamen from the Indiamen dragging the guns through a deep sand, frequently exposed to a galling fire from the enemy.

At Wyneberg, a post at a small distance from Cape-Town, the Dutch had planted nine pieces of cannon, and collected their forces, determined to make a firm stand; but they were so resolutely pushed by the British, as to be under the necessity of retreating; and nearly at the same time, they were alarmed by the appearance of Commodore Blankett, with several vessels, which Sir George K. Elphinstone had detached into Table-bay, to cause a diversion on that side. Further resistance on the part of the enemy being now fruitless, M. Van Sluyskin sent out a flag of truce, asking a cessation of arms for forty-eight hours, to settle the terms for surrendering the town: but only half that time was granted: and on the 16th, this valuable colony fell into the possession

of Great Britain. The regular troops taken in the garrison amounted to about 1000 men.

In his despatches to the Secretary of State, General Clarke made the following honourable mention of his naval coadjutor: "The general character of Sir George Keith Elphinstone, and his ardent desire to serve his country, are too well known to receive additional lustre from any thing I could say on that subject; but I should do injustice to my feelings, if I did not express the obligations I am under for the ready and cordial co-operation and assistance that he afforded upon every occasion, which so eminently contributed to the success of our joint endeavours." In a former despatch, Major-General Craig thus expressed himself: "My sense of the obligations I am under to Sir George Elphinstone is such as I should not do justice to in an attempt to express it; his advice, his active assistance, and cordial co-operation on every occasion, have never been wanting, and entitle him to my warmest gratitude."

This conquest being finally secured, the Vice-Admiral proceeded to the Indian seas, and instantly commenced operations for distressing the enemy; and so rapid were the movements of his squadron, so well laid were all his plans, so admirably adapted were the means to the object, that in a very shorttime the islands of Ceylon*, Cochin, Malacca, and the Moluccas, surrendered to the British arms. In the midst of this scene of success Sir George learned, by means of a spy at Trangubar, that a Dutch squadron was shortly expected at the Cape of Good Hope, having been despatched by the GalloBatavian government, to make a strenuous effort for its recovery; upon which he immediately sailed thither, and fortunately arrived before the enemy. On the 3d Aug. 1796, he

* Columbo and its dependencies in the island of Ceylon, submitted to a small squadron under the orders of Capt. Alan Hyde, afterwards Viscount Gardner, and a detachment of soldiers commanded by Colonel James Stuart. The spices and merchandize found in the warehouses were estimated at 25 lacks of rupees, or upwards of 300,000l. sterling.

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.

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"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 șo 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 şervices, 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.