cond rates, besides two 64-gun ships, armed en flute, and several frigates, put to sea from Brest, to escort their East and West trade safe to a certain latitude. The British Government were no sooner apprised of this, than a squadron of twelve sail of the line, one ship of 50 guns, and four frigates, under the command of Rear-Admiral Kempenfelt, were dispatched to intercept them. On the 12th December, at day-break, being about 35 leagues to the westward of Ushant, the enemy were discovered, and appeared much dispersed, the ships of war being very considerably to leeward of the merchantmen. With a force so much beyond his own, the Rear-Admiral could not in prudence hazard a general action; but having the weather-gage, he determined to sail parallel with the enemy, and to watch a fit opportunity of bearing down upon their rear, and cutting off their charge. In the course of a few hours the van and centre of the French fleet had shot considerably a-head of the rear, and the merchant-vessels, under the protection of four or five frigates, had fallen considerably to leeward. Upon observing this, the British squadron bore up in line of battle a-head, the van engaging the rear of the enemy; the remainder of the ships passed to leeward, and effectually cut off and captured fifteen of the transports, and sunk four of the frigates that had rashly endeavoured to protect them. This manœuvre having brought his squadron above half a league to leeward of the enemy, and the wind blowing directly fair for the coast of England, Rear-Admiral Kempenfelt formed his ships into two divisions, the first of which took the prizes in tow, and the other kept up a running fight with the French Fleet; and in this order, under a great press of sail, he carried the whole of the captured vessels into Plymouth, in the face of the enemy, and in spite of their utmost endeavours to prevent him.

Having terminated his progress through the American war with infinite credit, the state of Captain Waldegrave's health required him to seek a milder climate than that of England; he accordingly repaired to the Continent, where he remained several years, during which period he visited Paris, Mar

seilles, Constantinople, Smyrna, and several of the islands in the Archipelago, and made a tour of the greater part of Greece.

It is well known that in 1790, a dispute took place with Spain, relative to a settlement which had been made on the western coast of America, in 1788; and that preparations, both naval and military, were recurred to by each party, in consequence of it. The court of Madrid being conscious of its utter inability to enter into a contest with Great Britain, applied for the assistance of France. The National Assembly, however, exhibited great reluctance to enter into a war about so insignificant an object; and a convention was soon after signed at the Escurial, by which, not only the settlement of Nootka Sound was restored, but the free navigation of, and the right of fishery in those seas, were conceded to Great Britain. During this discussion, Captain Waldegrave commanded the Majestic of 74 guns. At the commencement of the year 1793, Captain Waldegrave was appointed to the Courageux, of 74 guns, and in the following spring accompanied Vice-Admiral Hotham to the Mediterranean.

By this time, Louis XVI. had experienced a violent death on a public scaffold; and France had declared herself a republic. But, while this new commonwealth smote all her foreign enemies, and carried terror and desolation on her victorious banners, her own provinces were a prey to domestic factions and civil wars.

The squadron under Vice-Admiral Hotham was speedily followed by the main body of the fleet destined to act, under the orders of Lord Hood, in concert with the Royalists of the southern departments of that distracted country. Upon the arrival of his Lordship in the Mediterranean, he proceeded off Toulon, the inhabitants of which place and Marseilles, had manifested evident signs of a disposition to free themselves from the oppressive yoke of their new masters. Lord Hood availed himself of these dissentions to open a negotiation with the commandant, and principal residents of Toulon, for the delivering up of the town, arsenal, forts, and

shipping, to his Britannic Majesty, in trust for the reigning King of France, at the re-establishment of peace and order in that country. The general committee of the sections of Toulon having acquiesced in the proposals made by the British Admiral, the necessary arrangements were made for the landing of 1500 men, which was accomplished by noon on the 28th August. The disembarkation was completed under the immediate protection of two frigates, supported by the Courageux, and three other line-of-battle ships; and the same day the British fleet, and a Spanish squadron under Don Juan de Langara, anchored in the outer road of Toulon, the greater part of the French fleet at that anchorage removing into the inner harbour. On the following day Captain Waldegrave, and the late Lord Hugh Seymour Conway, were sent to England with Lord Hood's dispatches, giving an account of this important event. Those officers being ordered to take different routes, the former proceeded to Barcelona, and from thence, across the Spanish peninsula, home.

Captain Waldegrave soon after returned to the Mediterranean (with instructions for Lord Hood's further proceedings,) by the way of Holland, Germany, and Italy, and on his arrival resumed the command of the Courageux, in which ship he terminated his services as a captain. On the 4th of July 1794, he was advanced to the rank of rear-admiral, a short time previous to which he had been nominated a colonel of marines.

His promotion to a flag obliged Rear-Admiral Waldegrave to return to England, which he did by land. He subsequently held a command in the Channel fleet. On the 1st of June 1795, he was made a vice-admiral, and in the fall of the same year he again sailed for the Mediterranean. During the succeeding spring he was sent with five ships of the line to negotiate with the Tunisians. His mission was of a peculiarly arduous and delicate nature, notwithstanding which, however, he executed it to the complete satisfaction of the naval commander-in-chief, Sir John Jervis, and Sir Gilbert Elliot,

Viceroy of Corsica, by whom he had been deputed. On the night previous to his quitting Tunis the boats of Vice-Admiral Waldegrave's squadron, under the direction of Captain Sutton of the Egmont, cut out of the bay several armed vessels. From this period, excepting the unprecedented length of time which the ships were kept at sea, nothing remarkable occurred until the 14th of February 1797, when SirJohn Jervis, with fifteen sail of the line, encountered and defeated a Spanish fleet consisting of twenty-seven ships, seven of which mounted from 112 to 130 guns; a memorable event, which completely defeated the projected junction of the navies of France, Holland, and Spain, and thus preserved to Great Britain its proud dominion of the ocean. Upon this occasion Vice-Admiral Waldegrave received from Sir John Jervis the following letter, in acknowledgment of the very essential services he had rendered:

"Sir,

Victory, in Lagos Bay, Feb. 16, 1797. "No language I am possessed of can convey the high sense I entertain of the exemplary conduct of the flag-officers, captains, officers, seamen, marines, and soldiers, embarked on board every ship of the squadron I have the honour to command, present at the vigorous and successful attack made upon the fleet of Spain on the 14th instant. The signal advantage obtained by his Majesty's arms on that day, is entirely to be attributed to their determined valour and discipline; and I desire you will accept my grateful thanks for your service on that occasion.

"I have the honour to be, Sir,

"Your most obedient humble servant,
"J. JERVIS

"The Hon. Wm. Waldegrave,

&c. &c. &c."

Vice-Admiral Waldegrave also received a note from the heroic Nelson, accompanied by the sword of the second cap

tain of the St. Nicholas, as a proof of his esteem for the noble manner in which he had conducted himself.

Soon after the above glorious event, the gallant subject of this memoir was nominated governor of Newfoundland, and commander-in-chief of the squadron employed on that station. This appointment he held for several years, during which he devoted his whole attention to the welfare of that island, and obtained very particular approbation. He left a lasting monument of his attention to the religious and moral interests of the community of Newfoundland in the erection of a church, to the expence of which, as well as that of providing a better maintenance for the ministers employed in the island he liberally contributed; and warmly promoted the subscription for those purposes, among his friends, both in the island, and at home.

It was at that period the regulation for the governor of Newfoundland to return to England at the fall of the year, and remain there during the winter months. In consequence of this custom, Vice-Admiral Waldegrave had the gratification of assisting in the solemn ceremonies of a day devoted to thanksgiving for the splendid triumphs that the Almighty had vouchsafed to the fleets of Britain. On the 19th of Dec. 1797, their late Majesties and all the royal family, attended by the great officers of the state, and the members of both Houses of Parliament, went in procession to St. Paul's Cathedral to return thanks for the glorious naval victories obtained by Lord Howe, June 1, 1794; by Admiral Hotham, March 13, 1795; by Lord Bridport, June 23, 1795; by Sir John Jervis, Feb. 14, 1797; and by Admiral Duncan, Oct. 11, the same year; and to deposit the flags taken on those occasions, as well as the colours of the Dutch fleet captured by Sir George Keith Elphinstone, August 18, 1796. Fifteen flag-officers and twenty-six captains attended the procession; and at the end of the first lesson entered in two divisions right and left of the King's chair, advanced to the altar, and there deposited the trophies of their valour.