Captain Pownall, who was universally lamented, four seamen and one marine were killed in the action, and sixteen seamen and four marines were wounded. Mr. Pellew was, soon after this, made a master and commander. The enemy's ship was the Stanislaus,* a merchant frigate, of thirty-two guns, but had only twenty-six twelve-pounders mounted.

Having thus brought Sir Edward to the rank of commander, I will now make some further additions, and point out some errors in your account.

The misunderstanding, to which you allude, with Captain Stott, arose between that officer, and Messrs. Pellew and Cole, the late Captain Francis Cole. The service rendered by Lord Hugh Seymour (page 442) was his enabling those midshipmen to return by land to England from Marseilles, where they had been cruelly dismissed from the ship by their captain.

Sir Edward never commanded the Resolution cutter; his brother Israel did, but it was during the peace.

Captain E. Pellew's first appointment was to the Hazard sloop, of 8 guns, in the North Sea; and he was made post on the 31st of May, into the Suffolk. I think you are wrong about his commanding the Dictator, at the Nore, in January, 1783, but I am not certain and, if my memory does not fail me, he commanded a frigate before this on the Newfoundland station, which I think was the Lowestoffe. I know, that he twice saved the life of a seaman, when he served in the Lowestoffe and Salisbury, by jumping overboard whilst the ship was at sea; and that in one of these instances he was not recovered from a severe illness.

At the peace of 1783, he was employed on a farm at Treverry, the place that is mentioned in his patent of baronetage.

The brave crew of his frigate, la Nymphe, mentioned in his official letter (page 444) as a young ship's company;" consisted chiefly of fishermen from Mount's Bay, where his character was well known and regarded.

What you term, and Captain Schomberg, in the Naval Chronology, did the same, the Dutton transport, was the Dutton East Indiaman. Captain Pellew was assisted in his humane exertions by Mr. T. B. Edsell, the admiral's signal midshipman, who volun

By assistance from the shore, the Stanislaus was got off and carried into Ostend, where she was soon after brought to a sale, bought by the British government, and added to the royal navy by the name of the Proselyte; where she did excellent service, and was esteemed a remarkably quick sailing vessel.

teered his service, and was afterwards appointed to the Cock. chafer lugger, belonging to the admiral.-A very beautiful engraving of this tremendous scene, from the pencil of Pocock, was published at the time, and the following account will illustrate it:

Amongst the several transports employed to carry troops, were some East India ships (the distressful account of the loss of many of which has appeared), of which the Dutton, Captain Sampson, was one; who was driven by stress of weather into Plymouth. The gales of wind continuing with increased fury, it was deemed advisable, for greater safety, to make for Catwater, but the buoy placed as a mark upon the reef off Mount Battin, having been sunk or broken adrift by the late storms, of which the Plymouth pilots had not been yet aware; the ship touched on the tail of the reef, and lost her rudder. Thus disabled and ungovernable, she fell off, and grounded under the citadel, near the Barbican, the sea continually breaking completely over her, which occasioned her to roll so prodigiously, that at one jerk all her masts went by the board, and fell towards the shore, the ship heeling off with her side towards the sea.

As many as were active and able got safe on shore, with the captain and officers; but there still remained a considerable num ber of scamen, soldiers, and their wives on board. Captain Pellew observing that the gale rather increased than abated, and knowing that a single rope from the ship to the shore was all the communication they could have with it, and that the flood tide would make a complete wreck of the ship; earnestly entreated some of the numerous spectators to accompany him, by means of this single rope, on board, that he might rescue its crew from the inevitable fate that impended. The shore was crowded with peo. ple of all descriptions, amongst whom were pilots, boatmen, and other sea-faring men, to whom Captain Pellew offered any money, if a single individual would follow his directions. The scene was tremendous, the gale every moment increased, and one and all were appalled. When at length, Mr. Edsell came forward and nobly volunteered his services; they were accordingly fastened to the single rope, and were hauled on board. As they had not dared to make it completely fast on shore, lest the rolling and jerking of the ship should break it, it may easily be conceived, that by the rising and falling of the rope, these brave adventurers were at times high above, and at others under the water. Being got on board, they sent a hawser to the shore, to which travellers and Nav. Chron. Wol.XIX.

hawling lines were affixed, and by this means the whole of the crew were saved. Sir Edward and Mr. Edsell were the last who left the ship. It was reported at the time, and I believe correctly, that a sailor, struck with the gallantry of his deliverers, exclaimed→→ 66 They are damned good fellows, and I'll not stir till I see them safe on shore!"

Sir Edward was member of parliament for Barnstaple, and has sometimes spoken in the House, particularly on Lord St. Vincent's naval administration. He married Miss Louisa Frowde, of Knowle, in Wiltshire, about 1783. I believe no portrait has ever been taken of him, since he was seven years old. His mother was Miss Constantia Langford, still living, the daughter of Edward Langford, Esq. of Penzance.

Thus, Mr. Editor, I have endeavoured to set you right in your bearings; which I think is the duty of every one, who has been amused and instructed by your Chronicle. Though I can assure you, that if Admiral Pellew knew that I, or any other, had sent you this information, he would perhaps bring me for it to the gangway in which case I have no doubt, you would be good enough to leave your moorings in Shoe-lane, and supply my place. Yours, Mr. Editor,

BONNY-PHEASANT.

PHILOSOPHICAL PAPERS.

Extracts from a Book entitled, " Naval Speculations and Maritime Politics; being a modest and brief Discourse on the Royal Navy of England, and of its Economy and Government." By HENRY MAYDMAN. 1691.

I

[Continued from Vol. XVIII. page 401.]

DO herein but mark out the rough lines of the projection, which must be amply polished by the act of parliament, and by the Admiralty, to methodize it: it would be too tedious for me here; beside, it would be a presumption in me to light a candle to the sun.

I will only hint a few things necessary thereto, viz. if such orders were, that no merchant ship shall go to sea, but shall receive of the said commissioner, to every six or ten persons the ship shall carry, one of these boys; they to bring their certificate for their clearing, as from the Custom-house, so from the commissioner of

this affair; and at their return, to give the said commissioner an account of what is become of the boys, and return them, and pay, or account with the commissioner for the time they had served with them, at the rate of so many shillings per month, as they are years old; and if the commissioner and master agree, then he to take him for the king's term; or else the commissioner, upon the receipt of his wages, out of which he is to allow for clothes in the voyage, not exceeding five shillings per month, to order him elsewhere; clothing him with the remainder, and dispose of him without further charge to the king, if possible: so that after the time he is so put abroad, whatsoever money he clears at his return, he must have an account, debtor and creditor, kept for him; so that he must either clear so much, as the king hath been at charges with him, at five pence per diem, which account he must clear, before he receives a certificate from the said commissioner that he is manumised, or cleared the service: and in the mean time, if he serves any other master, and produces not the said certificate of his manumission, the said master is chargeable with the said wages, all, except so much as he hath received in clothes, which must not exceed five shillings per month; and what he shall have gained beyond his charges, should also be justly paid him at his manymission. Moreover, all the king's officers that shall take them for the whole term, should pay for one boy ten pounds, and receive them at sixteen years old; which money should be stopped out of his pay; for every one that wants servants, hath not ten pounds to lay down, which servants shall be paid wages by the king, to his master, for every year they shall serve of the indenture, so many shillings per month, as they are years old; which servants will be better to the officers than such as they can get themselves; for they never need fear the running away of them: if they run, they are to be found easily, by their marks, that they cannot deceive any one that entertains them; the said officers having the same right to gain them again with their wages, for their absent time, as the king hath for such as he puts abroad to merchantmen: the same privileges to all carpenters, caulkers, rope-makers, &c. that shall take any of them: so that every one will covet to take the king's servants, for the certainty of them; and they will consequently prove better servants, knowing they cannot shift their services: and also there should be a respect had to them in the service, during their indentures, by the commissioners, to see them not wronged by their masters: and also at the end of their indentures, or before, according to their deserts, they should be preferred.

Now every parish that hath not one boy to send to the king, should be joined to the next and adjacent parish, for the relief of the poor, who sends above two boys yearly, as aforesaid; this to be done by the justices of the peace, in their respective divisions, and every overseer and church-warden of every parish shall at every potty sessions, at one set time in the year, produce to the said justices a receipt from the sheriff, of the boys delivered the year past, with the names and ages of the said boys; and also, the said sheriff shall, at the passing his accounts for his year, deliver into the Exchequer a true roll, or list, on parchment, of the boys sent that year, containing the age, name, and place of abode of the said boys, and when and whither sent, with the commissioner's receipt for them, which should be transmitted, by a post letter of advice, to the commissioner; when he sends, it should be answered by the commissioner, whether received or not.

In the said roll, given into the Exchequer, their names should be set alphabetically, for easy finding them; which should be there filled up, and kept safe, to be examined by any one that shall inquire after any boy, viz. their parents, relations, friends, &c. who may have liberty to redeem them out of the service, paying so much for every year the king has been at charges with them, by methods ordered; for some may have estates fallen to them or their parents and also, once every year, the commissioner at the general hospital shall, by his clerk, transmit into the Exchequer a fair ledger book of all the boys entered and sent out that year, from whence received, and to whom bound out; that a good account may be had thereof, when desired: also the justice of the peace, at the binding the boys to the king, should take care that he binds none that are not sound in body; and for his guidance therein, should receive a presentment, signed by the minister, church-wardens, and overseers of the poor of that parish, containing the age, name, and place of abode, and soundness of body and limbs of the said boy, and that they desire to be received into the king's service, according to the said act; and if it may be, let the parent, if alive, or nearest of kin, sign it also. I say, I do only hint the matter, and will hereto add, that the benefits hereby would be in a greater degree than I can set forth, and be of little purpose to endeavour; it would only serve to lengthen my discourse, and yet come short of every intelligent man's reasons, which they may collect out of their more large speculations. Wherefrom I only affirm, that within ten, nay seven years, would be added to our