BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS OF SIR THOMAS PASLEY, BART. VICE-ADMIRAL OF THE RED SQUADRON. SIR The generous love of fame-the noble strife, That grasps at honour at the risk of life, CRANE. IR Thomas Pasley is the descendant of an ancient and honourable family in North Britain; and having from his earliest youth entertained a strong predilection for the naval service, he entered in 1752, as a midshipman, on board the Garland, a small frigate, at that time commanded by the late Captain Saltern Willet. He removed very soon afterward into the Weazle sloop of war, a vessel at that time under orders for the Jamaica station; and in which he served progressively under the Captains Cockburn, Webber, and Digby. The latter being in a short time raised to the rank of Post Captain, and appointed to the Biddeford frigate, took with him Mr. Pasley, for whom he had conceived a strong attachment, and promoted him to the rank of acting lieutenant. The frigate was almost immediately afterward ordered to England, having on board 300,000l. in bullion, As soon as the vessel arrived at Portsmouth, Mr. Pasley was dispatched to London with the treasure, having a serjeant and twelve marines assigned him for his guard. His valuable charge being lodged in the bank, he returned back to Portsmouth without delay, and embarked on board the Dunkirk, to which Captain Digby had been appointed during his absence, on the successless exepedition in the month of September 1757. The force of the armament was fully sufficient to strike the enemy with dismay. consisted of sixteen ships of the line, two frigates, five large sloops of war, two bomb-ketches, as many fireships and busses, one storeship, and fifty-five transports, independent of the Jason of forty guns, armée en flute, and employed in the same line of service, together with the Chesterfield, proMol. IV. 22 It vided for the purpose of repeating signals. The land force displayed a parity of strength. Ten regiments of infantry, two of marines, with a train of artillery every way adequate to the possible emergencies of the service, formed the invading corps. The fleet sailed from St. Helens on the 8th of September, and bore away to the westward with a fair wind. Owing, however, to the number of ships composing the armament, it did not reach the Isle of Oleron till the 20th. Rear-Admiral Knowles, who had been appointed to cover the landing of the troops with his detachment, was accordingly ordered to proceed for that purpose to Basque Road *. The destruction of an insignificant fort was first to be attempted, and was accomplished with the utmost ease, by Captain, afterward Earl, Howe, who commanded the Magnanime. After this prelude to success, nothing farther was attempted till the evening of the 23d, when Mr. Broderic, who had then the rank of Rear-Admiral, with the Captains Dennis, Douglas, and Buckle, was ordered to sound along the coast, and to fix on a proper spot for the debarkation of the troops. Some difference of opinion unfortunately arose among the sea officers, and raged in a still more violent degree among those of the army. This circumstance, in all probability, proved the bane of the expedition; for it was agreed in a council of war, held on board the Neptune on the 25th, that any farther attempts on Rochefort were neither advisable, nor indeed practicable: and though a subsequent order was issued on the 28th by the commander in chief for the troops to prepare for landing, yet a sudden freshening of the wind about midnight, rendered that spirited resolu tion of Sir Edward Hawke abortive, and the whole armament quitted the French coast on the 1st of October. Disagreeable as the event of this expedition was, and ill calcu lated to procure either honour or promotion to those who were unfortunate enough to be engaged in it, so highly had the merit of Mr. Pasley attracted the notice of his com manding officer, that he found, on the return of the Dunkirk See Naval Chronicle, Vol. I. page 119. to Portsmouth, a commission as an established lieutenant, lying there for him, by which he was appointed to serve on board the Roman-Emperor fireship. He was quickly afterwards removed from this vessel at his own special request into the Huzzar, a frigate of twentyeight guns, commanded by that illustrious naval character, Mr. Elliot. This station, as might be expected from his wish to obtain it, was particularly agreeable to him; and Captain Elliot being soon after put in command of the Eolus, of thirty-six guns, Mr. Pasley removed with him into that ship. On the 15th of March 1769, being then stationed on a cruise off the coast of France, he had the good fortune to fall in, near Basque Road, with two French frigates, the Blonde, of 36 guns, and Mignone, of 20. Notwithstanding the disparity of force, Captain Elliot, fully confiding in the spirit and conduct of the officers and men whom he commanded, hesitated not a moment in giving chase. The enemy, on the contrary, crouded all the sail they could set, in the hope of declining any contest whatever, and making their escape. The Blonde was fortunate enough to succeed; but the Mignone, after sustaining a short though smart action, in which her Captain, the Chevalier de Transanville, and a considerable number of his people were killed, and the second Captain, with twenty-five of the crew materially wounded, was compelled to surrender. The singular disparity of loss sustained on board the pursuer and her prize, deserves not to be passed over in silence. Incredible as it may appear, in the latter, it exceeded not one or two persons slightly hurt: an incontrovertible proof of the superiority with which the English ship was manoeuvred and conducted, comparatively with that of her opponent. At the commencement of the year 1760, the Eolus was employed on the Irish station, and having accidentally put into the port of Kinsale to refit, had the good fortune, as subsequent events proved it to be, to find the Brilliant, commanded by Captain Logic, and the Pallas, by Captain Clements, both being frigates of thirty-six guns each, lying |