In the afternoon of that day, the French Commodore was evidently in great confusion, from his frequent yaws; and, about six, Capt. Keats made the signal for shallow water.

The largest of the enemy's ships had now grounded, of which Capt. Elphinstone took instant advantage; for, manning the prize with 150 men from the Warwick and Lion, the Vestal was run aground on the starboard quarter of the Frenchman, the Bonetta within 150 yards on the larboard quarter, and the Sophie placed under his stern. In this untoward predicament, not having a gun that could bear on his assailants, his only course was to surrender when the fire opened. I

Thus fell into our hands L'Aigle, of 40 guns and 350 men, the finest ship of her class in the French navy. She was commanded by Count la Touche, who, with the Baron de Viomenil, Commander-in-Chief of the French army in America, the Viscount de Montmorency, the Duc de Lauzan, Viscount de Fleury, and some other officers of rank, escaped to the shore, with a great part of the public treasure which had been shipped, but of which two small casks and two boxes fell into the victors' hands. Besides her ship's company, she was found to have 250 soldiers on board, and all the Racoon's crew, except the pilot, who got off. Both L'Aigle and Sophie were purchased by Government, and added to the Royal Navy.

In later days such an affair might have posted half a dozen commanders: but, though he was also employed on various important services in America till 1785, Capt. Keats did not gain that step till the 4th of June, 1789, and then only at the pressing solicitation of the Duke of Clarence with his royal father was he included in the birth-day promotions. Shortly after this, he was appointed to the Southampton, of 32 guns; from whence he removed into the Niger, another frigate of the same class, attached to the Russian armament of 1791. After the differences between the Courts of London and St. Petersburgh were amicably adjusted, the Niger was retained as a cruiser in the English and Irish Channels till the break

ing out of the war with revolutionary France. Keats was now called from his frigate, to fit the London, of 98, for the flag of his late royal watch-mate; but as it was not then hoisted, the three-decker was paid off in March, 1794, and the Captain appointed to the Galatea, of 32 guns, one of a squadron of four smart frigates, under the orders of his friend, Sir Edward Pellew.

This gallant and chivalrous division added largely to the reputation which Pellew, Nagle, Sidney Smith, and Keats had already obtained; not so much by what fortune threw in their way, as from the unanimity, spirit, and perseverance of their operations. On the 21st of October, at daybreak, being off Ushant, a large French frigate was descried, to which they gave immediate chase, and cut her off from the land. The superior sailing of the Artois enabled Captain Nagle to bring her to action; and on the coming up of the other ships she struck her colours, and proved to be the Révolutionnaire, a spanking frigate of 40 guns and 370 men, larger by 140 tons than any British-built frigate of the day.

In the course of 1795, the Galatea accompanied the illfated expedition to Quiberon, where Captain Keats took charge of the boats of Sir J. Warren's squadron, and with much able exertion rescued the Count de Puisaye, 1100 soldiers, and about 2400 Royalists, from the inhuman General le Moine.

On the 26th of March, 1796, the Galatea was one of the four frigates under Sir J. Warren, cruising off the Bec du Raz, when Captain Keats made the signal for five large sail in the S.E. The squadron instantly gave chase, and soon found themselves near a convoy of about sixty sail of vessels, under the charge of three frigates, a corvette, a gabarre, three gunbrigs, and a lugger. Four of the merchantmen were taken; but the main attention being towards the men-of-war, the rest escaped among the Penmark rocks. At three P.M., the British having gained so much in the chase as to point towards the rear of the French, the latter's van bore down to its support, and the two squadrons, except the corvette, to wind

ward, engaged as they passed on opposite tacks. The Galatea, who was the rearmost as well as the smallest of the British frigates, bore the brunt of this encounter, and was considerably cut up. By making short boards, our ships had now got the wind of their adversaries; and at 4h. 45m. P.M., the Commodore hailed Keats, and directed him to lead through the enemy's line. In fifteen minutes afterwards, the Galatea bore down, followed by her companions in line-ofbattle; and the French squadron, daunted by this face, made all sail towards the Passage du Raz. At 5h. 30m. the rearmost French ship, L'Etoile, a gabarre, of 30 guns, and 150 men, after exchanging fire with the Galatea, struck her colours. Night coming on, and the navigation being intricate, her companions escaped. The Pomone, Anson, and Artois, the other British ships in company, sustained no loss; but that of the Galatea was 2 killed and 6 wounded.

The

On the 7th of April this active squadron captured part of a convoy off Carmaret Point; and on the 15th a fine corvette, of 22 guns and 145 men, called La Robuste. Captain Keats, however, had no opportunity of particularly distinguishing himself till the 22d of August, when his conduct was the admiration of the squadron. Our ships were off the mouth of the Gironde, when L'Andromache, a French frigate of 38 guns, was discovered standing in for the river. Galatea, who, with the Sylph brig, was close in shore, and considerably ahead of her consorts, crowded sail to cut her off, and, by making several French signals, induced her to anchor near the entrance of the Grave Channel. In a few minutes, however, the Andromache discovered her mistake, cut her cable, and made all sail to the southward, pursued by the Galatea; who, having stood into the Channel between the lighthouse and the Chevrier bank, now hauled to windward of, and rounded, the latter in four fathoms water. Having cleared this danger, the Galatea made all sail before the wind, followed by the Pomone and Anson, the Artois and Sylph having been detached to examine two strangers away in the S. W. The following night was squally, with rain,

thunder, and lightning, from which the chase was lost sight of. On this the Anson and Pomone stood to the northward, on the supposition that the Frenchman had hauled her wind; but Keats continued his southern course along the coast, and soon regained sight of his chase. On the morning of the 23d the French frigate was about a couple of miles ahead of the Galatea, the Artois and Sylph were hull-down in the N.W., and the Anson and Pomone out of sight. The pursuit was renewed with such eager ardour, that the Frenchman, finding his pursuer gain upon him, ran on shore at about 5h. 30m. A.M., and cut away his masts. As the Andromache had shown no colours, Captain Keats concluded she did not intend to make resistance, and therefore fired no more than three shots before he dispatched his boat to destroy her; and about seven the Artois and Sylph came up and sent their boats to assist. A raging surf rendered this a difficult operation; the Captain, some of the officers, and a few prisoners, were brought off; but the remainder of the crew, by the ebbing of the tide, were able to walk ashore. Meantime the Sylph anchored abreast of the wreck, and fired into her bottom, to prevent the possibility of her floating at the return of high water; and at four, when the tide had made, she boarded the frigate and burnt her.

In 1797, Captain Keats removed from the Galatea into the Boadicea, a 38-gun frigate, in which he still further advanced his character, as an indefatigable and spirited cruiser. In September, 1798, he gave Lord Bridport the first intelligence of Bompart's squadron being at sea, having left the Ethalion and Sylph to watch his motions.

On the 2d of July, in the following year, he commanded the frigates belonging to Sir C. M. Pole's division of the Channel fleet, employed in covering a shell attack upon a Spanish squadron which had sheltered itself under the batteries of L'Isle d'Aix. His other services in this ship were confined to the capture of some formidable privateers, among which were Le Zéphyr, of 8 guns and 70 men, the Railleur, of 20 guns and 190 men, L'Invincible Bonaparte, of 20 guns

and 170 men, Le Milan, of 14 guns and 14 men, Le Reguin, of 14 guns and 70 men, and L'Utile, of 16 guns and 120

men..

In March, 1801, Captain Keats was appointed to the Superb, of 74 guns, in which ship he remained as Captain, Commodore, and Rear-Admiral, till 1810. One of his first services was under the command of Sir J. Saumarez. Owing to being becalmed in the offing, on the 6th of July, the Superb was not in the action before Algesiras, but he was a principal actor in the engagement which followed. Having lost all chance of joining the Admiral, on the 6th, and having no anxiety as to the result of a meeting between Saumarez and Linois, he deemed that his best plan was to return off Cadiz with the Thames frigate and Pasley brig, to watch the enemy in that port. On the 9th, at daylight, the fleet weighed and stood for the Straits, evidently with the intention of escorting the squadron of M. Linois to Cadiz; and the Superb, Thames, and Pasley crowded all sail before them. In the afternoon the enemy anchored in the road of Algesiras, and Captain Keats before Gibraltar. Our squadron at this time was lying in a shattered state, and one, the Pompée, too bad for present remedy. Yet Saumarez was determined to have a brush for the palm; and, all hands working with unparalleled alacrity, accomplished a re-equip

ment.

On Sunday, the 12th, when the enemy loosed sails at dawn, the Cæsar, our flag ship, was still refitting in the Mole, and receiving powder, shot, and stores. At noon, Linois broke ground, with a force of two three-deckers, and seven other sail of the line, three frigates, a lugger, and some gun-boats. At one, the Cæsar warped out of the Mole; and at three rehoisted the flag, and made the signal for weighing. This was a scene of the highest interest: five sail of the line, four of which were damaged, with a frigate, a sloop, a brig, and a Portuguese frigate, were seen standing towards the fearful

* This ship was capsized the day after her capture, by which a master's mate and ten seamen were unfortunately lost.