which contribute so powerfully to the education of the youth of that country. His father having died while young, the care of his early years devolved entirely on the mother, who we believe still survives, and resides at or near Leith. Being destined for the navy,* he was placed on the quarter-deck of the Rippon, then commanded by the late Admiral Sir Edward Vernon, with whom he repaired to India in 1776, and he exhibits a memorable instance of a young man's arriving in Asia in the capacity of a midshipman, and returning to Europe as a post-captain. France having declared in favour of the insurgent Americans, India soon became the scene of action, and Sir Edward Vernon, who we believe then hoisted a broad pendant as a commodore, had several brushes with the enemy. On the 10th of August 1778, in particular, he fell in with the fleet He is not the only gentleman of his name who has distinguished himself in the sea-service of this country. Sir David Mitchell, descended from a family more celebrated for integrity than riches, after serving during seven years as an appren tice in a coasting vessel out of Leith, happened to be pressed. and distinguished himself in such a manner during the second Dutch war, in the reign of Charles II. that in 1667-8 he was promoted to be a lieutenant, and afterwards to be a captain, in the latter of which capacities he commanded the Ruby and the Richmond. In the reign of William III, he rose to be an admiral, and the last public act of his life appears to have been his mission to the Dutch, in character of a Plenipotentiary, to expostulate with their High Mightinesses, on account of the deficiency of their quota. commanded commanded by M. Frangolly, on the coast of Coromandel, on which occasion an indecisive action took place. But although the British squadron did not succeed in bringing the enemy to close quarters, yet it obliged them to leave the coast, on which the commodore took possession of the anchorage in Pondicherry road, and co-operated effectually in the reduction of that place. In the mean time Mr. Mitchell, who had been for some time a lieutenant, was promoted to the command of the Coventry of twenty-eight guns. Rear-Admiral Sir Edward Hughes, having sailed from Spithead on the 8th of March 1779, on his arrival assumed the command in the Indian seas, and opened such a scene for naval tactics, as had never before been witnessed in that distant quarter of the globe. Being on board a small vessel, Captain Mitchell of course had it not in his power to enter the line of battle, which was so often formed against the able and gallant Count de Suffrein, and therefore was unable to distinguish himself in any of the general actions of that day. But in 1782, while cruising off Ceylon, we find him attacking the Bellona, a French forty-gun ship, which was forced to sheer off, after a sharp action of two hours and a half, in the course of which fifteen men were killed and twenty-nine wounded on the part of the English, and take refuge in the French flect.* * Copy of a letter from Vice-Admiral Sir Edward Hughes, dated Superb, in Madras Road, August 16, 1782," to P. Stephens, Esq. Secretary to the Admiralty: Soon after this gallant action he was promoted to the Sultan of seventy-four guns, and was present in several general actions. On the 20th of March 1783, Sir Edward Hughes sailed from Bombay for the Coast of Coromandel, and soon after learned from some English officers, "SIR, "I beg you will be pleased to inform their Lordships that, since my closing my last letters to you, dated the 12th of this month, His Majesty's Frigate the Medea, Captain Gower, arrived and joined me here the 13th, and His Majesty's Frigate the Coventry this day from Bombay, where she has been completely repaired. "The Medea brought in with her a French ship about four hundred and fifty tons burden, laden with provisions and stores, bound to the Mauritius, &c. "Captain Mitchell, of the Coventry, informs me, that on the 12th of this month, off Friar's Hood, in the Island of Ceylon, he fell in with and attacked the Bellona, a French frigate of forty guns, and after a severe engagement of two hours and a half, the Bellona sheered off from the Coventry, and made sail to jom the French fleet; and the Coventry had suffered so much in her masts and rigging, as not to be able to come up with her before she joined the French fleet, consisting of twenty three sail, which Captain Mitchell saw at anchor in the Battacalo Road, and was chased by two of their line of battle ships. "In the engagement the Coventry had fifteen men killed and twenty-nine wounded; and I hope to be able so far to repair her damages as to carry her to sea with me in two or three days. "Captain Mitchell speaks highly of the courage and good conduct of the Coventry's officers and men; and I trust their Lordships will give him his full share of merit, for having so gallantly attacked and beaten an enemy's ship so superior in force to his own. "I have the honour to be, &c. "E. HUGHES." retaken retaken in a grab, that the whole of the French fleet, was in Trincomale harbour, with the exception of two of their best sailing line of battle ships, and two frigates, which had been ordered to cruise off Madras, for the purpose of intercepting all supplies. Upon receiving this intelligence, the Admiral immediately steered towards the blockaded harbour, and anchored in the road without having seen any thing of the French cruisers; but having learned that they had been in sight but the day before, he ordered Captain Andrew Mitchell to proceed with a small squadron in search of them. He returned however soon after, without having been so fortunate as to accomplish the object of his mission; yet Captain Graves, in the Sceptre, was lucky enough to fall in with and capture La Naiade, a French frigate of thirty guns and one hundred and sixty men. On the 2d of May the Admiral again put to sea in quest of the French, and having reconnoitred the position of their squadron at Trincomale, on the 25th he found it so advantageously posted under the cover of their guns and mortar-batteries, that he deemed it imprudent to hazard an attack while at anchor. He therefore stood to the southward, to prevent any supplies being sent to Cuddalore, then besieged by General Stuart, and persevered in his intentions with such indefatigable zeal, that no less than eleven hundred and twenty-five of the sailors of the fleet were attacked with the scurvy, of whom six hundred and five were in the last stage of that disorder. * The Sultan, Burford, Africa, Eagle, and Active. M m 3 At At length the enemy, consisting of fifteen sail of the line, three frigates, and a fire-ship, appeared in sight. On this the English squadron manœuvred for several days, in order to obtain the wind, but without success. However, on the 20th, the French Admiral having exhibited a disposition to engage, a line of battle was formed a-head, and a severe but distant cannonade took place, which terminated without any considerable advantage on either side; the loss on the part of the English was very considerable, and the Sultan in particular had a lieute nant and several of her crew killed and wounded during the action. This was the last engagement in those seas, and it was lucky perhaps that the war terminated at this period, for the Admirals Hughes and Suffrein were so equally matched, that the loss of the flag-ship belonging to the former (the Superbe), which occurred soon after, during a heavy gale of wind in Telli List of the French flect in the action off Cuddalore, on the 20th of June 1783. |