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Keith Elphinstone, assisted by the Captains Hallowwell and Matthews; and it is to their unremitting efforts that many of the inhabitants were indebted for an asylum.

Having returned to England with a convoy in 1794, Captain Elphinstone was honoured with the order of the Bath as a reward for his services and in the autumn of the same year we find him cruising in the Channel fleet, then commanded by Earl Howe, with J. Elphinstone as his captain; bearing a flag as rear-admiral of the white, on board the Barfleur, having been promoted to that rank July 4, 1794 They continued at sea during the greater part of the winter; but returned occasionally to Spithead, Torbay, and Plymouth, to refit and water.

We have hitherto beheld the subject of this memoir acting under the command of others, but we are now to contemplate him in a different situation.

Early in 1795, Sir George Keith Elphinstone was entrusted with an important expedition; and a squadron having been previously fitted out for him, he hoisted his flag as a rear-admiral of the white, on board the Monarch of seventy-four guns, and sailed for the Cape of Good Hope on the second of April.

Having arrived early in July in Simon's Bay, near the Cape, he immediately transmitted intimation of this event to the Dutch governor, M. Van Sluysken; whom

Sir George Keith Elphinstone succeeded to the command of this ship in the room of Vice Admiral Bowyer, who was wounded during the action of the 1st of June.

he earnestly entreated, at the same time, to spare the effusion of human blood, by placing the settlement under the protection of the King of Great Britain, the friend and ally of his serene highness the Stadtholder. But notwithstanding a written order is said to have been enclosed from the Prince of Orange, his Excellency peremptorily refused to accede to this proposition, and immediately ordered the inhabitants of Simon's town to retire from, after setting fire to, their habitations.

But this was prevented by Major-general Craig; who having on the fourteenth landed with four hundred and fifty of the seventy-eighth regiment, and three hundred and fifty marines from the squadron, precluded a measure that must have been attended with no small inconvenience on the part of the invaders as well as of the settlers.

In the mean time, the admiral and general perceiv ing that they must expect the most determined resistance, abandoned all further ideas of negotiation, and prepared for vigorous operations. Having learned that the Dutch militia and Hottentots occupied a strong pass at Muissenberg, and finding their own patroles annoyed by the enemy, who had taken post on the adjacent hills, it was determined to dislodge them immediately. Accordingly a detachment of seamen having been landed, and a gun-boat fitted out, together with a number of launches mounted with carronades, Commodore Blanket, who had lately joined the fleet, proceeded, August 7, with the America, Stately, Echo, and Rattlesnake sloops,

which were preceded by the flotilla alluded to above. Luckily this naval force, from the situation of the place, was enabled to act efficaciously: for the ships, after intimidating the enemy so much as to abandon two advanced posts mounted with heavy cannon, arrived opposite the camp; and commenced a decisive fire, which obliged the Dutch to fly with such precipitation, as to enable Major-general Craig to seize a portion of their artillery.

On the next day the enemy collected a large force, and endeavoured to regain their former position, but they were repulsed, and the seamen and marines upon this occasion conducted themselves with equal courage and conduct.

Notwithstanding this failure, an attack of the British camp was determined upon: but just as they had begun their march they discovered fourteen sail of East Indiamen, on the morning of the third of September, which, fortunately for the success of the expedition, had on board a considerable body of troops, under Major-general Alured Clarke, who was originally destined to command the land forces. Intimidated by this unexpected succour, they immediately dispersed, while the admiral and general, encouraged by so timely a reinforcement, determined to put an end to the contest by an immediate attack on the Cape town.

The troops and artillery having been accordingly landed, on the fourteenth of September the army began its march, each man carrying four days provision in his haversack. Commodore Blanket at the same

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time effected a diversion, by sailing with a detachment of the fleet into Table Bay; and at eleven o'clock the same evening the governor requested a cessation of arms. In consequence of this a negotiation immediately took place, and the colony was surrendered two days afterwards to Great Britain. On this occasion five Dutch East Indiamen, the Star armed brig, and property to a considerable amount, fell to the share of the conquerors. While the Vice Admiral lay in a convenient bay refitting his squadron in the beginning of August, he received intelligence that several ships had been seen off Saldanha. On this he made preparations for proceeding to sea, but it was the sixth before he could quit his anchorage, and between that period and the twelfth he searched for the supposed enemy in vain, notwithstanding two fast sailing vessels had been dispatched in quest of them. Having then returned to his former station, and obtained exact information relative to the position of the strange ships, he determined to proceed once more in search of the foe, and he accordingly made the signal for the squadron to weigh; but the wind, which was then strong, having increased to a tempest, he was obliged to defer his intentions until the fifteenth he however arrived off Saldanha bay next evening exactly at sunset. The Crescent of thirtysix guns, commanded by Captain Buller, which had been sent to reconnoitre, immediately made the signal for discovering the enemy, on which Sir George Keith, who soon after perceived that they were moored in the bay, and inferior to his own squadron,

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