The Magnet.

BURLETTAS.

The Cure for Dotage.

Don Quixote.

Overtures, Concertos, Trios, Canzonets, Single Songs, Catches, Glees, and Lessons for the Harpsichord or Piano-Forte.

Various Services and Anthems composed for public Charities, and for the immediate Use of his Majesty's Chapels.

ADMIRAL LORD BRIDPORT.

THIS veteran officer was the son of the late vicar of Thorncombe, in Devonshire, and the younger brother of Lord Hood, a memoir of whom appeared in our former volume. He received, we believe, his principal education under the immediof his parent.

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Lord Bridport entered early into the naval service; and, having only his own merit and diligence to trust to, in respect to his future prospects, his subsequent eminence forms the highest panegyric on his character.

On the 2d of December, 1746, he was made a lieutenant; and, on the 10th of June, 1756, was promoted to be post-captain of the Prince George, of 90 guns. In 1757, he was appointed to the Antelope, of 50 guns; and, being on a cruise in the month of May, on the coast of France, he fell in with the Aquilon, a French frigate, of 48 guns

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and 450 men. After a running fight of two hours, Captain Hood drove her on the rocks in AudierneBay, where she was totally lost. The enemy had thirty men killed, and thirteen wounded. The Antelope had three killed, and thirteen wounded.*

In 1758, Captain Hood served in the Mediterranean on board the St. George, of 90 guns, commanded by Rear-Admiral Saunders, part of the fleet under the command of Admiral Osborne. He was present on the 28th of February, when the French admiral Du Quesne, in attempting to reinforce De la Clue, was blocked up in the harbour of Carthagena. Captain Hood returned from the Mediterranean with Rear-Admiral Saunders, and arrived at Spithead on the 5th of July. Soon after his arrival, he was appointed to command the Minerva frigate, of 32 guns. During the greater part of 1759, he served under Commodore Duff, who was employed to block up the French transports in the Morbian. Captain Hood also captured the Ecureuil, a Bayonne privateer, of 14 guns and 122 men; but he did not obtain any fresh addition of laurels till the beginning of the year 1761. On the 23d of January of that year, cruizing near Cape Pinas, which bore S. by E. thirty leagues,

*

During this action, a midshipman, of the name of Murray, had both his legs shot away. He was immediately carried down to the surgeon; but, whilst his wounds were dressing, hearing three cheers from the crew, and concluding the enemy's ship had struck, the ebbing spirit of his life instantly rallied; and, waving his hand in triumph, the gallant youth expired!

a large sail was discerned from the Minerva soon after day-break. Captain Hood immediately gave orders to chase. His antagonist was the Warwick, an old English ship, pierced for 60 guns, and mounting 34, commanded by M. Le Verger de Belair. Her crew amounted to about three hundred men, including a company of soldiers, which were destined to reinforce the garrison at Pondicherry. It was past ten before the Minerva came up with her; when Captain Hood, notwithstanding his inferiority, ran alongside, and began the engagement. The fire on both sides was terrible. "At eleven, her main and fore-top mast went away, and soon after she came on board us on the starboard bow, and then fell alongside; but the sea soon parted us, when the enemy fell astern. About a quarter after eleven, the Minerva's bowsprit went away, and the fore-mast soon followed it: these were very unfortunate accidents, and I almost despaired of being able to attack the enemy again. However, I cut the wreck away as soon as possible; and, about one o'clock, cleared the ship of it, with the loss of one man and the sheetanchor. I then wore the ship, and stood for the enemy, who was about three leagues to leeward of me. At four o'clock, I came up close to the enemy, and renewed the attack. About a quarter before five she struck; when I found she had fourteen killed, and thirty-two wounded. Our numbers

* Captain Hood's Letter to Government.

are,

are, the boatswain and thirteen killed, and the gunner and thirty-three wounded: the former and two seamen died on the 27th. I have given my thanks to the officers and crew of his Majesty's ship for their firm and spirited behaviour; and I have great pleasure in acquainting their lordships with it. At nine o'clock, the main-mast of the Minerva went away; at eleven, the mizen-mast followed it."

Captain Hood rose, by this gallant action, high in the estimation of his Sovereign and the public. It gave celebrity to his character, and placed his merit as an officer above the common level. He was, in consequence, appointed, in August, 1761, to command part of the squadron destined to convey the present queen to England. After the peace of Paris in 1763, he obtained a guard-ship at Portsmouth; and, in 1766, soon after the usual period of his command had elapsed, succeeded Sir Charles Saunders as the treasurer of GreenwichHospital.

On the prospect of hostilities with France, he sailed from St. Helen's on the 8th of June, 1778, in the Robust, of 74 guns, being part of the grand Channel fleet under the command of Admiral Keppel. On the 28th, they returned into port, with the French frigates Pallas and Licorne, which had been captured; and they sailed again on Friday, the 10th of July. The Brest fleet, consisting of thirty-two sail, five frigates, and five gondolas, had also in the interim put to sea. After some days

spent in manoeuvring, the action between the two fleets commenced off Ushant on the 27th of July. The winds were constantly in the N. W. and S. W. sometimes blowing strong, and the French fleet, being always to windward, kept aloof. The French began their fire on the 27th upon the headmost of Vice-Admiral Harland's division; and the two fleets, being on different tacks, passed very near each other, engaging sharply along the whole line. Towards the close of day, the enemy formed their fleet again; a proceeding which Admiral Keppel did not prevent, as he conceived they meant handsomely to meet him the next morning. He was, however, disappointed in this expectation, as they took the advantage of the night, and, on the following morning, were out of sight. Captain Hood was stationed in the line, in the blue division, as second to its admiral, Sir Hugh Palliser. The Robust, on the morning of the 27th, had been ordered with other ships, by signal from the Victory, to chase to windward; and, during the subsequent action, she was rather severely handled by the enemy. A large shot went through the main-mast, two through the fore-mast, two struck the bowsprit, and one slightly wounded the mizen-mast. The main-topmast was shot in two or three places; the main-topsail-yard shot away; the fore-topgallant-mast shot in two; the mizen-yard received two shot, and besides she had received about fourteen shot under water, one of which, being a forty-eight pounder, rendered the situation of the

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