New York with a squadron of ships of war, to co-operate with Sir Henry Clinton in an attempt to subjugate the capital of South Carolina. On this occasion, Captain Elphinstone's pennant was flying in the little detachment; and on the requisition of the General for some heavy cannon from the fleet, the same were landed with a detachment of seamen under him and Captain Evans of the Raleigh. In 1778 he commanded the Berwick of seventy-four guns in the action off Brest, and had ten men killed, and eleven wounded on that occasion.

In 1781 we find him on board the Warwick of fifty guns and three hundred men. On his passaage down Channel he fell in with, and captured the Rotterdam, a Dutch ship of war of exactly the same number of guns and seamen, which had been before ineffectually engaged by the Isis, also a fifty-gun ship.

In 1782 he served once more in America. Being on a cruise off the Delaware, in company with the Lion, the Vestal, and Bonnette, after a chace of several hours, he came up with and captured a large French frigate named L'Aigle, of forty guns, twenty

He distinguished himself on this occasion (Nov. 15, 1777), when the following ships being detached for that purpose, a free communication was opened with Philadelphia by water:

four-pounders, on the main deck, and six hundred men, commanded by the Count de la Touche'; who made his escape on shore with the Baron de Viomisnil, commander-in-chief of the French army in America, together with M. de la Montmorency, the Duc de Lausun, the Vicomte de Fleury, and several other officers of high rank. They took in the boat with them the greater part of the treasure which was on board the frigate, but two small casks and two boxes fell into the hands of the captors. La Gloire, another French frigate in company, made her cscape by drawing less water; an armed merchantman called La Sophie, of twenty-two guns and one hundred and four men, was however taken, and two brigs destroyed; while L'Aigle, proving to be an excellent vessel, was purchased by government, and added to the royal navy.

Such had been the exploits of this officer during the American war, and the contest with France opened a new field for his valour and exertions.

On the commencement of hostilities Captain Elphinstone was appointed to the Robuste of 74 guns, and having been placed under the command of Lord Hood, sailed with him to the Mediterrancan. This nobleman, who has always been deemed one of the ablest admirals in the British service, was now engaged in a project of no small importance. While the south of France had been a prey by turns to terror and insurrection, the combined fleet of England and Spain menaced her departments in that quarter, cut off the supplies of corn and provisions, and in

fused

fused new hopes into the minds of the malecontents. After negotiating with the inhabitants of Marseilles and Toulon, the British admiral issued a notice in which he stated: "that if a candid and explicit declaration was made in favour of monarchy in these places, the standard of royalty hoisted, the ships in the harbour dismantled, and the ports and forts placed at his disposal, the people of Provence should enjoy the protection of his Britannic Majesty's fleet, and not an atom of private property be touched." He also published a proclamation to the same effect; and after stating the anarchy and misery of the inhabitants, he concluded with observing: "that he had come to offer them the assistance of the force with which he was furnished by his sovereign, in order to the further effusion of human blood, to crush with promptitude the factious, to re-establish a regular government in France, and thereby maintain peace and tranquillity in Europe."

spare

The inhabitants of Marseilles were prevented from accepting of these terms by the approach of a republican army; but the sections of Toulon immediately proclaimed Louis XVII. and promised by a deputation that the moment the English squadron cast anchor in the road, the white flag should be hoisted, the ships of war disarmed, and the citadel and forts on the coast placed provisionally at the disposal of the British admiral.”

Notwithstanding these professions, a large portion of the people, and also of the sailors, was not a little mortified at the idea of such a surrender. Rear Ad

miral Trogoff, indeed, declared in favour of these conditions; but Admiral St. Julien, who had been recently invested with the chief command,together with the crews of seven of the ships, for some time exhibited a spirited although ineffectual resistance. They were accordingly forced to yield; and on August 28, 1793, the English obtained possession of Toulon, of which Rear Admiral Goodall was declared governor, and Rear Admiral Gravina, commandant of the troops. But as it became necessary to take possession of the forts which commanded the ships in the road before the fleet could enter, fifteen hundred men were previously landed under Captain George Keith Elphinstone; who, after effecting this service, was ordered to assume the command of the whole, as governor of Fort Malgue.

But the English in their turn were at length fated to be exposed to all the sudden changes incident to a state of warfare. A few days after their arrival, General Carteaux, at the head of a detachment of the republican army, which had lately taken possession of Marseilles, and routed the troops raised by the associated departments, appeared on the heights near Toulon. As he was only accompanied by an advanced guard of seven hundred and fifty men, and ten pieces of cannon, the governor of Fort Malgue placed himself at the head of six hundred British and Spanish troops, with which he marched out, put the enemy to the rout, and seized their artillery, ammunition, horses, together with two stands of colours, &c. &c.

On

On the first of October the combined British, Spanish, and Neapolitan forces, under the command of Lord Mulgrave, Captain Elphinstone,and Rear Admiral Gravina, also obtained a complete victory at the heights of Pharon over a detachment of the French army, consisting of nearly two thousand men; of whom about one thousand five hundred were either killed, wounded, or taken prisoners, during their precipitate retreat. The loss on the side of the allies amounted to only eight killed, seventy-two wounded, two missing, and forty-eight taken prisoners.

But the enemy soon recovered from these defcats; and a body of about fifteen thousand men having been assembled, they obtained possession of several out-posts, and seized on the heights of Cape Brun. On the junction of the victorious army, which had lately captured Lyons, they at length threatened storm the forts: and by the aid of Buonaparte, then an obscure officer of artillery, found means to carry some, and annoy all our posts.

It was therefore reluctantly determined, in a general council of war, that Toulon was no longer tenable; measures were accordingly adopted for the immediate evacuation of the town and arsenal, as well as for the destruction of the ships of war. In the evening of the 18th of December, the artillery, stores, and troops, in consequence of this, were embarked, together with several thousand of the French royalists, without the loss of a single man. This important service was conducted with singular success, under the judicious management of Captain George