COURTS-MARTIAL 95 



that of three courts-martial held in succession on three 

 distinguished officers of the naval service, all arising out 

 of the same operations against the enemy — Lord Gambier, 

 who had the command of the Channel fleet ; Rear- 

 Admiral Sir Eliab Harvey, Bart., commanding the in- 

 shore squadron, blockading some French line-of-battle 

 ships and other vessels in Basque Roads, who had distin- 

 guished himself in the Battle of Trafalgar, when in com- 

 mand of the Temeraire, of ninety-eight guns, engaging 

 and taking a French and Spanish line-of-battle ship at 

 the same time ; and Captain Lord Cochrane, who was 

 sent out by the Admiralty to take the command of some 

 fire-ships, for the destruction of the enemy's force. 



On the return of the fleet to Spithead from this success- 

 ful enterprise, it was soon made public that an altercation 

 or disagreement of an uni^leasant nature had taken place 

 between the senior officers, which was likely to lead 

 to unpleasant consequences. 



My Lord Gambier, it seems, was one of the first in 

 command, who had sanctioned the distribution of religious 

 tracts among the seamen of the fleet. Xow, however wise 

 and politic and morally proper this might seem to be, 

 in all well-regulated minds, for the purpose of reforming 

 the loose morals and dissolute habits of our sailors, it 

 is c|uite certain it did not always meet with the a|)proba- 

 tion or the necessary attention of captains and officers in 

 command, who pretty well knew what sort of stuff their 

 men were made of. 



Innovations whether good or bad are generally intro- 

 duced by the few, and always looked upon with a 

 jaundiced eye l)y the many, and it is possible that the 



