IX 



Astlet Cooper Key was the second son of Mr. Charles Aston Key, 

 Surgeon-in- Ordinary to H.R.H. the late Prince Consort, and was 

 born in the year 1821 ; he was educated at the Royal Naval College 

 at Portsmouth, and from his boyhood he manifested a scientific bent 

 of mind, which he cultivated and followed up in after life, so far as 

 the duties of a most active and unremitting professional career 

 afforded him the leisure to do so. 



At the Naval College he gained the prize which carried with it a 

 Lieutenant's commission, and he was consequently promoted to that 

 rank as soon as he became eligible in point of age. 



In 1843 he was appointed to the " Gorgon," Captain, afterwards 

 Sir Charles, Hotham, and served in her on the South-east Coast 

 of America ; he was the junior Lieutenant of this ship in 1844 

 when, during a severe pampero, she was driven from her anchors at 

 Monte Video, and cast upon the beach ; when the waters had sub- 

 sided, which during this storm had risen 20 feet above the usnal sea- 

 level, the " Gorgon" was. left literally on the dry land, from which 

 very few, save her gifted Captain — who never doubted but that she 

 must float again — believed that she would ever be moved ; Mr. Key 

 was among those few, and by his zeal and nntiring exertions added in 

 no small degree to the successful result. After many months of per- 

 severing elf orts, nnder great difficulties and undiscouraged by frequent 

 failnre,the " Gorgon," by the united exertions of the English squadron 

 in these waters, was again, uninjured, upon her proper element. 



The writer of this notice was present, and well remembers the jokes 

 and jeers of the foreign ships of war at her expense ; the French 

 Admiral remarking " that no one but a pig-headed Englishman would 

 have persevered in such a hopeless task." He was the first, however, 

 in his flag-ship to give the "Gorgon" three hearty cheers as she 

 steamed round the squadron after her remarkable release. 



Mr. Key wrote a narrative of the means employed in this most 

 successful operation entitled, " The Recovery of the ' Gorgon,' " which 

 added much to his professional reputation. In the following year 

 (1845) the " Gorgon " took part in the combined attack by the 

 English and French squadrons on the forts and forces of General 

 Rosas, President of Buenos Ayres, at Obligado, in the Parana. 



Captain Hotham, who commanded the English squadron, gave 

 Mr. Key the command of an armed brig (the " Fanny ") on this ex- 

 pedition, and in her he was present at the capture of the forts and 

 during the subsequent operations which were undertaken with the 

 view of opening the upper waters of the River Plate, and establishing 

 commercial intercourse with Paraguay. These operations were con- 

 tinued until the close of the year 1840 ; and for his share in them 



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