166 
possess! on of ae Peat and conduct her to 
Gitrairar, after which fortress, on. her being 
taken nto the fritish navy, she was named, 
and sie still holds her rank amony the wood- 
en wails of Pritain. Admiral Roaney was 
so much nse: with the seamanship dis- 
played by! Lieut Leuis on this occasion that he 
offered cither to take him, to the West In- 
dies ani promote him to the fist vacancy 
there, or to give himan acting captain’s com= 
‘Mission to carry home the (Phenix, in the 
Jhope that the Lords of the Adonralty would 
cor.firm bim, or atall events promote him to 
the rank BF command-r. ‘He accepted the 
Yotter pioposal, and about the midcle of Fe- 
bruary, ‘ssiled for Engl: nd, with ‘he rest of 
the Spanish prizes, and part of the fleet under 
the command of Admiral Digby, and on their 
passage home captured pact of a Fiench con- 
voy bound to the Mauritius, Not being for- 
tonate enough on his arrival in England to 
obtain the Wished for piomotion, he was or- 
dered to return to the Rienfaisant, and in the 
course of a few wecks that ship was di spatch 
ed into St. George’s channel, wich the view 
of falling in mans a Benth ship of. War, 
which was known to have. sailed from 
Brest’ on a cruise in thet quarter. On 
the rith of August, the Bicnfaisant, then 
being ‘off the Ola Head. of Kinsale, | ob- 
Setved a large ship, which afterwards proves 
to be Le Comte a’Artois, commanded by, the 
Chevalier Clonard, and the ship they expected 
as above reletca, Ai hes after an engagement 
of an hour and ten minutes, the Artois struck 
her colours and surrendered, A few months 
after ‘bis action, Capt. Macbride removed into 
‘the Artois, which was considered to be the 
finest vessel of her class in the world, and 
‘Lieutenant Louis went with him; but in the 
‘space of two months, and early a 1731, on 
the earnest recommendation of his captain, he 
‘Was promoted to the rank of commander, and 
appotnied to the Mackworth arme d ship, in 
witch he was employea in convoying the 
“trade from Plymouth to the Bristol channel 
bind buck. | In 1732, Captain Louis was sent 
to Jreland, as the r-gulating officer at Sligo 
and at Cork, where he raised coco of the 
Seaimen whom the ir sh parhament bad voted 
for the use of government. He remained on 
that service tillJasuary 1733, when Admiral 
Keppel, just at. the conclusion of the Ame- 
Yican war promoted him to the r.nk of pest- 
‘fapiain. A long and esious season of inac- 
tivity now ensued, and it was not till the 
breaking out of the war in’ 1793, that 
The was 2gsin employed, when Admir 1 
‘Macbrive, bis old commander, selected 
‘'-bim to be his captain tin the Quebec 
“frigate on the Downs station. He was soon 
afterwards appointed to the wumberland of 
74. guns, which ship he was enabled to man 
“ata set entirely with volunteers, from the 
neighbourhood of Torbay, 1m the vicini y of 
‘which he had resided during the time of 
peace In this ship be did not remain long, 
yor in the fpring of 1794, he commanded tie 
Minotair, a new 74 gun ship, then in the 
<hannel feet under Admiral Moniazue. His 
Account of ihe late Reat- Admiral Louis. 
Sept. 1, 
old friend, admiral Macbyide, | afterwards 
hoisted his flag on board the Minotaur, which 
during that year was employed in cruising off 
the coast of France. In 1795, his ship was 
in the Aeet under Earl Howe, which escorted 
the East and West India and other convoys, 
clear of the channel, and. afterwards cruised 
off Brest, and in the Bay. Early in 1796, 
Captain Louis proceeded tothe West Indies, 
where he arrived in March with a convoy, 
and returned to England almost immedi- 
ately, convoying a large fleet of merchant- 
men. In.May, 1797, captain Louis was in 
the Channel fleet under lord Bridport, after 
which he was ordered into the Mediterranean 
to jon the flect under Earl St. Vincent. On 
the 3<th of April, 1798, Admiral. Ne!son, 
who had joined Earl St. Vincent on the pre-. 
ceding day, off Cadiz, was detached into the 
Mediterranean with a small squadron, con- 
‘sisting of three sail of the line, two frigates, 
and a sloop of war, and soon after Captain 
Louis sailed with a squadron under Captain 
Trowbridge to reinforce him. A junction 
was formed between the ftwe squadrons 
on the 8h of June, when Admiral Nel- 
son’s feet amounted to 13 sail of the 
line, a 55 gun ship, two frigates, and a sloop 
of war, The long cruise which succeeded, 
in quest of the Freneh Avet, then om its pas- 
ge to Egypt is well known: we wili there- 
fate only mention that the enemy were dis- 
Covered at anchor in Aboukir Hay, on the st 
of Avugurt, and as the battle which succeeded 
that aiscovery has been detailed again and 
again, we cannot do more thas notice the ex- 
€itions of Captain Louis in fulfilling the or- 
ders asd ant) cipating the desires of the brave 
asd victorious Nelson. When the Vanguird, 
Admiral Nelson’s ship anchored Diecemie e 
Spartiate, she became exposed to the raking 
fire of PAguilon, the next ship in the enemy’s 
line, by which the Vanguard hod between 
50 and 60 men disabled in the space of ten 
minutes. Owing however to the gallant and 
judicious manner in whicnCaptain Louis took ~ 
bis station a~head of the Vanguard, tthe Mi- 
notaur not only effectually ee her from 
this distre:sing Situation, but overpowered 
her opponent. Acamiral Nelson felt so grate~ 
ful to captain Louis for bis conduct ua this 
important occasion, tnat abcut nine o’clock, 
while yet the combat was raging with the ut- 
most fury, aud he himself suffering severely 
in the cockpit, from a wound in his head, 
be requested Captain Berry to hail the Mi. 
noteur, ard desire Captain Louis weyld come 
to him, as he could not lave a moments 
peace until he had thanked- him. for h iP 
conduct, adding this is the one bundred and 
twenty-fourth time I bave been engaged 
Lut I believe it is now all ower with me, ‘Lhe 
Subsequent mecting which took place be- 
tween the Admiral and Captain Louis was 
affecting inthe extreme. The latter hung ever 
his bleeding friend in silent sorrow—** Fare- 
well dear Louis,? said the Admiral, ‘* I 
shall never forget the obligation I am under 
to you for your brave and generous conduct, 
ang now. whateyer may become of me my 
~~ 
e. 
