for the town and county of the town of Kingston-upon-Hull, and just as he was upon the point of embarking, he received a message from Mr. Beatniffe, late recorder, acquainting him that the office he bore opposed an insurmountable barrier to his leaving the kingdom, nor could his absence by any means be dispensed with. Subsequent to the year 1767, Mr. Standidge has in his own person twice visited the Greenland seas, actuated by the same motives as in his first voyage.

In the year 1768, the above gentleman fitted out and sent into those seas, three ships, and from his spirit and activity, which spread a general satisfaction through the whole nation, and diffused a spirit of emulation through the trading part of the people, so that several more ships were fitted out from Hull, Whitby, Newcastle, London, Liverpool, Scotland, and the trade flourished; to whose owners, at their request, he readily communicated every information which his experience had furnished him with, for fitting out the ships, and carrying on the trade advantageously.

During the infancy of this trade in England, it was judged ex. pedient to encourage it by bounties at a certain rate per ton, on all ships employed in it.

This bounty, though gradually diminished, has been continued by different acts of parliament down to the present time.

From the superior expertness of masters and officers, and economy of owners, the English have of late been so successful in it, as to afford a reasonable expectation that this bounty may, without injury to the trade, be soon withdrawn.

In order to this, the Honourable Charles Townshend, when he was Chancellor of the Exchequer, requested Mr. Standidge, as knowing him to be one of the most active and experienced ship owners in England, in the Greenland fishery, and one to whose abilities and exertions it was solely owing that the produce of that trade was turned to the best account, to use his utmost endeavours to make the Greenland fishery stand alone, and without bounty.

In the year 1788, Mr. Standidge had no fewer than four ships, of which he was the sole owner, employed in this trade, and three years after, anno 1791, in compliance with the request of the Chancellor, and in order to ease his country of the vast sums annually paid in bountics to those ships, actually fitted out two ships for these seas, and sent them without bounty; which was a transaction unprece dented, and which it seems no merchant before him concerned in this trade, in the present century, had the public spirit to attempt.

Though the vast encouragement this gentleman has given to this important branch of commerce, and the great emolument accruing to the nation, from his introducing into it the art and method of

converting the skins of seals into leather, be alone sufficient to rank his name among the public benefactors of his country, yet have all his exertions not been confined to these alone: ever active and enterprizing, he has from early life conduced in no inconsiderable degree, to advance the commerce of this country, to a height which has raised the English to be the first, and most powerful commercial people in the world.

But it is not his own country alone, that has derived all the advantages resulting from the enterprising and hazardous efforts of Mr. Standidge.

The most powerful empire in Europe has profited itself of the proposals he has made to it; and the Admiralty of Russia have done him the honour to acknowledge the great obligations they lay under to him, as will appear from what follows: in the autumn of the year 1769, when hostilities had commenced between the Turks and Russians, and the latter, in their attempt to act as a maritime power, (in which they were greatly assisted by England,) were preparing to send a considerable fleet of Russian men of war into the Mediterrancan, to act against the Turks on that side, Mr. Standidge, conceiving that the Admiralty of Russia might find themselves considerably embarrassed in procuring transports to convey the troops, stores, &c. and that the expedition might be delayed on that account, made no doubt but that an offer of ships proper for that purpose tendered to them, would render an essential service to, and be eagerly embraced by that board.

Full of this idea, in the month of October, the same year, he dispatched a letter to Petersburg, which contained an offer of his three ships to the Empress of Russia, as transports on the same freight per ton and month, as he had received from the British Navy Board; and to be exactly on the same conditions in every other respect; and at the same time informing them, that they might through his connections be supplied with any number of ships they might have occasion for. This letter which was addressed to Messrs. Baxter and Co. at St. Petersburg, on its arrival there, was immediately laid before the Admiralty of Russia, and met with a most welcome and gracious reception.

In the month of March following, he received a letter from his friends in that capital, intimating how acceptable his offers had proved, and the great obligations the Admiralty of Russia were under to him; that they had accepted his three ships on the terms and conditions he had proposed, and at the same time requested him, to agree for and charter fifty large ships more, to carry troops and

stores.

i

In April, these transports all sailed from England, and arrived safe at Revel, where they were equipped and prepared for the expedition: in the course of the summer succeeding, the whole fleet with their convoy, consisting of eleven sail of ships of the line, bombs, &c. under the command of Admiral Erf, entered the north sea, and rendezvoused for some time in the Downs; where Mr. Standidge, accompanied by Alexander Baxter, Esq. merchant, Mr. John Wilkinson, broker, and Mr. Measteers, ship-wright, went on board the admiral's ship every day, to consult on conducting the expedition.

This fleet, after continuing about a fortnight in the Downs, ren dezvoused for some time at Spithead; from whence it sailed to the Mediterranean, and having arrived at Minorca, departed from thence, and continued its course to the Morea, where it ravaged the islands of the Archipelago, and the adjacent coasts of Greece and Asia: in the channel of Scio, it engaged the Turkish fleet, though considerably superior in force, and defeated and destroyed their whole fleet, except one man of war and a few gallies, that were towed off by the Russians. On the conclusion of the war, which soon after followed, between those two formidable powers, this fleet returned; when the transports were discharged, and honourably paid: and thus had a private gentleman in England no small share in facilitating and advancing an expedition, which adorned with laurels the brow of the Imperial Catharine, and added so much honour to the Russian Flag.

About the commencement of the present year (1796), Mr. Standidge had the honour of presenting two very loyal addresses to his Majesty, who was then most graciously pleased to confer on him the honourable dignity and degree of knighthood, as a mark of royal favour, for those many great and essential services he has rendered his King and Country.

THE

DESCRIPTION OF PLATE XVI. With an Account of MAHON Harbour, and the Island of MINORCA. HE anxiety with which the public mind is at present directed towards the Mediterranean, made us wish to gratify our readers as soon as possible with a correct view of this commodious and excellent harbour; now, when most wanted, in our possession. The design was made by Mr. Pocock, from a large and most accurate drawing, done at Mahon in 1773, by Joseph Chiesa, for the late General James Johnstone, when Governor ;-now in the possession of the Right Honourable Lady Cecilia Johnstone, by whose permission two different views have been copied for the Naval Chronicle.

This design gives the perspective of Mahon Harbour, from a small distance beyond the point of Cale Figuiere, to nearly the extremity. It was taken from the northward, opposite to Cale Figuiere. The eye, ranging from this point of view, beholds the church and convent Col. II.