ordered ahead to lie on the Cayo-Sal bank; and to make signals for avoiding danger to the Ships as they advanced. On the third, at day break, the Alarm discovered four sail ahead (Sir G. Pocock's dispatches mention five) in the north-west quarter: having made the necessary signal, the Admiral ordered both to chase. About eight A. M. the strange sail not answering the private signal, Captain Alms signified to the Admiral, that they were enemics; upon which several other ships were ordered to join the chace; among whom was the Valiant, 74 guns, having the Honourable Commodore A. Keppel's broad pendant on board-Captain Adam Duncan serving under him.

At ten A. M. it fell calm: Captain Alms however ordered his men to the oars, and with such success, that soon after two P. M. he came up with, and attacked the two largestthe Thetis, a Spanish frigate of 22 guns, (nine-pounders) one hundred and eighty men, and the Sphynx (the Admiral's letter calls it the Phoenix) store Ship, armed for war, 18 guns, and seventy-five men. After a most spirited action, which continued for three quarters of an hour, Captain Alms had the satisfaction of having both strike to the Alarm *. The remainder consisted of a brigantine, and two schooners, one of whom escaped; the others were captured by the chasing Ships: these vessels were bound to Matanzas, to load with timber for the use of the Spanish Navy at the Havanna, whence they had sailed twelve days before. The Alarm during this engagement, had fourteen men killed, twenty-six wounded, and received considerable damage in her hull, masts, yards, sails, and rigging. Captain Alms received a severe contusion in his left knee, and had three musket balls pass through his hat.

During all their passage through the Old Straits of Bahama, they had fine weather and little current; and on the 5th, in the evening, got clear through, and saw the

* A drawing of this glorious instance of British naval valour was made by Mr. Osbridge, one of the Lieutenants, from which an engraving was taken.

Matanzas. On the 6th of June, in the morning, the Fleet brought to, about five leagues to the eastward of the Havanna. The Richmond, and Alarm, were ordered by the Admiral to reconnoitre The Moro, and explore the coast; in order to fix on a proper place for anchorage, and for disembarking the troops commanded by Lord Albemarle. Captain Alms was next sent with the Alarm, and the Cygnet sloop, 16 guns, commanded by the Honourable Captain Napier, in pursuit of two Spanish frigates, off the port of Mariel; on his arrival, he found they had both been captured by Captain George M'Kenzie of the Defiance, 60 guns: Captain Alms then returned to the Fleet, and giving up the command of the Alarm to Captain Wolesley, succeeded him in the Ferret, 14 guns, according to their respective commissions from the Admiralty, previous to the sailing of Captain Alms from England.

The Defiance, and Ferret, with a cutter, and some light transports, received orders to go to Port Mariel, under the command of Captain M'Kenzie; and there to weigh two of the enemy's ships, which the Admiral understood had been sunk at the entrance of the port, with a view of preventing the British Ships from anchoring in it. Captain McKenzie being taken ill, the execution of this order devolved on Captain Alms, who happily succeeded in raising the Ships; and so effectually cleared the port from every obstruction, that the harbour became of the greatest service to our Fleet: on account of illness, Captain M'Kenzie, removed into the Ferret, and gave the temporary command of the Defiance to Captain Alms, whose Ship was the first that came to anchor in the port; not long afterwards the Centaur, 74 guns, Captain Matthew Barton, was detached from the Fleet, and sent into the same place.

By the third of July, no less than 3000 seamen, and 5000 soldiers, were down of various disease: the deficiency of water was of all their grievances the greatest, and extremely aggravated the rest of their sufferings. On the 30th of July, the Moro was taken by storm; on the 11th of August

a flag of truce arrived at the British head quarters, the capitulation was signed on the 13th; and about noon, on the 14th, the British colours were hoisted. The Admiral sent home his dispatches, dated August 16th, by the Dragon, 74 guns, commanded by the Honourable Augustus Hervey.

Captain Alms, after this memorable event, was removed by Sir George Pocock from the Ferret, into the Cygnet sloop, and sent to New York to convoy some transports with the Highland regiments; from which place he was to proceed to Newfoundland. Before Captain Alms's arrival this island had been retaken from the French-after some consultation with Sir Jeffery Amherst, it was at length determined, that the Cygnet should sail for England, with a convoy of transports, where Captain Alms arrived in December.

Much interest had been made in Captain Alms's favour, during his continuance at the Havanna, both by Lord Albemarle, and Commodore Keppel, to procure his Post Rank from the Admiral, but without success; he was however assured, that should any favourable opportunity offer, even during his absence from the Fleet, he should not be forgotten the peace of 1763 had nevertheless taken place before the accomplishment of this event. On the 20th of June (1765) he was advanced to the rank of Post Captain, in consideration of his past services; which had been forcibly represented to The Board by Sir George Pocock, the Earl of Albemarle, and Commodore Keppel, on their return from the siege.

During the first years of The Peace, Captain Alms, who had been some time married, resided with his family at Chichester, in Sussex among the many friends in that neighbourhood who respected his talents, and amiable character, the Earl of Hallifax seems to have taken the lead,

We are informed by an officer who was at the siege of the Havanna, that the accounts hitherto published respecting it, are very incorrect: when, on his arrival in England, he read what had been perused by the public, he could hardly believe that he was present at the siege,

This nobleman made every exertion to procure Captain Alms) a Ship, and in the month of July (1770) he was appointed to the Montreal frigate, 32 guns, 220 men, stationed for the usual period in the Mediterranean; at the expiration of the three years he returned to England, Captain of the Pallas frigate, 36 guns; and again retired to his worthy family' at Chichester.

On the commencement of the American war *, Captain Alms's ill state of health, would not admit his accepting the command of a Ship; he was therefore appointed, by the Admiralty Board, (in 1776) regulating Captain in the Impress Service on the Sussex Coast, in which employ he gave great satisfaction. In the year (1778) when Admiral Keppel was made Commander in Chief of the WESTERN SQUADRON, among the names of the Captains which he gave in, as being those he particularly wished to serve under him, was that of Captain Alms; his health however was still too infirm, to enable him, thus honourably called on, to come forward; and with a patient resignation so visible in his character, he continued to execute his Duty diligently, and faithfully, in the Impress Service.

During the autumn of the year (1780) Lord Sandwich, whose zeal for the Service is well known, offered Captain Álms the command of the Monmouth, 64 guns, 5co men, destined for the East Indies: uneasy at leading an obscure life, in time of actual war, and with some hope that à warni climate might recruit his strength, our resolute Invalid forced himself from his anxious family; and on the 13th of March, (1781) having received orders to put himself under Commodore G. Johnstone, he sailed from St. Helens, as second in command.

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On, or about, the 10th of April, the Fleet being near Bonavisto, the Commodore ordered Captain Alms, in the

War commenced with America, June 14, 1774-With France, February 6, 1778-With Spain, April 17, 1780-With Holland, December 21, 1780.

Monmouth, to proceed to the Isle of Maio for water, with the Isis, Diana, Terror Bomb, Infernal Fire Ship, two EastIndiamen, and the victualling and ordnance Ships, in all eighteen sail; whilst the Commodore himself sailed for Porto Praya, in the island of St. Jago, with the Romney, Hero, Jason, Saint Carlos, and five other armed Ships-with the Rattlesnake cutter, and the rest of the Indiamen.

The water at the island of Maio not proving good, a letter was dispatched to the Commodore. Two sail were now seen from the mast-head of the Monmouth, which the Captain suspected might be reconnoitring Ships of the enemy: having made the necessary signal for speaking with all Captains, Masters of Merchant Ships, and also a signal for all persons on shore to repair on board, he sailed in the evening, having received an answer from the Commodore to meet him at Porto Praya. Early, on the 15th, he joined the Fleet; but a squall of wind coming from off the land, it was eleven at night before he could get the Monmouth moored in a good birth. The next day, about nine, A. M. the signal was made by the Isis for several sail being seen in the north-east ; which proved to be a French Squadron, consisting of five Ships of the Line (two of 74 guns, and three of 64) with a large convoy, under the command of Monsieur de Suffrein, in L'Heros, 74 guns, who made a bold attack on the British Fleet, at anchor in Port Praya Road, at eleven in the forenoon; and in about an hour, was repulsed.-Captain Alms on this occasion behaved "as he was wont in battle;" and obtained a share of that praise, so justly due to the gallantry and firmness of those officers, whose courage rose superior

The French Commodore led on within two cables length of the Monmouth; when hoisting his broad pendant, and hauling up his courses, after firing two shot at the Isis from his larboard bow, as he luffed up, he immediately suffered his ship to shoot up in the wind, as far as the force with which she was sailing, enabled her; and then let his anchor go, when abreast of the Monmouth. Commodore Johnstone, in his letter, which appeared in the Gazette, June 8, 1781, notices the well-directed fire that was kept up by Captain Alme