Volume 2 > Half-Volume 4

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the view of forming what was called "a broad-
bottomed administration." This attempt, as is well
known, proved unsuccessful. In the following year,
as he was cruising down the Channel in his ship the
Warwick, he encountered the Rotterdam, a Dutch
ship of war, bearing fifty guns and 300 men. The
manner in which he attacked this vessel and com-
pelled her to strike�more especially as the engage-
ment happened immediately after the Iris, a ship of
equal force, had been baffled in the attempt�gained
Captain Elphinstone much public notice. Soon
after he went out to the coast of America, where
he served during the remainder of that disastrous
war. While on this station, he, in company with
other three British vessels of war, captured the
French frigate L'Aigle of forty guns (twenty-four
pounders on the main deck), and a crew of 600 men,
commanded by Count de la Touche. Unfortunately
for the captors, the enemy's captain escaped to shore
with the greater part of a large quantity of specie
which was on board the frigate. Two small casks
and two boxes, however, of this valuable commodity
fell into the hands of the victors. Along with the
captain, there also escaped several officers of high
rank, and amongst them the commander-in-chief of
the French army in America. During his service
on the American coast Captain Elphinstone had the
honour to receive on board his ship as midshipman,
Prince William Henry, afterwards King William IV.;
a distinction the more flattering, that the choice of
the ship and officer was made by his royal highness
himself. At the close of the war, when the subject
of our memoir returned to Britain, the Prince of
Wales appointed him for life to be secretary and
chamberlain of the principality of Wales.
In April, 1787, Captain Elphinstone married Jane,
daughter of William Mercer, Esq. of Aldie, in the
county of Perth, a lady of large property, by whom
he had a daughter, afterwards Viscountess Keith,
and wife of Count Flahault, aide-de-camp to the
Emperor Napoleon. In 1786 Captain Elphinstone
was chosen to represent the shire of Stirling. The
breaking out of the French war in 1793 opened a
new field for his enterprise and activity, and soon
after the occurrence of that event he was appointed
to the Robust of seventy-four guns, and sailed under
the command of Lord Hood to the Mediterranean.
The object for which the latter had been sent to
these seas was to endeavour to effect a co-operation
with the royalists in the south of France. In this
his lordship so far succeeded, that the sections of
Toulon immediately proclaimed Louis XVII., under
a promise of prptection from the British fleet, and
Marseilles was only prevented from taking a similar
step by the approach of a republican army. Before
taking possession of Toulon, which was part of the
arrangement made with the French royalists by Lord
Hood, it was deemed proper to secure the forts which
commanded the ships in the roads, and for this duty
1500 men were landed under Captain Keith, who,
after effecting this service, was directed to assume
the command of the whole as governor of Fort Malgue.
In a few days afterwards General Carteaux appeared
at the head of a detachment of the republican army
on the heights near Toulon. Captain Elphinstone,
placing himself at the head of a small body of British
and Spanish soldiers, instantly marched out to attack
him, and after a gallant contest completely routed
the enemy, and captured his artillery, ammunition,
horses, and two stand of colours.
In the October following Captain Elphinstone,
with Lord Mulgrave and Rear-admiral Gravina, at
the head of a combined force of British, Spaniards,
and Neapolitans, obtained another complete victory
over a detachment of the French army, consisting of
nearly 2000 men, at the heights of Pharon. In this
engagement the enemy's loss in killed, wounded, and
prisoners was about 1500 men, while on the part of
the allied force it amounted only to eight killed,
seventy-two wounded, two missing, and forty-eight
prisoners.
These successes, however, were insufficient to
secure the British in possession of Toulon. The
whole force of the republicans became directed to
their expulsion; and finding the place no longer
tenable, it was determined, though not without much
reluctance, to abandon it. In pursuance of this re-
solution, the whole of the combined troops, to the
number, of 8000 men, together with several thousand
royalists, were embarked on board the British ships
early in the morning of the 8th December, without
the loss of a single man. This important service was
superintended by Captains Elphinstone, Hallinel,
and Matthews; and it was principally owing to the
care, attention, and vigorous exertions of these
officers, and more especially of the first, that it was
so well and speedily accomplished. Captain Elphin-
stone's efficient services on this and some of the
immediately preceding occasions procured him high
encomiums from both Lord Hood and Lieutenant-
general Dundas. On his return to England, which
was in the year 1794, he was invested with the
knighthood of the Bath, having been previously pro-
moted to the rank of rear-admiral of the blue, and
in July the same year was made rear-admiral of the
white, and in this capacity hoisted his flag on board
the Barfleur of ninety-eight guns, and in the year
following, having shifted his flag to the Monarch,
he sailed with a small squadron for the Cape of Good
Hope, then in the possession of the Dutch.
A war being about to commence between Great
Britain and the Batavian republic, the object of
Admiral Elphinstone was to reduce the settlements
at the Cape�a service which he effectually accom-
plished, besides capturing a squadron which had
been sent out for its defence. On the completion of
this important undertaking he returned to England,
now advanced to the rank of vice-admiral; and the
cabinet was so highly gratified with the great service
he had rendered his country by securing to it so
valuable a colony as that of the Cape, that they
conferred upon him yet further honours.
In 1797 he was created an Irish peer by the title
of Baron Keith of Stonehaven-Marischal, and shortly
after assumed the command of a detachment of the
Channel fleet. In this year also he was presented
by the directors of the East India Company with a
splendid sword, valued at 500 guineas, as an acknow-
ledgment of his eminent services. In 1798 Lord
Keith hoisted his flag on board the Foudroyant, and
sailed for the Mediterranean as second in command
under the Earl St. Vincent, who was already there
with a large fleet.
Early in the beginning of the following year he
was promoted to the rank of vice-admiral of the red,
and on the occasion of a temporary indisposition of
Earl St. Vincent, assumed the entire command of
the fleet. Here he continued employed in blockad-
ing the Spanish fleet till May, 1799, when he went
in pursuit of the Brest fleet. His search, however,
being unsuccessful, he returned to England. In
November he again sailed for the Mediterranean to
take the command of the fleet there, and which was
now wholly resigned to him in consequence of the
increasing illness of the Earl St. Vincent. While
in this command Lord Keith performed a series of
important services. By the judicious arrangement
of his ships and the co-operation of Lord Nelson he