in the Brunswick, during the Russian armament, and until the breach with France.

On that memorable occasion, he once more accompanied his veteran friend, Admiral Lord Howe, in the Queen Charlotte; and in 1794 was nominated Colonel of the Plymouth division of marines.

Both anterior to, and during the battle of the 1st of June, Sir Roger Curtis eminently distinguished himself by his skill, courage, and good conduct. His scientific manoeuvres and evolutions on this occasion, of course excited the praise of the Commander-in-Chief:

"To the unremitting exertions and skill of the first captain of the fleet, during the long chace which preceded the action, in very tempestuous weather, much praise is due;" and in his official account of the battle, Lord Howe nobly acknowledges his obligations to such exalted merit. Speaking of Sir

Roger Curtis, he says,

"It is incumbent on me, nevertheless, now to add, that I am greatly indebted to him for his counsels as well as conduct in every branch of my official duties."

No sooner did the victorious fleet return to England, than His Majesty honoured it with a Royal visit; and on this occasion, Sir Roger received a gold medal and chain, and was also raised to the dignity of a Baronet of Great Britain.

On the 4th of July, 1794, he was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral, and continued to serve in this capacity, on board the channel fleet. In 1799, he became Vice-Admiral of the Red; and in 1800, obtained a separate command, in consequence of being sent to the Cape of Good Hope. Sir Roger had now an opportunity of carrying those plans into action, which it was his province hitherto only to suggest to others. Accordingly, as there was no longer any enemy to contend with, he determined, by the adoption of economical arrangements, to render himself serviceable to his country. The Cape had not heretofore been used as a station for repairing of men of war, either by the Dutch or the English; it being the practice

of both nations to send their disabled ships either to Batavia, or the East Indies. Sir Roger, however, selected Simeon's Bay as a proper place for this purpose, and commenced his operations with the Jupiter of fifty guns, which was there hove down, and completely refitted under his own immediate inspection.

At the peace of Amiens, the Admiral retired to his house at Gatcombe, in the county of Hants. Some years before this period, he had married Sarah, daughter and co-heiress of Matthew Brady, Esq. by whom he had two sons, both of whom were, like himself, bred in the navy, in which, at an early period, they attained the rank of Captain. There, with his friends around him, and amidst the enjoyment of every earthly felicity, this gallant, amiable, and humane Admiral expired, on the 14th of November, 1816.

No. XVII.

ADMIRAL D'AUVERGNE, PRINCE DE BOUILLON.

THE family of Auvergne lays claim to a high degree of an

tiquity. It has been settled for many ages in Jersey, and, doubtless, came originally from France; in which country, it appears to have been allied to an illustrious house of the same name. It is also connected, either by marriage or descent, with all the principal inhabitants in the island just mentioned.

Philip D'Auvergne was born in or about the year 1745, in the town of St. Helier, the capital of one of those isles, situate in the bay of St. Maloes, which still remain to us as a memorial of our ancient possessions on the continent. His father, the late Charles D'Auvergne, possessed a small freehold property in Jersey, and served for some years as an officer of the militia. He is also said to have been engaged in trade, during the early part of his life; and he seems to have brought up a very numerous family with great credit and respectability.

Philip, the eldest of six or seven children, was educated in England. After residing here for some years, he was sent to France, to acquire the true accent and peculiar delicacies of a language which he had learned in his early infancy, and which, indeed, is generally spoken, in the place of his nativity. The people of Jersey are, from their position, familiar with the sea; and, from habit and custom, greatly attached to every pursuit connected with that element. This predilection was evinced, on the part of the subject of this article, from his earliest years; and he was at length indulged in the first wish of his heart, by being stationed on the quarter deck of an

English man of war as a midshipman. In due time he passed his examination, and rose to the rank of lieutenant. His next step, that of commander, was attended with an immediate promotion, to the Bravo gun brig, of sixteen guns, which was stationed for several years in the vicinity of the island in which he was born; and it must be allowed, that his local, as well as nautical knowledge, rendered him peculiarly fitted for the post to which he was now appointed.

Having resided for some time in France, and completed his studies in that country, he was accustomed to repair thither frequently; and, on one of those occasions, had the good fortune to be introduced to the late Prince de Bouillon, a nobleman of the same name and family with_himself. * Captain D'Auvergne, of course, lost no opportunity of cultivating his acquaintance; and. at length, a friendship appears to have been cemented between them.

Having no children of his own, the Prince was desirous, after his demise, to transfer both the title and family fortune to his new cousin, for as such he was now received; and when it is stated, that his estates were then reckoned at near half a million of francs, annual revenue, this must be allowed to have been a very fortunate incident. When the event just alluded to took place, an application was made in the usual forms to the British court, and Captain Philip D'Auvergne was authorized by His Majesty, George III., to assume the titles, and emblazon the armorial escutcheon of his generous, opulent, and august relative.

The Revolution, which occurred soon after in France, prevented him, however, from reaping the numerous advantages he might otherwise have derived from so princely a donation; and, if we mistake not, a high and sounding title was all that he realized from this most munificent bequest. That very Revolution, however, led to a situation and employment of a nature peculiarly delicate, and which was indeed calculated to enrich any one, to whom wealth was the chief and only object.

* According to some accounts, they were school-fellows. - ED.

The vicinity of Jersey to the French coast, enabled the boatmen there, at any time, and almost under any circumstances, to effect a landing on the neighbouring continent. Our government, well aware of this circumstance, recurred to it, from the very commencement of hostilities; and, no sooner did the war in la Vendée render a diversion in that quarter an object of policy, than this became the chief station where all the debarkations were planned, and whence they were effected with peculiar promptitude and success.

The Prince de Bouillon, on this occasion, was made Post Captain, and entrusted, not only with the sole command of the naval department, but also, became the confidential agent of the Ministry, for keeping up a direct and constant communication with the insurgent provinces. His native island, as mentioned before, afforded him great facilities for the attainment of this object; at the time alluded to, the emigrants were known to equal the number of the regular inhabitants; and they themselves kept up an intercourse with the friends and families which they had left behind them in France.

The Prince de Bouillon did not fail to take advantage of these fortunate circumstances. In conformity to orders, he entered into a correspondence with many of the Vendean chiefs, whom he supplied freely with arms and ammunition. Several of them frequently visited the island, and obtained considerable sums in louis-d'ors. On some occasions, whole casks of the precious metals were transported from Jersey to the banks of the Loire; but the usual way was to transmit rouleaus enclosed in leathern belts, which were worn under the clothes. As all transactions of this kind must necessarily be considered as an affair of honour between the parties, of course, no accountability can possibly take place; and the subject of this memoir might have thus easily acquired an immense fortune. But it appears that he acted with great and unexampled delicacy on that occasion.

At the peace of Amiens he repaired to Paris; but his presence there was not much relished by Buonaparte, and he soon perceived the necessity of a speedy retreat. On the restoration