Charles Philip Yorke, Fourth Earl of Hardwicke, Vice-Admiral R.N. A Memoir

any comment of my own an account of his life and experiences in Nova Scotia at that time. They present a self-reliant character, and the young midshipman who was

is no hint in his letters of the risk and danger of this service. As a fact, she was an exceedingly difficult craft to handle, and if not unseaworthy, was, to say the least, an unpleasant vessel in a sea, with decks constantly awash, and the character she bore in the service appears in her nickname the Crazy Jane. I have often he

truck off, during which perilous service he had not a man on board who could write or take an observation. This crazy Jane was hard

ir David Milne contain

f December 1817 to the date hereof, during which time he took her twice in safety from Halifax to Bermuda, and from Bermuda to Halifax, and

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LEANDER,

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no letters. But silence I always take in a favourable light, so I conclude you are a

very well acquainted all over Halifax thanks to Captain Lumley's kindness; pray tell him so, for the family he introduced me to is very pleasant and k

dozen fine trout. This will make the English sportsmen stare, but the fishing here is beyond everything I coul

it to the lakes. I am become quite an Indian in the management of this canoe, and with the expense of only one ducking. I was upset in th

. Last Monday we mids of the Leander gave a grand entertainment to the inhabitants of Halifax and officers of the fleet; a play, ball, and supper, which went off remarkably well. The Iron Chest was the play; the Wag

thing very formidable in their structure, which is tremendous hoofs, so that a kick from one of them would make you keep your bed for a week. Bu

e to tell, so you must excuse it. Give my kindest love to Lady Clanricarde, Urania, and al

n, my de

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ira

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NDER,' HALI

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h since I have been at sea I have never kept, and especially at a time when I had charge of a vessel and the safety of men's lives. I am happy to say I took care of myself and of the vessel, and pleased the Admiral as much as I could wish. I have not got the large tender, as I expecte

r Grantham has so well

and, and they said the most they could ask for it would be ￡30, a cheap place to settle, for provisions also are cheaper than anywhere I have been. Liverpool is a very flourishing little town, and on the contrary with Shelburne, a rising place with a vast deal of commerce and trade which keep the place quite alive. At these two places I had capital fishing both s

caught eleven dozen salmon trout. Fine sport, and all with the fly. Do not forget to send me a flute as soon as possible and some music; let it be new. Give my kindest love to Lady C

n, my de

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g.

rs who ran from the Leander. I landed at Chester, and marched and rode just as I could to Lunenburg, but without success, and then back, and so about twenty miles to the eastward. It gave me a good opportunity of seeing the country, and made it very pleasant, from the kin

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. I return you my most grateful thanks for your great kindness in attending to my little wishes, and hope the things will arrive q

ifax, where I assure you, I passed my time very pleasantly in shooting, fishing, &c. In that part of Nova Scotia the country is beautiful, completely cleared of wood, very well cultivated, and yields to its owners immense crops of grain. I am now

also hear of her in town. I am glad to hear all the boys are well and getting on so fast in their respective schools. Agneta [Footnote: Agneta, afterwards Lady Agneta Bevan.] by this time must b

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te to thank him for his present as

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OOP 'JANE

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quite well and by no means ill employed. I did not hear from you by the l

nced a heavy gale of wind, and the poor Jane was nearly lost, but escaped with the loss of her bulwarks. She really is a beautiful vessel; was a Yankee clipper in the war; 80 tons and 12 men. I am remarkably happy in her, as you may suppose. I anticipate much pleasure going up the St. Lawrence in her next summer. I am sure you will be happy to hear of my

friends and an honour to my country. It is not my wish to be expensive in the least beyond what it is necessary for a gentleman to be, to pay my debts, have a good coat on my back, and sufficient in my pocket never to be made look foolish. Now that I keep house for mys

ow something of by hear

ye had her up t

ion I have long seen the absolute necessity of, especially on the coast of Nova Scotia where the fogs are so intense, and the shore so dangerous. But if ever there was in my humble opinion a lubberly series of accidents from the time she got on shore to the time she was on her beam ends alongside the wharf, it was on board H.M.S. Faith. The first thing she did after getting on shore was to anchor in Halifax harbour with her B.B. anchor without a buoy on it, slipped her cable

rable accounts of the youngsters, and of

low here, and which I, of course, feel much in the Jane. The admiral did think of sending me to the West Indies for a cruise, but I believe that i

to all; I shall answer

my dea

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a fog, and got in before the admiral; you may suppose I was not a little pleased with my navigation. I have pretty often the honour of presid

everything, and Bermuda charges are so extravagant that nothing can equal them. At any time you please to call for my bills and receipts they are at your service, but mark, I have no debts. I never leave a port that I do n

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es's St. I am delighted to see by your letter you are recovering your spirits and that you have

your bounty affords me, together with the happiness which the perfect approbation of my superiors and respect of my inferiors can alone give a man. I feel yo

verything that is kind from me to her, and my apology for not writing is that my right hand is very weak, as you may see from my writing, from an

, Mr. E. Y. mid. continues to improve his mind in those studies which a young gentleman of his abilities should attend to. I am very happy to hear Urania is grown up so fine a young woman; I most sincerely hope that all the wishes of her fond and amiable mother may be perfectly

ree times; each time obliged to shore up, being left almost dry at low water, and on one night about eleven, all in bed, down she came bumpus on her bilge; in consequence of our shores being made of trees with the bark on, the bark and lashings went together. We returned to Halifax where I

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ext Sunday in company with Leander and Belette. I have not time to give you an account of our cruise, so I must defer it

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ed in that rank by commission bearing date of August of the same year. In the following October he joined the Phaeton frigate

ness. In those qualities my father was certainly not lacking, though he managed to procure a share of enjoyment, which is the privilege of youth and high spirits. There are many anecdotes told of him at this time. On one occasion he swam across the harbour at Halifax, a feat which, in the circumstances, I have heard described with great admiration. On another, a lady giving a ball and w

ig Alacrity, where I shall be able to follow him in some in