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into their boats, which being effected by the light battalions of the 30th and 89th regiments, every compliment was paid to his Highness, with a march and all the honours of war due to departing royalty. Nothing could exceed the rage of the Pacha and his Janissaries at this method of treating them with such polite indifference. These troops were most particularly useful by their courage, humanity, and the good arrangements made by Colonel Stewart, which prevented the massacre of 30,000 Christians, and the confiscation of their property.

The army arrived soon after from India, under the command of Sir David Baird; and these regiments, with others, were ordered on board to reinforce Lord Keith's fleet, then short of complement, and to go in pursuit of the French squadron under Admiral Gantheaume. Lord Blayney was embarked with part of the regiment on board the Minotaur, and the remainder on board the Northumberland. A violent gale of wind overtook this fleet off the island of Candia, accompanied by water-spouts, which in those seas are very formidable; and the ships suffered so much in the rigging, that they required time to repair previous to their being equal to an attack. After passing some time at Malta, the regiments being in readiness to act in any expedition, the account arrived of the peace of Amiens, and the army was ordered home. The short duration of that peace is well known.

Lord Blayney was next embarked for some time on an expedition to the West Indies; at another, under Sir David Baird, for the Cape of Good Hope. At length an expedition under Lord Cathcart was decided on, and the 89th, with other regiments, was ordered to proceed from Cork to the Douro, as a reinforcement, which was effected, although exposed during the passage to violent gales of wind.

Lord Blayney being under the necessity of proceeding to London on regimental business, a telegraphic order was sent for the fleet to sail, which sailed before he could arrive in time to embark on board of his own ship, containing the staff, &c. of the regiment; he therefore embarked in another vessel.

A violent gale of wind occasioned the loss of a great proportion of that army: among the vessels wrecked was the headquarters' ship of the 89th, the whole of the staff, band, and drummers, with a fine grenadier company, and others were drowned, and Lord Blayney lost his baggage. He landed with the remainder of the regiment at Bremerlee, and proceeded to join Lord Cathcart's army, some Swedish troops, and a Russian force under Colonel Toltston.

Lord Blayney next served with the 89th on the expedition ⚫ under Lieutenant-General Whitelock to South America. On the termination of that disastrous affair, Lord Blayney proceeded with the 89th to the Cape of Good Hope. In the course of this passage they again experienced some dreadful weather, and their provisions were nearly exhausted. The head-quarters' ship of the 89th became so leaky, that the pumps could scarcely keep her clear, and Lord Blayney was under the necessity of making the signal of distress, and to part company. A sloop of war and two brigs being in the same situation, bore up accordingly, and ran down for Saldanha Bay, on the coast of Africa. On their arrival, and examining the state of the ship, there was not above a day's provisions or water, and the carpenter reported the vessel in such a state, that had she been another night at sea, she must have foundered. Lord Blayney determined to land, and as he had no orders, it was necessary to give good reasons in justification. He, therefore, in his despatch to General Grey, adduced two forcible ones; namely, sinking and starving. He then proceeded on a march for Cape Town; but having to cross a desert and a barren country, through a deep sand, exposed to violent heat, the troops were so exhausted for want of water, that several died in consequence. The remainder becoming troublesome, Lord Blayney hit upon an ingenious expedient, which had the effect of restoring their good humour. A Hottentot woman happened to cross the parade, whose derrière projected to such an excess, that Lord Blayney placed his hat upon it, and the motion of the feather, added to that of the woman, created such incessant laughter,

that the men proceeded cheerfully on their march, and reached their destination.*

Shortly after his arrival the regiment was ordered into camp, and General Grey appointed Lord Blayney to an extensive command.

At the conclusion of the summer the camp broke up, and Lord Blayney was sent to join his regiment; they embarked soon after for Ceylon and the East Indies. In the course of a short period after he appeared at the Brazils, where he went on board of the London, in order to be conveniently situated to carry into effect a plan agreed upon with Sir Sidney Smith, then commanding the fleet at Rio Janeiro, which was to put the Portuguese in possession of their former territory on the northern bank of the river Plata and the town of Monte Video; for which purpose Lord Blayney undertook the superintendence of the force, which consisted of about 4000 Portuguese, with a detachment of seamen and marines from the fleet. When they were tolerably perfect, and equal to act together, unfortunately orders arrived to stop the expedition, in consequence of the noble resistance then making by the Spaniards against the French. Lord Blayney accordingly returned to Europe. He was not long in England when he received an order to embark at Portsmouth, with four regiments, the destination then unknown; but in consequence of the demand for troops in Spain, they received orders to proceed thither. A proportion of two regiments were to be left at Cadiz, and the others to go to Gibraltar. Lord Blayney went accordingly to Gibraltar, where he was in readiness for active service on that part of Spain. His services were particularly useful, at various periods, among the Guerillas; for, from his knowledge of the Spanish language, he had the opportunity of directing their operations to the greatest effect. He went afterwards to Cadiz, where he continued some time during the siege.

* The woman was afterwards recommended by Lord Blayney to a friend of his, and she was subsequently celebrated in the character of the Hottentot Venus in London.

Soon after his return to Gibraltar he was sent on an expedition in order to furnish arms and ammunition to the Spaniards, who it was said were falling rapidly into the jaws of the French; and to take Malaga, the attack of which place was supposed to be combined with one made by General Blake, commanding some Spanish troops, so as to occupy the force under General Sebastiani. Unfortunately, neither General Blake nor the Spaniards made a movement, and the entire of Sebastiani's force was left disposable to act against the small and motley force sent under Lord Blayney, composed of about 300 English, the Spanish regiment of Toledo, 800 strong, and about 500 German and Polish deserters, who were clothed and equipped for this enterprise. An action commenced near Fingerole (which fort Lord Blayney attacked), which lasted for twenty-four hours; and the Spaniards giving way, a battery fell into the hands of the enemy, which was charged by Lord Blayney with a detachment of the second battalion of the 89th regiment, and retaken with the bayonet. Lord Blayney's horse on that occasion was killed under him at the battery; and after having succeeded in another charge, he was shortly after made prisoner, being then far in advance and unsupported. One grand object of the expedition was, however, accomplished; viz. the landing and disposing of 20,000 stand of arms. The Guerillas were organised and formed into thirteen different corps, under enterprising leaders: they attacked all convoys, and effectually cut off the communication between Soult and Sebastiani, which led to consequences having a powerful influence on the success of future operations.

Lord Blayney having remained for some time a prisoner, went to Verdun, where he was soon after employed by the British government in the distribution of large sums of money towards the daily support and clothing of our own prisoners of war, and assisting the Russian, Austrian, and Spanish prisoners, in a manner that did immortal honour to the British nation.

Lord Blayney obtained the rank of Major-General on the

25th of July, 1810, and of Lieutenant-General on the 12th of August, 1819. His Lordship was distinguished by extreme good-nature; and he was a very convivial companion.

Lord Blayney's death took place at Bilton's hotel, Sackville Street, Dublin, on the 8th of April, 1834. On the Saturday preceding he was left at table in his usual rather delicate health, by his agent, who dined with him, and was subsequently found alone by his servants, senseless, and lying on the floor with his leg entangled in his chair, in which it had probably caught in an attempt to rise from the table. He was carried to bed, as if it had been an ordinary accident, and no doctor was called in till next evening, when it was found that the torpor he had evinced the preceding night was not abating, though he appeared occasionally in pain. The doctor, on examination, found that his thigh was broken very near the hip, and every attention was paid to his very dangerous state. He appeared to improve a little on Monday; but the same night fell again into a state of insensibility, which terminated in dissolution.

He married, July 5. 1795, Lady Mabella Alexander, eldest daughter of James first Earl of Caledon, and sister to the present Earl; and by that lady, who survives him, he had issue one son and three daughters: 1. the Hon. Anne, married in 1818 to Captain Charles Gordon, R. N.; 2. the Right Hon. Cadwallader Davis, now Lord Blayney, born in 1802, and late M.P. in the present parliament for Monaghanshire; 3. the Hon. Elizabeth Harriet, who died in 1818; and, 4. the Hon. Charlotte Sophia, married in 1833 to Frederick Angerstein, Esq.

Principally from "The Royal Military Calendar."

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