either from capture or sinking; consequently I avail myself of this opportunity of returning my most cordial thanks to you, your officers, and crew. I am, my dear Sir, your sincere friend,
“To Captain James, H.M. sloop Kite.”
Captain James shortly afterwards paid his respects to Lord Mulgrave, then at the head of naval affairs, who promised to give him the first post-ship that should become vacant on the Baltic station. He accordingly returned thither, and, on the 21st Aug. 1809, was promoted into the St. George 98, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Pickmore, in the Gulph of Finland; where he continued during the remainder of the season.
In Jan. 1810, we find the St. George refitting at Portsmouth, where she received the flag of Rear-Admiral Reynolds: by whose Captain, Daniel Oliver Guion, the subject of this memoir was superseded, in the month of May following. The lamentable fate of those officers has been adverted to at p. 63 of Suppl. Part I.
Captain James’s last appointment was, Aug. 10, 1814, to the Tanais of 46 guns, fitting for the Jamaica station. In May 1815, being then at Carthagena, on the Spanish Main, for the purpose of affording protection to British commerce, he visited the celebrated Bolivar, who had encamped before that city, being refused admittance into it by another chief Castilto, who had constituted himself governor, and against whom he had been carrying on a desultory warfare for six weeks previous to the arrival of the Tanais. Captain James was received by that patriotic warrior with every demonstration of friendship, and offered a carte blanche to settle the differences between him and his rival. The interference of a British officer could not fail to have some degree of influence with the contending parties; and as Bolivar had no cannon, except a few field-pieces, it was arranged that he should dis-
- ↑ The Dictator had gone to complete her wood and water at Romsoe, leaving the two brigs under Captain James, to afford protection to any British merchantmen passing through the Belt.
