the latter end of the year 1802, and produced an alarm so sudden and terrific, that several of her crew jumped overboard; and the weather being extremely severe, they in consequence perished.
On the 6th Jan. 1804, Captain Wilkinson parted company with Sir Edward Pellew, under whose orders he had been cruizing off Ferrol, bound to England with despatches. In the night of the 8th, the Hussar, then going at the rate of seven knots an hour, struck on the southernmost part of the Saintes, and was bilged. The following day the crew took possession of a small island, inhabited by fishermen, whose boats they immediately began to equip for the purpose of transporting themselves either to the fleet off Brest, or to England, as circumstances might admit. At day-light, on the 10th, the ship being still apparently whole, Captain Wilkinson sent a party to destroy her by fire; and on their return embarked in his barge, and left the island, accompanied by the remainder of his crew in 13 fishing boats, the whole of which being badly found, were obliged to bear up during the night, and run into Brest harbour. Fortunately, Captain Wilkinson succeeded in getting on board a British cruizer, and thus escaped a captivity of ten years duration, to which his officers and men were subjected.
In the summer of the following year, he commanded the Gorgon, of 44 guns, stationed as a guard-ship in the Shannon; and some years afterwards, the Courageux, of 74 guns, employed in the Baltic. He was made a Rear-Admiral, Dec. 4, 1813; and on the 19th July, 1821, advanced to the rank he now holds.
The subject of the foregoing sketch married, in 1804, Sophia, daughter of William Worth, of Hayneford, near Norwich, Esq.
HON. CHARLES ELPHINSTONE FLEEMING,
Vice-Admiral of the Blue; and a Member of the Royal Caledonian Hunt.
This officer, the second son of John, eleventh Baron Elphinstone, by Anne, daughter of James, third Lord Ruthven, was promoted to the rank of Commander in the Tisiphone
