to stern, with her guns going off in all directions. His heroic conduct was followed by two other boats, and, to the honor of some American vessels then at Leghorn, one was directly manned by three of their men; but going alongside of the Queen Charlotte too incautiously, she fell a sacrifice to the impetuosity of the unfortunate crew, who, urged by the flames, flocked in numbers for deliverance. She sunk alongside, with all on board. Lieutenant Stewart’s ardour in the cause of humanity was only equalled by his judgment in affording us relief: when he had reached the Queen Charlotte, he judiciously dropped his tartane under the bows, where almost all the remaining crew had taken refuge. Little more than an hour had elapsed, after this assistance was given, before the ship blew up. All that had been left unburnt, immediately sunk down by the stem; but when the ponderous contents of the hold had been washed away, she for an instant recovered her buoyant property, and was suddenly seen to emerge almost her whole length from the deep; and then turning over, she floated on the surface, with her burnished copper glistening in the sun. Amidst the various wonders of the deep which are beheld by those who go down to the sea in ships, this certainly formed a most sublime and awful sight. I had been roused from sleep by the going off of the guns, and had escaped from the surrounding flames by jumping from the poop, in order to swim to the launch then astern, full of men. I providentially reached her just as they were in the act of casting off the tow-rope; and after some entreaties and consultation I was taken in, and had the happiness of being afterwards conducive to the preservation of several lives. I also witnessed, whilst in the launch, the exertions of the boats under the Queen Charlotte’s bows, directed by Lieutenant Stewart. We had only one oar and the rudder in the launch, and were consequently at the mercy of the wind and sea.”
Lieutenant Stewart had the gratification to find, amongst the number who had been preserved by himself, his most intimate friend, the subject of this memoir, and also Mr. Francis Erskine Loch, a Midshipman, who was under his particular care[1].
- ↑ Lord Keith, whose flag was flying on board the Queen Charlotte at the time of her destruction, in a state bordering on distraction, had continued, after Lieutenant Stewart’s departure from the shore, to use every possible effort and persuasion with the Tuscans belonging to the country boats at Leghorn, to put to sea; but which, notwithstanding the active interference of the Governor and other authorities, had only an effect on a few. Could the activity, energy, and humanity, possessed by British seamen have been transferred to the drones in the mole of that place, many more valuable lives might have been saved. Among the sufferers were Captain Andrew Todd and his first Lieutenant (William Bainbridge), who remained upon deck to the last moment, giving such orders as appeared most likely to prove beneficial to the crew, without providing, or apparently caring for their own safety; Lieutenants Erskine and Kolecken, the latter a Russian officer; Captain Joseph Breedon, of the marines; the
