occasion, H.R.H.’s private secretary, the Right Hon. Sir Benjamin (now Lord) Bloomfield, was pleased to say to the Liffey’s first lieutenant, “I have been on board many of H.M. ships. Sir, but never saw so perfect a man-of-war.” In consequence of this royal visit, Mr. Higgs was promoted to his present rank on the 11th Oct. 1819; the twenty-second anniversary of the memorable battle of Camperdown. In a letter subsequently written by Captain Duncan, he says: – “To every good quality an officer can possess, Commander Higgs adds a mildness of manner to the men beyond what I ever met with.” We should here state, that his appointments to the Cygnet, Alligator, Espoir, Glasgow, and Liffey, were specially requested by Captains M‘Leod, Campbell, Hope, and Duncan; and that Sir Joseph S. Yorke was likewise desirous to have him again under his command. On the 15th Jan. 1830, he received the following communication from Viscount Melville’s son and private secretary:–
“Dear Sir,– I delivered your letter to Lord Melville, but he has no recollection of having received the former one. He desires me to say, that your case and claims are well known to him, but he is sorry that his answer to your letter at present can only be an assurance of his willingness to serve you with as little loss of time as possible, and he will be most happy, whenever he has it in his power, to give you an appointment. I am. Dear Sir, your faithful and obedient servant,
On the 11th June 1831, Commander Higgs was appointed to the Revenge 78, Captain James Hillyar, C.B.; but for reasons with which we are unacquainted, he was superseded at his own request on the 20th of the same month.
GEORGE CHARLES BLAKE, Esq.
[Commander.]
Obtained his first commission in April 1806; and was promoted to his present rank, from the Royal George yacht, Oct. 11th, 1819. e had previously served as senior lieutenant of the Rivoli 74, Captains Graham E. Hamond and Edward S. Dickson, on the Mediterranean station; Pique
