cated at Batabano, in the island of Cuba. Although the Stork, from her draught of water, was unable to approach within 30 leagues of the place, the objects of the expedition were nevertheless fully accomplished by the other vessels, aided by her boats, under the command of Capt. Edw. Rushworth.[1] In 1807 Capt. Le Geyt was ordered with convoy to England, whence, in 1808, after he had been for some months employed on the Guernsey station, he took out the Pope’s Nuncio to the Brazils. Keturning next to the West Indies, he united in the blockade of Martinique, and was so employed until its surrender. While off that island, on 12 Dec. 1808, he co-operated with the Circe 32, Capt. Fras. Augustus Collier, and Morne Fortunée gun-brig, and displayed much coolness and intrepidity, in silencing the fire of two batteries and of a body of troops which protected an enemy’s schooner aground between the Pearl Rock and the town of St. Pierre; and he then, in company with the Circe and Express schooner, commenced an action with four adjoining batteries, under which lay two other vessels, one of whom, Le Cygne corvette, 16 guns, was in the end destroyed.[2] In April, 1809, being on a cruize with the Circe, then commanded by Capt. Edw. Woollcombe, the Stork fell in with a French squadron of three line-of-battle ships and two frigates, steering for the Saintes. With the intelligence of this she was instantly despatched to the Commander-in-Chief; the result whereof was the capture of the 74-gun ship D’Haupoult. On 12 Aug. 1812, Capt. Le Geyt, at that time on the Cork station, was at length advanced to Post-rank. Unable, however, to procure further employment, he accepted, 1 Oct. 1846, the rank he now holds.
The Rear-Admiral was nominated a C.B. 4 July, 1840. He married, in 1812, Rose Marie, daughter of the late Rear-Admiral Heath, by whom he has issue 11 children. Agents – Messrs. Stilwell.
LE HARDY, K.S.F., K.I.C. (Commander, 1837. f-p., 20; h-p., 9.)
Thomas Philip Le Hardy, born 1 May, 1803, is a native of Jersey, where his family for many centuries past has occupied a prominent position. Three of his ancestors attained Flag-rank. One of them was Sir Thos. Hardy, whose decisive conduct, when in command of H.M.S. Pembroke, led to the action off Vigo under Sir Geo. Rooke 11 Oct. 1702; and another, Sir Chas. Hardy, who commanded the Channel fleet, and died Governor of Greenwich Hospital about 1780.
This officer entered the Navy, 1 Aug. 1818, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Confiance 18, Capt. Alex. Montgomerie; and sailed for the West Indies, where, until 1823, he served, the last three years as Midshipman, in the Sybille 48, Capt. Wm. Popham, Ontario 18, Capt. Jodrell Leigh, and Sybille again, Capt. Joshua Ricketts Rowley. From Dec. 1823 until May, 1827, we find him employed on the South American, Irish, and Jamaica stations, as Midshipman, Mate, and Acting-Lieutenant (he passed his examination in April, 1825), on board the Tweed 28, Capt. Fred. Hunn. He was then for four months engaged on home duty in the Melville 74, Capt. Henry Hill; and at the expiration of that period he proceeded to the coast of Africa as Mate of the Primrose 18, Capt. Thos. Saville Griffihoofe. On his removal there, in Jan. 1829, to his old ship the Sybille, bearing the broad pendant at the time of Commodore Fras. Augustus Collier, Mr. Le Hardy was sent to cruize, as Senior Mate, in the Black Joke tender, mounting but 1 gun, a long 18-pounder on a pivot, with a crew of 34 men, Lieut.-Commander Henry Downes. In that vessel it was soon his fortune to participate in a most brilliant exploit; nothing less than the capture of the Spanish slaver El Almirante of 14 guns (10 eighteens and 4 long nines) and 80 men, after 11 hours had been absorbed in sweeping up, and a close action endured of 80 minutes, in which the British had 3 men killed and 7 wounded, and the enemy 15 killed and 13 wounded. Mr. Le Hardy, who was himself wounded, and who appears to have shared in two other engagements, was rewarded for his valour on the occasion by a commission dated 2 May, 1829. He did not, however, succeed in obtaining a fresh appointment until Nov. 1833; on 20 of which month he assumed command of the Saracen brig, of 10 guns. Being ordered at first to the coast of Portugal, we find him serving for some time at Lisbon and off Oporto during the contest between Pedro and Miguel; and afterwards sent to the north coast of Spain, where he was actively employed with the squadron under Lord John Hay, particularly on the Bilboa river. For his conduct at the relief of that city in Dec. 1836, he not only received, in common with others, the thanks of the Admiralty, but was promoted to the rank of Commander 6 Jan. 1837, and presented by the Queen of Spain with the Third Class of the Order of San Fernando, as also with the Companionship of the Order of Isabella la Catolica, and a decoration commemorative of the event. He left the Saracen in April, 1837; was employed, next, in the Coast Guard, from 13 July, 1838, until July, 1843; and since 4 June, 1846, has been in command of the Fantomb 16, in the Mediterranean.
Commander Le Hardy married, in Nov. 1833, Louisa Jane, second daughter of Chas. de la Garde, Esq., of Jersey. Agents – Coplands and Burnett.
LE HUNTE, K.F.M. (Commander, 1814. f-p., 11; h-p., 36.)
Francis Le Hunte entered the Royal Naval Academy 1 Nov. 1800, and, after a course of more than four years’ study at that institution, embarked, 18 April, 1805, as a Volunteer, on board the Nemesis 28, Capt. Phihp Somerville, stationed in the Channel, where, from Sept. 1806 to April, 1808, he cruized as Master’s Mate in the Narcissus 32, Capt. Chas. Malcolm. The next nine months were employed by this officer in the Pallas 32, Capt. Geo. Eras. Seymour, on the coast of Spain. In July, 1811, exactly two years after he had passed his. examination, he received, with the rank of Acting-Lieutenant, an appointment to the Sicilian flotilla at Messina. His confirmation took place 26 Sept. following; and on 15 Feb. 1813 we find him serving on shore in command of a party of seamen, and co-operating with the troops under Brigadier Hall, in an attack upon a strong body of the enemy, consisting of a complete battalion, with two troops of cavalry and two pieces of artillery, located at Pietra Nera, on the Calabrlan coast. On that occasion he stormed and carried, in a very gallant style, several obstinately defended batteries, and by his exemplary conduct attracted as well the admiration of the Brigadier as the observation both of soldiers and sailors.[3] He was afterwards sent with a division of gun-boats to guard the island of Ponza; and in March and April, 1814, being attached to the expedition against Genoa and its dependencies, he particularly distinguished himself by his gallant and able conduct at the reduction of the enemy’s forts in the Gulf of Spezia.[4] During the short war of 1815, Commander Le Hunte, who had been advanced to his present rank on 15 June in the preceding year, was selected to serve in the river Scheldt with a brigade of seamen under the orders of Capt. Chas. Napier. After the overthrow of Napoleon he assumed command, 20 June, 1815, of the Erebus 16, and retained it, in the Downs, until 4 Sept. following. He has since been on half-pay.
In consideration of the valour and intrepidity he had displayed at Pietra Nera, Commander Le Hunte was presented by the King of the Two Sicilies with the insignia of the Small Cross of the Order of St. Ferdinand and of Merit. Agent – Joseph Woodhead.
