the Acasta, on the unfortunate 11th Mar. 1815. The former, judging from the documents which were sent to me soon after a late melancholy event, I certainly supposed to lie so very thick and hazy, as to render it impossible for the Leander to make out, what you appear to have so promptly and correctly done, the real force of the enemy; particularly as it is stated by Captain M‘Dougall, whose letter I have incorporated with the memoir of his lamented friend, that the Levant was not discovered to be only “a corvette or 20-gun ship” until the Leander’s fire was opened upon her: and the log of the senior British officer describes that as having been done only ten minutes previous to the enemy rounding the eastern point of Porto Praya bay, when on her return to the anchorage she had so lately left: and not more than twenty minutes before the Leander was obliged to shorten sail in consequence of finding herself close to the rocks off Quail island. The following extract from the log of the Leander will corroborate what I have just written:
“3-15 P.M., opened our fire on the chace, who hoisted American colours, – saw the land a-head.’
“‘3-25,’ (ten minutes after gaining sight of the land) ‘saw chace rounding the easternmost point of the harbour.’
“‘3-35,’ (only ten minutes later)’ up main-sail, being close to the rocks off Quail island.’
“From an entry in the Newcastle’s log, the only one that mentions how the British ships bore from each other when they had all tacked to the eastward, at 1 P.M., I could do no otherwise than suppose that you were more than a mile nearer to the enemy than Sir George Collier was, and nearly in a line between him and them[1]. You have been kind enough to undeceive me, and I return you my best thanks for doing so. I am, &c.
“To Captain Alex. R. Kerr, R.N. C.B.”
The subject of this memoir married, in Jan. 1805, Charlotte, youngest daughter of Dr. Charles Maule, formerly a physician in India, and by that lady he has seven children. His eldest son is a Midshipman, R.N.
Agent.– A. C. Marsh, Esq.
DONALD M‘LEOD, Esq.
A Companion of the Most Honorable Military Order of the Bath; and a Captain of the Royal Hospital at Greenwich.
[Post-Captain of 1806.]
The manner in which this officer was principally employed as a Commander, will be seen by the following official letter, from Sir James Saumarez, K.B. to the Secretary of the Ad-
