sisted in the embarkation of the Anglo-Russian army, the flanks of which had been admirably protected by the gun-vessels on the lake of Alkmaar, during the advance of the Gallo-Batavian forces. His services in that country appear to have terminated Nov. 21, 1799.
Early in Aug. 1800, Sir Home Popham was appointed to the command of the Romney; and Mr. Bartholomew having joined him as a volunteer, was immediately rated master’s-mate of that ship, in which capacity he served until her return home from the Red Sea and India, in April, 1803[1]. During that time, says Sir Home, “he was very active, very intelligent, and very deserving; he performed every duty to my entire satisfaction.”
The Romney was paid off, at Chatham, June 2, 1803; and Mr. Bartholomew remained on shore from that period until Dec. 17, in the same year, when he obtained considerable notoriety, not only in the naval service, but throughout the country, from the circumstance of his impressment in the hall of the Admiralty Office, by the directions of Earl St. Vincent, to whom he had previously addressed the following letters soliciting employment and promotion:
“My Lord, – Permit me with all humility to represent to your lordship, that I have been in the naval service since 1794, in which period have been entrusted with command on shore as well as on board; nay, volunteered myself in the West India islands, as well in the Irish rebellion[2]; served also in the expedition to Holland, by which sustained loss of time, and have, for two years past served in the Red Sea, from which have but recently returned; have passed for lieutenant abroad us well as at home; consider myself skilled in astronomy, and not a stranger to chronometers: with those qualifications, I tender myself on any service your lordship may approve, persuaded that promotion from your lordship’s hand must flow from merit, and not the hacknied channel of recommendation; I therefore, throw myself on your lordship’s clemency, and have the honor to be, &c.
- ↑ See Suppl. Part. I. p. 56.
- ↑ He appears to have assisted at the capture of Martinique in 1794, previous to his first impressment.
