the Trident 64, guard-ship in Valette harbour, when a mortifying communication from Lord Exmouth’s secretary, of which we here give the copy, reached him:
“My dear St. Clair, – I am extremely sorry to inform you, that Lord Exmouth finds himself mistaken in the supposition that Reid, of the Calypso, had been promoted at home. As he is the first on the Admiralty list for post promotion, his lordship has been obliged to cancel your appointment to the Trident. I regret this extremely, and so does bis lordship, who I assure you, on all occasions, expresses the greatest friendship for you, and had mentioned to Lord Melville his intention to put you in the vacancy, from motives of personal friendship, as you are not on the Viscount’s list. I am now up to my chin in despatches, to and from all the world, therefore God bless you: believe me your sincerely attached friend,
On the 2d Feb. 1816, Rear-Admiral Penrose addressed the disappointed commander of the Reynard as follows:
“My dear St. Clair, – Having heard a report that all the commanders on the station, except yourself and Cutfield, were made post, I had great hopes that the favorable intentions of our chief towards you would have been realised; but I am disappointed. It was fully Lord Exmouth’s intention to have made you post, till he discovered the mistake. * * * Yours faithfully,
In the course of the same year. Commander St. Clair visited Athens, where he found the late Queen Caroline residing on board a polacre. Being then on his return to Malta, he, of course, felt it his duty to wait upon the Princess, in order to receive her commands; but the ridiculous story, afterwards circulated in London, of his having accompanied her to a Turkish dance, was no less absurd than false.
In 1817, the Reynard was ordered home, and put out of commission ; since which, although anxious to serve. Commander St. Clair has never been employed. On the 14th May, 1818, he received a letter from H.R.H. the late Duke of Kent, couched in the following friendly terms:–
