The Sun.
London, England, 1849-12-21 00:00:00

NATAL INTELLIGENCE.

DEATH OF REAR-ADMIRAL SIR F. A. COLLIER
C. 8., K.C.H., COMMANDER-IX- CHIEF IX TIM EAST
INDIES.-Without surprise, but with much regret,
we have received the information of the death of
Rear-Admiral Sir Francis Augustus Collier, C. 8.,
K.C.H., Commander-in-Chief of the East India
station.

The serious illness of the gallant Admiral on his
way out and since his arrival on the station, after his
appointment to the command-in-chief, April 7, 1848,
has filled the minds of his friends with considerable
apprehension, which the conflicting accounts received
from India by every mail rather increased than
allayed. Always most determined in will and pur-
pose, he fought against death with that dauntless
energy which characterised his numerous actions
with the enemies of his country ; and although
his friends and those around him were persuaded
of the result of the struggle, he nevertheless
continued at his post, and resolved, if conquered, at
' least to " die in harness." From month to month
he remained alternately better and worse. He pro-
ceeded to China, visited the northern ports,
returned to India, and was about to proceed to
Bombay from Trincomalee, when the depredations of
the pirates, and the necessity fur their summary
suppression induced him to proceed once more to
Hong-Kong. He arrived there in September last,
and at once sent forth the expedition against the
pirates which has so ably and successfully accom-
plished the Admiral's orders. Sir Francis, however,
continued to decline in physical strength, and from
the 234 October it was observed that he was gradually
failing, and it was evidently a great effort for him to
take his accustomed drive. lie nevertheless busied
himself with official matters, and commenced a long
letter, by dictation, to his old friend Admiral
Dundas, but which he never lived to finish. His
dissolution, however, was not expected to take
place so soon as it did ; fur on the afternoon of the
27th October, accompanied by Captain Morgan,
his flag captain, be took a short drive. On his
return it appears he felt weaker, and went to bed at
seven o'cl.,ek, at which time his medical attendants

(Dr. Scott, of the flag ship Hastings, and Dr. Bankier,
of her Majesty's ship Alligator, and his secretary,
Mr. Price) with the Chief Justice (at whose house
he had taken up his quarters), were present. From
this hour he begun to sink very rapidly, and at
eleven o'clock, when Captain Morgan was sent fur
on board the Hastings, it was t,,0 evident that his
end was approaching, and he continued in an
almost insensible state until a quarter before six
o'clock on the morning of the 28th, when he ex-
pired, without the slightest visible pain or struggle,
the immediate cause of death being serious apoplexy.
Thus has passed away from us another of that
gallant band who contributed to make our country
" great, gluri,us, and. free:" and whose individual
services, as recorded in O'Hyrne's valuable "Naval
Biography," will bear quota icn and remembrance
This Wheer entered the navy, in 1794, as first-eNsn
volunteer on board the Ma.c;natorne, 44, Captain Lane
Schoenberg, stationed in the Irish Channel; joined next
the Minotaur, 74, Captain Lewis; and, on becoming at
tachel tostho Vanguard, 74, flig-thip of Sir Horatio
Nelsen, bore a part in the victory of the Nile, August 1,
1798. Accompanying his patron, as midshipman, in
1799, into the Fuurdroyant, -80, Captain Sir Edward
Berry, he further witnessed, while at the bieckade of
Malta, the capture, on the 18th of February, 1800, of
Le 6a-roux, 74, and Ville de Marseilles, store, hip; as
also, on the 31st of March following, alter a destructive
cunfliet of an hour and a ball, in which the Foudroyant,
then in compeny with the Lion,64.and Penelope, 36, had 8
alien killed and 69 (including himself) wounded; of Le
Guillaume Tell, 84, Ihg ship of Bear-Admiral Dec: es.
Mr. Collier, who was likewise present at the first land-
ing in Egypt, subsequently joined the Greyhound and
Egyptienno frigates, both commanded by Cap-
tain Charles Ogle ; and on the 11th of April,
1803, was promoted, from the Excellent, 74, bear•
big the broad pendant in the West Indies of Hon.
Robert Stopford, to a lieutenancy in the Osprey, 18,
Captain George Younghuvband. In the following June
he appears to have served on shore at the taking of St.
Lucia and Tobago; after which he took charge, ou the
26th of October, of a captured privateer. La Resource,
of 4 guns and 48 men, and on the 23d cf. March, 1804,
aignalis,cl liirnselt by his bravery and activity, as first
of the Osprey, in a gallant action of an hour and twenty
minutes, in which that vess 1 beat otr, with a loss to her-
self of 1 man killed and 16 wounded, the French frigate-
built privateer, L'Egyptienne, of 36 guns and 243 men,
Bof whom were slain and 19 wounded. While in com-
mand of a prize belonging to the Osprey, Mr. Collier
aho took a privateer of 1 gun and 45 men. Having
further s:-rood for a few months on board the Centaur,
74, Commodore Sir Samuel Hood, he obtained command,
25th January, 1805, of the Alligator troop ship; and
next, 25th October following, and 15th January, 1806, of
the Nimrol and Wolverine sloops, in which latter vessel
he captured, in the coarse of the same
year, La Tremeuse, national schooner, of 3 guns
and 53 men; and the Guadeloupe, Jeune Gabrielle,
and Marianne privateers. carrying in the whole 10 guns
and 163 men. As,nming the acting command, 9th
Nuverabsr, 1808, of the Circe, 32, and of a small squad-
ron stationed between the Pearl Rock and the town of
St. Pierre, Martinique, Captain Collier, after silencing,
with the assistance of the *cork, 18, and Morrie Fur•

. .
tin is gun-brig, the fire of two batteries and of a body
of troops which protected an enemy's schooner, came
into successful contact,' on 12th December, with four
other batteries, and perseveringly directed the opera-
tions which terminated in the destruction of Le Cygne
corvette, of 16 guns, and of two schooners, including '
the one alluded to. We subsequently fled him, in com-
mand of the Star sloop, contributing to the reduction of
Martinique, in February, 1802, and ,then confirmed to
post rank by commission dated back to the 13th Decem-
ber, 1808. His next appointment was, 3d September,
1810, to the Cyane, 22, which vessel he commanded
in the Mediterranean, Channel, and West Indies until
February, 1812, when he became flag-captain to Sir
Francis Latorey, in the Dragon, . 74. While in
the Cyane he" witnessed the destruction; ' in
December, 1810, sof L'Elize frigate, near Tatihou
Island. From the 10th of October, 1812, until the 2d
of August, 1815, Captain Collier afterwards commanded
the Grampus, 50, in the West Indies and China ' • and on
the 11th of February, 1818, he was appointed to the
Liverpool, 50. Being i..vested, towards the don of
1819 wirh'the conduct of the naval part of an expedition
.fitted out for the purpose of crushing the pirates of the
Persian Gulf, he rendered the most ardent and efficient
aid to Major-General Sir William Grant Kier, under
whom were 3,000 troops, and fairly succeeded in the
object of their joint mission—Rite-al-Khytna the head-
quarters of the freebooters, being taken, their fortifi-
cations destroyed, and all their vessels burnt or sunk.
Captain Collier arrived home in October, 1822, arid
afterwards joined,.4th of December, 1826, the Sybille,
48, as commodore on the coast of Africa; whence he
returned early in 1830; and, for a few monthsi n 1832,
the Vernon,
.50, employed en particular service. On
the 17th of December, 1841, he was nominated captain
of the William and Mary yacht, aid superintendent of
Woolwich Dockyard—appointments which he continued
to hold until nominated commodore, end commander-in-
chief the 30th of April, 1846, of the Channel rquadron
with his broad pendant in the St. Vincent, 120. H• 8
promotion to itsg rank took place on the 9th of November
in the latter year.
" Sir Charles Collier was created a C. B. the Bth De-
cember, 1815 ; knighted the 28th July, 1630 ; made a
K .C.ll. the let of January, 1833 ; and appointed in
1837, a naval aide-dc-camp to the Queen, having pre-
viously officiated in a similar capacity at the funeral of
William IV. He was also a Knight of the Persian
Order of the Lion and the Sun. Having lost his first
wife, he married a second time, the 14th March, 1831,
Catherine, daughter of Thomas Thistlethwaite, Esq., of
Southwick Park, Hants, by whom he bad issue. His
eldest daughter, by his first marriage, Julia Augusts,
married the 30th of June, 1835, F. P. 13. Martin, Esq.,
only son of the late Colonel George Martin, of the lion.
East India CoMpany's service."
Sir Francis was a protege-of the immortal Nelson,
was second , son of the late, distinguished Vice-
Admiral .Sir George. Collier,. and brother of the

present Captain H. T. B. Collier. During his who'e
career he. had served no less than 33 years on full-
pay. He had a bold, frank, brave, and generous
heart, and eminently possessed those " rough-and.
ready " qualities which made him a general
favourite with all class s of the service, with whom
he was more familiarly known as " Frank Collier."
The much-lamented deceased 'was buried at Vie.
toria, Hong-Kong, on the 20th October, when every
honour and respect that could be paid to his rank and
name was shown, the funeral having been attended by
the Governor, the naval, military, and civil authori-
ties, and a host of private friends.
Commodore Plurnridge is now, for Vie second tima
since he has been on the station, acting Comma' der•
in Chief, and will again hoist a red I endant until a
successor to Sir Francis Collier arrives. The gallant
commandermas at Madras in October, whither the
Fury, steam sloop, was to be dispatched on her arrival
at Hong-Kong with the mournful intelligence of the
death of, the admiral, when it was expected that he
would at once proceed to Hong-Kong.