The Sun.
London, England, 1851-08-26 00:00:00

A VETERAN FLAG OFFICER.

Admiral M'Kinley, who has accepted the retiring
pension of 1501. per annum, is one of the oldest and
most distiuguished ig officers in the service, having
ntered the navy so fir hack as 1773, or 78 years
since ; and in the course of his career, as stared in
the offiehal records of the Admiralty, by Marshall,
O'Byrue, and others, bas served afloat no less than 38
years :-
" George M'Kinley, born at Devonport, is the son of
a lieutenan in the Rea al Navy. One of his brothers,
Samuel, commanded the Comet galley, and died on the
American station; and another, John, who served as a
lienteriant, under the lete Sir Charles Moral. Pale at
the capture of the Santa Catalina, Spanish frigate,
died if St. Domingo in 1782.
" This officer entered the navy August 5, 1773, as
captain's servant, on board the Akio!), 74, Captains
Hon. James Barrington and Hen. John Leveson Gower,
to which ship, lying at Portsmouth, he continued at-
tached until 1777. In January, 1771, ho rejoined the
former officer, than a Rear-Admiral, on board the
Prince of Wales, 98, and sailed for the Vest Indies,
where, on being discharged at the close of the same
year into the Ceres sloop, Captain James Richard
Dacres, he was captured while holding the rating of
midshipman, by the French frigate Iphigenie. Regain-
ing his liberty iu the early part of 1779, he served
during the next three years, still on the West India
station, in the Surprise, Alemene frigate (which vessel
he had assisted in taking from the French), and Belli-
queux, 64, all cosnmended by Captain James Brine
(whom he fought under in the latter ship in the
actions of April 29 and S,ptember 5, 1781, off
Martinique and the Chesapeake), as also in the
Barfleur, 98, bearing the flag of Sir Samuel
Hood. On the 14th of January, 1782, Mr. M'Knley
was made lieutenant into the Stormont sloop, but that
vessel being captured before he could join her, he went
back to the Barflenr, and was in consequence present
in the actions of the 9th and 12th of April, and at the
capture, on the 19th of the same month, of the enemy's
ships Jason, Caton, Ain:table, and Ceres, in the Mona
passage. On the date last mentioned he removed to the
Champion, 24, Captain Alexand. r Heorl, with whom
in July, 1783, he returned home from America in
L'Aimable frigate. We next, between April, 1794, and
August, 1791, find him serving on the Newfoundland
and dome etetions in the Tnorn, sloop, Captain William
L'-chmere; Edgar, 74, Captain Adam Duncan; Trim
mer, 16 Captain Cnarles Tyler; and Illustrious, 74,
and Formidable, 98, each bearing the flag of the Hon.
J. L. Gower. When in the Trimmer in 1787 Mr. M4Kire
ley was sent in pursuit of a smuggler in the jelly boat,
and during an absence of 30 hours without food was
caught in a heavy gale and all but lost. His first appoint-
meut, on leaving the Formidable was, Dec. 1, 1792, to
the Alcide, 74, Captain (afterwards Commodore and
Rear-Admiral) Robert Linz (e; previously to accom-
panying whom, in 1794, into the Windsor Castle, 98, he
participated (the second time on board the Fortitude,
74, Capt. W. Young) in two unsuccessful attacks upon the
tower of s.lortella in ;he island of Corsica. A• sucningcone-
mend, in March, 1795, after four months of half-pay of
the Liberty, cutter, he cruised for upwards of three
years in that yes-el on the Channel station, and on the
17th of March, 1796, gained the particular notice of Sir
William Sidney Smith by the gallant and judicious
manner in which, having entered the harbour or Herqui
in company with tne Diamond frigate and Aristocrat
lugger, he went into action with •he corvette Etourdie,
of 16 guns, preparatory to her destruction. On the 16 h
of May, 1798, 11r. M‘liinl-y was promoted to the com-
mand of the Otter firwstiip. In the todowing year, being
order, d to accompany the expedition to Holland, he
witnessed the surrender cf Rear Admiral Storey's
•quadrou in the Texel, and was placed in charge, with a
cheachmeot of marines, of the town of Enquysen,where
he remained until the evacuation of the Helder and the
removal of the British naval force from the Zuyder Z e.
On the 2d of April, 1801, immediately after the battle
of Copenhagen, on which occasion the Otter had formed
part of the light squadron attached to Lord Nelson's
division, Captain M-Kinley was nominated to the tem-
porary command of the &Ilona, 74, whose captain, Sir
Thomas Boulden Thompson, had lust a leg in the action.
As soon as he nad refitted that ship he was sup-rseded
and sent in charge of the Ardent, 64, to England,
whence on 20 h of the ensuing October, the very day he
was confirmed in post rank, he sailed for the West
Indies in the Pelican sloop with dispatches relative to
the treaty of Amiens. He removed, immediately on his
arrival, to the Abergavenny, 54, and was subse-
quently appointed, July 23, 1802, to the Ganges,
74, in which ship he returned home via Halifax.
July 11, 1803, to the Roebuck, 44, employed at first as
a guard-ship at Leith (where the explosion of a powder
horn, while on duty, deprived him of sight for several
weeks), and then as flag-ship to Rear-Admiral Billy
Douglas in Yarmouth Roads, January 23. 1806, to the
Quebec, 32, stationed off the coast of Holland; 20th
May following to the Lively, 38; April 19. 1811, to the
San Joseph, 110, bearing the flag in the Mediterranean
and Channel of Sir Charles Cotton, with whom he con-
tinued until his death in February, 1812; May 5, in
the latter year, to the Bellenna, 74, in which ship he
cruised off the Scheldt, made a voyage to St. Helena,
and served with the Channel fleet, and (after an interval
of nine months), November 21, 1814, and August 26,
1815, to the Namur and Bulwark, 74's, as flag-captain
to Sir Charles Rowley, in the River Medway. During
his command of Vie Lively, Captain M'Kinley was for
some time senior officer on the Lisbon station, where he
rendered an essential service in bringing away the Bri-
tish factory and all the English merchant vessels lying
in the Tagus, at a time when General Juliet was rapidly
approaching with a powerful French army to take pos-
seston of the Portuguese capital. His conduct, indeed,
afforded so mach satisfactien to the merchants that they
united in presentiug him with a piece of plate. In
January, 1808, the Lively conveyed 11-ter-Admiral
William Albany Otway to the squadron employed in the
blockade or Lisbon ; and then went on a crui, •
off the Western Islands, After the convention of Cintra
her captain was sent into the Tagus, with orders to take
charge of the naval arsenal, which he retained until it
was delivered over to the Portuguese authorities. He
subsequently cruised off Oporto, and received the thanks
of the merchants there for his exertions in clearing the
river Douro of all the British shipping previously to the
French entering that city. In March, 1809, his assist-
ance being solicited by the inhabitants of Gallicia, he
repaired thither, and took an active part in the opera-
tions which led to the capture of Vigo and Santiago.
On the advance of Marshal Seult towards St. Pay.•,
Captain M'Krnley was the means °reeving it from cap
ture by effectually destroying the bridge. In July, 1809,
he convoyed a fl- et from Lisbon to Eoglend; and on
September 18, in the same year, he contributed to the
capture of L'Aurore, French lugger-privateer, of 16
guns and 69 men. After lying for a time in the Downs
es flag shy or the late Sir George Cempb 11, the Lively,
in April, 1810, conveyed Sir Charles Cotton to Cadiz.
On her return she was ordered to escort the outward-
bound trade to Portugal and the Mediterranean. Atter
executing that service she was unfortunately wrecked,
Angus', 10, 1810, on a reef of rucks near Point Coura,
in the island ..f Malta, a disaster of any share in which
Captain M'Kinley was by court-martial fully ac-
qaitted. 0(1 afterwards leaving the Bulwark he was
appointed, January 16, 1813, a captain of the Royal
Hospital at Greenwich ; and in April, 1821, he was no-
minated superintendent of the Royal Naval Asylum on
the occasion of its incorporation with the former insti-
tution. His serv'ce, in the latter capacity were Sc.
knowledged in 1828 by a special increase of 1001. per
annum to his salary. He became a Rear Admiral July
22, 1830 ; Vice-Adrairal November 23, 1841 ; and Ad

mirel list month.
" Admiral *Kinky married a sister of the late
Vice-Admiral Aiskew raffard Hollis, by whom he has
issue.

THE PUPILS OF THE NAVAL COLLEGE OF BREST.
—A French Government steamer and a French cor-
vette arrived at Deptford-yard on Saturday, with the
pupils of the Naval College at Brest. Shortly after
their arrival, the commanders of the ships landed and
paid their respects to the captain- superintendent, who,
it is almost needless to add, received them with
every courtesy. The pupils, numbering between one
and two hundred, and who are fine, healthy, active
looking youths, landed at the yard yesterday morn-
ing (Monday), and proceeded by the railway to town
to view the Exhibition, for which purpose they have
visited this country. The suitable uniform worn by
the English marines attracted the attention of the
French marines and sailors, affording, as it does, a
contrast to the uniform of their own service.
THE AFFAIR AT VALPARAISO.— We have received
the following particulars of the affair at Valparaiso
from a correspondent :
" About the 20th June, a captain of one of the m 7.-
chant-vessels lying there having died, and the captains
of the other ve,sek wishing to ow the deceased ail the
respeet in their power (but the laws of Chli da not allow
the bodies of heretics to be carried through the town ex-