Star.
London, England, 1830-09-09 00:00:00

" 1 wish no other herald--

No other speaker of my living actions,
. To keep mine honour from corruption,
Than such an honest chronicler."
Having fought his way up. to the rank of Post Captain, and possessing
a hereditary title, his Majesty George the Third was pleased to con-
fer on Lord Cochrane the honour of Knight of the Bath, for his gallant
services. The last important achievement of the Noble Lord was the
attack on the French fleet in Basque Roads, in April, 1809. In con-
templating the magnitude of the idea, the tremendous effects of the
explosion, the genius that planned and the courage that con-
ducted such an enterprise, cannot but be admired. Lord Gam-
bier, in his despach, thus compliments his Lordship :—" I can-
not speak in terms of sufficient admiration and applause of the
vigorous end gallant attack made by Lord Cochrane upon.the French line-
of-battle ships which were on shore, as well as of his judicious manner of
approaching them, and placing his ship :in the position most advan-
tageous to annoy the enemy and preserve his own ship, which could not
be exceeded by any feat of valour hitherto achieved by the British
navy." The means adopted by his Lordship, who personally conducted
the explosion ship, which had been prepared by himself in a manner
than which nothing was ever more dreadful, were these :—He cansedi
about 1,500 barrels of gunpowder to be started into puncheons, which
were fixed end upwards; upon the tops of these were placed between
300 and 400 shells, charged with fusees ; and again, among and upon
these were 2,000 or 3,000 hand-grenades. The puncheons were fas-
tened to each other by cables wound round them, and jammed together
with wedges: and moistened :sand was rammed down between these
casks, so as to render the whole, from stem to stern, as solid as possi-
ble, that the resistance might render the 'explosion the more violent.l
In this instrument of destruction Lord Cochrane committed himself with
only one Lieutenant and four seamen ; and, after the booth was broken,'
his Lordship proceeded with this explosion ship towards the enemy's
line. Let it be recollected that, at this moment, the batteries on short
were provided with furnaces to fire red.bot shot, and then his Lordship's
danger in the enterprise may be properly conceived. The wind blew a
gale, and the tide ran three knots an hour. When the blue lights of
the fire-ship were discovered, one of the enemy's signal ships made the
signals for fire-ships; which, being also a blue light, the enemy fell
into great confusion, firing upon her with very injurious effect, and
cut their cables. When Lord Cochrane had conducted his ex-
plosion-ship as near as was possible, the Enemy having taken
the alarm, he ordered his brave little crew into the boat,
and followed them, after putting fire to the fusee, which was calculated
to give them 15 minutes to get out of the reach of the explosion.
However, in consequence of the wind getting very high, the fusee
burnt too quickly; so that, with the most violent exertion against
wind and tide, this intrepid little party was six minutes nearer than
they calculated to be, at the time when the most tremendous explo-
sion that human art ever contrived took place, followed by the bursting,
at once, in the air, of near 400 shells and 3,000 hand-grenades, pour-
ing down a shower of cast metal in every direction. But fortunately,
the boat had reached, by unparalleled exertion, just beyond the extent
of destruction. Unhappily, this effort to escape cost the life of the
brave lieutenant, whom this noble captain saw die in the boat, partly
under fatigue, and partly drowned with waves that continually broke
over them. Two of the four sailors were also so nearly exhausted
that their recovety was despaired of. Such were the perils encoun-
tered—yet when they reached their ship, the Imperieuse, it is known
that Lord Cochrane was the first to go down to the attack, and was for
more than an hour the only English man-of-war in the harbour. lie
attacked and captured the Calcutta, which had one-third more guns
than the Imperieuse. The sudden repetition of his operations was
so dreaded by the enemy that they apprehended an equal explosion in
every fire-ship, and immediately crowding all their sail, ran before wind
and tide so fast that the fire-ships, though at first very near. could not
overtake them before they were high and dry on shore, except three
seventy-fours, besides the Calcutta, which were afterwards engaged,,
taken, and burnt. Seven went ashore, of which two three-deckers after-
wards got of, and went up the river. Two of the remaining fire were on
their beam ends before Lord Cochrane came away.
Lord Cochrane soon turned his attention to rescue the vanquished
from the devouring elements; and in bringing away the people of the
Ville de Varsovie, he would not allow even a doq to be abandoned, but
took a crying little favourite up in Ids arms, and brought it away. But
a still greater instance of goodness was displayed in his humanity to a
Captiin of a French 74, who came to deliver his sword to Lord Coch-
leae, bementing that all he had in the world was about to be destroy ed
by the molestation of his ship. His Lordship instantly got into the

boat with him, and pushed off, to assist his prisont r in retrieving sow
.-
valuable property ; but, in passing by a 71, was on tire. 110
loaded guns began to go off, a shot from s!ocli killed the French Cap-
tain, by Lord Cochrane's side, and so damag, d :he boat, that she filled
with water, and the rest of the party were neatly drowned. Lord Cods-
rape's brother, the Hon. Lieut. Colonel Basil Cochrane, and a friend,
Lieut. Dimwit, R.N. were volunteers on board the Imperiause during
this engagenient, and greatly distinguished themsdves.
Shortly after his return Lord Cochrane attended a meeting at ;le!
Freemasons' Tavern, and bestowed between 5901. and 6091. upon th,
Society for the Promotion of Universal Education, being his lowels!iip's
share of the prise-money which he had acquired upon this glorious or.
casino. In these enterprises his Lordship not oily acquired great honour
but considerable wealth. having, it is wild, shared no less than 130,9001.
in:prize-tnoney. His Lordship, trey active and expiring. was now de-
sirous of obtaining* seat in Parliament, and essay :d fur that purpose•
the borough of Honiton, but failed. He put up a>xond time, and suc-
ceeded, but a dissolution shortly afterwards taking place, he stood for
Westminster, and was again successful. Here his Lordship continence(
anew career, and, willt the same hardihood which characterised his at.
tacks on foreign enemies, he made war upon those whom he deemed do.
mestic foes. In short, Lord Cochrane playtd a very active par: in op.
position, and exposed many naval abuses, which had fallen under h:s
own observation.

_ ..___...
The hoax on the Stock Exchange, in 1814, in which his uncle, Mr.
Cochrane Johnstone and some others were implicated, brought ruin upon
Lord Cochrane, who was found guilty, by e Special Jury, on evidence
almost purely circumstancial, and which his‘torship frequently must
solemnly denied any knowledge of, or participation in. But this affair
was regarded by the then existing Government as too favourable en
orportunity to be omitted of wreaking upon him its full venpance for
his political transgressions. And the Administration which could take
the Lord Lieutenancy from a Nobleman of Lord Fluwllliam's worth
and integrity might well be supposed capable of depriving a brave and
meritorious Officer of his commission and honours. He was cone.
quently removed from the i•eivice, stripped of his Order of the
Bath, and expelled the House of Commons, besides fine and
imprisonment inflicted by the Court of King's Bench. The punish.
ment of the pillory, though decreed, was remitted. On the whole, after
a lapse of sixteen years, it is considered that the punishment hits far ex-'
ceded the offence, and, in that point of view, his Lordship -tt is more
sinned against than sinning." Some have alleged that, in subsequently
fighting the beide% of other nations, he has proved himself a hired mer-
cenary ; but surely that cannot, in fairness, exclusive* apply es a se.
proach to Lord Cochrane, since Sir Sidney Smith is only a Swedish
Knight, granted, some years Rine., for fighting their battles against the
IRussians ; and no complaint was ever made against that gallant officer
fur being a mercenary. Even Sir Robert Wilson is only a foreign
Knight; and meny other officers in the British service have received
their honorary distinctions from foreign powers. No man in the Navy
could have displayed more zeal and gallantry on all occasions than Lord
Cochrane. In fact, a genius after Lord Nelson's own heart—possessing
a mind which no danger could appal, or difficulties overcome. It is re.
served for the glory of Ling William IV. to restore him to his rank and
station in that profession in which he has ever proved himself a dbl.
tinguisbed ornament.

RIGISTER OF PUBLIC seILBS, Sept. &

AUCTION MART.

Mr. L Jowaa.—Six Leasehold Houses, Nos. I to 6, RateHlE:place,
Ratelir-row, Bath-street, City-road, let at 1241. 10s. a-year; held for
30 years at 691. 10s. ground-rent and taxes paid by landlord—Knocked
down at 1351.

A Leasehold House, Warehouse, and Premises, No. 19, Fore-street,
Cripplegate, held for 13 years, at 921. per annum—Passed.
A Freehold House and Smith's and Farrier's Workshop, adjoining
the Hanley Estate, Hornsey-road ; let at 161 a- ear-1551.
The Absolute Reversion to 4001. cash secur on 12,0001. Stock in
the 3 per Cents. payable on the death of a lady aged 67-1961.