Star.
London, England, 1810-02-23 00:00:00

9
....-.-

THE INQUIRY.

MINUTES OF EVIDENCE.

EIGVITH DAY, FEBRUARY is.
Rear-Admiral Sir RICHARD KEATS examined.
Were you consulted with br any of his Majesty's
Ministers previously to the sailing of the Expedition ?
—I was not consulted by any of his Majesty's Mi-
nisters, but I had a conversation with Lord Castle-
reagh at Deal, which I did not consider to be official.
It was merely accidental.
Did that conversation regard the Expedition ?
It did.

Have the goodness to state the substance of that
conversation, and the date of it.—lt first related to
the state of the weather, which I represented as a
very unfavourable hatch of weather at that season of
the year ; the date, I believe, was the 24th of July,
the day before T received my orders to proceed off
Walcheren. His Lordship then mentioned to me the
object of the Expedition, and spoke of the measures
to be pursued. I observed to his Lordship, that if
the fleet of the enemy at Antwerp was considered the
great object of the Expedition, that I hoped we
should not find ourselves involved in the siege of Flu-
shing, or the operations in Walcheren, but that we
should proceed on to the ultimate object without de-
lay. On his Lordship questioning me as to my know.
ledge of Walcheren, I informed him that I had no
other than what I procured from. the charts, and that
I conceived, from that knowledge, that the bet-
ter way probably would be to go up the East
;:cheldt ; his Lordship replied, that that had been
in conternpl ition, but that it had been given up on a
further consideration. I also represented, from the
very bad batch of weather we had at that time, I
much feared, unless a favourable change took place,
that we ran great risk by carrying a fleet so very nu-
merous upon that coast, for that certainly the wea-
ther was of a worse stamp than we might reasonably
have expected at that season of the year. That'was
the substance of the conversation that I had with Lord
Castlereagh.
Can you state what further conversation took place
in consequence of your suggestion that no time should
be lost in the attack of Walcheren and Flushing ?
Lord Castlereagh rather heard what I had to say,
than appeared desirous, I thought. of asking me par-
ticularly ; nor do I remember if he made any obser-
vation upon that subject.
Do you know whether any plan was concerted for
the attack of Antwerp?--No, Ido not. I knew that
Antwerp was the ultimate object of the Expedition,
but as to the plan, I knew not of any, except that I
understood part of the fleet were to have gone up the
West Scheldt ; but the mode of attack upon Ant-

werp I did not know, nor did I even know at that
time the place at which it was intended to disembark
the army. In the first question I was asked, whe-
ther I was consulted by his Majesty's Ministers ? I
should state, I was sent for to town, and was inform-
ed by the first Lord of the Admiralty, that I was to
go upon the Expedition, but I was not consulted ; I
was only ieformed that I was to go, and what the
object of the Expedition was, and the officers that
were going, but I was asked no question.
. Did yon give the first Lord of the Admiralty any
opinion respecting the probable issue 2—No ; I was
asked no question, and, consequently, did not ven-
ture to give any opinion.
Were you well acquainted with the navigation of
the Scheldt ?—I never wits in the Scheldt ; the only
knowledge I derived was from the charts with which
we were supplied.
What were the instructions with which you sailed?
—My instructions are in my pocket.
Are they the same as the printed paper ?—I pre-
some they are ; I have not read the printed paper.—
I was directed to take under my command I think
thirty-three men of war, and some few other vessels,
*in which were embarked the reserve of the army, com-
manded by Lieutenant-General Sir John Hope, and
to co-operate with him in proceeding up the East
Scheldt, and in getting possession of South Beveland,
with a view to take or. destroy the sea batteries on
that island, and also on the islands of Schowen and
North Beveland, and to secure the command of the
navigation of the East Scheldt. This was the foun-
dation of my orders ; but on the 25th, an.information
reaching the Admiralty that the enemy's fleet from
Antwerp h-ad proceeded down the Scheldt, and
were at anchor off Flushing, I was iirected by
Sir Richard Strachan, who received telegraphic
orders from the Admiralty, to proceed immediately
to sea off 'Wakheren, and to take the command
of the squadron at .that time under the command
of Rear-Admiral Lord Gardner. On the 26th
I was enabled to sail ; on the 27th I joined Lord
Gardner,• and took the command of the fleet. On

the 29th, in the morning, seeing a fleet, which I un-
derstood to be part of the Expedition, I resigned the
command of the squadron to my Lord Gardner, and
proceeded and joined Sir Richard Strachap in the
Stone Deep about noon that day.

When aid you *rrive off Bathz?—l went by land
from the anchorage I had taken up at Wemadinge
on the Sd of August, in the morainic, Bathz 'being
evacuated the night before.
At what time did the transports with the cavalry
end artillery arrive at Bathz :—Transports were ar-
riving at Bathz for several days, I think fiom the.
:oth to I believe the 25th of August, but, without
applying to other papers which I have not with meat
this moment, I cannot exactly say on which of those
days the cavalry and artillery arrived.
Can you state what was the cause of their arriving!
believe naval impediments met with near
nt in the Slough Passage, and at the mouth
:heldt. I had various letters from Sir R.
, expressing an anxious desire to get the Bo-
the men of war pp the West Scheldt ; I had
►m him as early as the 31st of July, strongly
ie of his desire and of his intention, and fri-
:ere taken from me, kw the purpose of going
West Scheldt, and all my flotilla ; and indeed
•ery apprehensive, having been contraried by
tds until the Ist of August, in getting to South
.id. I was very uneasy lest the flotiiia should
passed up the West Scheldt, before we should
- opportunity of landing upon South Beveland.
)u imagine, that, if your advice had been at-
to, not to lose time at Flushing or Walcheren,
proceed immediately to the ulterior objects,
ay could have arrived at Bathz at an earlier

*in which
ntanded b:
to co.oper
Scheldt, a
with a vie.
that island
North Bev
navigation
(la tion of
reaching tl
Antwerp 1
were at 2
Sir Richa
orders froi
to sea off
of the squ
of Rear-i
I was enab
Gardner,.;
the 29th, i
derstood tc
command
proceeded
I Stone Dee]
When d
from the ai
on the 3d
evacuated
At what
2nd artillci
living at l
t'Oth to I t
applying ti
this momei
days the
• Can you
sn late ?-1
Walcheren
1, of the Scl-
Strachan,
titla and tl
letters fror
expressive
gates were
t up the We
I was very
the winds
Beveland.
have pass(
have an of
Do you
tended to,
but to pr
the army