was ever remarked as being in high order, and was a school of discipline; many young men who were first ushered into the service on board that ship, and under the patronage of her distinguished commander, have since become ornaments to their country.On the commencement of the late war, Lord Howe honoured his friend by applying for him as captain of the fleet, and Sir Roger Curtis went on board the Queen Charlotte to assist the commander jn chief.In this eminent situation he continued to. distinguish h|mself by an unwearied application to the many and important duties of his station ; and his constant attention to the discipline of the fleet, undoubtedly contributed much to the glorious victory af- . terwards gained; a victory by whiph the name of the departed hero who commanded the British squadron has been immortalized.Upon a promotion of flag-officers in April i{H, Sir Roger Curtis was appointed colonel of the Plymouth division of marines.Shortly after this the memorable battle of the st of June was gained by the fleet under Lord Howe’s command. It would be superfluous to dwell on the advantages the country derived by the success of that important day ; or on the merits of those who served under his Lordship : they are recorded in the naval annals of the British empire, and exhibit one of the most splendid victorios ever atchieved by our gallant tars. The subject of our present memoir, however, enjoyed his full share of glory, in the honourable mention made of his services by the admiral, and which, as his biographers, we feel it our duty to no~ tice. Of the evolutions necessary to be put in practice to bring the enemy to action, it is said; ” To the unremitting exertions and skill of the firet captain of the fleet, during the long chace which preceded the action, in very tempestuous weather, much praise is due;” and in his official account of the battle Lord Howe nobly acknowledges the obligations due to such exalted merit. Speaking of Sir Roger Curtis, he says,” It is incumbent on me, nevertheless, now to add, that I am greatly indebted to him for his counsels as well as conduct in every branch of my official duties.”On the return of the victorious fleet into port, when his Majestyvisited the squadron, and honoured the officers by personally destributjng the marks of royal royal approbation, Sir Roger Curtis received a gold chain and medal, of the same description as those presented to the rear admirals, to.which rank his situation as captain of the fleet corresponded; on the same occasion hisSovereign further testified his royal favour by raising him to the dignity of a baronet of Great Britain,Shortly after this, Sir Roger Curtis was placed in a situation peculiarly unpleasant and delicate, as prosecutor in the Court Martial held on the captain of the Caesar. On this occasion he displayed great ability and legal knowledge.On the . th of July , Sir Roger Curtis was promoted to the rank of rear-admiral ; he continued to serve in the channel fleet, but the enemy kept too closely in port to give him opportunity of distinguishing himself as a leader. On the th of February , he was promoted to the rank of vice-admiral of the red, and in the month of May , he was appointed to command at the Cape of Good Hope. His laudable attention to ceconomy in every branch of the public service is strikingly meritorious, and one instance is particularly deserving of notice:On the Jupiter, of guns, being in want of repair, he determined, instead of sending her to the East Indies, which had always been the enstom, and where her repairs would have cost an immense sum to government, to make the experiment whether it was not possible to refit her at the Cape ; she wgs accordingly hove down and put in perfect repair in Simeon’s bay: he thus accomplished an object which, as a precedent, might have been of considerable importance to the navy, and which reflects high credit on his perseverance.The return of peace has of course suspended the exertions of Sir R. Curtis’s naval
