The Editors of the Naval Chronicle present their twenty-sixth Volume to the Public, in the gratifying consciousness, that, neither in the record of important public events, nor in the varied display of useful and interesting information, will it shrink from a comparison with any of the preceding.

It may be said, that the star of Britain has, of late, shined with unusual brilliancy in the East. The capture of the Isle of France, so amply illustrated in our twenty-fifth Volume, has been followed by the surrender, respectively, of Ternate, one of the strongest islands in the Molucca Seas; of Gorontello; of the French port of Tamatavé, at Madagascar; and, though last, not least, of Batavia, and the whole of the Island of Java, west of the Cheribon. To expatiate on the value of the last-mentioned acquisition, would be superfluous. “An Empire,” observes Lord Minto, in his official letter to the Earl of Liverpool, “which, for two centuries, has contributed greatly to the power, prosperity, and grandeur of one of the principal and most respected states of Europe, has been thus wrested from the short usurpation of the French government, added to the dominion of the British Crown, and converted, from a seat of hostile machinations and commercial competition, into an augmentation of British power and prosperity.”

The capture of the Isle of France was also succeeded by a naval battle, off Tamatavé, as hardly fought, and as successful in its result, as most that have been recorded during the present war.

Patriotism, in the unsophisticated sense of the word, comprises nearly all that is elevated in the human mind. The real patriot, superior to all party, acts, feels, and lives for his country. He deplores her poverty, but rejoices in her wealth; sympathizes in her losses, but exults in her success; mourns over her defeats, but triumphs in her victories; shudders at the idea of her disgrace, but, as a simple part of the whole, he experiences a glowing pride, in all that adds to her honour, or increases her splendour.

During the period, to the history of which this Volume relates, little has occurred to irritate, but much to gratify and exhilarate, the mind of a patriotic Briton. Without adverting to the plains of the Ibernian peninsula, where so many heroes have fought, bled, and conquered for their country, our naval expeditions alone will be found to have shed additional lustre on the annals of Britain. Our “Letters on Service,” recording the capture of the Isle of France, and its dependencies; the defence of Anholt, by a brave little band, under Captain Maurice; and the victory of Captain Hoste, in the Adriatic, bear proud testimony of the truth of this position.—The value of our newly-acquired Eastern possessions is farther illustrated; the enemy's account of the expedition against Anholt is also given; and the French report of the action in the Adriatic, is recorded, as a curiosity.

Admiral darby was a disciple of that school, which is now almost extinct. He was contemporary with Rodney, Geary, Barrington, Hawke, and others, whose names appear to so much advantage in our naval annals.

Respecting his earlier services, our information is but slight. On the 12th of September, 1747, he was appointed captain of the Warwick; from which, by the month of December following, he was removed into the Aldborough, of 20 guns, on the American station. In January, 1748, he joined Commodore Knowles, at Jamaica; but it does not appear that he was present at the subsequent attack on St. Jago de Cuba, with that officer.

The peace which soon afterwards ensued, deprived Captain Darby, in common with most of the officers of the British navy, of any early opportunity of distinguishing himself; and it is not until the year 1757, when he commanded the Norwich, of 50 guns, on the West India station, that we find his name again mentioned.–Having returned to England, he was employed in the same ship, in the summer of 1759, at the bombardment of Havre de Grace, under Rear-admiral Rodney; after which, he continued, for some time, with the squadron, on a cruise in the Channel.

Sir james athol wood, descended from the Woods, of Largo, in the county of Fife, is the third son of Mr. Alexander Wood, of Perth, in North Britain. He was born in the year 1760; and, with his younger brother, Andrew, engaged, at a very early age, in the naval service of his country. These young gentlemen were educated at the grammar school, and at the academy, at Perth; which are considered as amongst the best seminaries for naval and military men, in Scotland.

In the year 1776, James Wood, then a midshipman on board the Hunter sloop of war, served on shore, at the defence of Quebec, with a party of seamen. In 1777, he served on board the Barfleur, with Captain (afterwards admiral) Milbanke; and, in 1778, he went out as an acting lieutenant in Admiral Byron's flag-ship, the Princess Royal, in quest of the Comte D'Estaing's squadron, which had sailed from Toulon, for North America. After Admiral Byron had joined Lord Howe, at New York, he placed Mr. Wood in the Renown, commanded by Captain Dawson, as first lieutenant; and, as he left him in America, when he proceeded to the West Indies, Mr. Wood was never again so fortunate as to fall in with his friend, the admiral.

We cannot but reflect, with some degree of satisfaction, that amidst other valuable naval documents, which our Chronicle has either originally brought forward, or been the means of rescuing from oblivion, it has given to the profession two biographical memoirs of eminent admirals, from memoranda, written by themselves, viz. Lord Nelson and Lord Collingwood; and in our present Volume we have inserted an exact copy of the letter which we received from the latter officer. To expatiate on the utility of this biographical department of our work, which has now been extended throughout twenty-three Volumes, would be superfluous: and yet we have thus ventured to glance at it, from the great difficulty we sometimes experience, in procuring information on this head from naval men of acknowledged talents and reputation. We sometimes, therefore, may seem to neglect names, which ought to appear in our biography, when the real cause of such omission does not rest with ourselves, but with the over delicacy of those leading characters in the navy, to whom we had applied. This delicacy, as it merits the respect of every one, and marks that modesty which invariably attends real merit, has been always respected by us. Many biographical memoirs that have been drawn up from materials furnished by the friends of naval officers, have frequently afterwards been withdrawn by us, on finding this nervous delicacy of professional men alarmed, and others of less importance, and that frequently at a short notice, substituted instead.

Spence, in the preface to his Polymetis, says, “there is not any sort of writing which he sits down to with so much reluctance as that of prefaces:” as we are somewhat inclined to his opinion, and moreover believe that most people are not much more given to reading them, than we are fond of writing them, we shall, for the reader's sake as well as our own, get over this as fast as is consistent with our duty. For, notwithstanding ordinary readers may be apt to skip over these little compositions, and that some even consider them as so many pages lost, the case is different with us; we have what may be called a literary duty to perform, and the present is one of the stated periods for that performance. We have to justify principles, to acknowledge patronage, to vindicate conduct, or to record gratitude. In a work avowedly the produce of auxiliary literature, the Editor must wait for the returns of this period to appear personally before the tribunal to which he is amenable: and above all we are bound not to neglect the opportunities which the embodying our monthly numbers into half-yearly volumes affords, for placing our thanksgiving to contributing friends upon more permanent record than the wrappers of the Chronicles; much too fugitive a medium to satisfy our feelings, or even to tranquillize our conscience.

Although no part of our naval history has equalled the present in the number, the brilliancy, or the importance of gallant achievements; and rapidly as they pass in succession before our eyes, from the splendid victory of an admiral to the unequal but successful combat of a commander of a packet, a grateful and admiring country records them in her faithful page, prepares a niche in the temple of fame for her hero, and embalms him in our memory for the example and instruction of present and future ages.

Where success crowns the conflict, no deductions are made from its full portion of praise; the public voice enters into no scrutiny; victory sheds a dazzling lustre round the hero, and his brows are decked with blooming laurels, which bid defiance to the noxious breath of envy, or the whisper of detraction. Ample credit is given for the possession of resplendent talents, and personal acquirements; and he is hailed with acclamation in his road to fame and fortune.

But when victory frowns upon him, and ceases to acknowledge him for her child, it is natural to pause before we bestow the meed of praise.

It has been justly observed, that, “as it is not the fortune of every man to have that opportunity of distinguishing himself, which is necessary to the acquisition of high renown, there have been several commanders who have attained the most elevated rank in the service, and with the greatest intrinsic honour, without acquiring that fame which has indelibly established the characters of others; yet are these men not a tittle less entitled to the thanks and applause of their countrymen.”–This remark applies with considerable force to the late Admiral Allen; for, though his professional honours were, literally, the reward of professional merit, his services never appear to have been sufficiently brought forward to public notice.

This gentleman obtained a lieutenant's commission on the 14th of June, 1745, and was made commander, in the Grampas sloop, on the 5th of April, 1757. This proved to be a very fortunate appointment; as, in the course of the year, after a very gallant action in the Bay, he took the Duc d'Aumont, French privateer, of 16 guns and 100 men; for which, on the 21st of March, 1758, he was promoted to post rank, in the Experiment frigate, of 20 guns.–In the interim, however, he, for a short period, commanded, by order, a sixth rate, on the Mediterranean station.

“Many are the heroes of the dark rolling sea;” and much pleasure do we experience, in recording the numerous acts of prowess, by which our gallant countrymen have rendered, and are daily rendering themselves eminently conspicuous. The pleasure is materially heightened, when, as in the present instance, the subject of our notice may not have attained that length of years, from which we have some right to expect a corresponding series of bold and vigorous enterprise.–Generously emulating the fame of our “Christian Knight,” who, more than once, has made the tyrant of the earth tremble, though surrounded by his blood, stained minions, Sir James Yeo has brilliantly commenced a career, which nothing but death or envy can hinder from an illustrious progress, and a glorious close.

This officer, whose name we are proud of inscribing on our page, is the son of James Yeo, Esq. formerly Agent Victualler at Minorca. He was born on the 7th of October, 1782; consequently, on the appearance of this memoir, he will but just have completed his twenty-eighth year!

He was educated at the Rev. Mr. Walter's academy, at Bishop's Waltham, near Winchester. Having been intended for the naval profession, he went to sea at a very early age, under the auspices of the late Admiral Cosby, in the Windsor Castle; and it seems not altogether impossible, that the family motto of that officer might have had some influence on his youthful and ardent mind.