Page:Royal Naval Biography Marshall sp2.djvu/412

 The Prince being paid off in 1796, Mr. Clement then joined the Diana 38, and continued in that frigate, on the Irish station, till July, 1797. He subsequently served under Captain Edward O’Bryen, in the Nassau of 64 guns, and Monarch 74, the latter ship bearing the flag of Vice-Admiral Onslow, in the North Sea fleet.

In Sept. 1797, Mr. Clement was sent in the Monarch’s jolly-boat to the Nassau, where his men got intoxicated, and thereby exposed both him and themselves to the most imminent peril, the night closing while he was vainly endeavouring to regain his own ship, and the whole fleet being out of sight next morning. In this perilous situation, and without any thing to eat or drink, he remained upwards of 40 hours, but was at length picked up by the Astraea frigate, in a dreadfully exhausted state, both from cold and hunger.

We have already stated, that the glorious battle of Camperdown was commenced by the Monarch; – her loss on that occasion amounted to 36 slain and 100 wounded, one of whom was the subject of this memoir, as will be seen by the following extract of a letter from his gallant captain to Mr. Clement, senior:

The first wound mentioned by Captain O’Bryen was in the left thigh; the latter, in the head, by a musket-ball; – in the intermediate time Mr. Clement was also slightly wounded in the left arm.

On the Monarch’s arrival in England, Mr. Clement returned to his paternal residence, where he continued until his health was re-established. The wound in his thigh compelled him to use crutches for more than four months, and that in his head continued open, with frequent exfoliations, nearly