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 After remaining there upwards of six months, Lieutenant Bartholomew received a letter from the military chief, of which the following is a copy:

“Isla de Leon, 3 May, 1811.

“Dear Sir,– I am extremely sorry that your having been so long on the detached station of the river Sancti Petri should have put you out of the way of having your name brought forward as other commanders of gun-boats employed in the bay have been, to as to procure promotion for many of them, while you hitherto have not been noticed, as your exemplary zeal, vigilance, and intrepidity on many occasions, give you the best claims to, after a meritorious service of so many years. I wish it was in my power to be of use to you, nothing would give me greater pleasure than being instrumental in promoting the interest of an officer who for so long a time acquitted himself of a constant duty, under my eye, with so much credit to himself and advantage to the service. I still trust, that your merit will soon be rewarded. Accept the assurances of my best wishes and regards, and believe me. Dear Sir, very truly and obediently yours,

(Signed)“.”

About the same period, Lieutenant Bartholomew received an Admiralty commission, appointing him to the command of the Richmond gun-brig, mounting twelve 18-pounder carronades and two long sixes, with a complement of 64 men and boys, employed under the orders of Commodore Penrose, then senior officer at Gibraltar. On the 14th of the following month, he captured a French privateer, pierced for 10 guns, with a crew of 50 men, near Malaga. During a subsequent cruise, his boats cut out a lateen vessel from under the castle of Frangerola, which was silenced, and part of its walls damaged, l»y the Richmond’s well-directed fire. On the 7th Feb., 1812, he made the following report to his commodore:

“On the evening of the 4th instant, I received information of a French privateer cruising to the eastward of Cape de Gatt, and at 9 o’clock next morning she was observed under the land near Vera. After a chase of nearly five hours, she ran into a bay under Cape Cope, and anchored with a spring. The Richmond stood in, receiving the whole of the enemy’s broadside several times, without returning the fire until within half cable’s length, then let go her anchor, veered, and opened; on which the enemy set fire to the vessel and took to his boats. The enemy’s cable was now cut, the vessel taken possession of, and sail made; but such was the conflagration, that all efforts to save her proved ineffectual; she was, however brought out more than a mile. In less than ten minutes after she was abandoned