compelled, to confine his assistance in that quarter to the granting of a passport, authorizing the inhabitants to import grain, of which the town stood greatly in need.

Toulon was not unanimous in the wish for a monarchical government. A republican party, although not very formidable, existed in the town, and the bulk of the fleet, with Rear-admiral St. Julien, the second in command, at its head, had avowed a similar sentiment; but the commander-in-chief, as already stated, was a stanch monarchist. It was this disunion that had prevented the expected junction of the deputies on board the Victory; and the admiral determined to send an officer to Toulon, to ascertain how matters stood. Accordingly, on the afternoon of the 24th, Lieutenant Edward Cooke, of the Victory, accompanied by a midshipman, and clothed with powers to treat with the royalists for the surrender of the port, departed on that perilous enterprise. He purposely delayed entering the harbour until 10 p.m. It was then dark and windy, and he kept close under a high shore until abreast of the French fleet; when, conceiving the boldest measure to be the safest, he pushed off to the ships, and, being taken for one of their own boat, passed unnoticed between them.

On reaching the dock-yard, and escaping detention by a gun-boat that had boarded him, Lieutenant Cooke received a deputation from the committee-general, but was not permitted to land until next morning. Finally, he was conducted to the chamber where the committee was sitting; and the latter signed a declaration, agreeing to Lord Hood's proposal. One of the articles of that declaration was: " The people of Toulon trust the English nation will furnish, speedily, a force sufficient to assist in repelling the attacks with which they are at this moment threatened, by the army of Italy, which is marching towards Toulon, and by that of General Carteau, who directs his forces against Marseille." In his way back to the fleet, Lieutenant Cooke was arrested, but liberated by the mob; and, on the same afternoon, reached the Victory in safety.

The same enterprising officer afterwards made a second trip; and the following extract from a private letter from Lieutenant Cooke, gives an interesting account of one out of the many hairbreadth escapes he underwent: "A French frigate lay very much in my way; therefore, to throw her off her guard, I stood directly towards her : till, having neared the shore so that her boat could not cut me off, I altered my course, and rowed for the shore as fast as possible. The frigate immediately manned and sent off her long-boat, who kept up a constant fire of swivels at me the whole way ; but they were too late; the shot all passed over my head, and I landed safe, though by no means without some doubts: this, however, was not a time for reflection. From the nature of the shore, which is bounded by high rocks, it was absolutely necessary to pass the broadside of the frigate,

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