manner in which he led the action, and placed the Royal George alongside the French Admiral's ship, the Marengo, of 84 guns.

Also a sword of 50l. value to Lieutenant Fowler, of the Roy, al Navy, for his services to Commodore Dance, during the two days the enemy were in sight.

The Court of Directors of the Honourable the East India Company, with the most liberal gratitude, for the most resolute and gallant manner, the commanders, officers, &c. of the China fleet defended their property in beating off the French squadron under Admiral Linois, in the Chinese Seas, 15 February, 1804, have voted to the commanders, officers, and seamen, the following sums, viz.

Commodore Dance 2000 guineas, and a piece of plate value 200 guineas.

Captain Timins 1000 guineas, and a piece of plate value 100 guineas.

Captain Moffat 500 guineas, and a piece of plate value 100 guineas.

vants.....

50 guineas each 50 ditto ditto. 80 ditto ditto 50 ditto, ditto 80 ditio ditto 30 ditto ditto 15 ditto ditto

50 ditto ditto

6 ditto ditto

And to Lieutenant Fowler, of his Majesty's Navy, for the services be rendered to Commodore Dance, 300 guineas for a piece of plate.

The whole will amount to near £50,000.

The value of the sixteen ships, with their cargoes and pri vate property, was little short of £8,000,000. sterling.

The following list of the French fleet is believed to be correct.

The Court also voted the sum of 500 guineas to Captain De Courcy, of his Majesy's ship Plantagenet, who convoyed the China ships from St. Helena to Europe, now joined by the Carmarthen, Captain Dobree, from Bencoolen, and five southern whalers. They all arrived in the Downs, August 8,

1804.

It was officially made known to the foregoing gentlemen, by the following handsome circular letter, signed by the secretary: To Captuin

Commander of the

THE Court of Directors of the East India Company, having taken into consideration a letter from Cap. tain Dance, containing the particulars of an engagement with a fleet of the Company's ships, under the orders of Captain Dance, and a French squadron commanded by Admiral Linois, in the China Seas, I have the pleasure to acquaint you, that being impressed with the gallantry and good conduct evincedby you on that occasion, in which the bravery and undaunted

Court have resolved to present you with the sum of (see the two foregoing pages,) and a piece of plate of the value of (see as before) in testimony of the sense they entertain of your conduct on the above occasion.

I have likewise to state, that the Court have allowed the officers and seamen on board your ship the undermentioned gratuities, as a mark of their approbation of their conduct, viz.

Commodore Sir Nathaniel Dance, after refusing a baronetcy, was made a knight, August 21, 1804.

PREPARATORY INSTRUCTIONS

To persons who may be nominated Cadets in the service of the Honorable East India Company.

The following information being printed for the guidance of such persons who may be nominated Cadets in the service of the Honorable United East India Company, they are desired to peruse the same attentively, and obtain the extract from the parish register of their birth or baptism, certified agreeably to the forms herein prescribed, previous to their attending at the East India House, to be approved of by the committee of shipping, as, in the event of their certificates not being conformable, they cannot be admitted until they are completed, and the Cadet will experience much delay and inconvenience therefrom.

AT A COURT OF DIRECTORS,

Held on Wednesday, the 9th August, 1809.

Resolved,

That any person who shall in future be nominated to a situation, either civil or military, in the service of this company, and who shall have obtained such nominations in

consequence of purchase, or agreement to purchase, or of any corrupt practice whatever, either direct or indirect, by himself or by any other person, with or without his privity, shall be rejected from the service of the company, and ordered back. to England, if he shall have proceeded to India before a discovery of such corrupt practice be made: and if such situation shall have been so corruptly procured by himself, or with his privity, he shall be rendered incapable of holding that, or any other situation whatever, in the said service. Provided always, that if a fair disclosure of any corrupt transaction or practice, of the nature before described, wherein any Director has been concerned, shall be voluntarily made, by the party or parties engaged in the same with such Director, the appointment thereby procured shall be confirmed by the court.

AT A COURT OF DIRECTORS,

Held on Wednesday, the 7th December, 1808.

Resolved,

1

That the age of Fifteen, at which period young Men have hitherto been eligible for Appointments as Cadets for the Infuntry and Cavalry in the Company's service in India, is too early an Age; and therefore in future, the Age of Sixteen years, be the earliest period at which Cadets for those Corps be appointed.

The certificates required to be produced by the Act of Parliament, of the 33d of his present Majesty George III. and the Court's several resolutions, are as follow, viz.

1st.

An extract from the register of the parish wherein the Cadet was born or christened, signed by the resident Clergyman,... » and countersigned by the Churchwardens.

2d. A certificate from the father, mother, or nearest of kin to the Cadet, (or his guardian in the event of their death) agreeably to the following form. This must be annexed to the above extract.

"I do hereby certify, that the foregoing extract from the register of Baptisms of the Parish of in the County of Son

* contains the Date of the Birth of my who is the beaver of this, and nominated a

and I do further declare, that I received the said appointment for my son gratuitously, and that no money or other valuable consideration has been or is to be paid, either directly or indirectly, for the same; and that I will not pay or cause to be paid, either by myself, by my son, or by the hands of any other person, any pecuniary or valuable consideration whatsoever, to any person or persons who have interested themselves in procuring the said nomination for my Son from the Director above mentioned.

"Witness my hand, this

the year of our Lord,

day of

in

3. A letter from the Cadet's friend, who actually interests himself in procuring the nomination from the Director, certifying to the following effect, viz.

To the Honorable Court of Directors of the United East India Company.

"Gentlemen,

"I do hereby declare, upon my honor, that I received the nomination of a Cadet for the

Esq. gratuitously, and that I have

from given it gratuitously to Mr.

(Infantry or Cavalry)

with whose family and

connections I am well acquainted.

"I am, Gentlemen,

"Your most obedient Servant."

Unless the whole of the above papers are delivered in by the Cadet he will not be passed.

In the event of no parish register existing or to be found, the before mentioned Act of Parliament provides as follows, viz. "That if no such register can be found, an affidavit of that circumstance shall be made by the party himself, with his information and belief, that his age is not under Fifteen Years, and doth not exceed Twenty-two Years."

The following is the form of the affidavit to be made by the Cadet, and sworn to before a Magistrate, viz.

"I. C. D. presented for the appointment of Cadet by Esq. do make oath and swear, that I have caused Search to be made for a Parish Register, whereby to ascertain my age, but am unable to produce the same, there being none to be found; and further I make oath and swear, that from the