'History of the Indian Navy. (1613-1863).' [‎191] (210/622)

HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAYY.
191
Extracts from correspondence, commendatory of the officers
and crew of the 6 Elphinstone/ when employed in New Zealand,
were published in General Orders under date the 26th of Jiine»
1846, and also, on the f8th of October following, the Court's
despatch highly eulogising Commander Young and those under
his command.
The 4 Elphinstone ? proceeded to Auckland and thence to
Sydney with Colonel Despard, and, on the 25th of February,
sailed with despatches for Aden, where she cast anchor on the
22nd of May. On the 27th, Commander Young went on shore
on sick leave, Lieutenant Leeds remaining in temporary com
mand, and, on the arrival of the 6 Semiramis/ Commander
E. W. S. Daniell, with the mails from Suez, he proceeded
in her to Bombay, arriving there on the 27th of June.
After a short residence on shore, his health being sufficiently
restored to permit of his returning to duty, Commander Young
was appointed to the command of the 4 Cleopatra,' Lieutenant
J. Rennie being transferred to the schooner 4 Constance ;' and,
on the arrival of the 6 Elphinstone' at Bombay, the ward-room
officers (with the exception of Lieutenant Leeds, who was sent
on shore sick), and men who had served under him, were
drafted from the sloop-of-war to the steam-frigate, much to
their satisfaction, as a better seaman or more kind and con
siderate officer than Commander Young never trod a ship's
deck. The c Cleopatra' had been employed conveying the
mails to Suez, and Commander Young, for a short period from
the 26th of November, 1846, was in temporary charge of the
duties of Senior Naval Officer at Aden, an appointment newly
constituted by the Court of Directors The London-based directors of the East India Company who dealt with the daily conduct of the Company's affairs. in consequence of the
growing importance of that place, and published to the Service
in the following Government General Order:—
44 The following extract from a despatch from the Hon. Court
of Directors, dated the 20th of May, 1846, No. 38, is published
ment, they were undoubtedly as conversant with the strength of our force as we
ourselves were ; a simple, dogged, determined, yet good-tempered spirit animated
them cheerfully and bravely to await results, without one thought of yielding. The
fire-arms of the enemy were generally equal, and frequently superior, to ours in
range, being good Kentucky rifles, supplied evidently by the South-Sea American
whalers, to whom the dollar was of course irresistible. They were such excellent
shots that our officers, both naval and military, were obliged to dress as much
like the men as possible, as the enemy gave out that they had no desire to kill
our men, but the officers only. Yery rarely did they make a night sortie in
force; just about daylight being the favourite time for a New Zealander to com
mence an attack. Regularly, therefore, an hour before daylight, at the sound of
the bugle, we stood to arms. The climate we found most healthy and invi
gorating. Although we could only boast of having two tents—one for the
Crovernor, and the other belonging to Colonel Despard, the senior military officer
yet there was no case of either fever or rheumatism, though the nights were
generally rainy, and the sun powerful during the daytime. We slept as best we
could in our own self-made 44 warries," or huts manufactured from the branches"
of bushes."