LEXANDER DALRYMPLE was

his were publifhed by his brother.

Hailes, near Edinburgh, the feat of his father Sir James Dalrymple, Bart. of Hailes. His mother, Lady Chriftian, daughter of the Earl of Hadington, fulfilled every duty of life with the highest estimation; not only being distinguished for the courtesy of her manners, but for affection as a wife and tenderness as a mother. She bore fixteen children to Sir James Dalrymple, whom the many years survived.

Alexander, her only now furviving child, was the feventh fon, and born on his father's forty-fifth birth-day.

The eldest son, Sir David Dalrymple,

Bart. became one of the Lords of Sef

fion, by the title of Lord Hailes, and is not only well known in the literary world by his many publications, but was highly refpected in his profession as a Judge, and in his character as a man and a Chriftian.

James Dalrymple was brought up in the army, in which he rofe to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel; when he quit. ted that profeffion to enjoy focial retirement with the wife of his affection, amongst his relations: he was highly refpected and esteemed by his friends, amongst whom he had the honour of ranking the prefent Earl St. Vincent and Vilcount Howe. His literary endowments were great, but he never published any thing during his life. Some much-admired poetical pieces of

pendix to a Collection of Songs, in 1796, and many more remain in manufcript.

Another brother, Hugh, died a Captain in the Royal Navy, much refpected in his profession.

John was repeatedly Lord Provost of Edinburgh, and much esteemed for his focial virtues.

Alexander, at a very early period of his life, was taught GEOGRAPHY by his father, not learning by rote the names of countries, capitals, and fubordinate towns, but by Sir James fhewing his diftinctions of form and fituation, which fon the Maps, and pointing out thofe were likely to make impreffion on a child's attention, and fix that impreffion on his memory; interefting the child, ftill the more, by narratives of his own travels. though they had not been extended beyond EUROPE.

At the breaking out of the rebellion, in 1745, Sir James Dalrymple, debilitated in conftitution by ill health, carried his female and young family to Berwick; his eldeft fon being then at Utrecht purfuing his ftudies, and two others from home in the service of their King and country.

Alexander well remembers to have feen Sir John Cope on horseback, in a blue furtout coat, come over the bridge into the town from the Englishfide.

After the profperous turn of affairs, Ttz

Sir

Sir James Dalrymple returned home with his family; and from thence Alexander went back to Hadington School, where he had been a short time before the rebellion drove his father to Berwick.

Alexander received his education under Mr. David Young, at a time when Mr. Young's fchool, at Hadington, was in high reputation; but as he left school before he was fourteen years of age, and never was at the University, his fcholaftic endowments were very limited. At fchool he had the credit of being a good fcholar; and, after he left fchool, his eldest brother was wont to make him translate, off hand, fome of the Odes of Horace; fo that he was, for his years, a tolerable proficient in Latin: but going abroad, entirely his own master, before he was fixteen years of age, he neglected his Latin; and has never found fo much ufe for it as to induce him to take any pains to recover it.

Sir James Dalrymple died in 1750; and the Hon. General St. Clair having married Sir James's fifter, a very fenfible and accomplished woman (the relict of Sir John Baird, Bart.), in 1752, from his intimacy with Alderman Baker, then Chairman of the East India Company, General St. Clair got Mr. Baker's promife to appoint his nephew, Alex. ander Dalrymple, a Writer in the Company's fervice; Alexander having conceived a strong defire of going to the Eatt Indies, by reading Nieuhoff's Voyages, and a novel of that time, called Joe Thomfon.

Alexander Dalrymple left Scotland in the fpring of 1752, with his brother Sir David, who affectionately accompanied him to London. He was put to Mr. Kinrofs's academy, at Four Tree-Hill, near Endfield, for fome months antecedent to his appointment in the Company's fervice: he was obliged to Mr. Kinro's for his great kindness and attention to him, and received much good inftruction for his conduct through life; by which he greatly profited: but Alexander was too fhort a time at that academy to learn much of what was the object of fending him there, viz. writing andmerchants' accounts; which are, at least were at that time, the only qualifications the Eat India Company thought requifite in their fervants: the abfurdity of fuppofing a boy of fixteen from an academy competent to keep a fet of

merchants' books not entering into their wife noddles, fome demur was made to Mr. Kinrofs's certificate of this part of Alexander's education not being expreffed in terms fufficiently direct; however, this was not infifted on.

On the aft of November 1752, Alexander Dalrymple was appointed a Writer in the East India Company's fervice, and, on the 8th of November, ftationed on the Madras eftablishment. Alderman Baker difqualified early the next year; fo that it was by a very accidental contingence that Alexander Dalrymple went to INDIA, his family having no India connexions; more particularly as he wanted a few months of fixteen years of age, which was the age required for a Writer to be and his mother Lady Chriftian trongly objected to his father's fon even tacitly affenting to countenance what was untrue; and he was not quite fatisfied with being affured that it was with Alderman Baker's concurrence and approbation; it being urged, that the Spirit of the regulation was to prevent infants being introduced into the fervice as Writers, and not to preclude a perfon for the difference of a few months in age. This is the only inftance in which Alexander Dalrymple is conscious of having been acceffary to cheating the Company, if it can be fo termed.

Mr. James Baird, then of Downingstreet, and afterwards of Soho-square,. an army-agent, carried Alexander Dalrymple one day to Chelfea, where Mr. Baird vifiting Sir John Trelawney, then a very old man, they were invited to ftay dinner. Alexander having drank a glafs or two of wine paffed the bottle. This the old man took notice of, and faid, to this effect: "Young man, I am very glad to fee that; always judge for yourfelf, and you will do right; few men act wrong of their own inclination, but by follow. ing example, and wanting the refolution to judge for themselves, when example ought to be followed, and when not." This advice falling in a proper foil took root, and was never forgotten.

Alexander, about the middle of December, embarked at Gravefend on board the Suffolk Indiaman, commanded by Captain William Wilfon ! the fhip was on fire the fame night in the gun-room, but it was extinguished. without any confiderable injury. Captain

Captain Wilfon having three SupraCargoes to China going paffengers, was unwilling to take Alexander Dalrymple as a paffenger: however, he was prevailed on to give him a paflage, at the inftance of Mr. Richard Lewin, then his Chief Mate, and afterwards his fucceffor in the command of the Suffolk; who being intimate with Mr. Wilfon, afterwards Sir Thomas Wilfon, a particular friend of General St. Clair, was by him induced to obtain Captain Wilfon to grant Alexander Dalrymple a paffage, although he could not give him any cabin; which was no inconvenience, as, by the kindness of Mr. Lewin, he had at all times the use of his cabin.

The Suffolk failed from the Downs the 26th December 1752, and, after ftaying a fortnight at the Cape of Good Hope, arrived at Madras on the 11th of May--a day fince memorable by the death of two great men to whom their country owed much-William Pitt, Earl of Chatham! and George Lord Pigot! Captain Wilfon acted with all the kindnels of a parent to Alexander Dalrymple, not only during the paffage to Madras, but during the remainder of his life. For a month, while the ship remained at Madras, Captain Wilfon kept him to live in his house; which was the more fortunate to Alexander Dalrymple, as he was an entire ftranger to every body at Madras, having only a letter of mere complimentary introduction to the Governor, from Lord Northefk, who had been in India, but was not perfonally acquainted with Mr. Saunders, the Governor; the other perfons to whom Alexander Dalrymple had carried letters being either dead or abfent, except one, who was fo abandoned to drunkenness, that the very affociating with him would have brought a ftigma upon any youth, had his bad example produced no effect and of this danger Alexander Dalrymple was kindly cautioned by Mr. Charles Bourchier who was then Secretary, and afterwards Governor, of Madras.

Alexander Dalrymple at that time writing a very bad hand, was not, at first, employed in the Secretary's Office, which is the only fchool where the ge neral knowledge of the Company's affairs can be learnt, but was put under the Storekeeper; where he could neither learn any thing worth learning, nor was he in the way of being taken

notice of by perfons in fuperior ftations. However, he fortunately did` not long remain in this fituation, but was removed into the Secretary's office:, and the late Lord Pigot, being appointed to fucceed Governor Saunders, came. down from Vizagapatam to Madras in October 1754. Alexander Dalrymple had been very particularly recommended to his protection by Lord Pigot's brother, the late Admiral Pigot, who was intimate in General St. Clair's family. Lord Pigot perceiving that Alexander wrote a very bad hand, inftructed him to hold his pen, and write with eafe to himfelf. From this instruction he benefited more, in a few days, than by any thing he had been, taught at fchool; and speedily attained to write a very good and fluent hand; and though not to masterly as Lord Pigot's, fo much like his ordinary writ ing, that he often mistook it for his own. To this intruction the Public are in fome measure indebted for whatever excellence there is in the writing to the Maps and Charts published by Alexander Dalrymple.

In this early period of his life, Mr. Orme, the diftinguished Hiftorian, then a Member of Council and Accountant,. fhewed him great civility, and wanted to have had him appointed his SubAccountant; alledging, that the ignorance he profeffed of accounts was not an objection, as he would foon make himself master of them, under his tuition; which he kindly offered. This favourable opinion of Mr. Orme arote from Alexander Dalrymple having written a note to him, as Commiffary, concerning fome Officer's affairs of which he had the management. The Sub Accountant was one of the moit honourable stations; and by the Company's regulations, after balancing a certain number of sets of books, the perfon occupying that ftation was entitled to any employment at the Subordinates that became vacant, not occupied by a Member of Council. Although Mr. Orme's friendly intentions did not take place, yet he ever after thewed him countenance, and gave him the free ufe of his valuable library; where books were fo rare, and it fo well chofen, this was an inestimable favour. It was the defire to read a book in this library that induced Alexander Dalrymple to learn French; having been fuch an Anti-Gallican when a boy, that although compelled to go to a

French

French fchool in Edinburgh, before he left Scotland, he would not learn French! but finding Bouvet's Voyage in Mr. Orme's library, he applied himself to the book without a mafter, and, with the affiftance of a dictionary, then tranflated it. Mr. Orme continued his friendship to Alexander Dalrymple during the remainder of his life.

Whilft Alexander Dalrymple was in the Secretary's office, he received the countenance of Mr. Dupré, the Secre tary, who afterwards applied to have him appointed his Deputy, although not then in his office, and would have refigned the Secretaryship in his favour in 1759, when Alexander Dalrymple went on his Eastern voyage.

During the time Alexander Dalrym. ple was in the office of Deputy Secretary, examining the old records, to qualify himfelf, by the knowledge of them, to fill the office of Secretary, which he was in fucceffion to expect, he found the commerce of the Eastern Iflands was an object of great confideration with the Company, and he was infpired with an earnett defire to recover that important object for this country.

A favourable opportunity offered for putting this into train; his old friend Captain Wilfon having been appointed by the East India Company Commodore of all their Ships and Veffels, and Commander of the Pitt, of 50 guns, for his good and gallant conduct, arrived in September 1758.

The circumstance which obtained this diftinguished mark of the Company's favour deferves to be commemorated. The Suffolk, Captain Wil. fon, as fenior Officer Commodore; Houghton, Captain Walpole; and mem Godolphin, Captain Hutchinfon; were, on their paffage home to England from China, encountered by a French fhip of the line and a large frigate off the Cape of Good Hope in the night, and exchanged fome fhot: Captain Wilfon endeavoured to get away; but finding the French fhips outfailed the Indiamen, in the morning he made the fignal for the line, and bore down upon the French. M. de Soupire, fecond in command to General Lally, was on board the hip of the line. On feeing the English bear down, he defired the French Captain to purfue his voyage without engaging further. The Captain remonftrated, queftioning his authority to interfere, and declaring they were but merchant

fhips, incapable of defending themfelves against fo fuperior a force. M. Soupire produced his authority to command in the abfence of General Lally and Count D'Apfché, and ordered him to pursue his voyage; declaring, that he did not question their being merchant fhips, but, as it appeared they were determined to defend themselves gallantly, an accidental shot might difable his hip, and entail fatal difappointment on the expedition to India, of which that fhip made a part, and that the prize of fome merchant ships was of no confequence to the King of France.

This conveys a forcible leffon against defpondency, as the efcape of the Indiamen arofe entirely from Captain Wilfon's good conduct.

When Commodore Wilfon arrived at Madras, in the Pitt, in September 1758, he had on board Sir William (then Colonel) Draper, and part of his regiment. The Pitt was destined for China.

Commodore Wilfon, whofe fagacity and maritime knowledge was equal to his courage, had reflected during the courfe of his voyage from England, in what manner his paffage to China could be attained at that feafon ; and it occurred to him, that the fame principle by which fhips went to the Malabar Coaft and Perfia from Madras in the South Welt monfoon, was appli cable in a paffage to China, viz. by crofing the line, and taking advantage of the contrary monfoons that prevail at the fame time in North and South latitudes. Thus, as the fhips from Madras ftand to the South Ealt with the South Weft winds, till they get into the South Eaft trade in South latitude, and then stand Weftward, till they are to windward of their intended port, when they cross the Line again into North latitude: fo Commodore Wilfon reasoned, that the North Weft winds would, in South latitude, carry him far enough Eattward to make the North Eaft wind a fair wind to China. Sir William Draper countenancing his opinion, Commodore Wilfon, on his arrival at Madras, mentioned the fubject to Alexander Dalrymple, and asked his fentiments; which entirely concurring with his own, and being confirmed by reference to Saris, &c. who had performed the moft effential part of the voyage, though with a different object; Commodore Wilfon was thereby induced to propofe it to Governor

Pigot,