, a French naval officer of great repute, was born in 1656, and
, a French naval officer of great repute, was born in 1656, and bred to the sea-service under a: relation, who was a sea-captain, named Korbin-Gardane. In 1636, he was left by his commander the chevalier de Chaumont, in the service of the king of Siam, to whom he was some time chief admiral. He afterwards distinguished himself on the coast of Spain, where, in 1703, he displayed his generosity no less than he had before proved his valour, by giving up to the owner a French prize, which the governor of Barcelona had ceded to him. In 1708 he was intrusted with conveying the pretender to Scotland, but was so closely watched by admiral Byng, that he was happy in returning his charge to Dunkirk. Louis XIV. admired and esteemed his greatness of soul, and frequently discoursed with him on the subject of his engagements, the recital of which he heard with great satisfaction. Once, when the king had given him some recompence for his services, at the time of going to court to return thanks, his zeal for a brother seaman of great merit, named John Bart, whom he considered as neglected, burst forth in remonstrances for him. The king was pleased with this generous disinterestedness, and remarked to his minister Louvois, that he saw few such examples at his court. But though Forbin was favoured by the king, he was not equally in the good graces of the ministers; and, after he had distinguished himself highly in many engagements against various enemies, his infirmities and his discontent caused him to retire from the service in 1710. He died in 17:53, at the age of 77.
, a French naval officer, born at St. Malo in 1673, was the son
, a French naval officer,
born at St. Malo in 1673, was the son of a merchant who
had been French consul at Malaga, and who commanded
armed vessels, either for war or trade, as circumstances
required. Young Du Guay, led by his example, went on
board a privateer, and performed a number of heroic actions. In 1691, when he was only in his eighteenth year,
he had the command of an armed sloop, carrying fourteen
guns, with which he obtained much success on the coast of
Ireland. Three years after he entered the river of Limerick, and carried off several vessels but falling in with four
English ships, he was obliged to yield, and was taken a
prisoner into Plymouth. In confinement he won the aifootions of a female, who enabled him to make his escape, and
in a short time he appeared again on the coast of England,
where he captured some prizes. In 1695 he took three
rich vessels on the Irish coast, and two Dutch ships on th
coast of Spain: these successes were followed by others
still more important. In 1696 he fell in with baron de
Wassenaer, who with three ships was escorting a fleet of
merchant-men, and took the baron with a part of his convoy. He presented, in person, his prisoner to the king,
and thereupon was removed to the royal navy, and appointed to the command of a frigate. In a few years afterwards he was made captain of a fifty-four gun ship, with
which, it is said, he took an English man-of-war of seventytwo gnus. So brilliant was his career of success, that in
1709 he was rewarded with letters of noblesse, the preamble to which records his having captured more than 300
merchant ships, and 20 ships of war. The most important
f all his exploits was the taking of Rio Janeiro in 1711,
which occasioned a loss to the Portuguese of at least a million sterling. A pension was now forced on him, he having in 1707 refused one that was then offered, requesting
that it might be granted to his second captain, whose thigh
had been shot off. “I,
” said the gallant officer, “am
sufficiently rewarded, if I obtain the advancement of my
friends. 7 ' In 1728 he was made commander of the order
of St. Louis, and lieutenant-general, and in 1731 went at
the head of a squadron to curb the insolence of Algiers
and Tunis, and promote a good understanding between
France and Tripoli. After many other important services,
he died at Paris Sept. 27, 1736, leaving
” Memoirs,"
partly written by his own hand, and partly by a nephew,
which were printed in one vol. 4to. 1740.