Captain Charles, a celebrated English navigator, spent his youth in the navy, and was present at several actions during the war of 1755. In the engagement between the Bellona and Courageux he was carried overboard along with the mizen-top mast of the Bellona, but was picked up without having received any injury. He made his first voyage round the world as midshipman under Commodore Byron, and was afterwards on the American station. In 1768 he sailed round the world a second time in the Endeavour, on board of which he was raised to a lieutenancy. He returned in 1775, and was soon afterwards appointed master and commander. Under Captain Cook he was appointed captain of the Discovery; and on the death of that officer he succeeded to the chief command. His health, which had long been feeble, began rapidly to fail from the cold to which he was exposed while searching for a passage between Asia and America; and he died Aug. 22, 1778, when within view of the coast of Kamtschatka.

John of Eldin (1730-1812), the author of the celebrated naval manoeuvre of Breaking the Line, which led to Lord Rodney's victory over the French under De Grasse. (See War; Naval Tactics.) It is worthy of observation, as a singular fact, that a man who has written so distinctly on the mode of managing a fleet should never have made a single voyage. Sir Howard Douglas has claimed the invention of this manoeuvre for Lord Rodney, but on very slender grounds.