heartburning in the service. At this distance of time, there is no harm in saying, that the distribution and omissions, were in many instances unjust. Every officer in a general action is entitled either to approbation or censure: if he does his duty, let him have his reward; if he does not do it, let him be displaced by another and a better man; in this point of view, there were many good and gallant men very ill-treated; Schomberg, of the Culloden; Bazeley, of the Alfred; Elphinstone, of the Glory; Collingwood, of the Barfleur; and some others.

A liberal subscription was made by the merchants at Lloyd's for the relief of the wounded, as well as for the widows and orphans of those who fell in the action: the cities of London and Edinburgh, and the corporation of the Trinity-house, also, contributed very largely.

His Majesty was graciously pleased to direct the following proportion of prize money to be immediately paid, viz.

And, as a further mark of encouragement and favour, the legislature repealed the duty of five per cent. on all prizeships taken, as far at least as related to ships of war and pri

vateers.

The action of the 1st of June was fought further from the land than any sea-fight between fleets recorded in history; this was Villaret's plan to save his convoy.

We find it asserted in the Annual Register for 1795, that the French, in this engagement, lost 10,000 men in killed, wounded, and prisoners: I have no wish to gratify national vanity by exaggerating the losses of our enemies; nor any delight in detailing the destruction of the human species. The seven ships taken, at a fair average of 700 or 750 each, might have contained 5,000 men; and it is impossible to suppose that the fleet which escaped, took away with it more than 2,000 killed and wounded: which would give the enormous

Worn out with five successive days of fatigue, two of which were passed in severe fighting, it is not surprising, that, at the age of seventy-two, he should have felt incapable of further exertion. I have deeply and maturely considered the conduct of the British Admiral after this victory, and now am fully impressed with the conviction, that he should have proceeded off Brest with the least possible delay, to reap the fruits of his victory; and I have reason to believe he was made sensible when too late, that he had permitted a beaten and a flying enemy, to rescue five sail of the line, which, if they had not surrendered, required no more than a summons to have done so. By this he turned a victory into a defeat, while the expert French Admiral obtained from his own defeat all the advantages of a victory.

Lord Howe arrived at Spithead with his fleet and prizes on the 13th of June: he was received with all that enthusiasm and joy which his victory was supposed to deserve. The royal family came down to Portsmouth, and went on board the Queen Charlotte, where his Majesty, on the quarter-deck, presented his Lordship with a diamond-hilted sword, valued at three thousand guineas, and suitable marks of royal approbation were bestowed on the admirals and captains: to the former he ordered gold medals, commemorative of their services, to be worn round their necks with a gold chain; to the latter, the same medals to be worn suspended from the buttonhole of the coat by a blue and white riband. Admiral Graves was created an Irish peer, with the title of Lord Graves; Sir Alexander Hood, Viscount Bridport; Vice Admiral Gardner, and Rear Admirals Pasley, Curtis, and Bowyer, were created baronets. All the first lieutenants of the ships of the line were promoted to the rank of commanders, a precedent then established many lieutenants were also promoted to that rank out of the Queen Charlotte, and from the other flag-ships in proportion. Rear-admirals Pasley and Bowyer, having each lost a leg, received a pension of £1,000 a year in addition to their

honours.

On the 30th of November, 1796, more than two years after the action, every officer mentioned in Lord Howe's letter received his gold medal; and this caused much jealousy and

heartburning in the service. At this distance of time, there is no harm in saying, that the distribution and omissions, were in many instances unjust. Every officer in a general action is entitled either to approbation or censure: if he does his duty, let him have his reward; if he does not do it, let him be displaced by another and a better man; in this point of view, there were many good and gallant men very ill-treated; Schomberg, of the Culloden; Bazeley, of the Alfred; Elphinstone, of the Glory; Collingwood, of the Barfleur; and some others.

A liberal subscription was made by the merchants at Lloyd's for the relief of the wounded, as well as for the widows and orphans of those who fell in the action: the cities of London and Edinburgh, and the corporation of the Trinity-house, also, contributed very largely.

His Majesty was graciously pleased to direct the following proportion of prize money to be immediately paid, viz.

And, as a further mark of encouragement and favour, the legislature repealed the duty of five per cent. on all prizeships taken, as far at least as related to ships of war and pri

vateers.

The action of the 1st of June was fought further from the land than any sea-fight between fleets recorded in history; this was Villaret's plan to save his convoy.

We find it asserted in the Annual Register for 1795, that the French, in this engagement, lost 10,000 men in killed, wounded, and prisoners: I have no wish to gratify national vanity by exaggerating the losses of our enemies; nor any delight in detailing the destruction of the human species. The seven ships taken, at a fair average of 700 or 750 each, might have contained 5,000 men; and it is impossible to suppose that the fleet which escaped, took away with it more than 2,000 killed and wounded: which would give the enormous

number of 106 to each ship: I therefore calculate their loss at between 6,000 and 7,000 men.

It was stated in the first number of this work, page 142, that Sir Edward Codrington was first Lieutenant of the Queen Charlotte in the action of the 1st of June. This is a mistake. The late Captain Thomas Larcom was the first Lieutenant, and Sir Edward Codrington was one of the junior, but became first Lieutenant in the following year, after the promotion of Lieutenant Cochet, now a Vice-admiral.

CHAPTER VIII.

West Indies, from 1783 to 1793-Effects of the peace-Cause of the distress of the 'colonies-Navigation act-Impolicy of the British government-Fatal effects-Conduct of Nelson-New laws for their protection-Account of the islands' population, produce, and revenue -French settlements-St. Domingo-Origin of the civil war, and events which led to the destruction of that island-Conduct of the Captain of a French ship of war-the Assembly embark for FranceMauduit and Ogé-Policy of the British government towards St. Domingo-Destruction of Port au Prince-Description of the West Indies-Yellow fever-Mode of prevention-Station preferred by sea-* men in general.

THE peace which in 1783 had restored tranquillity to Europe, left the West-India islands to enjoy a small portion of that repose for which they had so long panted.

The active and almost exterminating warfare carried on in the Caribbean seas and islands, during the American and preceding contests, kept the colonies in a constant state of. alarm, and had reduced their inhabitants of every description to the most deplorable wretchedness: peace however being restored, it was hoped that plenty would have followed; but in this hope they were disappointed.

The Americans, who, from subjects of the British empire, had now become an independent people, could no longer be permitted to trade under the laws of the mother country; and the navigation act particularly excluded them from all commerce with our colonies, where the commodities which they imported had become indispensable necessaries of life;