victory, by the arrival of their convoy, though their fleet had been defeated-this to them was of no consequence. Their fleet remained in port during the remainder of the year; but squadrons of ships of the line, large frigates, corvettes, and privateers, covered the ocean, and met with too much success: nor can we, without a violation of truth, compliment the naval profession for activity or exertions proportioned to the necessities of the state. Our ships of the line, after an action or a six weeks' cruise, were allowed to remain too long in port to refit captains were indulged with leave of absence; and the duty went on with that relaxation ever attendant on the absence of the chief. Spithead, Portsmouth Harbour, Plymouth Sound, and Hamoaze, were crowded, while the enemy's cruisers were committing havoc and depredation with comparative impunity this censure was not merited throughout the service; the western squadrons of frigates and those on foreign stations were more alert, and not only recaptured many of our valuable merchantmen on their way into the ports of the enemy, but also took their frigates and corvettes as they passed along their own coast, with the trade of France under their protection.

Captain Laforey, in the Carysfort, of twenty-eight guns, recaptured the Castor of thirty-two guns, which, I have before observed, was taken when conducting the trade to Newfoundland. The merchant vessels were recaptured a few days after by the squadron under the command of Rear-admiral Montagu, together with a French corvette called Le Maire Guitton. This ill-fated convoy and corvette were again taken by the French fleet, previously to the action of the 1st of June, and again retaken, with the exception of the corvette, by Lord Howe, who ordered them to be burnt, not choosing to man them on the eve of a general action. Would he had done the same with all his subsequent captures!

The navy board claimed the Castor as a recapture; but it was proved that, although she had not been in an enemy's port, she had been fitted, and fought as a French ship of war, and she was wholly adjudged a prize to the captors.

In October, Sir Edward Pellew, in the Arethusa, with the Artois, Diamond, and Galatea, fell in off Brest with La

Révolutionaire of forty-four guns and three hundred and fifty men: the squadron chased, but Captain Edmund Nagle in the Artois, from superior sailing, brought her to action, and she surrendered, having eight men killed and wounded; for this action Captain Nagle received the honour of knighthood.

The fleet, this winter, met with a serious accident in beating down Channel, with the wind at W.S.W. When on the larboard tack, to the westward of the Start Point, about one o'clock in the morning, a convoy of East Indiamen, under the charge of the Sampson of 64 guns, was in an instant seen in the midst of the fleet, running up Channel at the rate of nine miles an hour. I cannot now remember how many ships of the fleet were disabled: the Queen, Robust, Niger, and Melampus, I remember, were much damaged, as were two of the Indiamen, the Triton and Osterly not a man was hurt, though the Triton's masts all fell aft upon her decks. The fleet returned to Torbay :-the leading ships of our fleet should have had more and better lights.

Captain Bligh, in the Alexander, and Captain C. P. Hamilton, in the Canada, both ships cf 74 guns, were fallen in with off Cape Clear by a French squadron of five sail of the line and three frigates: the Captain of the Canada was directed by Captain Bligh to provide for the safety of his ship; himself, in the Alexander, being determined to make the best defence he could, and thereby ensure the escape of his consort. The action soon began, and was kept up by the Alexander, with great spirit, until the two ships which had gone in pursuit of the Canada were recalled to assist in the attack. Captain Bligh, perceiving that the Canada was safe, and his own ship so much disabled in her rigging that she became unmanage able, decided on surrendering: to have continued the fight would only have caused a sacrifice of brave men, without the probability of gaining any advantage: accordingly the colours were struck, and the ship, having forty men killed and wounded, was taken and carried into Brest. Here the populace insulted the prisoners as they marched to the place of their confinement; officers and men shared the same lot; they were denied the commonest rations of provisions, and reduced to starva

tion. A wretched dog that had crept into the cells was killed, and his head alone sold for a dollar, to satisfy the cravings of nature. A prisoner, in a state of delirium, threw himself into the well within the prison walls, and his dead body, after lying some time, was taken out, but no other water allowed to the

people to drink. An English lady and her daughters, confined along with the men, had no separate apartment, and all their privacy was supplied by the generous commiseration of the British sailors, who, standing side by side close together, with their backs towards the fair captives, formed a temporary screen while they changed their garments. These facts were supplied to the author by the officers who were present.

Captain Bligh, on his release, was tried by a court-martial for the loss of his ship, and honourably acquitted. He was at the time of her capture a rear-admiral, but had no official account of his promotion, consequently the French did not, as they boasted, take a British flag. Very late in life this gallant veteran received the Order of the Bath, and died Sir Richard Rodney Bligh.

In August, 1794, the Impétueux, one of the prizes taken on the 1st of June, took fire in the harbour, and was burnt to the water's edge: she was, by great exertion, towed clear of the ships in ordinary, and got on shore in the west mud.

In January, 1795, the French fleet, of 32 sail of the line, and some frigates, put to sea; and on the 14th of February Earl Howe put to sea from Spithead with the Channel fleet; on the following day he was joined off Plymouth by Rearadmiral Parker, and a squadron of Portuguese ships of war, consisting of five sail of the line and three frigates. These ships cruised with the fleet until one of them, the Princess de Beira, a 74, in a squall, lost her foremast, bowsprit, and maintopmast, and the others appeared so very ill-managed, that Lord Howe gave them permission to return to Lisbon, which they soon after did. In the course of the three following years they greatly improved in nautical skill. The gales were heavy this winter, and the French fleet which had sailed in January sustained much damage; one of their first-rates foundered, and all hands perished. They met with other disasters, and were glad to get back to Brest. Let it be observed, that the French had equipped this immense fleet within seven months after the action of the 1st of June. They were, it must be confessed,

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Q

Révolutionaire of forty-four guns and three hundred and fifty men: the squadron chased, but Captain Edmund Nagle in the Artois, from superior sailing, brought her to action, and she surrendered, having eight men killed and wounded; for this action Captain Nagle received the honour of knighthood.

The fleet, this winter, met with a serious accident in beating down Channel, with the wind at W.S.W. When on the larboard tack, to the westward of the Start Point, about one o'clock in the morning, a convoy of East Indiamen, under the charge of the Sampson of 64 guns, was in an instant seen in the midst of the fleet, running up Channel at the rate of nine miles an hour. I cannot now remember how many ships of the fleet were disabled: the Queen, Robust, Niger, and Melampus, I remember, were much damaged, as were two of the Indiamen, the Triton and Osterly not a man was hurt, though the Triton's masts all fell aft upon her decks. The fleet returned to Torbay :-the leading ships of our fleet should have had more and better lights.

Captain Bligh, in the Alexander, and Captain C. P. Hamilton, in the Canada, both ships cf 74 guns, were fallen in with off Cape Clear by a French squadron of five sail of the line and three frigates: the Captain of the Canada was directed by Captain Bligh to provide for the safety of his ship; himself, in the Alexander, being determined to make the best defence he could, and thereby ensure the escape of his consort. The action soon began, and was kept up by the Alexander with great spirit, until the two ships which had gone in pursuit of the Canada were recalled to assist in the attack. Captain Bligh, perceiving that the Canada was safe, and his own ship so much disabled in her rigging that she became unmanage able, decided on surrendering: to have continued the fight would only have caused a sacrifice of brave men, without the probability of gaining any advantage: accordingly the colours were struck, and the ship, having forty men killed and wounded, was taken and carried into Brest. Here the populace insulted the prisoners as they marched to the place of their confinement; officers and men shared the same lot; they were denied the commonest rations of provisions, and reduced to starva

tion. A wretched dog that had crept into the cells was killed, and his head alone sold for a dollar, to satisfy the cravings of nature. A prisoner, in a state of delirium, threw himself into the well within the prison walls, and his dead body, after lying some time, was taken out, but no other water allowed to the people to drink. An English lady and her daughters, confined along with the men, had no separate apartment, and all their privacy was supplied by the generous commiseration of the British sailors, who, standing side by side close together, with their backs towards the fair captives, formed a temporary screen while they changed their garments. These facts were supplied to the author by the officers who were present.

Captain Bligh, on his release, was tried by a court-martial for the loss of his ship, and honourably acquitted. He was at the time of her capture a rear-admiral, but had no official account of his promotion, consequently the French did not, as they boasted, take a British flag. Very late in life this gallant veteran received the Order of the Bath, and died Sir Richard Rodney Bligh.

In August, 1794, the Impétueux, one of the prizes taken on the 1st of June, took fire in the harbour, and was burnt to the water's edge she was, by great exertion, towed clear of the ships in ordinary, and got on shore in the west mud.

In January, 1795, the French fleet, of 32 sail of the line, and some frigates, put to sea; and on the 14th of February Earl Howe put to sea from Spithead with the Channel fleet; on the following day he was joined off Plymouth by Rearadmiral Parker, and a squadron of Portuguese ships of war, consisting of five sail of the line and three frigates. These ships cruised with the fleet until one of them, the Princess de Beira, a 74, in a squall, lost her foremast, bowsprit, and maintopmast, and the others appeared so very ill-managed, that Lord Howe gave them permission to return to Lisbon, which they soon after did. In the course of the three following years they greatly improved in nautical skill. The gales were heavy this winter, and the French fleet which had sailed in January sustained much damage; one of their first-rates foundered, and all hands perished. They met with other disasters, and were glad to get back to Brest. Let it be observed, that the French had equipped this immense fleet within seven months after the action of the 1st of June. They were, it must be confessed,

VOL. I.