Captain Cornwallis in the Canada, and Lord Robert Manners in the Resolution, who kept up an incessant fire, covering the other ships of the division, while they brought up in their stations, particularly the President, whose wheel was shot away, and the rudder choaked by a shot, which had lodged between it and the stern-post. The enemy finding they could make no impression on the resolute firmness of the British Commanders, bore up and stood to sea. The Solebay frigate of 28 guns, Captain Charles Holmes Everett, being closely pursued by a French ship of the line, ran ashore on Nevis Point. The French Admiral ordered two frigates in to attack her, upon which Captain Everett retired with his crew on shore, and set fire to his ship; she soon after blew up.

The following morning at eight o'clock, the French fleet stood in, as if determined to force the British line, which they attacked with great violence from van to rear, without making the least visible impression on it; they then wore and stood to sea. Sir Samuel Hood having observed that the rear of his fleet were too much exposed, took the opportunity to change their position, and directed the seven ships in his rear to extend themselves in a line towards the town of Bass Terre, forming an obtuse angle; by which means no one part of the fleet could suffer a partial attack. The Comte de Grasse not yet discouraged, renewed the engagement in the afternoon, directing his attack principally against the centre and rear divisions; he was again repulsed, and suffered more material damage than in the preceding battle. The Ville de Paris was seen the next morning upon a heel for several hours, repairing and plugging the shot holes, which she had received between wind and water. The loss on board the French ships must have been considerable. It is said, that above one thousand were sent to St. Eustatius. The British had seventy-two men killed and two hundred and twenty-four wounded.

up

On the 14th in the morning, the French fleet, which had kept the sea or at times anchored in Old Road, stood in and anchored off Nevis, their force consisting of thirty-four sail of the

line, having been joined by the Triomphante, Brave, and three other ships of the line.

It became no longer necessary for the British fleet to continue in its present situation, which was useless and dangerous, not only from the superiority of the enemy's fleet; but that they were preparing to erect gun and mortar batteries on a commanding hill opposite the shipping. Sir Samuel Hood accordingly issued orders to the captains of the fleet to slip or cut their cables without signal at eleven o'clock at night, the sternmost and leewardmost ships first, and so on in succession, and to proceed under an easy sail, until directed otherwise by signal. That the orders might be punctually obeyed, the captains were directed to set their watches by the Admiral's time-piece. This was performed with the utmost order and regularity, without being molested or pursued by the French fleet, which was lying within five miles, and must have witnessed the excellent manœuvre of the British Admiral. Soon after the islands of Nevis and Montserrat fell into the possession of the French.

On the 19th February, Sir Samuel Hood anchored in St. John's Road, Antigua; and on the same day Sir George Rodney arrived at Barbadoes from England, with several sail of the line; and on the 25th he joined Sir Samuel Hood off Antigua, and three days afterwards, three more sail of the line arrived from England. The fleet being united, the Admiral proceeded to St. Lucia for the ships to refit, and to complete their water. On the 14th March he put to sea, from thence to cruise, and endeavoured to intercept a large French convoy, which was expected to arrive from Europe; but notwithstanding the vigilance of the frigates, which were stationed to look out for it, the enemy had the address to keep close under Guadaloupe and Dominique, by which means they effected their escape into Fort Royal Bay on the 20th and 21st, unperceived by any of the English ships.

Sir Samuel Hood on the occasion of the victory of Rodney over the French fleet under Comte de Grasse, was made

an Irish peer; and in the early part of the year 1738, he arrived with his fleet at Port Royal, Jamaica, after having cruised some time off this peninsula. On the arrival of the Barfleur, the inhabitants of Port Royal presented a respectful address to his Royal Highness Prince William, to which he made a suitable reply. During his stay at the island, he was treated with the most distinguished marks of attention by all ranks of people. The merchants planters and other inhabitants, as a further compliment, raised a corps of cavalry for the express purpose of attending his Royal Highness, to which they gave the name of Prince William Henry's regiment.

Nelson on writing home to one of his friends, thus speaks of Prince William whilst he was at Jamaica :

"My situation in Lord Hood's fleet must be in the highest degree flattering to any young man; he treats me as if I were his son, and will, I am convinced, give me any thing I can ask of him. Nor is my situation with Prince William less flattering. Lord Hood was so kind as to tell him, (indeed, I cannot make use of expressions strong enough to describe what I felt,) that if he wished to ask questions relative to naval tactics, I could give him as much information as any officer in the fleet. He will be, I am certain, an ornament to our service. He is a sea

man, which you could hardly suppose, with every other qualification you may expect from him; but he will be a disciplinarian, and a strong one. A vast deal of notice has been taken of him at Jamaica; he has been addressed by the Council, and the House of Assembly was to address him the day after I sailed. He has levees at Spanish Town; they are all highly delighted with him with the best temper, and great good sense, he cannot fail of being pleasing to every one."

On the 12th March, Lord Hood sailed with the squadron on a cruise off Cape François. On the 6th April he received intelligence of the preliminaries of a treaty of peace having been signed. At the same time M. de Bellcombe, the governor of the cape, sent an officer to the squadron, with an invitation to his Royal Highness Prince William Henry, requesting he would honour the cape with his presence, and also inviting

83

Lord Hood to enter the harbour with his British squadron. The latter was declined; but his Lordship directed the Blood hound sloop of war to receive on board his Royal Highness, and to carry him into the harbour. Upon his arrival, he was received with every honour due to his exalted rank, above six thousand French and Spanish troops lined the streets through which he passed to the governor's house, where he was entertained in the most magnificent style. A field-officer's guard was ordered to be mounted, four sentinels placed at the door of his apartments, and the parole for the night was given by his Royal Highness. On the 7th, his Royal Highness left the cape, and returned to the squadron. The forts and ships of war saluted with twenty-one guns each, on his quitting the harbour.

Lord Hood immediately bore up and proceeded to Jamaica, where the squadron arrived on the 12th. Soon after his Royal Highness Prince William Henry received the following letter, from Don Galvez, the governor of Louisiania, and commanderin-chief of the Spanish troops at Cape François.

"Sir,―The Spanish troops cantoned throughout the country, have not as the French had the happiness to take up their arms to salute your Royal Highness, nor that of paying you their marks of respect and consideration which are your due.

"I have in confinement at Louisiana, the principal person concerned in the revolt at Nachez, with some of his accomplices. They have forfeited their parole and oath of fidelity. A council of war founded on equitable laws has condemned them to death; and the execution of their sentence waits only my confirmation as governor of the colony. They are all English. Will you be pleased, sir, to accept their pardon and their lives in the name of the Spanish army and of my king? It is I trust, the least present that can be offered to one prince in the name of another: mine is generous and will approve of my conduct. 'In case your Royal Highness deigns to interest yourself for those unfortunate men, I have the honour to send enclosed, an order for their being delivered the moment any vessel arrives at Louisiana, communicating your pleasure. We shall consider ourselves happy if this can be agreeable to you.

"

To this letter his Royal Highness sent the following answer by Captain Manly Dixon, in the Tobago sloop of war:

"Port Royal Jamaica.

Sir,-I want words to express to your Excellency my just sense of your polite letter, of the delicate manner in which you made it delivered, and your generous conduct towards the unfortunate. Their pardon which you have been pleased to grant on my account, is the most agreeable present you could have offered me, and is thoroughly characteristic of the bravery and gallantry of the Spanish nation. This instance increases, if possible, my opinion of your Excellency's humanity, which has appeared on so many occasions in the course of the late war. "Admiral Rowley is to despatch a vessel to Louisiana for the prisoners: I am convinced they will ever think of your Excellency's clemency with gratitude; and I have sent a copy of your letter to the King, my father, who will be fully sensible of your Excellency's attention to me.

"I request my compliments to Made. Galvez, and that you will be assured that actions so noble as those of your Excellency's, will ever be remembered by

Admiral Rowley accordingly despatched a sloop of war to Louisiana, and the prisoners were brought to Jamaica.

The following are the circumstances by which these unfortunate Englishmen fell into the power of the Spanish Government, and who would certainly have been executed, had it not been for the truly noble conduct of Don Galvez, and the very timely appearance of Prince William in that particular part of the globe.

About the middle of August 1779, Don Galvez, the Spanish governor of Louisiana, having collected the whole force of his province at New Orleans, set out upon an expedition against the settlements on the Mississippi; and as they had no cover, but a newly constructed fort, defended by five hundred men, they could not long resist the efforts of a well-provided army of four times that number. Don Galvez extending his views to the conquest of all West Florida, concocted a plan of operation with the Governor of the Havannah, in pursuance of which he was to be assisted by a considerable embarkation from that place early in the ensuing year.

Accordingly in the year 1781, Don Galvez made further