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and convoy.

CHA P. IX.

Sir George Rodney proceeds to Gibraltar, in his way to the West Indies. Takes a valuable Spanish Convey. Falls in with a Squadron, under the command of Don Juan de Langara. Takes the Admiral, with Jeveral men of war, and deftroys others. Relieves Gibraltar, Supplies Minorca, and proceeds on his defined voyage. Prother, French man of war, taken by Admiral Digby, on his return from Gibraltar. Dutch convoy, under the condu& of Count Byland, flopped, and examined, by Commodore Fielding. Count Byland comes to Spithead, with his Squadron Confequences of that, and of other precedent and fubfequent measures. Ruffian Manifeft. Northern neutrality. Royal proclamation in London, fufpending certain ftipulations in favour of the fubjects of the States General. Retrospective view of affairs in America and the Weft Indies, in the year 1779. Advantages derived ty the Spanish commanders, from their early knowledge of the intended rupture. Don Bernardo de Galvez fubdues the British fettlements on the Miffilippi. Sullivan's fuccessful expedition against the Indians of the fix nations. Some obfervations on the policy of that people, and on the flate of culture and improvement, which the Americans difcovered in their country. Expeditions from Jamaica to the Bay of Honduras, and the Mofquito fhore. Fortress of Omoa and Spanish register fhips taken. Vigilant and fuccessful conduct of Admiral Hyde Parker, on the leeward ifland Station.

THE HE opening of the year 1780, feemed to indicate fome return of that naval renown, which had fo long been the pride of the English name and nation; but which, through fome untoward circumftances, feemed for fome time to have been ftrangely in the wane.

Sir George Rodney, being appointed to the chief command in the West Indies, was likewise under orders, to proceed, in his way thither, with a strong fquadron to the relief of Gibraltar. For that important fortrefs had been very clofely blockaded, and in part befieged by the Spaniards, ever fince the commencement of hoftilities between the two nations; and the lofs of our naval fuperio

rity in the Mediterranean, together with that unhappy ftate of weakness on the ocean, which difabled us from keeping the communication with that place open, occafioned the garrifon's being reduced to very confiderable diftrefs, as well with refpect to provifions, as to military and garrifon ftores. The lofs of power, and confe-* quently of influer.ce and respect, in the Mediterranean, among its other ill effects, has been productive of one, which could fcarcely have been expected, at least in the degree and manner in which it has taken place. This has been the defection of the Barbary states; or if not the whole, that of their principal, and in whom we are moft interefted, the Emperor of

Morocco;

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Morocco; who, contrary to all In about a week the admi-
former example, and in contra- ral fell in, off Cape St.
vention of that mortal enmity,
which, through a courfe of ages,
had been established and heredi-
tary between the two nations, has
taken little lefs than an open and
direct part on the fide of Spain.
By this means Gibraltar, in the
most critical feafon of danger
which it has ever experienced,
has been cut off from its domeftic
market; and has looked over in
vain to the oppofite fhore, for
that ample fupply of provifions,
with which it had hitherto been
furnished from Barbary.

Fortune feemed attached to the
new commander's flag, in a fignal
manner on the outlet. He had
only been a few days at fea, when
he fell in with a very confiderable
convoy, bound from St. Sebastian
to Cadiz, confifting of 15 fail of
merchantmen, under the guard of
a fine new 64 gun fhip,
Jan. 8th,
of 4 frigates, from 32
1780. to 26 guns, and of two
fmaller armed veffels. The whole
fleet was taken; and the whole,
ships of war, as well as others,
belonging to the royal company of
the Carraccas. The capture was
exceedingly fortunate; much the
greater part of the veffels being
loaded with wheat, flour, and
other fpecies of provifion; and
the remainder with bale goods
and naval ftores. The former
the admiral judiciously conveyed
to Gibraltar, where their cargoes
were fo much wanted, and the
latter he fent back to England,
where the naval ftores were no lefs
welcome.

But this was only the prelude to greater and more brilliant fuccefs.

16th.

Vincent, with a Spanish fqua. dron of eleven fhips of the line, under the command of Don Juan Langara. The enemy, being much inferior in force, endeavoured all they could to avoid an engagement; a defign, to which the different circumftances, of a rough gale, high fea, short day, and dangerous coaft, were extremely favourable. In order to counteract this defign, Sir George Rodney changed the fignal for a line of battle abreaft, to that for a general chace, with orders to engage as the hips came up by rotation; taking at the fame time the lee gage, to prevent the enemy's retreat into their own ports.

The

The headmoft fhips began to engage about four o'clock in the evening; and their fire was returned with great fpirit and refolution by the Spaniards. night was dark, tempeftuous and difinal, and the fleet being nearly involved among the fhoals of St. Lucar, rendered the afpect more terrible. Early in the action, the Spanish fhip San Domingo, of 70 guns and 600 men, blew up, and all on board perifhed; the English man of war with which fhe was engaged, narrowly efcaping a fimilar fate. The action and purfuit continued, with a conftant fire, until two o'clock in the morning, when the headmost of the enemy's line ftruck to the admiral.

The Spanish admiral's fhip the Phoenix, of 80 guns, with three of 70, were taken, and carried fafely into port. The San Julian of

7。

70 guns, commanded by the Mar-
quis de Medina, was taken, the
officers fhifted, and a lieutenant
with 70 British feamen put on
board; but by her afterwards run-
ning on fhore, the victors expe-
rienced the caprice of war, in
becoming themselves prifoners.
Another fhip of the fame force,
was likewife taken, and her offi-
cers fhifted; but the afterwards
run upon the breakers, and was
totally loft.
Two more escaped
greatly damaged, and two lefs fo,
into Cadiz. Such was the final
difpofal of the whole Spanish
fquadron.

by Capt. Macbride of the Bienfaifant, with refpect to that gentleman and his fhip, along with the ftrict attention to honour shewn by the Spanish commander, both deferve to be remembered, as laying down a rule of conduct worthy the imitation of other officers in fimilar fituations.

A bad and malignant kind of fmall pox, prevailing on board Capt. Macbride's fhip, that gallant officer, difdaining to convey infection even to an enemy, and perhaps confidering the peculiar terror with which it is regarded by the Spaniards, and the general ill afpect it bears to that people, acquainted Don Langara with the circumftance, and with his own feelings upon the subject; at the fame time offering to prevent

Such were the peculiar circumftances attending this engagement, that notwithstanding the inferiority of the enemy in point of force, few actions have required a higher degree of intrepidity, the inevitable danger and mifmore confummate naval fkill, or greater dexterity of feamanship. Even the light of the enfuing day, was fcarcely fufficient to extricate feveral British capital fhips from the most imminent danger; and it was not until the fecond morning after the action, that they had entirely cleared the fhoals, and recovered deep water. It seems upon the whole scarcely to admit of a doubt, not only that the whole Spanish fleet would have escaped from a more cautious commander; but that the apparent circumftances of the cafe would have afforded a full juttification of his conduct upon any retrospect.

The Spanish Spanish admiral, Don Juan de Langara, behaved with the greatest gallantry; was himself forely wounded, and his fhip nearly a wreck, before he ftruck. The humanity and generofity difplayed

chief which must attend fhifting the prifoners, by fending an offi cer with an hundred men on board the Phenix, and trufting to the admiral's honour, that neither his officers or, men, (amounting to above 700) fhould, in any cafe, of feparation or otherwife, in any degree interrupt the British feamen, whether with respect to navigating the fhip, or of defending her, against whatever enemy. The propofal was thankfully embraced, and the conditions ftrictly adhered to by the Spanish admiral; for though there was no other fhip but the Bienfaisant in fight, and that the fea and weather were exceedingly rough, his people gave every affiftance in refitting the Phenix, and in navigating her to the bay of Gib. raltar.

After this fignal fuccefs, Sir George Rodney having executed

his

his commiffion at Gibraltar, and waited the return of fome men of war, which he had fent with a convoy of ftore-fhips and victuallers to the island of Minorca, that commander, animated with fuccefs and covered with glory, proceeded, about the middle of February, to the Weft Indies, leaving the bulk of the fleet, under the conduct of Rear Admiral Digby, together with the Spanish prizes, on their way to England. They were not many days parted, before the returning fleet fell in with, or rather perceived at a great distance, a confiderable French convoy bound to the Mauritius, under the protection of two fhips of the line. Although a general chace enfued, most of the convoy efcaped; only the Prothee of 64 guns, and two or three veffels laden with military ftores, being taken.

Thus far, fortune feemed again to fmile on the British Flag. This expedition was in all its parts prof perous. Befides the great damage done to the enemy, fix fhips of the line were added to the royal navy of England; and the value of the other prizes, in a public view, was greatly enhanced, by the nature of their cargoes, the critical feafon in which they were taken, and the effential fervices to which they were applied. We have a ready feen, that the highest honour which he could receive, the public thanks of his country, through both houfes of parliament, was bestowed on Sir George Rodney. Nor was the nation at large lefs gratified. The long abfence of good news, rendered this the more highly pleafing. It was befides a triumph over our old and natural enemies, the houfe of Bourbon.

During this expedition, government having received intelligence, that a number of Dutch hips, laden with timber and naval ftores for the French fervice, not being abfolutely allowed protection by the States on their voyage, intended to escape the danger which they apprehended from the British cruizers, by accompanying Count Byland, who, with a fmall fquadron of men of war and frigates, was to escort a convoy to the Mediterranean, Captain Fielding was, in confequence of this notice, fent out with a proper force, in order to examine the convoy, and to feize any veffels containing those articles which we deemed contraband.

Upon the meeting of the fleets, and permiffion to vifit the merchant fhips being refused to Captain Fielding, he notwithstanding difpatched his boats for that pur pofe, which were fired at, and prevented from executing their orders by the Dutch. Upon this, the captain having fired a fhot ahead of the Dutch Admiral, it was anfwered by a broadfide; and Count Byland having received his in return, and being in no condi tion of force to purfue the conteft farther, then immediately ftruck his colours. Moft of the Dutch hips that were in the predicament which occafioned the conteft, had already, through the length and darkness of the nights, and by keeping clofe to the thore, escaped the danger, and proceeded without interruption to the French ports. The few that remained, with naval ftores on board, were ftopt; and the Dutch admiral then informed, that he was at liberty to hoist his colours and profecute his voyage.

That

That commander, however, chofe only to accept of the former part of the condition. He hoifted his colours; but he refused to feparate from any part of his convoy; and he accordingly, with the whole of the fleet which remained with him, accompanied the British fquadron to Spithead; where he continued, until he received fresh inftructions from his mafters.

This, along with many other, both preceding and fubfequent matters, led to that unhappy rup ture, which has fince afforded fo much caufe of joy and triumph to the enemies of both, between thofe ancient, natural, and Proteftant Allies, the kingdom of GreatBritain, and the States of Holland. Nor had it a lefs fhare probably in other fucceeding events, which were equally pernicious to the interefts, and fubverfive of the power of this country. The apparent vigour, how ever, of this meafure, and the femblance it from thence bore to the great and decided maxims of happier times, rendered it in fome degree a favourite with many people; who from thence augured a renovation of our ancient fpirit in council and fortune in war.

But the event which fingularly marked the opening of the prefent year, and which was probably, at leaft, accelerated by that we have related, was the extraordinary measure adopted in the north of Europe; where a power, which however great in other refpects, was of inferior note in a maritime view, was now feen dictating a new code of maritime laws to mankind, in many refpects effentially differing from thofe which had for feveral hundred years been

eftablished among commercial nations, and going directly to the overthrow of that fovereignty, or pre-eminence on the ocean, which had been fo long claimed and maintained by this country.)

Feb. 26th.

This was the manifefto or declaration if fued by the court of Petersburg, which has been the means of form. ing, under the name of an armed neutrality, that formidable naval and military alliance and confe deracy, between the northern powers, to which most of the neutral ftates in Europe have fince ac ceded; and which, Great Britain not being in a fituation directly to contravene, seems now to be fettled as a part of the law of nations. The great principle of this piece, and of that confederacy to which it gave birth, is, that free bottoms make free goods; and this is car ried to the degree of fuppofing that neutral ftates are entitled to carry on their commerce with the belligerent parties in a state of war, with the fame degree of convenience, ease, and fafety, which they might have practifed in time of peace. Nor is this all; it is farther laid down, that the neutral bottom has a right to convey, and to render free, all things, from any one part of a belligerent flate, and even coaftwife, to another, without let or impediment; faving only fuch matters as might be deemed contraband, in confequence of the ftipulations of former treaties.

This extraordinary measure (which in other times would have been confidered and resented as a declaration of war) was rendered the more grievous, from its ori ginating with a power, which not

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