to be ahead of her; and when the whole fleet is formed in a line, which will be perpendicular to the direction of the wind, each fhip bears away at the fame inftant, and the whole fteer the fame intended course. one of the lines of bearing, and at the proper diftance which the length of the columns require; the diftance between the adjacent fhips in the fame column being about a cable's length. The van and rear of the columns are to correfpond with each other exactly in the direction of the wind, that they may with ease get under way, and form the order of battle with facility, fo as to be able to difpute the weather-gage with the enemy if he should come in fight. And as this evolution is to be performed in moderate wea ther, the fleet being in three columns, they are all at the fame time to bring their fhip's head to the wind under their topfails, and let go their anchors together, clewing up their topfails with all poffible difpatch; putting the foot of the fails in the tops, and loofening the theets before hauling them down; then veering away an equal quantity of cable to preserve the affigned distance. When it blows fo fresh as to require the topfails being reefed, two cables length may be kept between the fhips, and even three if it be likely to blow hard. 43. If the fleet do not exceed 20 fhips, they may anchor on one of the lines of bearing; or parallel to the coaft, in places where trade winds are common, provided they blow in the direction of the land; for, in all cafes, they must be in a condition to get under way at the first fight of the enemy, whofe approach is never to be waited for at anchor; becaufe, if it be dangerous for a fingle ship, it must be still more so for a fleet, the movements of which are interrupted by the difficulty there is in getting with celerity under way ships which are moored, and which, in that cafe, are not able mutually to fupport one another, as is abfolutely requifite in a fleet. SECT. II. Of the MANNER of FORMING the feveral ORDERS of SAILING. 44. THE first order of failing is formed thus: As the fleet is fuppofed to be in no particular order, that fhip which is to lead on the propofed Jine of bearing on which the fleet is to fail, runs to the leeward of the whole or greater part of the fleet, and then hauls her wind, carrying an eafy fail: each fhip then endeavours to get into her proper station, by chafing the fhip which is to be next ahead of her; and when in the wake of the leader, muft take care to preferve the affigned diftance from the ship immediately ahead, by increafing or diminishing the quantity of fail: and if any of the fleet should happen to be fo far removed from her fecond ahead as not to be able to chafe her without getting out of her way towards the line, in that cafe she must take her ftation difcretionally in a line with the leaders, and leave a proper interval. The fleet will now be formed in the line of battle; from which the first order of failing is formed by each fhip bearing away at the fame intant, and fleering each the fame propofed course. 45. To form the 2d order of failing, the leader runs to the leeward or the whole, or of fo many of the fleet as that each fhip may eafily fetch his wake, and then fiteers a courfe 8 points from the wind, carrying an eafy fail. Each thip now gets into her proper itation, by chafing that which is 46. In the 3d order of failing the admiral is in the middle of his fleet. Now, the fleet being formed in a line, on one of the lines of bearing, as above directed, and the ships fteering in the wakes of each other, or ten points from the wind, the leading or leewardmoft fhip first hauls her wind; the ad ship, as foon as the is in the wake of the leader, hauls her wind alfo; and in like manner each fhip until the admirals fucceffively haul their wind, as foon as they have reached the wake of the leading fhip; and at the fame inftant that the admiral's fhip hauls her wind, the other, or fternmoft half of the fleet, do the fame. The fleet will then be in the 3d order of failing, as reprefented in fig. 4. From this order the fleet can be expeditioully formed into the line of battle on either tack. 47. As the fleet, in the 4th order of failing, is divided into fix columns, and the three command. ers ranged on the two lines of bearing, the com mander in chief being at the angular point; therefore, to form this order, the admirals range them. felyes on the two lines of bearing, at a proper dif tance from each other, and fteer the proper courfe; the hips of the feveral columns come each into its refpective place, forming themselves into lines in the direction of the wind, and pa railel to each other, as in fig. 5. 48. To form the 5th order of failing, the three leading fhips of the divifions are to take their poâs abreaft, and to leeward of each other, keeping their wind under an eafy fail. Then the ships of in their respective stations, aftern of their leaders, each fquadron, making fail, will range themselves and keeping the fame courfe; each ship preferv ing the appointed distances from that next ahead; and the commanders of each divifion, and each 2d, 3d, &c. fhip, are to keep themselves mutually abreaft of each other. 49. To form the order of battle, the ship which is to lead runs to the leeward of the whole, and then hauls her wind upon the tack directed, carry. ing an ealy fail. Each fhip then makes fail ac cording to her diftance, and chafes the hip which is to be inmediately ahead of her in the line, and hauls in her wake in the line on which the yan fhip is moving, 50. The admiral, or fhip appointed to make the angular point, runs to the leeward of the fleet, and brings to: then each fhip runs to its refpec tive ftation in one of the lines of bearing, and brings to; one half of the fleet being on one of i the lines of bearing, aftern and in the wake of the admiral, and the other half on the other line of bearing, on the ftarboard or larboard bow of the admiral. When this is accomplished, the whole fleet bears away before the wind: the two wings will now bear from the admiral two points be fore his beam, and ready to form the line of bat tie upon either tack; the fhips on the admiral's ftarboard bow being in the line of bearing for the larboard tack, and thofe on his larboard bow in the line of bearing for the ftarboard tack. SECT. SECT. III. OF CHANGING from the feveral ORDERS of SAILING to the LINE of BATTLE. 51. To form the line from the firft order of failing: If the fhips be running large on the tack anfwering to the line of bearing on which they are failing and the line to be formed on the fame tack, all the ships haul the wind at the same time, or at leaft each fhip hauls her wind immediately after the next to windward: but if the fleet be on the other tack with respect to the line of bearing, ail the ships haul their wind and tack together, or all veer together according to circumftances. If the line of battle is to be formed on the other line of bearing the leewardmoft fhip either veers or tacks, and hauls her wind: the reft of the fleet veer or tack at the fame time, and fteer with the wind four points free; and each fhip fucceffively, as foon as the gets into the wake of the leader, hauls her wind. Hence the line of battle will be formed from the first order of sailing. See figs. 10. and 11. plate 238. 52. To form the line from the 2d order of failing, the fleet running large or before the wind: All the ships of the fleet haul up together on the tack directed, prefenting their heads on the line upon which they are ranged, or 8 points from the wind. The leading fhip then hauls her wind, and is followed in fucceffion by the reft. That the hips may not be too near each other, they make fail as they haul their wind, or their feconds fhorten fail to open the order. See fig. 12. 53. To change from the 3d order of failing to the line of battle: The fhips being fuppofed going large, that wing which is in the line of bearing for the tack on which the line is to be formed, and the ship at the angular point, haul their wind at the fame time; the fhips of the other wing haul up together 8 points from the wind; then each ship moves in this direction until the reaches the wake of the other wing, where the hauls clofe up. See fig. 13. 54. To form the line of battle on the fame tack from the fifth order of failing: Let the weather column form the van, and the lee column the rear. The centre brings to, or only keeps fteerage-way; the weather column bears away two points, and hauls its wind as foon as it is ahead of the centre; the lee column tacks together, and runs under a prefs of fail, to gain the wake of the centre, when it retacks together and completes the Jine. (See Plate CCXXXIX. fig. 14.) This evoIntion may alfo be performed as follows: The weather column brings to; the centre and lee columns tack together, and go away two points free: when the centre column has gained the wake of the van, it retacks together, and brings to; and when the lee column bas gained the rear line, it retacks together, and then all stand on: otherwife the lee column brings to; the centre goes under an eafy fail two points free, to get ahead of the rear squadron; while the van carries a prefs of fail, alfo two points free to get ahead of the centre divifions. 55. Hitherto the weather column has uniformly been fuppofed to form the van, and the lee column the rear divifion: the line may, however, be formed by interchanging these columns in a variety of different ways; but which we do not think it neceffary to defcribe, now that Mr Clerk's new fyftem of naval tactics has rendered these manœuvres almoft obfolete. SECT. IV. Of the LINE of BATTLE. 56. In a naval engagement the mode is to draw up the fleet in a straight line upon one of the clofe-hauled lines under an eafy fail. The frigates, fire fhips, transports, &c. are placed at proper diftances on the other fide, with respect to the enemy. The diftance between two adjacent frips in the line is ufually about a cable's length; but the admiral increases or diminishes this interval according to circumstances. The nearer, however, the ships are to each other, the ftronger is the line, and the more difficult to be broken or forced by the enemy; but ftill there must be a fufficient interval left, fo that if a fhip receive confiderable damage, the may be got out of the line without becoming foul or falling a-board of the fhip next aftern, which would be the means of putting the whole line in confusion. 57. The ftrength of a fleet depends alfo more on the largenefs of the ships, and the weight of the metal, than in their number. The fewer the number of ships in a fleet, the more diftinctly will the fignals be perceived and anfwered by thofe near the extremities of the line; the better also will the order of battle be kept, and the fleet more eafily manœuvred. A large fhip is not fo foon difabled as a small one; and in the cafe of a three-decker, although the upper deck should happen to be confufed with the wreck of broken mafts, yards, &c. and hence it being scarcely poffible to work the guns on that deck, yet if the weather be not tempeftuous, the guns on the other two decks may be worked. If boarding thould be deemed practicable, it is evident that the large fhip, upon account of the height of her fide, as well as for other reasons, will have greatly the advantage over one of a lefs fize. Large fhips are alfo for the moft part more able to encounter a ftorm than fmail ones; and in a gale of wind large fhips have commonly the advantage in point of failing. Hence a fleet compofed of large fhips has greatly the advantage o ver a fleet confifting of lefs fhips, though much more numerous. 58. As in a naval engagement the two fleets are drawn up close-hauled, on two lines parallel to each other, one of thefe fleets is therefore to the windward of the other. The windward fleet has feveral advantages not poffeffed by the fleet to leeward, and the leeward fleet has also advan tages over the weather fleet. The advantages and difadvantages of each of thefe fleets are as follows: 59. The fleet to windward may approach the leeward fleet at pleasure, and can therefore determine the time of commencement of the action. If the weather fleet is more numerous, it may fend down a detachment of fhips on the rear of the leeward fleet, and thereby put it into confufion. If any of the ships of the fleet to leeward fhould be difabled, the fleet to windward may with great cafe fend down their fire-fhips upon them, or fend a detachment after any part that gives way. The weather fleet may board if the admiral admiral thinks proper ; and it is fcarcely incom. moded with the fmoke, which is carried off by the wind to the feet to leeward. 60. The difadvantages of the fleet to windward are, an inability to quit the fight when once engaged, without being obliged to pass through the enemy's line, which is extremely dangerous; becaufe the hips being already very much injured before they are obliged to fly, they must expect to be ftill more fo; and as they have it no longer in their power to form the order of retreat, this manoeuvre is abfolutely a desperate one. If the fleet to windward tack aitogether, in order to get off, the line to the leeward may do the fame, after having raked the weather fhips in ftays, and follow them on the other tack, with the advantage of having gained the wind of the centre and rear divifions of the flying line. If it blows fresh, it is feldom that weather hips have their lower gun decks fufficiently elevated; whence it refuits, that the ship being a little inclined on the lee fide, the guns often run out again at their ports after being fired, which very much retards the fervice of the artillery, fince the guns are obliged to be bowfed in again every time for loading; and oftentimes they can make no ufe at all of their lower tier. Again, fuch of the flips as are fo difabled as to be obliged to quit the line, cannot eafily do it, because in veering, for want of being able to tack, they fall between the two lines, where they are raked ahead, and thus completely put in diforder: but should they be able to finish their evolution, it is still very difficult for them, difabled as they are, to get to windward of their line, and very often they fall foul of the next fhips aftern of them, which have it fcarcely in their power to prevent the accident on account of the fire and fmoke, especially if the line is much contracted; and should these perceive it, and try to avoid being run foul of by falling back on their next fhip aftern, and fo on thus fucceffively, it might happen, that from one to the other a great part of the fleet being obliged to manœuvre, their fire would leffen, and very often cease, by their covering each other; when, if the enemy take the advantage of this critical moment, the diforder increafes, and all is loft. But thefe inconveniencies may be partly prevented by having the difabled hips quickly towed out of the line by the boats of the fleet, which for that purpofe fhould always be hoisted out from each ship before the engagement begins. Otherwife, if the fhips in the weather line, not being too clofe, have the neceffary space to obferve what paffes ahead of them, and to manœuvre, they ought to range themselves to leeward of the difabled fhip, in order to cover her, and approach nearer to the enemy; all the other fhips bearing up alfo together to preferve the line. 61. The hips in the line to leeward have the advantage of ferving with facility and effect their lower deck guns in all weathers proper for fleets to come to action: they can quit the engagement at pleafure: their difabled hips can without difficulty quit their stations when neceflity requires it: they can form the order of retreat with more readiness, or continue the action as long as convenient: in short, the lee line of battle, if fuperi or in number, can alfo double the enemy, by making fome of the fhips in the van or rear to tack, and put one of the extremities of the enemy's line between two fires; and if they are formed in time, they may cannonade the enemy while bearing down to the attack. 62. The difadvantages of the fleet to leeward are, its being very much annoyed by the smoke, and a continued fhower of fire from the wads fali ing on board, repelled by the wind, which if not attended to may be productive of dreadful confequences. The fhips of the line to leeward can. not attempt to board those of the other whatever may be their inclination for it; they can hardly do more than accept the battle, without being a ble to determine either time or diftance: it is even with great difficuity that they can avoid being boarded, or prevent their line from being broken, if the weather hips are bent upon doing it; and their fire-fhips are very feldom of use. A general rule for the adoption of either the weather or lee gage cannot be laid down. Sometimes the one is preferable, and fometimes the other; and very often the commander in chief has it not in his power to make an option. SECT. V. Of the BATTLE or NAVAL ENGAGE. MENT. 63. THE engagement will not begin till the admiral makes the fignal, unlefs an action is infenfi bly brought on by some unavoidable circumstan ces in the line, or pofition of the van or rear of both fleets in forming or approaching each other. The admiral in fuch cafe will make the proper fignal for the van or rear, by the distinguishing flag of either of these divifions, which will undoubtediy regulate the neceffary manoeuvres of the rest of the fleet throughout the whole line. 64. During the time of an engagement the greatet Glence is to be obferved in each fhip; no one muft quit his poft upon pain of death; and should any one happen to refuse obeying an offi cer, or hide himself, or feign to be wounded, he fhail be put to death on the spot. The wounded muft be carried or conducted to the furgeon by those who have been appointed by the captain for that purpofe. Should any one difcover an advantage to be taken, he shall inform the officer who ftands nearest him. No kind of rigging what ever is to be touched without an order. Should any dangerous shot be received at the water line of the fhip, fuch of the calkers, or carpenters, or any other perfon who perceives it, fball inform in private the captain with it, without faying a word of the fame to any one eife upon pain of death, unless it be a fuperior officer; the fame precaution fhall alfo be obferved about any part of the fhip catching fire. 65. Whift the fleets are engaged, the admiral carries but little fail: in this, however, he muft conduct himfeif by the motions of the enemy, the fhips always obferving to keep clofe in the line; and if any fhip happen to get out of the line, the fhip which immediately follows is to pay no regard to her, but endeavour to keep her station in |