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Alb«njrJc Strrel. 1BS«- THE LIFE 09 !«' GEORGE LORD ANSON, AUMIKAf. OF Tin: VI.ERT ; VICU-AUHIRAL OF GREAT BHITAIN ; AND FIU8T I.OItU COUHISSIONEIl OF TIIK ADMIKAI.TY, FUEVIOU8 TO, AND nUllINn, THK SEVEN-YEAUS' WAU. BY SIR JOHN BARROW, Bart., F.R.S. AOTHOR OF THE "I.IFR OF ADMIRAL LORD HOWE." Ilil r,. Tistim .!<■. LONDON: JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET. MUCC'C.\XXIX. •^JJ^vsrslur BIBUOTHECA Ottavienai*- ■ LONDON: PRINTKDBV William Ci.ouks anrSons, Siamford Street. c>^ 1 PREFACE. The Life of Lord Anson, though wholly spent in the civil and militai'y services of the navy, is cer- tainly less generally known than that of such an officer ought to be, who, by character and conduct, worked his way to the very top of his profession, to the head of the naval administration, and to a peerage ; and to whom was intriisted the principal direction of the fleets of Great Britain, during the two French and Spanish wars which occurred in the reign of George II. Every body has heard of, and multitudes have read, " Anson's Voyage round the World ;" many are acquainted with the fact of his having been, for a long time, First Lord of the Admiralty, and many in the profession may also know, that he fought a great action, took six ships of war, and defeated two important expeditions ; but it may be doubted whether the great majority of readers, even those in the naval service, know nmch more about him than these few particulars. The recollection of His late Majesty even (than Mhom few were better read in naval history, or better acquainted with the characters of naval officers, or whose memory was more retentive), failed him on one remarkable occasion with regard to Anson., the «2 iv PREFACE. omission of whoso nuine, In the eulogy he bestowed on other officers, drew ironi Iiiin an expression of r('i,q'et, and at the same time of the high opinion he entertained of Anson.* It is true, as the King said, Anson was not a bril- liant character : lie was not one who had the faculty of shining in conversation or in writing, nor can his biographer give a detail of heroic deeds, such as the life of a Nelson or a Wellington affords, but no man's moral courage was put to a more severe test than that of Anson. He was no boaster ; I have somewhere seen it observed that he was too modest ever to speak of his very unequal combat with the Acapulco ga- leon, or of the victory he gained off Cape Finisterre. t * The occasion was this. His Majesty, on the anniversary of the battle of Camperdown falHng on a Sunday, attended by the Board of Admiralty and certain naval officers, heard divine service in the chapel of Greenwich Hospital, and afterwards dined at St. James's. When the queen and the ladies were about to retire, the king re- (juestod they would stay, as he had a few words to say regarding the British navy. He began with the landing of Julius Coesar in Britain, which, he said, must have proved to the natives the necessity of a naval force to prevent and repel foreign invasion ; and he went over the main features of all the great battles that had been fought down to that of Trafalgar, Assembled in the drawing-room, after dinner, he beckoned me to him, and said, "I fear I forgot to mention the name of Anson, and the action he fought oif Cape Finisterre : I am not sure I know the details correctly ; pray send me an account of it to-morrow." He added, "Anson was a good man, and knew his business well; though not brilliant, he was an excellent First Lord, improved the build of our ships, made more good officers, and brought others forward in the Seven- Years' War, than any of his predecessors had done. Howe, Keppel, Saunders, and many others, were of his making." PREFACE. bestowed essioii of linion lie ot a bril- e faculty n' can his i\i as the no man's than that mewhere to speak pulco ga- 'inisterre. rsary of the the Board of rvice in the St. James's, he king re- garding the in Britain, ecessity of a le went over 'ought down voned me to Anson, and I know the )rrow." He ell; though build of on r vard in the inc. Howe, I In this kind of feeling Howe and St. Vincent parti- cipated. The former never talked of the glorious l.st of June, nor did the latter of the 14tli of Feb- ruary ; it is said indeed he always discouraged that topic being brought into conversation. I think it was Lord St. Vincent who once nuide the observation, that it was that man only who had performed one little exploit who was for ever talking about it. But if the Life of Anson affords not scope for recording many brilliant deeds of his own, he had the great merit of preparing fleets, selecting, appoint- ing and making officers to command them, by which and by A^hom the British navy was never more tri- umphant, nor that of France more humbled and reduced, than in the Seven-Years' War, when Anson may be said to have had the whole direction of the naval department. No one ever formed a juster esti- mate of naval characters ; and it is worthy of remark that the officers who served under him, in his cele- brated voyage, were those who highly distinguished themselves in the said war — Saunders, Keppel, Brett, Denis, &c. The fate of Admiral Byng is too intimately con- nected with the administration in which Anson held a prominent position, too deeply affecting the naval character, and too painfully impressive, to be omitted or slightly passed over in a work like this. What individual share Anson had in this deep tragedy, I have not been able to discover ; he had however his VI PRKFACF. ■li share of responsibility, us First liord of the Admi- ralty, for tlie harsli and severe measures taken a<];ainst the unfortunate admiral in the tirst instance, whit^Ii, in fart, led to all the rest ; but no blamt^ attaches to him for the selection of this officer, who, being a full admiral in the actual connnand of the Channel fleet, and no complaint appearing against him, could not have been superseded, without casting a stain on his character. In writing the Life of Anson, it would have been unpardonable not to give an outline of the voyage round the world, the second performed by any Englishman, that of Drake being the first. The narrative of this voyage is cleverly drawn up, but it does not give the sentiments and feelings of the Com- modore, under the many distressing incidents and the melancholy occurrences that befel him and h? > companions. This is a fault inseparable from a nar- rative of personal adventures, drawn up by a second hand, not concerned in them. It is generally under- stood that, although it bears the name of Mr. Walter, the chaplain, the account of the voyage was written by Mr. Robins, an engineer officer of great talent and celebrity ; but the widow of Walter claimed the work as that of her husband. Lady Anson, in a letter to Dr. Birch, asks, " Pray is Mr. Robins' se- cond volume almost ready for President Montes- quieu's approbation ?" — implying his authorship of the first. And a letter of Lord Anson makes a f « I'HEFAtK. VI 1 Admi- iches to ig a full el fleet, iild not [1 on his ive been voyage by any t. Tlie p, but it lie Com- nts and and hu \\ a nar- second under- vValter, written talent ned the )n, in a ins' se- lontes- ship of akes a ■^ I similar in(|uiry. Tins scccmhI volunu* would liave. furnished an interesting document, as showing tiu? real state and extent of nautical science wiien this voyage was performed, whicii we know only, very partially, from Pascoe Thomas, the schoolmaster ; but its loss, in other respects, is not nmcli to be regretted. Major Kennell observes, in a letter to his I'riend, " I forgot to say, in defence of Anson's voyage, that a second volume, containing the nau- tical observations, was written, and approved by Anson ; but Colonel Robins, being hurried off to India (as Engineer General), took the manuscript with him, to revise and correct, very contrary to Anson's desire. Kobins died not long after at Fort St. David, and the manuscript could never be found.'* But with regard to the writer of the flrst volume, the matter appears to be set at rest by what follows. In 1761, Dr. James Wilson, a particular friend of Mr. Kobins, published his " JMathematical Tracts," in the preface of which he satisfactorily decides the question whether Mr. Walter, the chaplain to the Centurion, whose name it bears, or Mv. Kobins, the engineer officer, to whom it has generally been given, be the real author of that celebrated work ; or whether, which I have always thought most pro- bable, both these gentlemen did not participate in it. Dr. Wilson says, •* Of this voyage the public had for some time been in expectation of seeing an account composed under f i I m vin PHKI \CK. liis Jjonlsliip's ouii inspection. For this purpose tl..i Rev. Mr. Kicliard A\'alt(jr was (Muployed, as having been chaplain aboard the Centurion lor tlie greatest part of the expedition. JMr. Walter had accordingly almost finished his task, having brought it down to bis own departure from Macao lor England, when he proposed to print bis work by subscription. Then Mr. Robins being recommended as a proper j)erson for reviewing it, on examination it was resolved that the whole should be written entirely by Mr. Robins; what Mr. Walter had done, being, as Mr. Robhis informed mo, almost all taken 'verbatim from the Journals, and was to serve as materials only. And, upon a strict perusal of both performances, I find ]Mr. Robins' to contain about as much matter again as that of JMr. Walter ; and indeed the introduction entire, with many dissertations in the body of the book, were composed by Mr. Robins, without having received the least hint from Mr. Walter's manuscript ; and what he had thence transcribed regarded chiefly the wind and the weather, the currents, courses, bear- ings, distances, offings, soundings, moorings, and the qualities of the ground they anchored on, with such particulars as generally fill up a sailor's account. So this famous voyage was composed, in the person of the Centurion's chaplain, by Mr. Robins in his own style and manner." If however the description of Mr. Walter's pro- duction be correct, Mr. Robins must have been not \ I ^ rniM'ArK. U poso tl.^ greatest urdiiigly down U) when he , Tlien r person ved that Rol)ins ; . Hobiut; from the \ And, s, I find ;er .again oduction of the having luscript ; chiefly es, bear- and the th such int. So erson of his own r's pro- >een not a little iiidelttcd to the " Journal of the A'oyage," pub- lished three years before, iianu'ly, in 17 15, ])y •' Paseoc Thomas, teacher of the nuitheuiatics on board the Cen- turion," a very respectable work, containing nearly all that is found in Robins', and, in some resp<«cts, unne- cessarily, more. To ciu-roborate the statenuuit nuide by Doctor Wilson as to Robins' share in th(^ work, he further states that IMr. Robins' friends, Mr. Cilover and ]Mr. Ockenden, Avith himself, compared the printed book with Mr. AV^alter's numuscript. Tlie fact then appears to ])c simply this — tluit Walter drew the cold and naked skeleton, and that Robins clothed it with flesh and muscles, and, by the warmth of liis imagination {chaleur d'hrni^inafion, as a French writer says), caused the blood to circulate through the veins, giving a colour and freshness to the portrait. An observation was made by some one (I think in Nicholl's Literary Anecdotes) that there is not a single expression in the book that could lead a stranger to suppose it had been written by a Chris- tian (much less by a clergyman) or suited for tlie reading of Christians ; and this accords with u remark nuide by the late INIajor Rcnnell, that in the whole narrative of such dangers, distresses, and calamities, as rarely, if ever, occurred in any voyage, before or since, the Mord Providence is not to be found. Perhaps not; but the finding of a compass on Tinean, when the Centurion had been driven to i'l* 'S X PREFACE. sea, is stated to be one of those ** providential interpositions of very improbable events " (p. 327) — an event, however, that can hardly be considered dignns vindice iioduft to call for such interposition — but the inference is, that the work could not be that of the chaplain. On every consideration it appeared to me desir- able, that the name of Anson should no longer want a place in the naval biography of Great Britain ; and, having ascertained that materials, to a certain extent, were to be found for the purpose, I ventured to un- dertake it ; and I am not sure that in doing so the similarity, real or fancied, bel.veen the circumstances and characters of Anson and Howe, might not have had its share in stimulating me to the attempt. The parallel might run thus: — each of those distin- guished officers entered the naval service without a prospect of early promotion from any great interest or hope of patronage ; the success of both appears to have been owing to constant service and strict at- tention to their duties, which rarely fail; at the period in question, when the lists were not so swelled as now, young men like these were sure to succf >d. Howe rose to the flag at the age of forty-five ; A i^on at forty-seven. Both attained to the highest honours of the profession ; both were raised to the peerage ; and both were placed at the head of the naval ad- ministration. And it may here be noticed, fis one among the numerous instances of Anson's discri- •^ PREFACE. xi ovidential p. 3-27)— lonsidered )Osition — 4 be that me desir- iger want tain ; and, in extent, red to un- rig so the amstances t not have ipt. The se distin- without a interest or ippears to strict at- at the so swelled ) succf >d. e ; A iion ,t honours peerage ; naval ad- d, Hs one s discri- minating faculty in the character of naval officers, that to him, and his recommendation to Mr. Pitt, Howe, while a captain, was indebted for the distin- guished conmiand of the expeditions to the coast of France in the Seven- Years' War. The moral and physical character of these two officers was very similar. The same personal qua- lities and constitution of mind were common to each ; resolution, with undaunted courage, united with pa- tience, perseverance, and indefatigable attention to their professional duties ; modesty and diffidence were the characteristics of both. Howe, on one or ttvo occasions only, spoke in Parliament — Anson never. Howe has been represented as silent as a rock ; Anson is called, by the same writer, the silent son-in-law of the chancellor, Howe was a family man, and seldom appeared in society ; Anson was said to have been " round the world, but never in it." Howe's character was strongly marked by bene- volence, humanity, and generosity ; and Anson's was not less so. Both were firmly attached to the naval service ; and it is so far remarkable that both should have had the opportunity of ginng the first blow to the French navy, by each having gained the first Victory in two several wars. The comparison might be carried further ; but in one respect there appears to be a great contrast : the one was fond of writing, the other appears to have abhorred it ; and this leads me to speak of the mate- Xll PREFACE. I rials I have collected for the IMemoir of Anson. In the case of Lord Howe I had upwards of four hundred letters, all written by the noble Earl to one individual, which proved a habit of writing ; but, unfortunately, the rest of his correspondence had perished. In the case of Anson I have between five and six hundred letters, none of them written by, but all of them addressed to, the noble Lord, by a great variety of correspondents, in and out of the pro- fession ; all carefully bound up in three large vo- lumes, alphabetically arranged under the names of the writers, so as to afford an easy reference. From several of these letters it appears that Anson, unlike Howe, was as sparing of his pen as of his tongue. Of whatever letters he may have written, not purely official, few have been found ; and, I understand that those I have spoken of from his correspondents were scattered about the house, until collected by the old house-steward, Jenkins, who had been in his younger days a boy under Lord Anson's cook, and who lived in the Anson family until his death, in 1824; and that these letters owe their present collective form to the care of Mr. Upcott, a gentleman well known in the literary circle for his valuable collection of curious manuscripts, which, for their novelty and variety, ought to have a place in the British Museum, whose library is certainly not overstocked with MSS. For the use of the MS. letters above mentioned. PREFACE. xm )f Anson, ds of four Carl to one ting ; but, ience had jtween five ten by, ])ut by a great f the pro- i hirge vo- i names of ice. pears that his pen as may have ^'en found ; spoken of about the se-steward, days a boy ved in the and that orm to the own in the of curious nd variety, iuni, whose ■'ISS. mentioned. I am indebted to the kindness and liberality of the Earl of Lichfield, who most readily placed them in my hands, and to whom I vake this opportunity of expressing my thanks. In addition to these I have another volume of letters, addressed by the Lord Chancellor Hardwicke, Mr. Pelhani, Chief Baron Cdarke, Lord Anson, and some others, to Lord Sandwich, at the time chiefly when his Lord- ship was negociating a peace at Aix-la-Chapelle. For these I am indebted to the Earl of Sandwich, who, with the greatest kindness, brought them up from Hinchinbrook for my use, and for which I am desirous to express my acknowledgments. The State Paper Office afforded but few materials ; but, what- ever there might be. Lord John Russell had the ci- vility to order every facility to be given for availing myself of them ; and it is due to Mr. Lechmere, De- puty Keeper of State Papers, to say, I found him ever willing to comply with my wishes. To the records of the Admiralty of a professional nature I had, of course, ready access ; to these, and a few casual let- ters and notices, the present little work owes its existence. What follows has only relation to a former volume. I had hoped, in my ''Life of Lord Howe," to have steered clear of giving offence to any one ; but I regret to say that, in this respect, I have been mistaken ; and I avail myself of this opportunity to XIV PREFACE. make an explanation to the few from whom I have received remonstrance or friendly hints. The head and front of my offending comes from Vice- Admiral Sir Thomas Harvey, who thinks I have thrown a slur on the character of his late father, Admiral Sir Henry Harvey, by including the Ramillies, of which he was captain, in the only eight seventy-four-gun ships that were in a condition to go down and oppose the collected ships of the French, after the battle of the 1st of June. The paragraph which has given offence is in part from a MS. Memoir of Captain Thomas White, on the battle of the 1st June, who states that "the British Admiral had left only the Impregnable, ninety, the Gibraltar, eighty, and eight seventy-fours, to combat one ship of one hundred and twenty, three of eighty-four, and eight of seventy- four guns, rather less damaged than those remaining at Lord Howe's disposal — that is ten to twelve;" and I added, " what confidence could Lord Howe have in his eight seventy-fours, which had contributed little or nothing to the victory — such as the Thunder, that had not a man killed or wounded ; the Alfred, none killed and eight wounded ; the Tremendous, Culloden, IMajestic, Ramillies, and Valiant, all of which had little share in the action ; — was a second battle to be intrusted to such ships ? " While I do not hesitate to answer my own ques- tion by saying a second battle was not to be intrusted to such ships, I freely admit that the captain of the Ramillies, Henry Harvey, was not in my contem- I Hi! PREFACE. XV n I have rhe head Adimral ;hrown a iTiiral Sir of which ■four-gun id oppose ; battle of las given • Captain fune, who only the and eight lid red and seventy- laining at ve;" and e have in ited little ider, that red, none ulloden, Inch had ttle to be m ques- I intrusted [in of the contem- i i. plation v/hen I included his ship; it was a pure inadvertence, and, I may acknowledge, entirely in- compatible with what I have said elsewhere of the gallant officer in question. 1. I had included the name of Henry Harvey among the officers having " particular claim to Lord Howe's attention," p. '237. 2. In describing the gallant conduct of the Bruns- wick, and her falling alongside the Vengeur, I said, " In this situation, being observed by Captain Henry Harvey, the brother of the commander of the Bruns- wick, who afterwards fell on that day, he stood to their relief in the Ramillies, and poured such a de- atructtve and tremendous' fire into the Vengeur, that just after the conclusion of the battle she went to the bottom," p. 276. 3. On the same occasion I have inserted what Lady Mary Howe says : — *' His poor brother, who commanded the Kamillies, seeing the Brunswick with three ships upon him at the same time, had twice borne down between the enemy and his brother, to take the fire in his stead :" p. 284. If Sir Thomas Harvey will cast his eye over these passages, I think he will acquit me of any intention to throw reproach on his father's character. The next is a kind remonstrance from my much- respected friend. Vice- Admiral Sir Edward Owen, in behalf of the late Sir John Colpoys, who thinks that a passage in the Memoir of Earl Howe " sounds harshly, as regards his memory, and seems calculated to narrow that high ground of general XVI PREFACE. r I j estimation in wliicli his character and conduct placed him in public and j)rivate life." Sir Edward, I am sure, knows that it is impossible for any human being, who had any acquaintance Avith Sir John Colpoys, and one in particular who sat daily with him for many months in the same room, not to vene- rate his character and admire his conduct in all the relations of his life, public and private. I had occasion to know him well, and to be witness to his kind and cheerful disposition, his general bene- volence, and extensive charities. But to the charge. Among the many manuscript slips of paper placed in my hands, one without name stated that " Sir John Colpoys was appointed to hoist his flag in the North- umberland (Sir Edwara Owen his captain). This was suddenly changed, without Colpoys being aware of it ; and, on the Admiral asking for some expla- nation. Lord Spencer told him a letter from Lord Bridport stated that there were murmurs in the fleet, it being a breach of promise to the service that Colpoys should be employed again." The memo- randum then goes on to say that Lord Spencer sent down Lord Hugh Seyuiour, to ask Lord Howe if after the mutiny he had made such promise, &c. On this I observed, that the Lords of the Ad- miralty had no occasion to ask any such question ; that no restriction respecting the employment of officers was ever conceded to, or asked by, the mu- tineers; and I added what follows. ^ PREFACE. XVll "In fact the whole story (contained in the Memo- randum) is a fabrication. Sir John Colpoys was never named for the Northumberhind, nor for any other ship, until appointed by Lord St. Vincent port-admiral at Plymouth in 1803. The Northum- berland was never ordered to be fitted as a flag-ship, and Captain (now Admiral) Sir Edward Owen, was only first made into that ship a few weeks before." It will be obvious that I could only have made this statement after examining all that could be collected from oflicial documents ; and I am compelled to de- clare, that, on a close re-examination, what I stated is correctly true. It seems, however, that, with' all this, I am still in error by Sir Edward's account, and I most readily give him the benefit of it in his own words : — " I venture to assure you that I was promoted and appointed to the Northumberland, at the vice-admi- ral's especial request, as his flag-captain ; that the Northumberland was fitted out in all respects as a flag-ship, the captain's cabin being (as is usual in such cases) in the ward-room. I can likewise assure you that his officers, collected from the other ships they had been serving in, were appointed to, and had joined her ; I will add, that his name was used in my various applications to the public boards, was always blended with the consideration of her eqi;ip- ments, his flag was fitted and ready, his coxswain even and his boat's-crew named." b ■i ^ ;# ill xvm PREFACE. I cannot for a moment doubt that Sir Edward's as- surances are strictly correct, and all that can be said is, what has sometimes happened, tliat the communi- cation was privatflf/ made by the First Lord of the Admiralty of his intention, who very probably desired him to act upon it ; but I can assure him the flag was never ordered to be hoisted ; the Northumberland was never ordered to fit for a flag, but in the usual wjiy for Channel service, not at Sheerness, as Sir Edward thinks, but at Woolwich ; and I am obliged to Sir Edward Owen for putting me in possession of the real cause (I consider, a very unworthy one) of the intention being abandoned, as it proves to me that, at least, the part of the Memorandum which re- lated to Lord Hugh Seymour's mission to Lord Howe was "a fabrication." It appears ihat a correspondence on the subject took place in the year 1825, by Sir Griffith Colpoys, the nephew of the admiral, with Sir I3yam Martin, in which it is stated that *' two seamen in the lower deck of the Bellona were overheard conversing in their hammocks about the return of Admiral Col- poys to the fleet, and expressing their regret at it, as it would remind them of the * bad times,' or some such ex])ression that had passed. This circumstance having been reported to the flag-ship, more import- ance was attached to it then, than in the opinion of many it appeared to deserve. It was considered to imply a disposition in the seamen of the fleet to resist 1 i PREFACE. XIX ard's as- 1 be said immuni- d of the y desired flag was nfiberland the usual s, as Sir i\ obliged lossession ly one) of es to me \vhich re- >rd Howe e subject Colpoys, I Martin, he lower ersing in liral Col- t at it, as or some umstance e import- pinion of iidered to to resist ■4 the admiral's return, and with this colouring it Mas sent up to the Admiralty. Admiral Colpoys was sent for ])y the lioard, and Avas asked whether he liad heard any news from Portsmouth ; and, on his answering in the negative, the intelligence alhided to was communicated to him, and it was put to him what he meant to do. His answer was to this effect — that it was for the ]?oard to decide ; that, on his jKirt, he was ready to act; and he had only to entreat tliat, in coming to a decision, they would lay all con- sideration for him out of the question, and do what they might judge best for the welfare of the country, and the interests of the service. It was dccidtid that he was not to hoist his flao." — And I cannot avoid saying, a very cruel decision it was. 3. Connected with the subject of the nuitiny, I had rather a curious application from a gentle- man who signs *' Robert Bover Hiuchliffe," and Avho says he seeks at my hands an act of justice to " a naval officer, Lieutenant Peter Bover, who served on board the London, and was the officer who shot the nuitiueer ;" and he comphiins that, ** in all ac- counts of the transaction (as if purposely), his name has ever been withheld from the page of history;" and that "this has been a source of great regret to his few remaining relations ;" and he recjuests me, if an opportunity should occur, to take a little more notice of Lieutenant Bover, and that, if so, he will send me some letters and memoranda for the purpose. b2 XX 'H i;!:^ 0' 1 iV] PREFACE. I liave received them, and most readily avail myself of this occasion to connnunicate to the public the interesting^ story of Lieutenant Hover. Sir John Colpoys, in a long letter relatini^ the in- cidents of the mutiny in the London — a letter that does him the highest honour for manly feelings, for- titude, and courage — touches upon that part which concerns Lieutenant Bover. " I can now solemnly declare," says Sir John, "and mean to do at my latest moments, should the poor misguided men, who are to be my judges, allow me to say as nmch to them, and which I am inclined to think they will, as they reiilly paid unexpected attention to me, even at a moment that one could have little expected any attention from them, but what was produced from over-boiling rage and fury, at seeing several of their wounded and dying shipmates Aveltering in their blood. — Even then, I say, though armed with all manner of missive weapons, they gave me a hearing, and which certainly saved Lieutenant Bover's life, though the rope was about his neck, and indeed, when taken from his, I exj)ected it would have been placed about mine." He then proceeds to state the violent proceedings of the men, wdio were pointing the guns aft, and forcing themselves up the hatch- ways, when the officers called out to know if they were to be prevented by firing on them ; Sir John said, '' Yes, certainly : they must not be allowed to come up." Several were killed and wounded by the 1> UK FACE. xxi lysclf c the lie in- !r tluit s, for- which emnly at my n, who luch to will, us even at ;etl any !(1 from of their n their ith all learing, r s life, indeed, ve been tate the ointing hatch- if they ir John owed to by the '■.V, iirini^: the iiiarinos threw a^ay tlieir nuishets — 1li(» men rushed up — the ^^eneral cry was for jioor Hover, whom tliey scnzed, carried off to the forecast h?, got a ioj)e round his neck, but were prevaiU'd on l)y the Kurgeon to hear what the admiral had to say. W^hat ho. said was — that, if any one was culpabh', it was he, and he only, and that Mr. Bover only obeyed his orders. The state of anxiety in Mr. Bover's family, on the circumstances being made known to i\wu\, will easily be conceived. The following is a letter from one of his sisters : — *' My dkarest Sisters, *' Tliank you l)oth for your kind and flattering letters. I deserve no praise ; but I rejoice tlmt I had some recollection left, because it contributed to alleviate in some little degree the greatest misery wretches ever endured. I shall not act so wise a part in relating some of the dreadful circumstances which were yesterday sent me by Lady Howe. 8he begged a friend of hers to call and tell me that my brother's name and person were idolised, and that his life was saved, by one of the very delegates fired upon. They s(»ized our dearest Peter, and were in the act of completing his destruction, when Joyce ran, clasped him by the neck, and called out to his party, " If you hang this young man, you shall hang me; for I will never (|uit him." The recol- lection of how near it was, makes me shudder every time 1 think of it, and I have a horror beyond concepticm of being f subjects.'' The only answer you can g'wo me is, you are authorised by your respective ship's companies ; but is that authority sufficient to ([uiet your consciences for takinj]^ the Hie even of a cri- minal, much more that of a dcservinjj^ and worthy jjenth.'- man, who is an ornament to his profession in every resped ! I can almost safely say you will say no. IJut if you are to be influenced by your ship's companies, in spite of your own opinion — I am but a single individual among you — and before this arm of mine shall subscribe the name of Fleming to anything that may in the least tend to that gentleman's prejudice, much more to his life, I will undergo your utmost violence^ and meet death with him hand-in- hand. " I am nevertheless as unanimous as any member in the fleet for a redress of our grievances — will maintain that point hand-in-hand with you all, so long as you arc con- tented with your original demands ; but, that moment 1 hear you deviate from those principles, that instant I become your most inveterate enemy. You see, brethren, I act M I ^ XXIV PREFACE. openly, and am determined to support it, as I will never form a part to do injustice to my country; and, for the future, shall expect that whatever comes before us shall be only conducive to the much-wanted and desirable end of restoring this fleet to the confidence of an injured country. Let these be your aims, and depend on every support from me and this ship's company ; and be assured that the life and character of Mr. Bover shall always remain inviolate in our hands ; and we think any step taken to the contrary, highly injurious to ourselves as brothers of your com- munity. " We expect your answer this night ; and beg leave to remain yours, most sincerely. (Signed) " John Fleming. ** Per desire of the London's ship's company.'' But these deluded men of the London did more : when Lieutenant Bover was taken on shore, to abide the result of a coroner's jury, the crew expressed their unwilHngness to give him up, hut he promised them he -.vould return to the ship ; the verdict being- " justifiahle homicide," his friends wished to prevail on him not to return, and put himself in their power, hut he persisted in rejoining his ship, as he had pro- mised ; he was received on hoard with three cheers, requested that he would not leave them, to Avliich he assented, and continued to serve in the London till made conmiander, on the 14th February, 1798 ; in the mean time Lord Spencer had written to his sister u hind letter, of which the following is a copy : — 1 PREFACE. XXV " Madam, " Your brother's conduct on this unhappy occasion, as well as upon former ones of a less unpleasant nature, has deserved so well of his country and the service, that you may depend upon my not suffering it to pass unnoticed ; there arc, however, some reasons of discretion, which will obviouslv occur to you, that may make it advisable to defer, at least for a short time, anything to be done in his favour. " I have the honour to be, INIadam, " Your very obedient humble servant, (Signed) "Spencer. Admiralty, 1 3th May, 1797. " Miss Maria Dover." (C I I On the lltli August, 1800, he was made captain ; and died about the end of 1802. It is hoped the notice here taken Avill prove satisfactory to Mr. Bover Hinchliffe and tlie surviving family of this brave young officer. 4. There is no part of the Memoir on Lord Howe's life that I regret more than that which, for want of explanation, has given pain to a most amiable and highly-respected gentleman, Sir G3orge Seymour, son of the late Lord Hugh Seymour ; and which he has pointed out to me in the most kind and friendly manner. It is an extract of a letter from Lord Howe to Sir Roger Curtis, and is as follows : — *' The conditions meant to be exacted by the crews of Lord Hugh Seymour's ships is a very un- pleasant circumstance ; and, by pretensions of a si- milar kind in the frigate detachments, it appears i II 1 S'llil XXVI PREFACE. that the assumed right of rejecting their officers, un- heard in their defence, will go through the fleet, at home and ahroad. I am glad you have convinced Lord Hugh of the high degree of impropriety, in my opinion, when commanders, not so compelled, assume a liberty to quit their ships." This paragraph, unexplained, does certainly wear the appearance of an indirect rebuke to Lord Hugh Seymour; but, considering the high estimation in which Lord Hugh's character stood in the navy, and, on all occasions, in the mind of the noble commander- in-chief, from his activity displayed in the Latona, at the relief of (libraltar, to the time he finally struck his flag, it is utterly impos'^ible he could have meant it as such ; and I am vexed it did not occur to me, at the time, to examine the oflicial reports, to enable me to explain the circumstance tlii't gave rise to it. It was simply this : Lord Howe, the late com- mander-in-chief, had struck his flag, and was on shore ; Sir Roger Curtis had a squadron placed under his orders for a cruise, having under him Rear- Admiral Lord Hugh Seymour, in the Sans Pareil. When at St. Helen's, Sir Erasmus Gower, of the Triumph, and Sir Joseph Yorke, of the Stag, dis- gusted with the conduct of the seamen, wrote a letter to Lord Hugh, under \\hose orders they were, desiring to be superseded or allowed to go on shore ; which Lord Hugh, as was his duty, trans- mitted to Sir Roger Curtis, and the latter of course PREFACE. XXVll rs, un- leet, at ivinced iety, in ipehed. y wear I Hugh ition in /y, and, nander- ',0 Latona, ■\\ 1 struck ■■.-W 3 meant to nie, % p enable ^^ rise to <*■' ;e coni- was on phiced n Rear- Pareil. of the "'■■ ag, dis- vrote a 1 rs they h go on trans- ■'■>" *.'s' course ■f to Lord Bridport, the commander-in-chief. His let- ter to Lord Howe, which drew from him the ob- servation above alluded to, was a private one. Whatever blame may be attached to the captain and crews of other ships, it is due to Lord Hugh and the Sans Piueil to say that she ought to have been an example to the rest; her crew never joined in the mutiny, nor demanded the removal of any officer. The Sans Pareil was considered and mentioned' by the members of the Board of Admiralty as a gratify- ing exception from the evil that was raging in the ships-of-tlioline ; and her crew were looked upon as so trustworthy, that she was sent to the North Sea, though ill adai)ted from her draft of water, to join Admiral Duncan, left with the Venerable and Ada- mant off the Texel, where she remained until the l^eet at the No re returned to their allegiance. TJie conduct of Lord Hugh Seymour in the battle of the 1st of June is too Avell known to make any com- ments thereon necessary; and, though he is not one of the five captains who, at once, broke through the ene- my's line, yet he was one of those *' who were able to secure their adversaries by close action to wind- ward," and one who was particularly distinguished by Lord Howe ; and on the 29tli IMay, when the Charlotte broke through the enemy's line, she was followed, in the most gallant manner, by the Levia- than (Lord Hugh's ship) and Bellerophon, both of which were most conspicuously engaged, the former i XXVlll PREFACE. having her foremast crippled and in danger of falling, when Lord Howe, observing this, instantly stood to her rescue. The beautiful manner in w^hich Lord Hugh expresses, in his journal, his grateful tribute of admiration for this timely assistance, I have tran- scribed in the Memoir (p. 266). It will afford me much pleasure if the explanations here given prove satisfactory to the several parties concerned. ^m t I , I 1 1 falling, ;tood to ;h Lord tribute ,'e tran- CONTENTS. finations parties Chapter L— ADVANCEMENT IN THE NAVY. . p. 1 Genealogy of the Anson family — Mistake respecting his education- Rises in the service by his own exeitions and good conduct — First found serving in the fleet under Sir John Norris — English, Russian, and Danish fleets in the Baltic — Anson appointed to the Hamp- shire — to the Montague — in Lord Torrington's engagement — Made Commander — Captain of the Scarborough — Sent to South Carolina — Peace with Spain — Returns to En^'land— A great favourite with the settlers of Carolina — Testimony of Mr. Killpatrick — His el ■: racterby Mrs. Hutchinson — Appointed to the Squirrel, and sent lo Georgia and Carolina — Spanish depredations in the West Indies — Spanish inhumanity— Inquiry of a Committee of the House of Commons — Case of Captain Jenkins— a doubtful one— Spanish retaliation — Declaration of War— Anson appointed to the Centu- rion, and sent to th^ coast of Africa — then to Barbadoes — Recalled for a special service — ^Two expeditions proposed — Anson's squad- ron appointed — The second expedition abandoned — Instructions to Anson of 31st January not delivered till the 28th June— Invalids embarked in lieu of seamen and marines — Impolicy and inhu- manity — Remonstrance of no avail — Various delays — Sails — Spanish squadron— disasters of— Character of Sir Charles Wagev — Anecdote — Anson's instructions. Chap. II. -THE VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD. p. 38 Expedition sails and arrives at Madeira — Early appearance of sick- ness — St. Catharine's— St. Julian — Strait of Magellan — Tremen- dous storm— Scurvy— Socoro — Juan Fernandez — Arrival of the Tryal and Gloucester — Beauty of the island— Recovery of the sur- viving part of the crews — Number dreadfully reduced — Several prizes taken — Arrives off Paita — Attacks and burns the town — Anson's conduct towards his prisoners — to some young ladies — Good result of it— Anson's generosity— Proceeds to the coast of ii ! ■'I XXX CONTENTS. California — Measures to intercept the Acapulco ship — Bad condi- tion of the Gloucester— Removes her men and stores, and sets lire to her— Dreadful condition of Centurion from scurvy — The island Tinian — Beauty and fertility of — Centurion driven out to sea — Transactions thereupon — Returns — Men healthy — Proceed to Ma- cao — Ship refitted — Sails to look out for the Galeon — Meets, fights, and captures her — Carries her into China — Transactions there — Parallelof Anson's voyage with Drake's — Some remarks on scurvy, and on the defective state of nautical science — Shipwreck of the Wager — Disasters which befel the commander and ofiicers — and also those of the mutinous crew — Act to continue the crews of ships wrecked, &c., on full pay and under martial law. Chap. III.— WAR WITH FRAflCE AND SPAIN ; AND THE SCOTCH REBELLION p. 97 Receipt of intelligence from Anson — His arrival— His first request refused — Mr. Corhett's advice to him — Declines his promotion to thb^ flag— Change of Administration — Appointed to the Admiralty — Character of the Duke of Bedford, Lord Sandwich, and Mr. An- son — Preparations for commencing hostilities — French fleet in the Channel — Sir John Norris sent to oppose it— A storm and its effects — Action of Lion and Elizabeth — The young Pretender em- barks for Scotland — Intelligence of the Rebels from Mr. T. Anson — Anson left alone in the Admiralty — Bedford and Sandwich both ill— Singular complaint of the latter— Dangerous interference of. the Crown with the jurisdiction of the Admiralty, by commanding a court-martial — Result of that court-martial — A writ of capias issued against the members — Their resolutions against Judge Willes — He demands and obtains an apology — His character — Activity of cruisers— Capture of Louisburg— The case of Admiral Vernon — is ordered to strike his flag — is summoned to attend the Admiralty — is struck off the list — Proceedings on this transaction- Satirical letter of Mr. Legge— Several brilliant actions between single ships. Chap. IV.— BRILLIANT EXPLOITS OF THE NAVY. p. 142 Order in Council for improving the building of Ships— Mode of promoting Admirals — Situation of old Captains — Orders in Council for their relief, by api^ointing them retired Rear-Admirals CONTENTS. XXXI Bad condi- .11(1 sets fire The island it to sea — seed to Ma- :eets, fights, )ns there — s on scurvy, vreck of the flicers— and tio crews of AND THE . . p. 97 first request promotion to e Admiralty ind Mr. Aii- 1 fleet in the iorm and its •etender em- ir. T. Anson mdvvich both terference of. [jommanding rit of cflpms ainst Judge character — of Admiral ;o attend the ransaction— 3ns between *♦ — Objectionable clause in the order — First established uniform — The year 174 7 glorious for the British Navy — Duke of Bedford's opinion regarding the distribution of the fleet— Lord Sandwich's — Lord Anson's disposition of it — his information of two squadrons of the enemy about to sail — Makes preparations to intercept them — Determines to hoist his flag — Selects Rear- Admiral Warren for his second— Letter of the Duchess of Bedford — Falls in with, at- tacks, and takes six French ships of war — Admiral Warren pur- sues the rest — Great rejoicings on this first victory — Congratulations from Duke of Bedford and Lord Sandwich — Fox's squadron falls in with and captures a large portion of the St. Domingo fleet — Rear- Admiral Hawke appointed to command a squadron to inter- cept that of M. Letendeur— Engages and takes five sail-of-the-line and one fifty out of the eight — His account of the action — Captain Fox's conduct brought before a court-martial — is dismissed his ship, and never after employed — Numerous captures made, and several single actions fought — M. de Conlians taken by Captain Shirley — his unfounded charges against that officer — Captain Shirley's exposure of them— Relative ranks of army and navy settled — Boscawen sent to India with a large force of ships and troops — Unsuccessful attempt on Pondicherry — Hears of the peace, and returns to England. Chap. V.-CONCLUSION OF THE WAR. p. 194 Ihips— Mode —Orders in jar-Admirals The duties of First Lord executed by Anson — Lord "Vere's interfer- oiict and incapacity— Rules of precedence at the Board — Change of the Board in consequence of Lord Chesterfield resigning the seals, the Duke of Bedford accepting them, and Lord Sandwich's appointment as First Lord— Correspondence of the Duke, the Earl, and Lord Anson on the occasion— Lord Sandwich's pressing letters, desiring Anson to consider himself, in all respects, as in his place— Anson's marriage with the Lord Chancellor's daughter — Lord Hardwicke's letters to him on the occasion— His anxiety and affec- tion for Lady Anson, on the score of her health — Difiiculties of Lord Sandwich at Aix-la-Chapelle— Suggestion of the Duke of Cumberland with regard to the establishment of a Marine Corps- Conclusion of the war — Lord Vere, in the absence of Sand- wich and Anson, appoints a commander-in-chief— He resigns both the Admiralty and Navy— The first visitation of the dock-yards by ii i I i XXXIl CONTENTS. the Board— unsatisfactory state of— An act passed for consolidating the laws relatinlic clamour Hospital — inst Byng — ted by Lord ned to death /^oltaire and yng's fate — )u — Inscrip- Newoastle, Fox, Lord Mansfield, Lord Wuldegrave— The Kint^s observations to tho latter — Lord Hardwicke sent for Succeeds, and relates his proceedings to Lord Anson — Commanders api)ciinted to the Channel licet — Mr. Pitt's plans of annoying the French coasts — First expedition against Roche fort fails — IJoscawen sent to North America — Retakes Louisburg and Cape Breton — Sir Edward Hawke defeats an intended expedition of the enemy — Several expeditions against the French coast — Lord Anson hoists his flag, and takes command of tlie grand ttcet— Howe and the Duke of Marlborough's proceedings against St. Maloes — Third expedition — Destruction of Cherbourg— Fourth expedition — Disastrous result at the Bay of St. Cus— Brilliant single actions. Chai'. Vin.— SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN OF I7r>0. p. .320 Preparations for the campaign of 17 J9 — Threats of the invasion of England, Scotland, and Ireland— Measures taken to meet it — Thurot escapes from Dunkirk — takes Carriokfergus — is met by Elliot, who captures his three frigates — Thurot killed in the ac- tion — Rodney attacks Havre — Anetidote of Rodney — Boscawen's action with the fleet under M. de la Clue — defeats it — Do la Clue wounded, and dies — The glorious defeat of Conllans' fleet by the gallant Sir Edward Hawke — Extract of his letter to the Duo d'Ai- guillon — Joy of the nation — Hawke receives the thanks of the King, and a pension of 2000/. a-year on the Irish Establishment — Re- ceives also the thanks of Parliament — Hawke no friend to tho line- of-battle — Expedition against Quebec — Sir Cliarles Saunders ap- pointed to command the fleet, and General Wolfe the army — Jealousy of the army on the appointment of the latter — Operations on the St. Lawrence — Quebec taken — Wolfe killed — Noble con- duct of Saunders on reaching England — Praise of Wolfe by Pitt in proposing a public monument — also of Saunders by Pitt and Walpole— Rewards to officors, by appointing generals and colonels of marines— Capture of Martinique — Gallant conduct of Admiral Pocock in the East Indies. , . p. 281 months his l.nson — Lord to — Duke of Chap. IX.-CONCLUSION OF THE SEVEN-YEARS' WAR- DEATH OF GEORGE IL, AND OF LORD ANSON, p. 300 The disposition of the fleet for the year 1700 — High state of the navy as to ships, otlicers, and men — The several flag-officers em- 2 I. I xxxiv CONTENTS. ployod— Hiiwki' and Uoscawon relieve each otlitT — Death of Bos- oawon, and character— C/'aptun! of tho Island Dnniut — Anson's instructions tollawiio rospcctin^ Uelloislo — Death ot'GeorKo II. — Keppel's expedition aj^ainst tliat island -its capture — Att'airs of North Aujericu— Byron Hcnt to demolish the works of Louisbur^ — Chevalier dc Levis appears before Quebec — General Murray ^oes out to attack him— is obliged to retreat — The lleet arrives, and Levis raises the siege— Montreal taken by General Amherst — French power annihilated in Canada — Overture of peace from France — treacherous intri<;ue of, with Spain — Mr. Pitt's noble con- duct—resigns in disgust — Declaration of war against Spain — The war prosecuted with vigour against these lonibined powers — Dis- astrous war for Spain — Her register ships taken -The Ilavannah taken, with fourteen sail-of-tho-line — Manilla taken, and ransomed — Disasters of the Frencli, in the? capture of Martini(|ue, and seve- ral frigates, privateers, and merchant-ships— Both powers humbled and sue for peace— Preliminaries signed in November, 1 702, and proclaimed in London in February, 1 703— Death of Lord Anson — Letter of the Duke of Newcastle on this occasion. Chap. X.— ANSON'S CHARACTER ILLUSTRATED, p. 392 Professional character— Conduct in the civil department of the Navy — Improvements in the ?««^(';vW of the Navy — Moral character resembled that of Lord Howe — Peculiar habits — Character illus- trated by his correspondents, Captains Bennet, Piercy Brett, Cheap, Denis, Philip Saumaro/ ; Mr. Legge, M. Hardenberg, Lord Sandwich, Lord Chatham— The late King's mark of attention to Lord Anson's memory. SUPPLKMENTAL CHAPTER. Introduction p. 421 Section 1.. Navies of England, France, Russia, United States, &c p. 'I'i/} Section 2. Manning the Naw p. 457 Section 3. Health of the Naw p. 471 I il ! 1 'I Ml in H I [il th of Ros. — Alison's lorfxo II. — -Atriiirs of LouisbuiK !urniy ^oes rrivos, and Aniherst-- leact! I'lom noble con- Ipain — Tho wcrs — Dis- Ilavainuih 1 ransomed J, find seve- rs humbled , 1 702, and ■d Anson - ED, p. 392 if the Navy il charnctev actcr illus- cy Brett, ardenbero:, of attention led p. 4 J 1 p. '125 p. 4o7 p. 471 m '•if- rr THE LIFE OF GEORGE LORD ANSON CHAPTER I. ADVANCEMENT IN THE NAVY. Gcnoalojxy of the Anson family — Mistake respoctin}^ his education- Rises in the service by his own exertions and j>ood conduct — First found serving in the lleet under Sir John Norris — English, Russian, and Danish fleets in the IJaltic — Anson appointed to the Hamp- shire—to the Montague — in Lord Torrington's engagement — Made Commander — Captain of the Scarborough — Sent to South Carolina — Peace with Spain — Returns to England — A great favourite with Iho settlers of Carolina — Testimony of Mr. Killpatrick— His cha- racter by Mrs. Hutchinson — Appointed to the Squirrel, and sent to Georgia and Carolina — Spanish depredations in the West Indies — Spanish inhumanity — Inquiry of a Committee of the House of Commons — Case of Captain Jenkins — a doubtful one— Spanish retaliation — Declaration of War— Anson appointed to the Centu- rion, and sent to the coast of Africa — then to Barbadocs— Recalled for a special service — Two expeditions proposed — Anson's squad- ron appointed — The second expedition abandoned — Instructions to Anson of 31st January not delivered till the 28th June— Invalids embarked in lieu of seamen and marines — Impolicy and inhu- manity—Remonstrance of no avail — Various delays — Sails — Spanish squadron — disasters of— Character of Sir Charles Wager — Anecdote — Anson's instructions. 1697 to 1740. William Anson, Esq., of Lincoln's Lm, an eminent barrister in the reign of James L, purchased tlie mansion of Shugborough in the county of Stafford. c I ! I L'FE or LORD ANSON. [CII. I. To him succeeded his son William, and subsequently his grandson, William Anson, Esq., who died in 1720, leaving two sons and a daughter, namely — 1. Thomas, his sueeessor ut Shughorough, who died without issue, in 1773. 2. George, the celebrated circumnavigator, who, for his services, was created, in 1747, Juiron Anson, a title that became extinct at his death, which hap- pened on the 6th June, 1702: he was united to Eli- zabeth, daughter of Philip first Earl of llardwicke, but had no issue. 3. Janetta, died in 1771, having married Sam- brooke Adams, Esq., of 8and)rooke in the county of Stafford. The only surviving issue of this marriage was George Adams, Es({., who, inheriting the j)ro- perty of l)oth his maternal uncles, assumed the name and arms of Anson. Thomas, his eldest son and heir, was created, in 1 80G, Viscount Anson of Shugborough and ^''grave in the county of Stafford, and Baron Soberton of Soberton in the county of Hants; he died 31st July, 1818, and was succeeded by his eldest son, Thoma>5 William, the third viscount, who, in 1831, was advanced to the dignity of Earl of Lichfield, the present possessor of that title. George Anson, the second son of William Anson, the subject of this memoir, was born in the parish of Colwich the 23rd April, 1697; but where he re- ceived his education, in what ship he first went to sea, and under what captain, none of the existing [cii. I. [iiently ilicd ill .ly- h, who jr, who, Alison, ch liap- i io Kli- I'dwicke, ud Siiiii- ;ouiity of nuiiTiage the ])ro- incd the Uk'st son iison of Stafford, ounty of ucceedcd viscount, of Earl tie. n Anson, parish of e he re- went to existing 1697.] ADVANCEMENT IN THE NAVV. 8 •^ generation of his family appear to have any know- ledi^e. In the biographical dictionaries it i*: stated that he received his nautical instruction on Ijoard some ship of war, from Mr. William Jones, tin. father of the celebrated Sir William Jones, who Avas a schoolmaster in the navy ; and Sir John Shore (after\vards Lord Teignmouth) repeats this in his "Life of Sir William Jones." Speaking of the father, his lordship says, •* From his earliest years IMr. Jones discovered a propensity for mathema- ticjil studies, and, having cultivated them with assiduity, he began his career in life by teaching mathematics on board a man-of-war ; and in this situation attracted the notice and obtained the friend- ship of Lord (Mr.) Anson. In his twenty-second year Mr. Jones ])iiblished a treatise on the art of navigation, which was received with great approba- tion. He was present at the capture of Vigo, in 1702, and, having joined his comrades in ({uest of pillage, he eagerly fixed upon a bookseller's slio]) as the object of his depredation ; l)ut, finding in it no literary treasures, which were tlie sole plunder that he coveted, he contented Inmself with a pair of scissors, which he frequently exhibited to his friends as a trophy of his military success, relating the anec- dote by which he gained it. He returned with the fleet to England, and immediately afterwards esta- blished himself as a teacher of mathematics in Lon- don, whore, at the age of twenty -six, he published b2 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CII. I. li: i his Synopfiis Pahneriorum Matheseos — a decisive proof of his early and consummate proficiency in his favourite science." This may he all correct as to Mr. Jones, hut is impossihle to he so as regards Mr. Anson ; and it is rather surprising that Lord Teignmouth should not have seen this. Mr. Jones was horn in 1 680, and con- sequently had left the navy and was settled in Lon- don in 1706, when George Anson was only nine years of age ; but, as he immediateli/ established him- self in London on the return of the fleet from Vigo, Anson could then have been no more than five or six. It is always desirable, where it can be done, to trace back to early youth the education and character of every one who, like Anson, may have had the good fortune to rise to the highest eminence in his profes- sion ; for it has generally been found, that traits of the future admiral are observable in the character of the midshipman ; — the inclination of the tree from the bending of the twig. No record was formerly kept in the Admiralty of the services of young gentlemen, who entered the navy, until they had served the re- quired time and passed the necessary examinations, to render them eligible for a lieutenant's commission.* * After a diligent search at Somerset House, it appears that the name of George Anson is first found, as volunteer, in the books of the Ruby, in January 1 712 ; from the Ruby to the Monmouth, and from this to the Hampshire, where he received his acting order as lieutenant. As Captain Peter Chamberlain commanded all these ships (the Ruby from 1706 to 1712), it is extremely probable that An- ■:i \ [cii. I. lecisive ^ in his but is ikI it is uld not ind coii- in Lon- ily nine ledliim- m Vigo, ^e or six. to trace jliaracter the good is profes- traits of iracter of from the erly kept ntlemen, the re- linations, mission.* ars that the he books of .mouth, and n.] ADVANCEMENT IN THE NAVY. But, whatever Anson's education may have been, and under whomsoever brought u]), he rose hy his own exertions and good conduct, like St. Vincent and Howe, to the height of his profession — Admiral of the Fleet.. First Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty, a Privy Counsellor, and a peer of the realm. That he did so rise, appears from various quarters, and re- ceives contirmation from a memorandum on the first commission he ever received, written by George Parker, Esq., youngest son of the Chief Baron Parker, which was put into the hands of his son William (the present Sir William Parker) on his first enter- ing the navy. It is as follows : " Lord Anson, our relation by marriage, set out without the least patron- age, and worked his own way to a peerage and the First Commissioner of the Admiralty, — an example of encouragement worthy of your attention." It appears that Anson, in his nineteenth or twen- tieth year, had qualified himself and passed the neces- sary examinations to render him eligible, for a lieu- tenant's commission, and was serving in the Hamp- shire, a frigate in the Baltic fleet, und-^i' the command of Admiral Sir John Norris. This fleet had been augmented to eighteen s?il of the i'ne, besides frigates and small vessels, in consequence oi* the Swedes^ then at war with Russia, having threatened to capture, and having actually captured, the merchant-vesseJs son entered the service under this officer, who, in 1720, was wrecked in the Milford frigate, off the coast of Cuba, when he and nearly the whole of the crew perished. i!' I 1^ : til !■ 6 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. I. of England and Holland trading to St. Petersburgh, under pretext of their carrying to that port warlike stores and ammunition. The Swedes at this time had twenty-four sail of the line, two of them three-deckers of 110 guns each. Charles XII., whose courage and resolution might properly be termed rashness, and his military measures indiscre- tion, had found the means, on his return from his signal defeat, imprisonment, and romantic adventures, to keep up this fleet, so wholly disproportionate, in every respect, to tlie resources of his country ; whose low ebb, however, did not prevent him from obtain- ing whatever money he wanted from his exhausted subjects ; as Voltaire says, " he was blamed, admired, and assisted." It seems never to have occurred to him, that such a fleet was an unnatural excrescence — a fungus without root; that "ships, colonies, and commerce," of the first two of which he had few, and of the last little or none, were the mutual support of each other; and that, without them, a durable naval force could not be kept up. The lapse of a few years fully proved this; and Sweden has now some four or five rotten hulks of 74 guns, none of Avhich are ever likely to go to sea ; a frigate or two, one steam-vessel, and some eighteen or twenty gun- boats. To put down these depredations, on the part ot Sweden, on neutral commerce. Sir John Norris pro- ceeded to the Baltic. In July, 1716, he fell in with and joined a Muscovite squadron of seven sail of ships CH. I. l3urgh, t^arlike s lime them XII., jrly be idiscre- rom his jntures, late, in ; whose ohtain- hausted idmired, jrred to cence — ies, and ew, and support durable pse of a las now none of or two, ty gan- part ot |rris pro- in with of ships 1716.] ADVANCEMENT IN THE NAVY. 7 of war, oft" the Island of Dago ; and next day found himself in company with the whole fleet of nineteen yail, commanded by Admiral Count Apraxin. under whom was serving the Tzar Peter, with his flag flying, as Vice- Admiral of the Blue. The combined fleets of England and Russia entered Revel; Sir John asked permission to wait on the Tzar, who re- ceived him in the flag-ship of the admiral. " I made him," says Sir John, " what compliments I could, and was received with great civilities. He has since been pleased to come on board my ship, where we re- ceived him with such salutes as the fleet has always paid to princes. He is pleased to be very curious in his inquiries, and there is not a part of our ships he is not desirous of examining. The improvements he has made, by the help of English builders, are such as a sea;nan would think almost impossible for a have built nation so lately used to the sea. Thc}r tliree sixty-gun ships, which are every way equal to the best of that rank in our country." The two fleets were here joined by the Danish squadron, and all three put to sen, forminp* a line of battle, as well as they could in the then low state of naval tactics and signals, even in our own navy. The compliment of placing the Russians in the centre was paid to Peter the Great, the English taking the van and the Danish the rear, Avhile a few Dutch ships of war, and a portion of the English, were de- spatched for the protection of the trade up the Baltic. ""W 1 I: 8 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. I. The Swedes, on hearing what wiis taking phice, made the best of their way to Carlscrona; and the Swedish monarch was apprized that if an English ship was molested the admiral would immediately order re- prisals to be made. It was a fortunate circumstance for a young man in Anson's situation to have had so favourable an opportunity of taking a part in these transactions, though he might not have learned much in naval manoeuvres ; but he was still more fortunate in an- other respect : an invaliding vacancy occurred for a lieutenant's commission in the Hampshire frigate, in which lie was serving, and into which Sir John Norris gave Anson an acting order which was confirmed at home. In 1717 he was appointed lieutenant of the Montague in which ship he had the good fortune to shara in the action of Sir George Byng (afterwards Viscount Torrington) with the Spanish fleet of twenty -seven ships of war, besides a number of bombs and fire-ships, commanded by Don Antonio Castaneta, with four rear-admirals under him. Sir George fell in with and chased them all day and through the nigh- . The Spaniards having detached six of the fleet, Sir Ge n-ge ordered Captain Walton of the Canterbury, with five sail, to pursue them. The laconic account of his proceedings is admirable. " Sir, we have taken and destroyed all the Spanish ships and vessels which were upon the coast, the number as per margin. I am, &c. G. Walton." Sir ll ' i [CH. I. 1724.] ADVANCEMENT IN THE NAVY. 9 ;e, made ( Swedish ~\ liip was I'der re- ing man % L'able an sactions. '.-;; in naval "l- ;e in an- % red for a 1 igate, in »ir John ich was ■;| ppointed ! had the is •ge I5yng Spanish 4 umber of 3M Antonio m. Sir ^? day and iched six '9 /"alton of 111. The Imirable. Spanish oast, the 9 on." Sir 1 George Byng, in coming up with the rest or the Spanish fleet off Cape Passaro, commenced a vigor- ous attack on the Spanish admiral, Avhom he captured, together with a rear-admiral and five sail of the line and two frigates. The Spanish admiral's ship, the Royal Phihp, of 74 guns and 050 men, soon after the arrival of the prizes in Port Mahon, blew up, and every soul on board perished. Thirteen ships escaped, of which three were either taken, sunk, or Avrecked. Anson remained in the Montas^ue until he Avas made commander into the Weazle sloop on the 19th of June, 1722, in which ship he was actively and successtuUy employed the remainder of that year in the North Sfti, capturing a number of smugglers from the ports of Holland, laden chiefly with brandy and other contraband goods. From the Weazle he became captain of the Scarborough on the 1st February, 1723, and was ordered to fit her for im- mediate service at sea. In the month of March, 1723-4, the Scarbo- rough was ordered to South Carolina, with instruc- tions to protect the trade generally against pirates, who were committing depredations on the coast of that new settlement, to grant convoys to and from the Bahamas, and to prevent all illicit com- merce Avith the young colony. He was also to communicate with the governor, and to assist when necessary in the protection of the settlement, keeping a vigilant look-out on Spanish cruieers, A\ho were 10 LIFE OF LORD ANvSON. ' I" [CH. L directed, by the neighbouring governments, to mo- lest and impede the progress of our several establish- ments on that part of the coast of America, of which Spain was exceedingly jealous, more especially with regard to Georgia, which bordered on their posses- sions in Florida. In the commencement of the year 1726, matters had assumed the appearance of direct hostilities on the part of Spain ; and her con- duct went so far that, although in the peace of 1721, Spain had made an absolute cession of Gibraltar and Minorca to Great Britain, it was ascertained that, in 1725, a private engagement had been entered into between Spain and the Emperor of Germany, in which the recovery of those two places, by force of arms, had been stipulated, in case the King of Eng- land should refuse to restore them amicably, accord- ing to a solemn promise, which it was asserted liad been made by George I. to the Spanish ambassador in London. The parliament, however, was too sen- sibly alive to the importance of the fortress of Gib- raltar, to listen for a moment, when the thing was mentioned, to its abandonment on any terms. On the contrary, the ministry sent out immediately a squad- ron under Sir Charles Wager, to join the ships that were already there under Admiral Hopson. The junction was effected just in time, when the Conde de las Torres, with an army of fifteen to twenty thousand men, was encamping on the plain before St. Roch, with an intention of taking it by storm. i!< "W •# [CH. I. 5, to mo- stablish- of which filly with r posses- t of the trance of her con- of 1721, altar and i that, in ered into many, in force of ; of Eng- , accord- irted had ibassador too sen- 5 of Gib- hing was On the a squad- •hips that m. The le Conde twenty in before jy storm. 1728.] ADVANCEMENT IN THE NAVY. 11 i t The reinforcement thrown in by this fleet rendered such an attempt hopeless, and the Count, after a few months' ineffectual siege, entered into preli- minaries with the governor ; and the following year a general peace ensued. In this futile attempt the Spaniards are said to have lost 3000 men, killed and wounded ; the English about 300. That strange madman, the Duke of Wharton, had joined the Conde on this service. " Wharton, the scorn and wonder of our days. Whose ruling passion was a lust of praise.'' This man, having wasted a large estate, turned papist, attached himself to the Pretender, and, in one of his mad frolics, had joined the army under de las Torres. While these transactions were going on in Europe, Anson received orders, on the coast of Carolina, to burn, sink, and destroy all Spanish ships ; but it does not appear that any of them came within his station ; and the only assistance, he was called upon by the pre- sident of the province to afford him, was that of being instrumental, by means of his boats, in seizing a rebel of the name of Smith, who was instigating the settlers to assemble in a riotous and tumultuous manner, with the design of subverting the govern- ment. He delivered this man to the judicial autho- rities, and tranquillity was immediately restored. A vacancy having occurred in the Guarland frigate by the death of the captain, Anson removed himself into her, and sent home the Scarborough, which was I ' imm> >< m\ ! :■ ii ! ■ '31 v\ iii t i; i I III : 12 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. L in want of repair. In the year 1728 Captain War- ren, who hud been sent in the Solebay to the West Indies with the preliminaries of peace, called, on his return, at Carolina ; and here commenced that friendship between him and Anson which ceased only with the death of Warren in the year 1752. Though peace was concluded, it was not before the 5th July, 1730, that Anson received orders to return to Eng- land. His popularity among the settlers of South Caro- lina was very great. They gave his name to districts, towns, and mines ; and we still find, on our maps, Anson County — Anson Ville — Anson's Mines. It is not improbable that while on this station he may have possessed some property, either by purchase or by grant. A letter addressed to him in London, 3rd October, 1747, when he was a member of the Board of Admiralty, by a Mr. Killpatrick, proves with what affectionate regard he was considered by the inhabitants of Carolina. The writer asks for no- thing, but merely sends the translation of some work for his brother, Thomas Anson, Esq. "The present intrusion of which I am guilty, and which your Lordship's goodness will pardon, is en- tirely owing to my being one of the many witnesses of your most benevolent and amiable disposition in America, before your merit had attained that just elevation, which all g>od men who truly know you, unfeignedly rejoice in. I cannot deny that there is some appearance of confidence in this address, but [CH. I. n War- e West [led, on :ed that sed only Tliough th July, to Eng- h Caro- [listricts, ii* maps, nes. It he may chase or London, sr of the , proves ered by s for no- me work ilty, and n, is en- vitnesses sition in that just low you, lat there ress, but I 1729.] ADVANCEMENT IN THE NAVV. 13 your Lordship's justice will acquit me of any ex- cessive assurance, from a recollection that, where your condescension and affability made you very generally accessible, my reserve prevented i me from testifying that high esteem in person, which, upon my integrity, I ever consciously preserved for your just, honour- able, and amiable demeanour among us. This, my Lord, cannot be the language of adulation ; it was the incontestable sense of a province. " Your Lordship will observe how I have disposed of some of my many too-freciuent disengagements from a more profitable employment," &c. &c. : and he concludes by an assurance that " My greatest plea- sure and ambition will be always to approve myself with the utmost respect and deference, " Your Lordship's, &c. (Signed) ** Jas. KillpatriciC.'* ^'^•ut the following character, given by a lady (Mrs. L utchinson) of South Carolina, and extracted from a long letter written to her sister in London, and afterwards printed, proves the favourable light in which he was viewed by the settlers in that colony. At this period lie must have been about thirty-two years of age : — *' Mr. Anson is not one of those handsome men, whose persons alone may recommend them to the generality of our sex, though they be destitute of sense, good nature, or good manners ; but, nevertheless, I think his person is what you would call very agreeable. 14 LIFE OF LOnn ANSON. [CII. I. He 1ms good sense, good natui'c, is polite and well- bred ; free from thut trou])lesonie cerenioriiousness which often renders many people, who may perhaps rank themselves among the most accomplished, ex- tremely disagreeable. He is generous Avithout pro- fusion, elegant without ostentation; and, al)ove all, of a most tender, humane disposition. His benevo- lence is extensive, even to his own detriment. At halls, plays, concerts, &c., I have often the pleasure of seeing, and sometinio-s of com ersing with, Mr. Anson, wlio, I assure you, is far from being an anchorite, though not what we call a modern pretty fellow, because he is really so old-fashioned as to make some profession of religion : moreover, he never dances, nor swears, nor talks nonsense. As he greatly ad- mires a fine woman, so he is passionately fond of music ; which is enough, you will say, to reconnnend him to my esteem ; for you know I never would nWow that a character could be complete without a taste for that sweet science. " Mr. Anson's modesty, inoffensive easy temper, good nature, humanity, and great probity, doubtless are the antidotes that preserve him from the poison- ous breath of calumny ; for, amidst all the scandalous warfare that is perpetually nourished here, he main- tains ii strict neutrality, and, attacking no party, is himself attacked by none. " But I would convince you that all I have already said, or shall hereafter say, of Mr. Anson, is not merely panegyrical. I will give you an account of K '^ [CH. I. nd well- liousncss perhaps shed, ex- loiit pro- ])ove all, benevo- ciit. At leusure of I*. Anson, inchorite, y fellow, lake some r dances, reatly ad- \j fond of connnend )uld allo\v it a taste temper, doubtless le poison- can dalous he main- party, is ^e already on, is not account of 1733.] AmAi, ENT IN THE NAVY. 15 i % # his faults, too, as well as of his virtues ; for I have nowhere said he; is an angel. In short, it is averred, that he loves his bottle and his friend so well, that he will not be very soon tired of their company, espe- cially when they happened to be perfectly to his taste, which is pretty nice as to both : moreover, if fame says true, he is very far from being a woman-hater, and that now and then his mistress may come in for a share of him. " ' His heart, his mistress, and his friend did share; His time, the Muse, the witty, and the fair.' " Such was Captain Anson in his younger days. On his return from America he was not suffered long to remain idle. The Guarland (so spelt) being ordered to be paid off, he received a commission, in February, 1731, to command the Squirrel, in Avhich he was employed on the home station ; and, in August of the same year, was removed from her into the Diamond, a ship of 40 guns, which, soon after the signing of the treaty of peace, between Great Britain and Spain, concluded at Seville, was also paid off. He was reappointed to the Squirrel in the spring of 1733, and ordered to prepare forthwith for sea, intel- ligence having been received from Georgia of the intention of the Spaniards to attack that province. His instructions were to proceed to South Carolina for information, and, if the intelligence were true, to call to his assistance the shi])s stationed at Virginia, New York, and New England. In August, 1734, 16 LIl'E OF LORD ANSON. [cH. r. he reports his havinp; cruised aloiii^ the coast of (ieor^isi, calling ut the several settlements as he ])asse(l ahjiig, and found the inhahitants under no apprehension of heing disturbed by the Spaniards. In the niontli of June, 1735, he arrived ut Spithead, and paid off the Squirrel ; when, for the fu'st time, during nineteen years since he received his first com- mission, he was allowed to remain between two and three years on shore. TJie j)eace, however, which whs concluded with Spain, might be considered as little better than a hol- low truce. The depredations and insults, which the Spanish Guarda Costas had long been in the habit of committing on our trade in the West Indies, were still continued, and, as might naturally be expected, retaliation was resorted to by the connnanders of British ships, whenever an etpiality of force encou- raged it. This state of things went on lor several yenrs, and the Spaniards, not satisfied by plundering our commercial vessels, were loudly accused of mal- treating the crews. Every arrival from that (piarter brought complaints of atrocities committed by the Spaniards against British subjects, some of which were revolting to humanity. A general feeling of indignation was roused in the jmblic mind, and peti- tions from the merchants were poured into the House of Commons. Representations were made to the Court of Madrid, which affected to send out such orders to the West Indie?, as would put a stop to the !".;' i [CII. I. < J n loast of m us he luler no aniards. pithead, :st time, rst coni- two and led with an a hol- :- /hich the ■'/ u habit of ies, were ■ t expected, anders of ;e en Con- or several iiW lundering (d of nial- at cpiarter :d by the of which "''ok feeling of -.■->jbH , and peti- the House ide to the out such -^^W stop to the 1738.] ADVANCEMENT IN THE NAVY. 17 f^rievancos coniplaiued of; but there was little sin- cerity in that Court, and accounts continued to be re- ceived of the Spaniards persist in«jj to scarcli iiritisli sliips, under pretext of having on board contraband i(()ods, and of treating the men in a cruel and barbar- ous numner. At lenj'th the JJritish (Jovernment ordered four ships of 20 guns, and two sloops, to the West Indies, to be (unployed solely in the jirotection of our trade. It would not appear, how- ever, that this small force was at all ade([uate to pre- vent the Spanish depredations in those seas, on the Spanish ]\Iain, and on the eastern coast of AnuM'ica. They continued to the year 1738, when the House of Connnciis determined to investigate the matter of com- plaint minutely, and to ascertain the exact number of Britifcih ships tlip,t had been seized and jdundered, from the Treaty of Seville up to that time, specifying the names of the ships and masters, their estinuited value, from whence trading, and where taken ; stating also the extent and nature of the Ijarbarous treat- ment practised against their masters and crews. A circumstance was brought to light in the exa- minations that took place before the conuiiittee of the House of Connnons, appointed to inquire into the Spanish abuses, which created a deep feeling of in- dignation in the country. Captain Jenkins, master of the brig Rebecca of Glasgow, stated that, after the people of the Spanish Guarda Costa had mal- treated his crew, they wantonly and brutally cut otV c :■! m' m tM\ LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. I. I1 1 one of liis ears, the captain of which put it into his hands, and told him in the most insolent manner to take it home and make a present of it to the kinj^ his master, whom, if he had him there, he wouhl treat in the same manner. In addition to this savage act he was tortured in the most cruel manner, and thre?itened with immediate death. Being asked in the committee what his thoughts were in finding himself in the hands of such barbarians, he replied, ** I recommended my soul to God, and my cause to my country." This representation made by Jenkins, tlie sight of the ear, which he produced, and his account of the indignity which, in his person, had been insolently offered to the sovereign of Gre.'it Britain and the whole nation, filled the House with horror and indignation. Whether Jenkins's story was true or false, it was entertained by the House of Commons, and the report of it was received with uni- versal indignation by the people of Great Britain. Jenkins certainly brought hic ear home and exhi- bited it. Coxe,* however, is induced to believe, with Tindal, that " Jenkins lost his ear, or part of his ear, on another occasion, and pretended it had been cut off by a Guarda Costa." Whatever the case may have been, it occurred so long back as the year 1731, and was only brought forward in Parliament, in the year 1738, on occasion of these proceedings relating to the Spanish depredations ; it seems therefore to have * Memoirs of Sir Robert Walpole. w '-4 I JE CH. I. ito his iiier to 3 king \voul tliis change, to represent the impolicy and inhumanity of sending such men on such an expedition, who, from their age, wounds, or other infirmities, were utterly unfit to hear the rigours of a passage round Cape Horn. Sir Charles Wager readily joined in the opinion, that invalids were in no way proper for the intended ser- vice, and solicited strenuously to have them changed ; hut he was told that persons, who were supposed .0 he hetter judges of soldiers than he or Mr. Anson could he, thought them the fittest men that could he employed on this occasion. The feelings of these excellent judges are not to he envied, Avhen they were afterwards made acquainted with the fact, that not one of these unfortunate individuals, who went on the voyage, survived to reach their native land — every man had perished. It was not till the 5th August that these unfortu- nate heings were collected at Portsmouth, and ordered to emhark ; but, instead of 500, no more than 259 made their appearance on hoard ; " for all those'* (says the writer of the voyage) " who had limbs and strength to walk out of Portsmouth, deserted, leaving behind them only such as were literally invalids, most of them being sixty years of age, and some of them upwards of seventy." *' Indeed," he says, "it is difficult to conceive a more moving scene than the embarkation of these unhappy veterans : they were themselves extremely averse to the service they were engaged in, and fully apprized of all the disasters ^ :| ..j*^ 1740.] ADVANCEMENT IN THE NAVY. 25 they were afterwards exposed to ; the apprehensions of which were strongly marked by the concern thai appeared on their countenances, which was mixed with no small degree of indignation, to be thus hur- ried from their repose into a fatiguing employ, to which neither the strength of theii* bodies nor the vigour of their minds, were any way proportioneil ; and where, without seeing the face of an enemy, or in the least promoting the success of the enterprise they were engaged in, they would in all probability uselessly perish by lingering and painful diseases ; and this, too, after they had spent the activity and strength of their youth in their country's service."* By imposing these decrepit and miserable objects on the commander of such an expedition, Anson must have felt himself extremely ill-used, and nothing but that feeling of duty and propriety in an officer not to decline any service, to which he has been ap- pointed, could have prevailed on him to continue in it under such circumstances. But other mortifica- tions were in reserve. To supply the place of the 240 invalids who had deserted, there were ordered on board his ships 210 marines detached from differ- ent regiments, all raw and undisciplined men just raised, with nothing more of the soldier about them than their regimentals, nor even so far trained as to be permitted to fire; and still less were they ac- quainted with the miseries and inconveniences of a * Anson's Voyage round the World, 26 LIFE OF L.ORD ANSON. [CH. I. 'i ' ai* laiidMinan's life fit sea. The last of these emharked on the 8th of August, and on the 10th the squadron dropped down to St. Helen's, ready for a start the moment the Avind was fair. Here, however, another cause of delay occurred ; the squadron was ordered to put to sea Avith Admiral J3alchen's fl'^et, consisting of sixteen ships of war and one hundred Jind twenty sail of merchantmen and transports ; but, on the 9th Septoiiibei , Anson was directed to proceed with his own squadron only; and again, on the 12th, he re- ceived further orders to take the St. Alban's and Turkey fleet, the Straits and i\merican traders, at Torbay and Piymouth, and proceed with them as far as +heir several courses lay together. At length, on the 18th September, he weighed, and was fortunate enough to clear the Channel in four days. These vexatious and prejudicial delays, both, with regard to the manning of the ships and their subse- quent detention, were in no way attributable to the Admiralty. Sir Charles Wager was equally eager with Anson to expedite the departure of the squad- ron, well knowing, as it afterwards appeared, that the particulars of its strength and destination had reached the Spanish settlements on the w.^iern joast of Americii, even before it left St. Helen's. The Spa- nish Government, as might have been foreseen, had provided and sent out a strong squadron of six ships of war under Admiral Pizar'-o, four of them of the line, to intercept Anson on his passage to Cape Horn ; but tlu; fate of this squadron was almost as l:i ilS CH. I. 1740.] ADVANCEMENT IN THE NAVY. 27 >arked Ludron rt the nother rdered sisting twenty the 9th ith liis he re- I's and ers, at 1 as far \rth, on ituuate h Avith subse- ! to the eager squad- iiat the leached )ast oi' |e Spa- [n, had ships I of the Cape lost as ■s M disastrous as that of Anson. In atienipting to double Cape Horn, they were driven by a storm to the eastward, and dispersed altogether; three of them reached La Plata after many perils ; two, with the loss of half their crews, and the third, the Esperanza of 50 guns, and 450 men, of which only 58 remained alive, while a whole regiment of foot she had on board perished except 60 men. One of the five was never heard of, und supposed to have foundered at sea ; and one wai- wrecked on the coast of Jirazil. The calamities that attended Anson's squt^dron, after passing through the Straits of M \gellan at an improper season of the year, were unquestionably oAving, in a great degree, to the dehiy in leaving England ; but many of them would have been avoided, had this passage then been as well under- stood as now, when the smallest ships of war, mer- chantmen, and whalers go round the Cape or through the Straits, at all seasons of the year. The ships of Anson were, however, most wretchedly manned ; and Sir Charles Wager, an excellent seaman, and a man of good sound sense, could not contend with the Se- cretary of State and their Excellencies the Lords Justices, who appear to have taken entirely uj)on tlbimselves the setting forth of this expedition. An- .son, when at Spithead, ventured to send on shore two invalid officers, who from age and infirmity declared themselves incapable of doing any duty : he imme diately received an order, by direction of the Lords ; H'l ' ^ 'it',.!!! 28 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. I. Justices, that they should again lie rftceivcd on board, and that no more sliouhl he dismissed. Plad 8ir Charles Wager been a younger man, and possessed of that energy and vigour tliat is re- (juired from the head of so hirge and important a department, he might have succeeded in taking the equipment of tlie squadron out of the hands of th(»ir Kxcellencies, Avho could not \h^ sup])osed to know much of the details of sea affairs ; ])ut, being in the seventy-sixth year of his age, that firmness of cha- racter, which he once possessed, he could hardly be expected to retain. He had served at sea upwards of iifty years, was fifteen years a Lord of the Ad- miralty, and nine years First Lord, having, in 1733, succeeded Lord Viscount Torrington in that situation. He died in 1743, leaving behind him the reputation of an excellent officer and an honest man, who, with- out having had the opportunity of performing any brilliant exploit, had done much good, ])een employed on varied services, and risen to the top of his pro- fession solely and entirely by his own merits, unas- sisted by any powerful influence. A curious instance is mentioned by Wulpole of his inflexible character, which he maintained to the very close of his ex- istence. "The day before the Westminster petition. Sir Charles Wager gave his son a ship, and the next day the father came down and voted against him. The son has since been cast away, but they concealed * 1740.] ADVANCEMENT IN THE NAVY. 29 it fVoin the father, that he might not absent hiinsell'. However, as we have our good-natured men too on our side, one of his own countrymen went and tohl him of it in tlie House. The ohl man, who looked like; L.'izarus after his resuscitation, bore it with great resohition, and said, '* he knew why he was tohl of it ; hut when he thought his country in danger he would not go away ;" and Wali)(de adds, with on the South Seas) to proceed directly to the River Plata, and there to remain till the season of the year should permit you to go with safety to the South Seas, to be at present out of the question, and of no force. And whereas you are directed by His Ma- 1740.] ADVANCEMENT IN THE NAVY. 37 jesty's instructions to cause the land-forces, which are to go on board His Majesty's ships under your command, to be put on shore, on one particular occasion, with the approba- tion of the pioper officers, you are to understand it to be His Majesty's intention that the said land-forces are in no case to be put on shore, unless it shall be previously ap- proved by a council of war to be held for that purpose. " Whereas a letter written by the Governor of Panama to the King of Spain has fallen into the hands of some of his Majesty's officers, which letter contains very material ad- vices relating to ; he situation of the Spaniards, and to the keeping of their treasure in those paris, a copy of the same will, by our order, be herewith put into your hands ; and you are to have a regard to the intelligence therein con- tained i)i the execution of the orders given you in his Ma- jesty's instructions. "In case of your inability, by sickness or otherwise, to execute his Majesty's orders, the officer next to you in rank is hereby authorized and directed to take upon him the command of his Majesty's ships that are to go with you ; and to execute the orders contained in your instructions, as if they were directed to himself," 38 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. n. CHAPTER II. THE VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD. Expedition sails and arrives at Madeira — Early appearance of sick- ness — St. Catharino's— St. Julian — Strait of Magellan — Tremen- dous storm — Scurvy— Socoro — Juan Fernandez — Arrival of the Tryal and Gloucester — Beauty of the island — Recovery of the sur- viving part of the crews — Number dreadfully reduced — Several prizes taken — Arrives off Paita — Attacks and burns the town — Anson's conduct towards his prisoners — to some young ladies — Goofi result of it — Anson's generosity — Proceeds to the coast of California — Measures to intercept the Acapulco ship — Bad condi- tion of the Gloucester — Removes her men and stores, and sets fire to her — Dreadful condition of Centurion from scurvy — The island Tinian — Beauty and fertility of — Centurion driven out to sea — Transactions thereupon — Returns — Men healthy — Proceed to Ma- cao — Ship refitted — Sails to look out for the Galeon — Meets, fights, and captures her — Carries her into China — Transactions there — Parallel of Anson's voyage with Drake's — Some remarks on scurvy, and on the defective state of nautical science — Shipwreck of the Wager — Disasters which befel the commander and officers — and also those of the mutinous crew — Act to continue the crews of ships wrecked, &c., on full pay and under martial law. 1740 to 1744. By having charge of the convoys, and owing to the long continuance of contrary winds, the passage to Madeira was prolonged to forty days, which is usually made in ten or twelve. At this island Anson re- mained about a week, taking in wine and other re- freshments ; and here Captain Norris re<|uested per- mission to resign the command of the Gloucester, and return to England for the recovery of his health, 1740.] THE VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD. 39 which gave a remove to the rest of the captains, and the command of the Tryal to Lieutenant Cheap. On the 3rd Novemher Anson left JMadeira, and on the 16th discharged one of tlie Pinks, at the request of the master, who stated that the time of the charter- party was arrived. On the 90th of that month the first mention occurs of that dreadful sickness, of the continuance and fatal effects of which there is no pa- rallel in the annals of navigation. It is stated that " the captains of the squadron represented to the commodore that their ships' companies were very sickly, and that it was their own opinion, as well as their surgeons', that it would lead to the preservation of the men to let i i move air between decks ; for the r ships were so deej , that they could not possibly open their loAver ports. On this representation the com- modore ordered six air-scuttles to be cut in each ship, in such places where they would least weaken it." On the 21st December they reached the island of St. Catharine's on the coast of Brazil. On their passage thither a number of men died of fever and dysentery, and eighty sick were landed there from the Centurion alone ; and as many, in proportion, from the rest of the squadron. The ships were all now smoked, cleansed, and washed with vine- gar, their sides ai^d decks caulked, and new stand- ing-rigging set up. These operations, with wood- ing and ^vatering, occupied a moniii. A melancholy proof of the unhealthiness of this anchorage, or 40 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. II. perluips of tlio rapid progress of a disease already caught, was afforded on ascertaining, when tht; tents Avere struck, tliat no less tlian twenty-eight of th-^ Centui ion's men had died, and the number of sick, i. the same interval, increased from eighty to niiiety- six ; but it is too obvious that the seeds of the disease had been sown, from the day that the nvs'^rable iu- valir^ ha ' inhumanly been forced into a service, for tvh'nl? they were utterly unfitted. ^'on St, Julian was appointed as the first rendez- vous, in tile j. assage to which the l*earl parted company in a violent gale of wind, and the Tryal lost her mainmast. On the 18th January the Pearl joined, and the commodore learned from the commanding officer that he had buried Captain Kidd on the 3' st of the preceding month ; that he had seen, on the 10th, off Pepys' Island, five large ships, and, thinking them to be those of Anson, ran within gun-shot before he discovered his mistake, when he stood away and was chased the whole day, but towards evening they hauled to the southward. This was afterwards ascertained to be Pizarro's squadron. On the 19th they reached St. Julian's, and the commodore despatched an officer to examine and re- port on the salt-pond described by Sir John Nar- borough : he brought back a very bad sample ; and all that the boats could procure during their stay was about forty bushels. It was here decided, at a council of war, in the first place to attack Valdi via ; 1741.] THE VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD. 41 -shot ^ards the re- iVar- and stay at a via; that the rendezvous was to be off the ishmd or So- coro, ei/ch ship to continue cruising off the south end of tliat ishand fourteen days, and, if not joined by e rest of tile squadron, to make the best of her Wt ' o the isliMiU of Juan Fernandez. " On the 7tli Marcn,* says Anson (in his official report), *' I entered the Straits La Maire with a favourable gale and line weather ; but had no sooner got through the Straits than I met very hard gales of wind from the high lands of Terra del Fuego ; insomuch, that I was obliged to reef my courses, \i> i continued reefed fifty-eight days." This is all that Anson k,^j ) his 'report' of pro- ceedings ; but IMr. Robir ^ dwells on the line wea- ther of the Straits and the p jn sea before them "till we arrived [should arrive] on those opulent coasts where all our hopes and wishes centered ; and we could not help flattering ourselves, that the greatest difficulty of our passage was now at an end, and that our most sanguine dreams were upon the point of being realised ; and hence w^e indulged our imagina- tions in those romantic schemes, which tlie fancied possession of the Chilian gold and Peruvian silver might be conceived to inspire." *** " Thus animated by these delusions, we traversed these memorable Straits, ignorant of the dreadful calamities that were then impending, and just ready to break upon us; igno- rant that the time drew near when the squadron would be separated never to unite again, and that 42 LIFE OF Lottt) Anson. [crt. II. this (lay of our passage was the last cheerful day that the greatest part of us would ever live to enjoy." The description of the storm, which kept the Cen- turion's courses reefed for " fifty-eight days," is wrought up to the highest pitch of the sublime and terrific. Even Mr. Pascoe Thomas, the schoolmaster, who is not gifted with much power of Imagination, says, that until the 25th May *' we had nothing hut the most terrible and dreadful storms that I believe it is possible for the mind of man to conceive, and far beyond my capacity to describe in such a lively manner as might seem to render them present to the view of the reader in their true colours, . . . The ship rolled almost gunnel to continually ; the sails were almost always splitting and blowing from the yards ; the yards themselves frecpiently breaking ; the shrouds and other rigging cracking and flyirig in pieces con- tinually ; and, what added to our misery amidst those amazing and terrifying scenes, we made very little way to the westward and northward."* In these tremendous gales of wind, accompanied with sleet and snow, driven sometimes to the southward, and in all directions except the right one, the Centurion lost sight of the Gloucester, Wager, Tryal, and Pink ; the Severn and Pearl, having parted in the middle of these gales, were never seen again, which was also the case of the Wager. The wreck of this ship. * "Voyage to the South Seas, and round the World." 1741.] THE VOVAOE ROUND THE WORLD. 4i con- tbose little ;hese sleet lid in 11 lost ink; llle of also ship, and the varied adventures and misfortunes of lier crew, form a distressing and interesting episode, and are in perfect unison with those that befel the Centu- rion and the rest of the squadron ; but further notice of these missing ships will be taken hereafter. Anson, in liis report of 31st March, mentions, for the first time, his " men falling down every day with acorbutic complaints ;" but on the 8th JMay, he says, " he had not men able to keep the deck, sufficient to take in a topsail, all being violently afflicted with the scurvy, and every day lessening our number by six, eight, and ten." In the narrative of the voyage it is stated that ** in the month of IMay our sufferings rose to a much higher pitch than thoy had ever yet done, whether we consider the violence of the storms, the shattering of our sails and rigging, or the dimi- nishing or weakening of our cre^v by deaths and sickness, and the probable prospect of our total de- struction." It is then stated that, in the month of April, no less than forty-three of the crew died of the scurvy on board the Centurion; and that, in the month of May, there perished nearly double that number; *' and," the narrative continues, " as we did not get to land till the middle of June, the mortality went on increasing, and the disease extended itself so prodigiously, that, after the loss of above two hun- dred men, we could not at last muster more than six foremast-men in a watch capable of duty." Commodore Anson, or rather Mr. Robins, de- 44 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CII. II' scribes tlie general symptoma of ficurvy to be, birge discoloured spots dispersed over the whole suriuee of the body, swelled legs, putrid gums and, above all, an extraordinary lassitude of the whole body, espe- cially after any exercise, however inconsiderable; and this lassitude at last degenerates into a prone- ness to swoon on the least exertion of strength, or even on the least motion. He says also that this disease is usually attended with a strange dejection of the spiritti and with sliiverings, trenddings, and a disposition to be seized with the most dreadful terrors on the slightest accident ; that whatever dis- couraged the people or damped their hopes added vigour to the distemper and usually killed those who were in the last stages of it. " JSo that it seemed as if alacrity of mind and sanguine thoughts were no contemptible preservatives from its fatal ma- lignity." It was observed that wounds, which had been healed many years, broke out afresh by this dreadful disccase. A remarkable instance occurred in one of the invalids, who had been wounded more than fifty years before at the battle of the Boyne ; his wounds assumed the appearance of never having been cured, and, what is more astonishing, the cal- lous of a broken bone, which had Ijeen completely formed for a long time, was found to be dissolved ! He mentions others who, though confined to their haunnocks, would eat and drink heartily, were cheerful and talked Avith seeming vigour, and yet^ 1741.] TllR VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD. 45 on being the least moved, even in their hunnnocks, have inunediately expired : some, eoiifiding in their aj)parent strength, died in tlie act of getting out of their luunniocks ; several who were ahh? to do some trifling duty dropped down instantly whih; in th«? execution of it, many having perished in this manner during tlie course of the voyage. On the 8th May Anson arrived off the island of Socoro, the first rendezvous, where lie hoped to have fallen in with some of his dispersed S(|uadron, but, after cruisin^y for many days, and none of them appearing, the gloomy suggestion occurred to him that they had all perished. The land wore a tre- mendous aspect ; the Cordilleras of the Andes were covered with snow ; the coast rocky and barren, and being utterly unknown to them, and the westerly gales prevailing, they contiimed for a fortnight in imminent peril of the loss of the shij) and of their lives. By this time the scurvy had destroyed a great ))art of the crew, and almost all the remaining part Avere so much affected with it, that they could with great difficulty ^vork the ship. All the various dis- asters, fatigues, and terrors that here befell them, continued to increase till the 22nd May, when the fury of all the storms seemed to combine in one tre- mendous hurricane, that threatened instant destruc- tion to the ship ; but this was the last effort of this stormy climate. Anson having in vain spent i\ fort- night in expectation of the othov- ships, the deplor- 46 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. II. »';■ w !i i' able situation of his own left no further room for de- liberation, and he determined therefore to steer for the island of Juan Fernandez. It was resolved, he says, if possible, ** to hit the island on a meridian." Being nearly on the parallel on the 28th May, they expected to see it. Anson himself was strongly persuaded that he did see it on the morning of that day ; but the officers, believing it to be only a cloud, and that they were too far to the westward, it was decided, after consultation, to stand to the eastward in the parallel of the island ; the consequence was that, in two days, they made the high land of the Cordilleras of Chili, covered with snow, just at the moment they expected to see the island of Jujin Fernandez. This mistake was attended with a most fatal result, "for," says the narrative, "the mortality amongst us was now in- creased to a most dreadful degree, and those who remained alive were utterly dispirited by this new disappointment, and the prospect of their longer con- tinuance at sea." They v/ere in fact nine days in regaining the westerly distance which they had run down in two. *' In this desponding condition, with a crazy ship, a great scarcity of fresh water, and a crew so universally diseased, that there were not above ten foremast-men in a watch capable of doing duty, and even some of these lame and unable to go aloft — under these disheartening circumstances we stood to the westward ; and on the 9th June, at day- 1741.] THE VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD. 47 ])rfiak, we at last discovered the hng-wislied-for island of Juan Fernandez. In consequence of the error of standing east instead of west " we lost," says the narrator, " between seventy and eighty of our men, whom we should doubtless lave saved, had we made the island that day (28tli May), which, had we kept on our course a few hours longer, we could not have failed to have done." On making this island, we are told that, " out of two hundred and odd men, which remained alive, we could not, taking all our watches together, muster hands enough to work the ship on an emergency, tliough we included the officers, their servants, and the boys. In wearing the ship in the middle watch, we had a melancholy instance of the almost incre- dible debility of our people ; for the lieutenant could muster no more than tAvo quartermasters and six foremast-men capable of working, so that, without the assistance of the officers, servants, and the boys, it might have proved impossible for us to have reached tlie island, after we had got sight of it — to so wretched a condition was a sixty-gun ship re- duced, which had passed the Straits La Maire but three months before with between four and five hun- dred men, ahnost all of them in health and vigour." As they approached the island and discovered the hills crowned with woods, and between them the finest valleys, clothed with most beautiful verdure, and watered with numerous streams and cascades, n , iv^i i 48 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. II. it is not difficult to imagine with what eagerness and transport the suffering crew viewed the shore. " Those only," says Mr. Robins, " Avho have en- dured a long series of thirst, and who can readily recall the desire and acjitation which the ideas alone of springs and brooks have at that time raised in them, can judge of the emotion with which we eyed a large cascade of the most transparent water, which poured itself from a rock near a hundred feet higli into the sea, at a small distance from the ship. Even those among the diseased who were not in the last stages of the distemper, though they had been long confined to their hammocks, exerted the small re- mains of strength that Avas left them, and crawled up to the deck to feast themselves with this reviving prospect." The Centurion had scarcely dropped anchor when the Tryal sloop made her appearance. A fcAV men were sent to Mssist her to an anchorage. Captain Saunders, her commander (who had succeeded Com- mander Kidd), waiting on the Commodore, informed him that, out of his small complement of one hundred men, he had buried thirty-four ; and those that re- mained were so universally afflicted with the scurvy, that only hhnsell^, his lieutenant, and three of his men, were able to stand by the sails. It was the IGth before the tents on shore could be prepared for the reception of the sick, but on that and two follow- ing days they were ail on shore, amounting to a I I It 1741.] THE VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD. 49 lul- led red ve- [lis he lor k- a ' ) > i. hundred and sixty-seven persons, besides at least a dozen who died in the boats on their beini>' exposed to the fresh air. To carry tliese poor creatures in their hammocks to the tents, over a stony beach, was a work of great fatigue, in which Anson, with his accustomed humanity, not only assisted Avith his own Labour^ ])ut oljliged his officers, without distinc- tion, to lend their lielping hands. Twenty days elapsed, notwithstanding all the re- freshments of vegetables of various kinds, fish, and fresh meat of goats, which abounded on the island, before the mortality had tolerably ceased ; and, " for the first ten or twelve days, avc buried rarely less than six each day, and many of those who survived recovered by very slow and insensible degrees." On the 21st June ;i ship was discovered from the heights, "which turned out to be the Gloucester. The Com- modore immediately ordered his boat to her assist- ance, laden with fresh water, fish, and vegr ♦^ables, .which proved a most seasonable relief, for her crew were reduced to a most distressful situation. " They had already thrown overboard two-thirds of their complement, and of those that remained alive scarcely any were capable of doing duty, except the officers and their servants." The situation of this ship was most deplorable : wilii all the assistance that Anson could aiibrd her in provisions and A\'ater, by boats and men, and all the attempts that were made, she could not be brought into the bay for a whole fort- E ••^^ ;• '■:• .;■.,• • . * ^' m 50 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. II. night. Even after this, she disappeared for the space of a week, and every hope of her safety va- nished : however, she again approached, and the Centurion's long-hoat was again sent off with a supply of Avater and provisions. ** Had it not been for this last supply by our long-boat, both the healthy and diseased must have all perished together for want of water ; and tliese calamities were the more terrifying, as they appeared to be without x*emedy ; for the Gloucester had already spent a month in her endea- vours to fetch the bay, and she was now no further advanced than at the first moment she made the i.sland." In short, she once more disappeared, and did not get to an anchor till the 23rd July. Her crew were now reduced to less than fourscore. On the 16th August they were joined by the Anna pink, the crew generally in good health, the mystery of which was soon solved on i^.s being made known that she had been in harbour since the middle of May, within the island of Inchin, where, by re- cruiting the people with vegetables and fresh provi- sions, the survivors were soon restored to perfect health. The bread and other articles of food, which had been put into the Anna pink, were of the greatest possible use to the three ships which were now col- lected at Juan Fernandez. To men who, by their sufferings, had been reduced to the verge of death, and who had not set foot on lAjid for the space of more than one hundred days, I k 1741.J ™e vovAOE no™n THE wo„.o. .5,, Juan Feraandez appeared like,-wl,at it I. k described -an earthly paradise T, 7 '" g-e. the aron,atie lis £ ..^r:""'"'^' «'« great variety of vegetable r-.^duction If T'' *''" growth, as weli as the . ' ""''««"<'"« -sph-ed to ,n2^ \ ~ °;^-f -ion. a,i '-« offering, but to iasti i„To t '' 'T f"'" niost reduced a hone of ? "'"'' "'^ "'^ indeed speaks oi'tlr'^^'-V- Tho.as -d its productions t ^ ^r^ "■'■ .^ ^^'-" '"-. "nd thinks " there r '''"'"^"' '""P" flights of iancv r„;"* "" '^^"^^^' -"' «- ^-- and desolate abo XhtU *" '^ *''' and described. Fronx the W / ■ , , '"?!'•''«" the narrativeof ti. ;:t ,'"1^^^^^^ '^'-" -. gives of the plant? ndllvlfT '''■"■■ nance of man ^^ii • i ^'^^'".t's fat for the strsio- '-^ r\2:: ril"- ^-d in a .ate o, vegetables, seals and se ^ ?"""" '"'''^ '"'" wJ'ich is ^ood .nd rr, "''"""''• *'^« flesh ,.f SelJdrk says that, when h t: "" " "'^'^'^"-"• -"'^ than he wanted fa '. ,f """'^ "^ «>- «-- go.- "nd it is stated i ""' »»'''«' them goat killed by A t„Ve : T?"''" *"* *« «-* ™--ethe„/eoti:r::f''i''^7f' "■»>'«'• years „,:,«( 1,„, ,,,.,!' '"'""'gi' tl"rty-two '^M'-sed over (.i« head, he had once E 2 (I >m\^ 52 LIFE OF LOlin ANSON. [CH. II. been in Selkirk's hands." " It was indeed an animal of a most venerable aspect, dignified with an exceed- ing majestic beard, and with many other symptoms of antiquity."* About the beginning of September, after a resi- dence on the isljind of 104 days, the exact number the Centurion had previously been at sea from St. Julian, the ships were ready to proceed, the sickness had entirely ceased, and those men that remained alive had recovered their usual health and strength ; but they were a lamentable fraction only of the ori- ginal crews which had left England. The Centu- rion had l)uried two hundred and ninety-two, and had now left two hundred and fourteen. The Glou- cester had lost the same number as the Centurion, and had only eighty-two remaining alive. The Tryal had buried forty-two, and had thirty-nine remaining alive. "The havoc of this disease had fallen still severer rn ihe invalids and murines, than on the s.iilors ; for on board the Centurion, out of fifty in- valids and seventy-nine marines, there remained only four invalids, including officers, and eleven marines ; and on board the Gloucester, every invalid had pe- rished; and out of forty-eight marmes only two escaped. From this accoimt ap appej three ships together departed from England with nine hundred and sixty-one men on board, of whom six 1^ * Byron, on his voyage round the world, found numerous goats on the adjacent island of Massafuci o, with slit ears. M ly n\ |es; Ipe- Ithe line isix ts on ■i 1741.] THE VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD. 53 Inindred and twenty-six were dead before tins time." A man, less gifted with the equanimity and steady perseverance which strongly distinguished the character of Anson, must have quailed at the reflection, that the whole of the surviving crews, Avhich were now to be distributed among three ships, amounted to no more than three hundred and thirty-five men and boys, a number barely suflicient for the mere navigation of the three, with the utmost exertion of their strength and vigour ; and that lie might have to encounter the whole or part of Pi- zarro's squadron, with whose disasters he was yet unacquainted. As to attacking any of the Spanish possessions, that was ihjw Avholly out of the question, and even the Acapulco ship might be found too powerful for his reduced and nearly helpless squa- dron. To reflect on these matters must have griev- ously distressed the mind of such a man as Anson ; to return home, ^vitliout eifecting any ])art of his instructions, would be still more grievous ; but the cup of bitterness was full to the brim, Avhen the thought occurred of " leaving our enemies to tri- umph on the incuusiderable mischief they had re- ceived from a squadron, wliose equipment had filled them with such dreadful apprehensions ; though the causes of our disappointment, and tlwir security, were neither to be sought for in their valour nor our misconduct." if ^ A^m 54 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. II. Under painful reflections of this kind, unaccompa- nied however with anything- like despondency, pre- parations were made for leaving Juan Fernandez, under the following disposition — the Tryal to pro- ceed off Valj)araiso ; the Gloucester to cruise off the high land of Paita, where, at a certain fixed time, she would be joined by the Centurion and the Tryal. This latter ship fell in with, and captured, the Nues- tra Senhora del Monti Carmel, Avith twenty-five passengers on board. The Centurion on her cruise fell in with another prize of the Tryal, called the Arranzuga, of 600 tons burthen ; and, as the Tryal heiself, on joining, was found to have sprung all her masts, and was in so leaky a state as with difficulty to be kept afloat, Anson ordered her stores, guns, and ammunition to be put into her prize, and commissioned the latter as a frigate in his Majesty's navy, under the name of the Tryal's Prize; and, the crew being transferred to her, the Tryal Avas scuttled and sunk. The Centurion chased and captured an- other Spanish ship of 300 tons, called Santa Theresa de Jesus, with forty-five hands, and ten passengers, four men and three women, born of Spanish parents, and three black female slaves attending them ; the ladies were a mother and two daughters, the eldest about 21, the youngest about 14. Not knowing but that they had fallen into the hands of some J3uc- caneers, whom they had been taught to consider as the most terrible and brutal of humaii kind, these 1741.] THE VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD. btj ladies became excessively alarmed. The singular b(^aiity of the youngest served to increase their alarm. On lu.'ing hoarded hy an officer, they concealed themsiilves, and with difficulty were prevailed upon to appear before him, who assured them they had nothing to fear ; that they would experience the most lionourable treatment from the Commodore. As soon jis Mr. Anson was made acquainted with the circumstance, he gave immediate directions that these ladies should remain on board their own ship, with every convenience they had hitherto enjoyed, without the i^lightest molestation from any quarter ; that the pilot, the second in command, should stay with them as their guardian and protector. J3eau- tiful as the youngest lady was described to him, he declined seeing her, but desired that they would rest assured of his protection, and that so long as they remained in Lis custody all their wants should be supplied. " By this compassionate and indulgent behaviour of the Commodore, the consternation of our female prisoners entirely subsided, and they con- tinued easy and cheerful during the whole time they were with us." In proceeding to join the other two ships off Paita, the Centurion fell in with a ship, which was chased by the boats, and taken possession of. She was called the Nuestra Senhora del Carmin, manned with forty-three seamen, and had on board a valuable cargo, which, with the ship, Avas estimated at 400,000 'i% 56 UPE OF LORD ANSON. [CII. II. (lolliirs. She liiul left Paita the precodinj:^ day, and, from the inforinatioii obtained, An^on determined to attack that town, and take it by sui'j)rise ; — to demand from tlie governor a ransom for the public property deposited there, which lie knew from his prisoners to be considerable, and to spare the poor inhabitants the distress that an attack must occasion tliem. The idea of returning to Europ(?, with the })itiful spoils of a few merchant-vessels, was too humiliating to be endured for a moment; and, re- duced as his squadron was in ships, and infinitely more in men, he fully resolved on attempting some- thing, that might justify the government for having fitted out so large a squadron, though so inadequately manned, even if disease had not thinned their ranks. Lieutenant Brett was appointed to command this enterprise, for which the eighteen-oared barge and two pinnaces, with fifty-eight picked men, were de- spatched, well provided with arms and ammunition. Landing in the darkness of the night, the shouts, and clamours, and huzzas of threescore British seamen, on shore for the first time in an enemy's country, joined by the noise of their drums, and favoured by the night, had augmented their numbers, in the opi- nion of the enemy, to at legist three hundred men. The first step was to surround the governor's house, in order, if possible, to secure him, conformably with Anson's instructions, while Lieutenant Brett marched to the fort, Avlxich, after two or three random shots, H 1741.] THE VOYAGE nOUND TIIK Wv)rLP, 57 l,y ipi- 511. [se, lith led was already abandoned; he then proc'H'dcd to the custom-house, to get possession of tlie treasure wliicli was l'"^"ed there. Tlie inhal)itants, being in bed when tne phice was surpnsed, had mostly run away without giving themselves time to put on their clotht^s. " In this jirecipitate rout thi^ governor was not tiie hist to secure himself; for he Hed betimes, hall- naked, leaving his wife, a young lady of about seven- teen years of age, to whom he had been married l)ut three or four days, behind him ; though she too was afterwards carried off in her shift by a coujd(; of sen- tinels, just as the detachment ordered to invest the house arrived before it." In the morning, as the Centurion approached the bay, Anson had the pleasure of seeing the English flag flying in the fort, and soon after one of the boats came off laden with dollars and church-plate. While the collecting and shipping of treasure and other valu- ables were going on, the enemy, with some two hun- dred horse, were collected on a hill contiguous to the town, apparently well trained, being furnished with trumpets, drums, and standards, but they never once ventured to leave the crest of the hill, Anson sent several messages to the governor by those [aw inha- bitants who had remained in the town, desiiincrhim to come and treat for the rajisom of the town and merchandise, intimating that, in order not to distress the inhabitants, he would be satisfied with a supply of live cattle and a fcAV necessaries for the use of the -^ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I Li|2£ 125 ^ Itt |22 1.25 |||U ^ < 6" - ► V] /I % ^^ ■^J^'^""' * (p ^> <^ ''? / Hiotographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. MSEO (716) 872-4503 4 s ^N ) 68 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. II. equadroji ; but he remained stubborn, and refused to send any answer ; so that at length Anson caused him to be informed that, if he would not condescend to treat for the ransom of a place, fully in his posses- sion, he should set fire to the town. On the third morning the boats were employed in bringing off the most valuable part of the effects that remained, when the Commodore sent orders to Lieutenant Brett to set the town on fire, with the exception of two churches situated at a short distance, after which to come on board with all hands. This order was forth- with executed, and Paita, with all its treasures that could not be carried off, was consumed and left a heap of ruins. The narrative says, ** The wrought plate, dollars, and other coin, which fell into our hand, amounted to upwards of 30,000/. sterling, besides several rings, bracelets, and jewels, whose intrinsic value we could not determine." It was after^vards stated at JMadrid, that the value of the merchandise destroyed was estimated at a million and a half of dollars. Among the prisoners taken in the Centurion's prizes were some persons of considerable distinction, particularly a youth of about seventeen years of age, son of the vice-president of the council of Chili. The barbarity of the Buccaneers had filled the minds of all these people with the most terrible ideas of Eng- lish cruelty, and they were at first dejected and under great horror and anxiety. This youth in particular. 1741.] THE VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD. 59 lion ng- ar, having never before been from home, lamented his captivity in the most moving manner, the loss of his parents, his brothers, his sisters, and his native land, of all of which he was fully persuaded he had taken his lust farewell. Anson, with that kindly disposition so conspicuous in his character, exerted his best endeavours to efface these inhuman impressions the prisoners had conceived of them ; " always taking care that as many of the principal people among them, as there was room for, should dine at his table by turns ; and giving the strictest orders too that they should at all times, and in every circumstance, be treated with the utmost de- cency and humanity. The youth above mentioned, having been nearly two months on board, had so far conquered his melancholy surmises, and had con- ceived so strong an affection for Mr. Anson, that it seemed doubtful whether he would not have preferred a voyage to England in the Centurion to being set on shore at Paita." But the gratitude of the mother and the young ladies taken in the Maria Theresa was most marked. Though the two daughters were esteemed handsome, and the youngest celebrated for her uncommon beauty, Anson abstained from visiting them, perhaps not venturing to trust himself within the influence of such charms, after a period of ten months, during which he had not set eyes upon a female face. But it appears he had another and more generous mo- 60 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. 11. tive — to prevent the breath of slander from their own countrymen affecting the character of these ladies, he resolved on prohibiting all intercourse with them, either by himself or his officers. This behaviour to the women was considered, by a Jesuit prisoner of some distinction, to be so extraordinary, and so ex- tremely honourable, that he doubted whether the regard due to his own ecclesiastical character would be sufficient to render it credible. The ladies, how- ever, were so sensible of the obligations they owed Anson, for the care and attention with v'hich he had protected them, that they absolutely refused to go on shore till they had been permitted to wait on him, on board the Centurion, to return their thanks in person. We have heard a great deal of the con- tinence of Scipio Africanus, when that conqueror of Spain refused to see a beautiful princess that had fallen into his power. If Anson, under the circum- stances of the times and country, be denied the meed of praise bestowed on the Roman general, as an example of stern Roman virtue, he tvas amply repaid for his generosity and humanity to his prisoners, by their cordial and grateful remembrance of his treat- ment, which was applauded and circulated through every corner of Spanish America. Nothing could surpass the kindness and attention bestowed by the Spaniards on the shipwrecked officers of the Wager, — Captain Cheap, the Hon. George Byron, and Lieu- tenant Hamilton. — All their necessities were cheer- 1741.] THE VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD. ni iieu- keer- fully supplied, and whatever money tliey stood in need of was advanced to them ; and even to this day the name of Anson is held in the highest respect in the Spanish j)rovinces of America, while the fate of Paita is forgotten, or, if rememhered, is so chiefly to reprobate the obstinjicy of its governor. Scarcely had the Centurion left Paita to proceed to the westward, when jealousy and angry feelings broke out ])etween that part of the crew which re- mained on board, and those who were engaged in the attack upon that town ; the one claiming the plunder, on account of the fatigues and dangers they had undergone ; the other urging that they would have been equally ready to have taken an active part, had it been left to their choice. Here again we have an instance of the extreme generosity of Anson. On being informed of this dispute, he or- dered ail hands on deck, told them that, however praiseworthy the conduct of those on shore had been, yet they must be aware that, without the presence of the ship to convey them thither and receive them afterwards, they could have done nothing, and that the plunder must therefore be impartially divided among the whole crew, in proportion to each man's rank and commission ; " And," says he, " to prevent those who had been in possession of the plunder from mur- muring at this diminution of their share, and as an encouragement to others who may hereafter be em- 62 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. II. ployed on like services, I give my entire share to be distributed among those who have been detached for the attack on the place." The next day (18th November) the Centurion fell in with the Gloucester, who had taken two small prizes, the one containing treasure to the amount of 12,000/., the other of 7000/. From one of the prizes, information was obtained that an attack had been made on Carthagena, and had failed, which rendered the project of co-operating with the forces on the other side of the isthmus of Panama, as directed by the instructions, unavailable. It was resolved therefore to proceed to the coast of Cali- fornia, to cruise for the Manilla galeon, which was bound to the port of Acapulco. The two ships pro- ceeded to Quibo, near Panama, to take in water, having first emptied the two prizes, the Solidad and San Theresa, and set fire to them. Two others were still preserved, which, with the Centurion, Gloucester, and Tryal, made up a squadron of five ships, with very inadequate crews, it is true, but all in good health. At Quibo they got an abundant supply of turtle, suf- ficient to last the crews of all the ships four months ; and it is observed that, in the seven months from their leaving Juan Fernandez to their anchoring in the harbour of Chequetan, they buried no more, in tlie whole squadron, than two men — " a most incon- testable proof," suys the narrator, " that the turtle 1742.] THE VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD. 63 on which we fed for the last four months of this term, was at least innocent, if not something more." It is unnecessary to dwell on the anxious watch- ings, the judicious measures, and the incessant atten- tion of every one in this little squadron to discover and attack the Acapulco galeon on her putting to sea ; but four months having passed away from the time of leaving Quibo, there remained but six days' water on board ; they therefore put into the harbour of Chequetan, about thirty leagues to the westward of Acapulco. Here they obtained both wood and water, and such provisions of fish, guanacos, and whatever else the country afforded, that by the end of April they were prepared for the prosecution of their voyage across the Pacific; first, however, having cleared the three prizes, the Carmel, the Carmin, and the Tryal Prize, which being rather an encumbrance than of any probable utility, all three were scuttled ; and, on the 28th April, the Centurion and the Glou- cester proceeded on their voyage to the westward, having first landed their prisoners near Acapulco, amounting to fifty-seven persons. " On the 15th June," says the Commodore, in his official report, " the Gloucester found her mainmast sprung at the head, which, upon examination, was dis- covered to be entirely rotten. On the 29th July, the Gloucester carried away her foretopmast, and fore- yard. My ship's company are now miserably afflicted with the scurvy, the ship very leaky, the men and CA LIFE OP LORD ANSON. [CH. II. officers that were well being only able to make one spell at the pump." This is all that Anson says of the second attack of this afflicting malady, but, coming from the Commodore, it speaks volumes. The nar- rative enters more into detail. The ships* crews had, from the time of leaving Juan Fernandez till their departure from the coast of Mexico, enjoyed an uninterrupted state of health ; but they appear to have been fully aware that nothing but a short passage across the Pacific could secure the greater part of their remaining crews from perishing by the return of the horrible disease. And as, after seven weeks at sea, they were still no nearer the trade- wind than when they first set out, they had but too much reason to conclude that the passage would prove at least three times as long as they at first expected ; ** and consequently we have the melancholy prospect either of dying by the scurvy, or perishing with the ship for want of hands to navigate her." On the 26th July, after the disasters of the Gloucester's masts, Captain INIitchell hailed the Commodore, to say the ship had no less than seven feet water in the hold. A boat was sent on board, when it appeared, from the report of the officer, that, considering the leaky state of the ship, and the distresses of her people, nothing was left but to remove the whole of her crew into the Centurion, and to destroy the Glou- cester. Of that crew, in fact, there remained alive no more than seventy-seven men, eighteen boys, 1742.] THE VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD. G5 i and two prisoners, officers included ; and that, of this whole number, only sixteen men and eleven boys were capable of keeping the deck, and several of these very infirm. The removal of these j)oor people, and of such of the stores as could most easily be got Jit, gave full employment for two days. Three or four of the sick died while in the act of hoisting them into the Cen- turion. To prevent the ship from falling into the hands of the enemy, on being abandoned, Captain Mitchell set fire to her; she burned fiercely the whole night, and about six the following morning a black pillar of smoke was observed, which shot into the air to a very considerable height ; a small report was heard at the same time, and she blew up and disappeared. Thus perished his Majesty's ship the Gloucester. Anson's squadron, of five ships when it left the coast of Mexico, was now reduced to a single ship, containing the crews of the whole. The storm that had proved so fatal to the Gloucester, it was found, had driven the Centurion four degrees to the northward of her course ; several days of calm suc- ceeded, and they were entirely ignorant whether they were to windward or leeward of the Ladrone Islands. The number of deaths had now become extremely alarming, no day passing in which they did not bury eight or ten and sometimes twelve of the crew. Pascoe Thomas gives a most melancholy picture of their condition, aggravated by the additional number P 60 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. II, of tlie diseased men received from the Gloucester. "Th(^ dirt, naiiseousness, and stench ahnost every- where intolerable, more ])eoj>le daily disabled by the disease, no sign of land, very little wind, and that not fair, very bad provisions and water, and the ship very leaky."* The appearance of an island afforded a momentary consoLition, and a boat was speedily sent to examine it : all was barren, a dreadful disap- pointment to the sick, tending to destroy their hopes, and increase the horrors of the disease. At length, on the 28th August, they approached Tinian, one of the Ladrone Islands. A proa being observed, the pinnace was sent towards the shore with Spanish colours flying, on which the proa madii towards her ; the latter had on board a Spanish Ser- jeant and four Indians. From this officer they learned that the island produced various kinds of vegetables and fruits, sweet and sour oranges, lemons, limes, cocoa-nuts, and the bread-fruit; that there was plenty of water, and a vast number of cattle, hogs, and poultry running wild ; that it served, in fact, as a kind of provision-store for the Spanish garrison at the neighbouring island of Guam. Sifcli an account was of course received with inexpressible joy. Some Indians on shore were employed in jerking beef, and a bark was at anchor to receive it. The Indians, however, decamped, but their huts and a large storehouse were taken possession of, which * Voyage to the South Seas. of ions, lere tie, in lisli irSi ble in 1742.] THE VOYAGE ROUND THE WOULD. 67 spared tlu; Centurion's people the time and trouble of erecting tents. The store was converted into an hospital for the sick, who now amounted to one hundred and twenty-eight; many of them so very helpless as to re(iuire being carried from the boats on the shoulders of the less infirm to the hos- pital, •* in which humane employment the Connno- dore himself, and every one of his officers, were en- gaged, Avithout distinction ; and, notwithstanding the great debility and the dying aspects of the greatest part of our sick, it is almost incredible how soon they began to feel the salutary influence of the land ; for though we buried twenty-one men on this and the preceding day, yet we did not lose above ten men more, during our whole two months' stay here ; and in general our diseased received so much benefit from the fruits of the island, particularly the fruits of the acid kind, that, in a week's time, there were but few who were not so far recovered as to be able to move about without help." That this public and strong testimony to the infallible cure of scurvy, by the use of vegetable acids, should have lain dormant for thirty years, till revived l)y Cook, is indeed a la- mentable proof, among many others, of the tardy adoption of useful discoveries. Towards the middle of September, the convales- cents were sent on board the ship ; but the Commo- dore, who was himself ill of the scurvy, had a tent erected for him on shore, where he meant to stay F 2 m LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. 11. u few days for the recovery of his health. On tlie 23rd September, a furious storm (h'ove the Centurion from her anchors, and forced her out to sea, while Mr. Anson, many of the officers, and a great part of the crew, amounting in the whole to one hundred and thirteen persons, were left behind on the island. This catastro[)he appeared to forbode ecpial destruc- tion to those left on shore, without the means of es« caping, and to those on board the Centurion, utterly unprepared as they were to struggle against the fury of the seas and winds. The gloomy reflections whicii must have occupied the thoughts of all left on this island, unfrecpiented as it was by European shipping will readily be ima- gined. Tiie melancholy prospect of spending the re- mainder of their days there, or still worse, the possi- bility of the governor of Guam overpowering them, and removing them to that island, as prisoners for life, could not be concealed : and the worst of all was, that the Avant of commissions, or any document to show who they were (all the papers being in the Cen- turion), would aflford the Spaniards a sufficient pre- text for treating them as they did that gallant ohl seaman, John Oxenham (the contemporary and rival of Sir Francis Drake) and his comrades, whom they hanged as pirates. Anson, with all his coolness and fortitude, no doubt had his share of uneasiness, on account of the precarious situation in which they were placed, but, it is stated, he always kept up his 1742.] THE VOYAOE ROUND THE WORLD. 09 iiRiml composure and steadiness. He had, in Tact, from the moment tiie ship was driven to sea, eon- ceivcd a ]»rojeet by which, let the worst imj)pen, they would be liberated. His ]dan was to leuiijthen tlu; Spanish bark he had detained, about twelve feet, which would give her tonnag(^ and capacity enough to carry them all to China. He t(dd the j)eople that, in the execution of this, he should share the fatigue and labour witli them, and that he should expect no more from any man, than what he himself was ready to submit to ; but that no time was to be lost. They accordingly set aljout the task, and, in the progress of the work the ingenuity of the carpcmters, smiths, sailmasters, &c., was put in requisition to supj>ly those necessary articles that were cari-ied out to sea in the Centurion. While thus employed, an incident occurred that, for the first time, shook the firm nervf s and over- whelmed the steady mind of Anson with poignant grief. One day some of the people suddenly called out, ^'A sailV Every one immediately, elated with joy, concluded it to be the Centurion, just emerging above the horizon ; a second sail was an- nounced ; this destroyed the) a* first conjecture. Anson, eagerly turning his glass towards the spot, saw at once they were only two sailing-boats : the thought immediately occurred to him that the Centurion was gone to the bottom, and that these were her two boats, bringing ]}ack the surviving part of her crew ; and this sudden thought acted so powerfully on his 70 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. II. feelings, that, in order to conceal his emotion, it is stated, he instantly, and without speaking a word to any one, retired to his tent, where he passed some bitter moments in an agony of grief ; firmly believing that the ship was lost, that most of the people had pe- rished, and that every hope had vanisheo, which, until now, he had continued to cherish — that he should yet do something which might contribute to his own ho- nour and his country's service. He found himself, in some respects, like his predecessor Drake, of whom it is said, after his failure in Panama, that " He saw that all the good which he had done, in this vojige, consisted in the evil he had done the Spaniards, afar off, whereof he could present but small visible fruits in England." They were soon however discovered to be two of the country boats pursuing their course to one of the islands ; and the work was resumed and went on with- out further interruption. A difficulty, however, pre- sented itself, when the vessel was nearly completed, that had not occurred to any of them before. Little at this time was known of the geography or hydro- graphy of this part of the Pacific, and the dishearten- ing discovery was made, that they neither had qua- drant nor compass on shore. Lieutenant Brett had borrowed the Commodore's pocket-compass, and it had gone with him in the Centurion. However, in rummaging a chest belonging to the Spanish vessel, a miserable small compass was found, and, a few days alter, a quadrant turned up among some lumber 1742.] THE VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD. 71 that had been thrown overboard ])elonginf^ to the dead ; but, having no vanes, it was useless. Here again fortune was favourable ; in the drawer of an old table were discovered some vanes that could be adapted to it. Thus, then, they were furnished with the means of ascertaining their latitude and regu- lating their course, which put an end to anxiety on that score. Nineteen days liad now elapsed since the depar- ture of the ship, when, on the 1 1th October, one of the men from a hill discovered and recognised the Centurion at a distance, on which he hallooed out with great ecstasy to his comrades, The ahip, the ship I which being rapidly passed to the Commo- dore, who was busily employed, he, "on hearing this happy and imexpected news, threw down his axe with which he was then at work, and, by his joy, broke through, for the first time, the equable and unvaried character which he had hitherto preserved. The others who were with him instantly ran down to the sea-side, in a kind of firenzy, eager to feast themselves with a sight they hud so ardently wished for, and of which they had now for a considerable time despaired." The ship being now refitted, and water and pro- visions, with fruits and refreshments of all kinds, which abounded on the island of Tinian, taken on board, they put to sea on the 21st October, and steered the proper course for Macao, where they ar- rived on the 12tli November, after a \oyage of above I 72 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. 11. two years, more productive of disastrous events, and of human misery with loss of life — of disappointed hopes, endured with patience, firmness and perse- verance — than any naval expedition ever encoun- tered, either hefore or since this memorahle one of Commodore Anson. It would he out of place here to notice (what was not then so generally known as noio) the account given of the proneness to falsehood, the duplicity and knavery, of the Chinese, which not only pervade eveiy department of the government, but also, na- turally enough, infect the people generally. These are the ruling vices of this extraordinary people, the offspring of excessive timidity, progressively descending from the Great Emperor himself down- wards to the very lowest official, who wears a badge of the government. Yet this great empire, equal in extent to all Europe, and far exceeding all Europe in its myriads of population, has, with all its vices and defects, survived all ancient dynasties, has cer- tainly continued some 4000 years unchanged, (pro- bably many more.) and is likely, if not disturbed and convulsed by foreign interference, to remain in its unchanged state for as many years to come. By the novelty of a British ship-of-war, by the firmness of her captain, by a judicious display of her power, mixed occasionally with a few threats of the probable necessity of having recourse to the use of it, and moreover by an early insight into the real character of the people, Anuon succeeded in procuring the 1743.] THE VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD. 73 means for the refitment of his ship, for replenishing his stores and provisions, and, in short, for ^ staining everything that he required. He also succeeded in getting a small reinforcement of his crew, having en- tered twenty-three men, a few of them Dutch, and the rest Lascars. On the 19th April the Centurion left Macao roads, ostensibly for Butavia, on her way to England, but in reality to endeavour to intercept the Acapulco ship, expected to arrive about this time at Manilla. There never perhaps was a stronger instance of firmness of purpose, on the part of the commander, coupled with a conviction of the reliance to be placed on the bravery and fidelity of British seamen, than that displayed in the resolution here taken by Anson, who thus gives, in his report to the Admiralty, the actual state of his crew. " The number of men I have now borne is two hundred and one, amongst which are included all the officers and boys which I had out of the Gloucester, Tryal Prize, and Anna pink, so that I have not before the mast more than fm'ty-five able seamen." But these forty-five were a host against five or six hundred Spaniards, knoAvn to be about the usual number of the crew of one of their galeons, — and they proved themselves worthy to be thought so ; — for, not to deceive his men, An- son, on gaining the sea, considered it right to as- semble and address the crew, and to tell them plainly that he meant to cruise off JManilla for the two galeons, which he knew would speedily arrive thei'e. 74 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. II. He told llunn he should choose a station where he could not fail of meeting with them ; and, though they were stout ships and fully manned, yet, if his own people behaved with their accustomed spirit, he was certain he should ])rove too hard for them both, and that one of them, at least, could not fail of be- coming his prize. This phiin address of the Commo- dore was received svith extreme delight, and, accord- ing to the custom of British seamen, was expressed by three strenuous cheers, with a declaration from all, that they were resolved to succeed or perish, when- ever the opportunity presented itself. After all the miseries sustained by these brave men — after they had seen so many hundreds of their companions pe- rish — can moral fortitude surpass this ? On the last day of May the Centurion arrived on tlie cruising-ground, and the people were daily look- ing out, with anxious expectation, for the approaching crisis, till the 20tli June, when they were relieved from this state of suspense, by the appearance of a large ship standing towards them. It was the galeon Avith Spanish colours flying, and the standard of Spain hoisted at the main-top gallant mast-head. Anson in his official report says, '* On the 20th June I got sight of her and gave chase, she bearing down upon me before the wind; when she came within two miles she brought to, to tight me. After engaging her an hour and a half within less than pistol-shot, the admiral struck his flag at the main- top-must head ; she was called the Nuestra Senliora 1743.] THE VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD. 75 del Cjiba Don^a, Don Geronimo Montero, admiral ; had forty-two guns, seventeen of which were brass, and twenty-eight pateraroes ; five hundred and fifty men, fifty-eight of whom were slain, and eighty- three wounded. Her masts and rigging were shot to pieces, and one hundred and fifty shot passed through her hull, many of which were between wind and water, which occasioned her to be very leaky. The greatest damage I received was by my fore- mast, mainmast, and bowsprit being wounded, and my rigging shot to pieces, having received only fifteen shot through my hull, which killed sixteen men and wounded fifteen. I was under great difliculty in na- vigating two such large ships, in a dangerous and unknown sea, and to guard four hundi'ed and ninety- two prisoners." Thus fell to the Centurion this rich prize, amount- ing in value to nearly a million and half of dollars. The transport of joy is not to be described on having at last, after so many disasters and disappointments, accom[)lislied one great object of their wishes — but that joy had nearly been damped by an incident of a most fearful character. Scarcely had the galeon struck, when one of the lieutenants came hastily to Anson, and, whispering in his ear, told him that the Centurion was dangerously on fire near the powder- room. This appalling intelligence was received by Anson (just as a similar incident was, afterwards, by Lord Howe in the Princess Amelia,) without any ap- parent emotion, and he gave his directions with the 76 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. II. greatest composure, desiring that care should be taken not to alarm the people, or throw them into a stale of confusion; and by this judicious conduct and the proper orders forthwith given, the means taken for extinguishing the flames happily succeeded. It ap- peared some cartridges liad blown up, and set fire to a quantity of oakum, the smoke and smother of Avhich gave the ajiprehension of a more extended and mis- chievous fire than it rccilly was. The circumstance of the prisoners being consi- derably more than double the number of his own people, gave Anson some uneasiness as to the dis- posal of them ; the only secure means appeared to be that of putting them down into the hold, . hich was carried immediately into effect, with regard to all except the officers and the Avounded, every precaution being taken, at the same time, that the hatchways should be left open to admit as much fresh air as possible. To each man was allowed a pint of water a-day, which was all that could be spared for the voyage to Canton. The narrative says these poor fellows ** were strangely metamorphosed by the h'^ut of the hold ; for, when they were first taken, they were sightly robust fellows ; but when, after above a month's imprisonment, they were discharged in the river of Canton, they were reduced to mere skeletons; and their air and looks corresponded much more to the conception formed of ghosts and spectres, than to the figure and appearance of real men." The second visit of the Counnodore with his prize 1743.] THE VOYAGE ROUND THE WOULD. 77 puzzled the Chinese not a little. They did not un- derstand on what principle a sliip-of-war went round the world, seekinj^ shi])s of other nations in order to seize them. Unacquainted as they were with in- ternational law, their own laws and sense of jus- tice admitted of no such license. Anson's own ac- count of his proceedings is as follows : — *' Finding I could not obtain the provisions and stores to enable me to proceed to Europe, I was under the necessity of visiting the vice-king, notwithstanding the Eu- ropeans were of opinion that the emperor's duties would be insisted upon, and that my refusing to pay them would embarrass the trade of the ICast India Company ; not knowing what means they might make use of, when they had me in their power, I gave orders to Captain Brett, whom upon this occa- sion I had appointed captain under me, that, if he found me detained, he should destroy the galeon, (out of which I had removed all the treasure, amountinij to one million three hundred and thirteen thousand eight hundred and forty-three pieces of eight, and thirty-five thousand six hundred and eighty-two ounces of virgin silver and plate,) and proceed with the Centurion without the river's mouth, out of gun- shot of the two forts. " Contrary to the general opinion of the Europeans, the vice-king received me with great civility and po- liteness, having ten thousand soldiers drawn up, and his council of Mandarins attending the audience, and 78 LIFE OP LORD ANSON. [CH. II. frrantcd me everythinjr I desired. I had great reason to be satisfied with tlie success of my visit, havinj^ obtained tlie ])rincipal point I had in view, which was establishing a precedent upon record that the emperor's duties and measurage had not been de- manded from me, by which means His Majesty's sliips will be under no dilHculties in entering into any of the Emperor of China's ports for the future."* Anson here contents himself with giving merely the result of his visit ; he says nothing of the many excuses, lies, and evasions he was subject to, and that, after all, it was the incident of a fire, which threatened to destroy a great part of the city, being stopped by the exertions of the Conmiodore and his boat's crew, who pulled down the contiguous houses, that procured him an interview for which he had hitherto striven in vain. He Avas received with great pomp and nmch civility, but his many grievances were listened to in silence ; and Avhen Anson told him he waited only for a license to ship his provisions and stores, to en- lihh him to leave the river, and make the best of his way to England, the viceroy replied, that the license shoidd be issued forthwith, and everything was or- dered on board the following day. When all was ready, and the merchants of Macao had concluded their bargain for the galeon, at the price of six thousand dollars, on the 15th December 1743, the Centurion got under weigh on her return * Anson's Official Report. 1744.] THE VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD. 79 en- or- to England, and, Ihiving wooded and watered in the Strait of Sunda, touched at the Cape of Good Hope, and on the 15th June, 1744, came safe to an anchor at Spithead. Fortunately for Anson he escaped the last of the many ])erils which had so frequently ])eset him, by favour of a fog, having run through a French fleet cruising in the chops of the Channel. "Thus," says the narrator, " was this expedition finished, when it had lasted three years and rine months, after having, by its event, strongly evinced this im- portant truth — that, though prudence, intrepidity, and perseverance united, are not exempted from the blows of adverse fortune, yet, in a long series of transactions, they usually rise superior to its power, and in the end rarely fail of proving successful." This remark is certainly just, and no parallel is to be found, in the history of navigation, to the voyage of Anson, unless it be that of Sir Francis Drake, which comes nearest to it, and in some respects is perhaps still more ex- traordinary. He left England with five ships, his own the Hind of 100 tons, the second 80, the third 30, a fly-boat 50, and a pinnace of 15 tons. He lost, or broke up, or left behind him, all but his own ; plun- dered the Spaniards on the western coast, proceeded nearly to 50° N. to look out for a north-east passage into the Atlantic, crossed the Pacific, proceeded round the Cape of Good Hope, and, after an absence of two years and ten months, reached England with only his own ship and about 50 men out of 160. BO LIFE OP LORD ANSON. [CH. II. Though it is pleasing to reflect that many of the painful incidents recorded in this memorable voyage can never again occur, yet it may not be deemed irre- levant to offer a few observations on two of the main ])oints which fall within its scope. The first is, on the extraordinary mortality of the seamen and the cause thereof; the second, on the defective state of navigation and nautical science recorded therein. 1. As this extraordinary mortality occurred in every one of Anson's ships, (even in the Severn and Pearl that were driven back to Rio de Janeiro,) it is obvious that the cause of the disease Avas general, and that it was less owing to any defect in the ships, their condition, or the regulations observed in each, than to the unfortunate and, it must be added, the inlm- man circumstance of putting on board such a number of invalids, pensioners of Chelsea Hospital, every one of Vv'hom perished in the course of the voyage. Dis- eased, old, and infirm, at the very commencement of the voyage, these poor creatures were obliged to re- main below, with the ports shut in, with little or no fresh air, and what there was infected and polluted by their own breath — their food salt provisions, their beverage spirituous liquors, a scanty supply of water, and less of vegetable matter — no wonder that fever and dysentery should have made a dreadful havoc among them even before their arrival at St. Catharine's. Here however every precaution was taken to abate the sickness — decks scraped, ships thoroughly cleaned. 1744.] THE VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD. 81 smoked between decks, and every part well washed with vinegjir — " for correcting," us the narrative says, ''the noisome stench on hoard, and destroyin*^ the vermin ; for, from the nuinher of our men, and the heat of the climate, both these nuisances had in- creased upon us to a very loathsome degree." Thus early was laid the foundation of that more horrible disease, the scurvy, whicli first made its aj)- pearance in April, when off Cape Horn, where the highly heated atmosphere was suddenly changed to severe cold, by the foggy, snowy, and tempestuous weather which they met with off that cape, and which increased the sickness to a frightful degree. Leaving the mild and pleasant weather met with in the Strait Le JMaire, the general o})inion was that the re- mainder of the voyage, within the Tropics and across the Pacific, would be free from any further attack of sci'iyy. The surgeon who, Mr. Pascoe Thomas says, was vain and j)ragmatical, i)ronounced the scurvy to be owing to the coldness of the climate, having destroyed the tone of the blood and made it unfit for circulation. Unfortunately however for his theory, it Avas afterwards found that, in the warm climate, the symj)toms were more alarming, and the progress of the disease more rapid and fatal ; on which the doctor came to the more rational conclu- sion, that the grand cause was long continuance at sea, and that the shore only could effect a cure. It is well known that the very sight of land aflords a LIFE OF LOUD ANSON. [CII. 11. a inomentury nrlirf to th(^ sufteror in scurvy. One of Captain Back's nuMi, riMluced to the last extn;- luity, fancied that if a piece of earth could be jiro- cured, the odour of it would be of benefit: with some difficulty a clod of frozen moss was obtaintMl from Southampton island, and the poor lellow died in the belief that it did him i^ood. It is on re(;ord that when the Haisonable, Captain Fitzherbert, was removed from Halifax to Barbadoes in 1779, tlie crew being dreadfully afllicted with scurvy, of whicii numbers died, one of the men, who had suffered from it severely a lonj^ time, re<(uested he mii^hi In; buried up to the neck in fresh <;arth ; his wish was coifi plied with, and he not only felt instantaneous relief, but, to the surprise; of all, very (piickly reco- vered. But to return to Mr. Hobins, who seems to think that this disease has no cure. He says, that *' al- tlioui^li unconunon pains wen; taken in cleausiui*- and sweetening the shij>s, yet neither the progress nor the virulence of the disease were thereby sensibly abated," and he therefore comes to the conclusion, " that in some cases both the cure and prevention ot this disease is impossible to be effected by any ma- nagement, or by the application of any remedies which can be made use of at sea." Fortunately however the fallacy of this general conclusion was proved, some thirty years afterwards, by the wise and judicious precautions of the cele- 171 1.] Tin; voYA(ii; i{()iJM) Tin: woiii.i). SM I)ni1('(l Coolv ; Iml s«!vnal y<'nrs iimn' U'jtc sudrrrd to (!liij)N(; Ix'lorr tliis (Irejidlul tain, lieutenant, and (ni- sinn ol' invalids ; and oi' 144 iiviui;' on his reaehint,^ Kio d(^ Janeiro, 114 were; sick and unahle to stir. '2. Willi regard to tla^ second ))oint, Anson was considered iully competent to all the j>ractical parts of nautical science, and to th(? use of all the instru- nuMits then in use, with which he had taken care *= Ollicial Report. 84 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. fcH. II. : I llM to provide himself. The Honourable Edward Legge too, captain of the Severn, was an able and intelligent officer, of superior education ; and yet the narrative aftbrds many instances oF singular mistakes in the position of the ships, which couhl hardly happen, at the present day, to the most ordinary masters of merchant ships. The Centurion, for instance, hav- ing passed the most western part of Terra del Fuego, and proceeded, as was supposed, as far as ten de- grees to the westward of it, the Pink made a sig- nal of seeing land a-head, at tw'o miles' distance, to the imminent ])eril of losing the whole squadron on Cape Noir; "so that," it is said, "in running down by our jiccount about nineteen degrees of longitude, we had not really ad\'Hnced above half that distance." Again, the Centurion in standing for the island of Juan Fernandez, in order to save time, steered a course " to hit ic upon a meridian," but not finding it, the next thing was " to make it on a parallel of latitude ;" and to this end, the course steered was direct east, Avliich brought her to the coast of Chili, and by this unfortunate; mistake eleven days were lost in getting back to the island, and, what was more deplorable, "betAveen seventy and eighty men" perished. Captain Legge also, after doubling Cape Horn, steered as he thought for the island of Chiloe ; but, to his astonishment, found himself on the wrong side of South America, having tlu^ high land of Pa- 1744.] THE VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD. 85 tiigonia to the westward of him, and being fwelce tlegrof's out of his longitude. F'or the errors in the reckonings of the Centu- rion and t]ie Severn, some allowance is due to the Ion a: continuance of boisterous weather, the irreiru- larity of the currents, and the foggy and ch)uded atmosphere in the neighbourhood of Cape Horn. The reflecting quadrant of Hadh;y had been in use ten } ^ars, but the limb had not been extended to the sextant; chronometers were not known. The lunar tables of Meyer and the theory of the moon by Newton, Halley, and I'lamstead, were familiar to astronomers, but had not been practically applied to the purposes of navigation. To the llev. Doctor JMaskelyne, the astronomer royal, a most excellent and economicjd j)ublic servant, the seaman is in- debted for the " Requisite Tables" and various rules and examples for deducing the longitude from thc^ distance of the sun and moon, or of the moon and a fixed star, conmionly known under the name of Lunar Observations. JMany years hoAvever elapsed ])efore the method, thus made easy, l^ecaine generally practised. The captains of ships trading U) i\\{\ p]ast Indies were among the first to adopt it. The officers of the navy were slow to follow the ex- ample.* * The Lion of 64 [luns, Avhich carried Lord Macartney's embassy to the Court of Pckin iu 1792, may be quoted as an instance of this. 1 I I: i 86 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [Cll. II Now, however, V. itli tlie ussistjiiice oF ehroiioiueters and of lunar observations, tlie naviLnitor of the pre- sent day can never mistake his position : there is no excuse left for ignorance. Every nii(lshij)nian in the navy must indeed now nuike himself ac(|uuinted witli both, before he is (puilified to receive a lieutenant's commission ; but as it is generally many years, after his examination, that he is fortunate enough to o])- tain a commission, and as young men are lait too freipiently apt to throAV l)ehind tJiem the knowledge tliey ac(|uired for a particular ])urpof^e, it would be well if they were required to shoAV, at the time when the commission was to be received, that the_) had not forgotten Avhat they once learned ; and it would l»e no disparagement to the lieutenant, wen? he required to give proof of his competency to conduct the navi- gation of a ship, before he is advanced to the rank of conunander, and not, as Lord Howe judiciously re- marked on tlfe case of Captain AVilliamson, to leave the navigation of tlie ship " to the errors in his Sir Erasmus Gowerwas an officer of high and desorvcd reputation in the service. He had tiie choice of his four heiitcnants, and two if not three midshipmen wore made aotinsj-heutenants in the course of the voyage ; he had a master of distinguished skill in navigation, and twenty midshipmen. It \vas a time of profound peace, and yet tliere was not an olficer in this ship, save one, Mr. David Atliins, the third heutenant (who nohly sacrificed liimself in the North Sea, to save his admiral, when the St. George and Defence were lost), cap;il)lo of taking and v>orking a lunar distance. There are four admirals now living (then midshipmen), Ommanney, Warren, Lord ATarkKer, and Sir Robert Bromley, who can attest this statement. 1744.] THE VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD. 87 Master s reckoning," — " a minute," says his Lord- ship, *' of admonitory benefit for young captains, who often think that point of their examinations, when passing for a lieutenancy, is no longer to be regarded after obtaining independent commands." But something more is required from a naval offi- cer in conmiand, whether of a fleet, a squadron, or single ship, than the recollection of the scanty know- ledge put in requisition at his passing for a lieute- nant. It is not enough that he should make him- self acquainted thoroughly with the theory and practice of navigation : the various situations into which he must be thrown, in his intercourse with foreign nations, render it highly expedient he should possess a knowledge of their maritime laws, customs, and language. Tlie French language in pjirticular, being so generally spoken, ought to form a part of the studies of every midshipman, and also of an exa- mination, when he passes for a lieutenants commis- sion. The laws and usages, the best system of dis- cipline, and the code of instructions in the British navy, should be familiar to him as household words. An iidmirable system of gunnery, of the laws of pro- jectiles, of mechanic powers, and a course of mathe- matics, are now taught on board the Excellent in Portsmouth harbour; and +he limited iy an unhappy accident. A midshipman of the name of Couzens, the foremost in all the refractory j)roceed- ings of the crew, was constantly in brawls with the officers, and hud treated the captain himself with great insolence. Among others he insulted the purser while delivering out provisions near the ca[)- tain's tent ; the purser, enraged at his scurrility, called out '^ Mutiny I'' adding, '' The dog hua pls- tok ;" and then he fired a pistol at Couzens. The captain on this rushed out of his tent; and, not doubting that Couzens had fired the pistol, as the commencement of a nuitiny, shot him instantly in JL 1744.] THE VOYAGE ROUND THE WOKLD. 91 the licjid, and he died of the wound n few days after- Avards. The lonfi^-boat was completed al)out the middle of Octoher, when the crew, suspecting it to be the inten- tion of the connnander to defeat their favourite pro- ject of passing the Strait, made use of the death of Couzens as a ground for depriving him of his com- mand, under pretence of carrying him a prisoner to England, to be tried for nuirder. When all A\'as ready, however, to put to sea, they released him from custody, gave him, and those Avho chose to take their fortunes with him, the yawl and the barge. The ^Vager left England whh a crew of one hundred and sixty men, besides her share of invalids, of whom there remained alive near one hundred and thirty at the time of the wreck ; above thirty had since died at this place ; and the nundier that went oil in the long-boat and cutter amounted to near eighty ; so that there remained with the captain nineteen per- sons, which were as many as the yawl and tlie barge could well carry. It was on the 1 3th October, live months after the shipwreck, tliat the long-boat, converted into a schooner, weighed and stood to the southward, giving to the captain, the lieutenant of marines, and surgeon^ who were standing on the beach, tiuee cheers at their departure. On the -29tii January following they reached Kio Grande on the coast of JJrazil ; and having, by various accidents, left about twenty of I 92 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. II. their people on shore at the diiferent places Avhero they *oiiche(l, and havint^ lost a greater number by hunger during the course of their navigation, there were no more than thirty of them left, when they arrived at the port above mentioned. It was two months subsequent to the departure of the mutineers before the captain and his party could put to sea in t'le barge and yawl, on account of the extreme violence of the weather, during which time they received a great part of their support from a straggling canoe or two of Indians, which now and then brought them a supply of lish. On the 14th December, Captain Cheap and his people embarked in the two boats, and proceeded to the northward ; but the wind soon began to blow hard, and the sea to run so high, as to oblige them to throw the greatest part of their provisions over- board to avoid immediate destruction. A fortnight after this another dreadful accident befel them, the yawl having sunk at an anchor, and one of the men being drowned. The barge was incapable of carrying the whole party, when, melancholy to relate, they were reduced to the hard necessity of leaving four marines behind them on that desolate shore. They struggled on with various disasters, obliged to seek a precarious subsistence on the shore, till about the end of .January, when, after three unsuccessful attempts to double a headland called Cape Trea Mantes, they resolved to return to Wager Island, 1744.] THE VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD. 93 where they arrived about the middle of Fel)ruary, quite disheartened and dejected by reiterated disap- ])ointnients, and ahnost perishing with hunger and fatigue. Here they met with a seasonable relief, by finding several pieces of salt beef that had been washed out of the ship ; and very shortly two canoes of Indians came to the spot, among whom was a native of Chiloe, who agreed to convey the captain and his people in the barge to that island, in consideration of having her and all that belonged to her for his pains. Accordingly, on the 6th March, the eleven persons, to which the party was now reduced, embarked in the barge on this new expedition ; but a few days after this, the captain and four of his officers being on sliore, the six men who, togetiier with an Indian, remained in the barge, carried her off' to sea, and never returned. Thus were left on shore Captain Cheap, JNIr. Hamilton, lieutenant of marines, the Hon. Mr. Byron and Mr. Campbell, midshipmen, and ]\Ir. Elliot, the surgeon. *' One would have thought," says the narrative, " that their distresses had, long before this time, been incapable of augmentation ; but they found, on reflection, that their present situa- tion was much more dismaying than anything they had yet gone through, being left on a desolate coast without any ])rovision or the means of procuring any ; for their arms, ammunition, and every conve- niency they were inasters of, except the tattered 94 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. IT. habits they had on, were all carried away in the bari^e." In the midst of their despondency the canoe of the Indian, who had been fishini;-, and who liad nn(hM'- tuken to carry them toChiloe, returned ; but tliis man, on findinti: th(» bareje gone and his com])anion with her, took it into his liead tliiit his countryman liad been murdered ; and it required some tim(3 before h(* couhl be convinced of the truth of their storv. Beini;' once satisfi(»d, he procured several canoes from his neigh])ours, and tliey again set out for Chiloe. Soon after their de})arture, Mr. Elliot, the surgeon, died, so that their number was now reduced to four. These, after a complicated ])assage by land and wattu", arrived in the beffinnin. ; of Ju.ne on the island of Chiloe, where they were received by the Spaniards 'vit'i great humanity. "Thus," says the narrative, " above a twelvemonth after the loss of the Wager, ended this i'atiguing peregrination, which, by a variety of misfortunes, hiid diminished the com]>any from twenty to no more than four, and those too ]>rought so low that, had their distresses continued l)ut a i'aw days longer, in all probability none of them would have survived." They were first sent to Valparaiso, thence to St. .fago, Avhere they continued abov(^ a year, Avlien they were exchanged and sent to .Europ(^ in a French sliip. Captain Clieaj), on his arrival at Landernau in France, writes to x\nson, the 12th Deceud)er, 1745, I. IT. the mler- lUilll, with 1 had story. ; tVoiu ihiloe. rii'eoii, > four, wuttn*, iiitl ol' uiiii'ds jitive, iriety from oii^'ht ii few ■\\oul(l iraiso, ove a liirope Ian in 1745, 1744.] THE VOYAGE ROUND THE WOULD. 96 ill very indif^iiaiit terms, at the conduct of his men, whom he upbraids as poltroons.* He says, " Some time before we left Chili, the Jesuits offered us what money we wanted, and said it was by order of their i^eneral at Rome. I do not know from what quarter the er(Mlit came : however, we took no more than we wanted to ])ay off a debt we had contracted with one of the supercargoes of the ship, which was nine Imiidred pieces of eight. "'|" Thus, then, in this disastrous expedition, the de- struction of human life in the Wager greatly exceedc^d that in any other ship of the srpiadron ; one hun- dred and tAventy-six men having fallen victims in a crew of a hundred and sixty, without taking into account the number of invalids that were put on ))oard in addition to her complement; all of whom perished in every ship which composed Anson's * It was in consequence of the mutinous and bad conduct of the shipwrecked seamen of the Wajj;er, that Anson, in 1 748, when he had the management of the Admiraltj-, in the absence of the Duke of Bedford and Lord Sandwich, got an act passed (21 Geo. II.) for "ex- tending the discipline of the navy to the crews of his Majesty's ships, wrecked, lost, or taken, and continuing to them their wages upon cer- tain conditions." t Byron relates, that two or three days after tlieir arrival at St. .lago, Campbell and he were invited by the president to dine with him, and to meet Admiral Pizarro and all his officers, and, though without proper clothing, they could not refuse. The next day the first lieutenant of the admiral's ship came and offered them two thousand dollars, with a compassionate feeling, and without any view of ever being repaid : they accepted from this noble and gene- rous Spaniard six hundred, and insisted on his taking their draft on the English consul at Lisbon. 9G LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [cn. H. squadron. Amidst so few survivors, it is renmrk- ul)lt; onouu^h that one of the; seamen, by name (ieorge Gre«i;ory, lived to the age of 109 years, having died at Kingston tlie 1 3th February, 1801, without having Icnown a day's illness sinee he went to sea in 1714. I i 1 1 Hi Mil 1744.] FUKNCII WAR — SCOTCH RKHKLMON. 97 CIIAFfEa III. WAR WIT!I FRANCE AND SPAIN; AND THE SCOTCH REBELLION. Receipt of intellij«once finni Anson — His arrival— His first request refused — Mr. Corbett's udvico to him — 13erlincs his promotion to the Ihig— Chan^o of Administiation — Appointed to the Admiralty — Character of the Duke of Bedford, Lord Sandwich, and Mr. An- son — Preparations for conimenciin^; hostilities — French fleet in the Cliannel — Sir John Norris sent to oppose it— A storm and its eifects— Action of Lion and Elizabeth — The young Pretender em- barks for Scotland — Intellifience of the Rebels from Mr. T. Anson —Anson left alone in the Admiralty — Bedford and Sandwich both ill-— Sinj^ular complaint of the latter— Dangerous interl'erence of the Crown with the jurisdiction of the Admiralty, hy commanding a court martial— Result of that court martial — A writ of capias issued against the members — Their resolutions against Judge Willes — H« demands and obtains an apology — His character — Activity of cruisers— Capture of Louisburg— The case of Admiral Vernon — is ordered to strike his Hag — is summoned to attend the Admiralty — is struck ofF the list— Proceedings on this transaction — Satirical letter of Mr. Legge— Several brilliant actions between single ships. 1744 to 1746. The anxiety felt by the family of Anson, during the long time in which no tidings of him luid reached England, was relieved Ijy the arrival of Captain Saun- ders and some of the other oflicers whose ships had been destroyed, and who had taken their passage in a Swedish vessel from Canton. I^Ir. Thomas Anson, H 98 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. Yi' [CH. III. Lis brother, acknowledges the receipt of his letters, with the view of their meeting him on his passage home. "They give us," he says, " infinite delight, though they abound with very just complaints of disasters and disappointments. The public had given you immense wealth, and seems concerned to find the recompense falls so short of the dangers, toils, and merits of the service.* But if you can consent yourself with the nobler reward of reputation and fame, rest assured, my dear commodore, of as large a share as you can wish or imagine to yourself. The captains of your squadron have been sought for, and pointed out in public places as a spectacle ; most graciously received at the Admiralty, and promised what ships they would ask for ; Lord Winchelsea, who is at the head of it (your friend Corbett secre- tary), declaring that they would confirm whatever Anson did. This I mention that, in case you have a mind to make any new officers, or advance any that are made, the least pretence may probably suffice." Whether Mr. Thomas Anson mistook Captain Saunders, or this officer, as naval officers sometimes do, considered as promises what were only meant as expressions of approbation, it is certain that Commo- dore Anson, on his arrival, did not find matters at the Admiralty wearing so smiling an aspect as his brother had described. In reply lo his letter of the ♦ Anson had not captured the Spanish galleon when his letters .were written from Canton. liiil 1744.] FRENCH WAR SCOTCH REBELLION. 99 14th June, from St. Helens, announcing his arrival, and transmitting an account of the transactions at Canton, including that of the capture of the Acapulco ship, the secretary coolly acknowledges the receipt, adding that he had communicated it to their lord- ships, " and I take" (the secretary takes !) " the opportunity of wishing you joy on your arrival in England." And this was all, — chilling enough it must be admitted, — in reply to a man who, for four years nearly, had suffered more hardships than had fallen to the lot of almost any human being; but Anson was not a man of nmch punctilio, and wrote, in a quiet manner, another letter "to their Lord- ships," stating the circumstances under which he had made his first lieutenant, Brett, acting captain of the Centurion, in his absence to wait upon, and arrange important matters with, the viceroy of Canton, and requested his commission might be confirmed. He was told he had no power to make such an appoint- ment, and of course that it could not be confirmed. Just at this time (the 19th June) a promotion of three rear-admirals Avas made, of whom Anson n-as and he was informed by letter, which enclosed one his conmiission, that the king had been plcised to raise him to the rank of rear-admiral of tht blue. As no further notice had been taken in favour of his lieutenant and friend, Brett, he at once returned the connnission of rear-admiral of the blue, expressing his concern to find himself undc'r the necessity of H 2 '^,LIOTH£^ 100 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. III. declining that mark of regard, which his Majesty had been pleased to bestow upon him, and which he found he could not accept with honour. This high feeling will perhaps be considered to have led him rather too hastily to adopt, and to act upon, such a resolution ; but it brings to one's recol- lection a somewhat similar proceeding on the part of Sir George Rooke, when Prince George of Den- mark, the Lord High Admiral, refused to promote Ms captain, Wishart ; with this difference, however, in the two cases, that Rooke only threatened to retire from the service, unless he carried his point (which he did), whereas Anson sent back his commission at once, which the board did not condescend to restore to him, though, at the very same moment, tliey pro- moted Brett to be a captain, without taking the least notice of it to Anson. Nay, on the very day that Brett's commission was dated, Anson received the following letter from Mr. Corbett, the secretary of the Admiralty, full of good sense and of friendly counsel, no doubt ; but it came too late. "Dear Sir, " Though the giving advice is the most hazardous office of friendship, it Is (in proper season) the sincerest proof of it. It Is from that motive I address this letter to you — the first occasion you have ever given me for it In a course of more than twenty years' happiness of your acquaintance. *' The conduct you have shown in a late perilous expedi- tion — the happy completion of it with so much judgment 1744.] FRENCH WAR — SCOTCH REBELLION. 101 'clous >roof lou — )urse ince. >efli- Imcnt and resolution — has distinguished your character in an un- common manner, and make you regarded as one of the ablest to serve and support your country. ** Is it possible for one of such excellent endowments to justify so tenaciously an act, irregular, unnecessary, unpre- cedented, as to make the confirmation of it a condition of your continuance in the service, and of your acceptance of the late mark of his Majesty's regard for you ? " The reason you urge for insisting on the commission you gave, constitTiting a captain under you in the Centurion, is, ' that it has ever been your opinion, a person entrusted with command may and ought to exceed his orders, and dispense with the common rule of proceedings, when extra- ordinary occasions ret^uire it.' " Your opinion is very just. When a commander finds his orders or instructions insufficient, and he can do his country better service by violating or exceeding them, it indicates a great mind to judge and make a successful use of such occasions. "But the application of this rule does not avail here. You are named to go with a squadron upon a distant exjie- dition, without any captain under you in your own ship. You accept the command on those terms, and serve all the time accordingly. But after the whole expedition is at an end, and not one ship left with you but your own, nor any other service to be performed, but to return home, you appoint a captain under you. " Do any of those extraordinary occasions appear here, wherein common rules of proceedings should be dispensed with ? Does a journey of a few hours to an audience of the vice-king at Canton come up to it ? The precaution you took, before setting out, to secure the king's ship, and the treasure., in case any accident happened to your person^ was a : • i, I'd 102 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. in. prudent and necessary measure ; but the trust was condi- tionalj and to take place upon an inability to act yourself, which did not happen. "If what I have been saying, dear sir, has any tone of conviction, you will no longer insist on an act your good sense must condemn, when you consider that the Lords of the Admiralty have a true regard for you, are much con- cerned for the temper you are in with them, and would gratify you in anything that consisted with reason and the rules of their office. They have given you proofs of it. You took the galleon into the king's service, and they have con- finned the officers you appointed to her; and yet there seemed as much reason to commission any common mer- chant ship ; for she never was to serve as a man of war against the enemy, which is the only reason of putting prizes into commission. I am well assured that the captain you contend for would be provided for to his satisfaction, as well as others who have served with you in the voyage, and are under your protection. *' In the present case the Lords of the Admiralty had no precedent — would you make one ? It cannot be defended. The moment it is admitted, the Admiralty is no longer master of any rule or order, but every commodore who goes abroad without a captain may appoint one as soon as he is clear of the land of England, and insist upon it from the precedent. " An admiral of great rank in the 3*^ Jiterranean wanted a second captain : his reasons were specious ; he had a very large fleet under his command, and the assistance only of one flag-officer, who was infirm ; himself was next in post to the only admiral who is allowed two captains. But as the establishment did not allow it, it was not granted, and not being granted, was not assumed. 1744.] FRENCH WAR — SCOTCH REBELLION. 103 vanted a very )nly of n post ut as , and " The late Lord Torrington, under whom we both served* and now revere his memory, in his expedition to Sicily, gave a commission to a person to be a lieutenant, contrary to rule. Lord Berkeley, being then at the head of the Admi- ralty, would not confirm it. In ten years after. Lord Tor- rington coming to the head of the Admiralty, and being solicited to continue the commission, refused it, saying, he would never ratify any act of his own, which he was con- vinced to be wrong. This is one of the many things I have admired in him: moderation and obedience to laws and rules of government are truer characteristics of a great man than defending singular opinions. " I will trouble you no more, but to leave it to your consi- deration which is most praiseworthy — to give up a hasty resolution which (as far as I can hear) all your brother officers condemn, as all must who deal siiicerely with you ; or, in a sullen fit, to fly in his Majesty's face, give matters for pleasure to his enemies, and throw yourself out of a service you have been bred to, and in which you have so well succeeded. " I am, with most sincere regard and esteem, " Dear Sir, " Your most obedient and most humble servant, (Signed) " Thos. Corbett,* " Admiralty Office, <15th June, Mil ^y "George Anson, Esq." It would appear that the Board of Admiralty, however, took sufficient time to determine in what manner to act ; for it was not till eight days after * Anson's Collection of M.S. Letters, No. 152. f ' ifm \< 104 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. III. Anson had returned his commission, that they came to the resolution to accept, or rather to cancel, it. This hold and novel proceeding of cancelling a commission, which the king had heen pleased to order, is thus entered on the minute-hook of the Ad- miralty : "Saturday, the 30th June, 1744. — The Right Honourable the Earl of Winchelsea, Mr. Cockburn, Dr. Lee, Sir Charles Hardy, Mr. Phil- lipson. A letter from Admiral Anson, dated the 2'2nd instant, was read, enclosing his commission of rear-admiral of the blue, and representing his con- cern to find himself under the necessity of resigning the same, because a commission he had given to Captain Brett, to command the Centurion under him, was not confirmed. Resolved, that the said com- mission be cancelled." Lord Winchelsea had the reputation of being a very upright and honest man ; but he certainly did not act towards Anson with that generosity which, if not guided, as in all probability he was, by the ad- vice of a set of incapables, he would in this case have shown to such a man, under such circumstances. He had only two naval officers at the Board, Sir Archi- bald Hamilton and Sir Charles Kardy (the elder), men of little or no experience, and of as little re- putation in the service, but both respectable men, the latter of whom died in the Admiralty the same year, before the end of which he would have been turned put ; and as to the lai/ lords, Mr. Cock- 1744.] FRENCH WAR — SCOTCH REBELLION. 105 burn, Dr. Lee, Lord Baltimore, and Mr. Phillip- son, who ever knew anything a])out them ? By such a set, however, was a gallant officer sacrificed, and actually placed on half-pay as a captain, who had performed a voyage of nearly four years' dura- tion, whose unparalleled perseverance and sufferings, ^vhose courage and constancy in meeting and over- coming difficulties, had gained him thf npplause and admiration not only of his countrymen, but of all Europe. But a better feeling was evinced towards this ill- used officer by the secretary of state, to whom also, as having through him received his instructions from the king, he had reported his proceedings. The Duke of Newcastle, in acknowledging the receipt of them, says : " Whitehall June 15, 1744, ** Captain Anson — Sir, " I received this morning, by Lieutenant Dennis, the favour of your letter of yesterday's date, with the agree- able news of your success in taking the great Acapulco ship, and of your safe arrival at Spithead, after the many fatigues and dangers that you have gone through in the course of your expedition. " I laid it immediately before the king ; and havv? the satisfaction to acquaint you that his Majesty was pleased to express his great approbation of your conduct ; and to give you leave to come immediately to town as you desire. As I hope very soon to have the pleasure of seeing you, I shall i i h i 106 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. IIL only add the assurances of rny being, with the greatest truth and regard, Sir, &c. " HoLLES Newcastle. " P.S. — I am extremely obliged to you for your goodness to Mr. Keppel and Mr. Carpenter. " I will not fail to mention to his Majesty your recom- mendation of your lieutenant, Mr. Dennis, whom I will also recommend to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty. " Give me leave very particularly to assure you, that I take a great part in the good fortune and in the honour you have acquired for yourself, and the senice you have done to your country."* There were others, also, who knew how to appre- ciate the merits of Anson. Winchelsea and his board were turned out in the month of December, 1744. The Duke of Bedford succeeded to the ad- ministration of naval affairs, and this distinguished circumnavigator was selected by his grace to become a member of his board ; and, to make amends for the injustice done to him by a former Board, on the 20th April in the following year, Mr. Anson obtained two steps of rank at once, by being appointed Rear-admi- ral of the TVJdte. liord Sandwich was selected by the duke as second to himself, being an intimate friend, and a clever intelligent man. The other two naval officers were the Rear-Admirals Lord Vere Beauclerc and Lord Archibald Hamilton. The former had seen very little service as a captain, and had been one of the members of Sir Charles Wager's * Admu-alty Records. 1744.] FRENCH WAR — SCOTCH REBELLION. 107 board ; the latter, a member of the last board, liad seen just as little, and was upwards of seventy years of age. Tlie remaining two lay members wtve Legge and Grenville, both men of considerable ability, par- ticularly the former, and both competent to undertake the civil department, and to transact the business, of the Admiralty in the House of Commons. Anson might therefore be considered a great acquisition, as he very soon proved himself to be, to the Duke of Bedford's administration. Tlie characters of the three leaders have been drawn, but with no friendly hand, by their contemporary, Horace Walpole, whose in- consistency, dishonest partiality, and proneness to sarcasm, render his otherwise pleasant writings liable to be viewed witli suspicion, and to be taken with great allowance. *• The Duke of Bedford was a man of inflexible honesty, and fl*ood-will to his country : his great eco- nomy was ca ^u avarice : if it was so, it was blended with more generosity and goodness than that passion will commonly unite with. His parts were certainly far from shining, and yet he spoke readily, and, upon trade, well: his foible was speaning on every sub- ject, and imagining he understood it, as he must have done by inspiration. He was always governed ; generally by the duchess, though unmeasurably ob- stinate when once he had formed or had an opinion instilled into him. His manner was impetuous, ot Avliich he A^as so little sensible that, being told Lord S ; ! i f 108 TJFE OF LORD ANSON. [CII. III. Ilulifux WHS to succeed him, he said, * lie is too warm and overhearing^ ; the kint^ will never endure him.* If the Duke of Bedford eouhl have thouj-ht less well of himself, the world would jirobuhly have thought better of him." " His friend, Lord Sandwich, was of a very dif- ferent character ; in nothing more than in the flexi- bility of his honesty. The Duke of Bedford loved money to use it sensibly, and with kindness to others : Lord Sandwich was rapacious, but extravagant when it was to promote his own designs. His industry to carry any point he had in view was so remarkable, that for a long time the world mistook it for abilities ; but as his manner was most awkward and unpolished, so his talents were but slight, when it was necessary to exert them in any higher light than in art and intrigue. The king had never forgiven his indecent reflections upon the electorate,* when he was in opposition, and as soon as ever he found his ministers Avould permit him to show his resentment, he took all occasions to pay his court to them by treating Lord Sandwich ill, particularly by talking to Lord Anson before him on all matters relating to the * His indecent reflections were these. On the debate in the House of Lords on the Hanover troops, he made a comparison be- tween taking the Hanos^erians^nto the pay of England, and the French taking the ♦.oops of the Duke John Frederic into their pay in 1G72; and u^ed these words — "That littls prince would havo duped Louis XIV. ; but he treated him like a little prince, and would not accept his troopa but upou his own terms." 1744.] FRENCH WAR — SCOTCi. ^RELLION. 109 fleet."* And yet, be it oliservod, Lord Siindwicli alone nci^ociated and signed the treiity of ])(»iiee at Aix-la-Cliapeile. Tlie ])resent Lord Holland, the editor of the " Memoirs," observes, in a note, that lie (Lord Sandwieh) was first lord of the Admiralty in Lord North's administration, I* and says — ** Our author disparai;'es his abilities: he was a lively, sen- sible man, attentive to business, and not a bad speaker in Parliament." His lordship might have added, Ilia voyage round the Mediterranean proved him to be a scholar, a man of just observation, cultivated intellect, and vigorous mind. "Lord Anson," says Walpole, " was reserved and proud, and so ignorant of the Avorld that Sir Charles Williams said, he had been round it, but never in it. He liad been strictly united with the Duke of Bed- ford and Lord Sandwich, but not having the same command of his ambition that he had of his other passions, he had not been able to refuse the offer of the chancellor's (Hardwicke) daughter, nor the di- rection of the Admiralty." He admits that " Lord Anson, attentive to, and generally expert in maritime details, selected with great care the best officers, and assured the king that, in che jipproaching war, he should at least hear of no courts-martial." Mr. Anson was " reserved," it is true, but not " proud." Every part of his conduct towards his * Walpole's Memoirs of the List Years of Geoi-fre II. t He was First Lord of the Admiralty t/iree dilfcrent times. il \i I'll no LIFE OF LOUD ANSON. [CH. III. equals and inreriors, and of theirs towards liiin, strongly I'ontradict his heing ])roud ; and iha bon mot, as it was considered to bo, of Sir Charles Hanlmry AVillianis, was a greater compliment to the admiral than ])rol)ably was intended : his life had been passed in his profession, and not in what is usually called " the world." With regard to Lord Sandwich, Walpole had a feeling of rooted and bitter dislike. ** Lord Sandwich," he says, " had been hoisted to the head of the Admiralty by the weight of the Dnke of Bedford, into whose affection he had worked him- self by intrigues, cricket^matches, and acting plays." ..." When the court was at Hanover, Lord Sandwich had drawn a great concourse of the young men of fashion to Huntingdon races, and then carried them to Woburn to cricket-matches made there for the entertainment of the duke." It might have suggested itself to a candid man, that cricket-matches, and races, and plays, are not, in a moral point of view, more reprehensible, per- haps much less so, than the secret employment of writing libels and lampoons in a solitary closet, to be sealed up in a chest till the death of the author of them shall shield him from personal responsibility. It is well known that Lord Sandwich was a man of elegant manners, passionately fond of nmsic, and that the parties, which were held twice a year at Hinchingbrook, were chiefly entertained with musical recreations, scenes from operas, and oratorios, a1; 1744.] FRENCH WAR — SCOTCH REHFLLION. Ill wlucli the most iipju'oved urfhsten of the day were engaged to assist ; but to which ehigaut amusements Waliioh? does not appear to have been invited ; and this alone was quite enougli for such a cynic, tirst to misrepresent, and then to condenm them. VV^hen, in his posthumous memoirs, he sometimes condescends to bestow on Anson " faint praise," it is always accompanied with a sneer ; to liate him it was enough that he was the friend of Sandwich ; but there was another and a graver cause of his dislike and abuse of him, which never ceased until, nor even after, his death. This great intriguer is said to liave laid a scheme ft)r marrying Anson to one of the Duke of Bedford's daughters, hi which he was dis- appointed by the noble lord choosing for himself, and taking to wife the chancellor's daiighter, an union th:\t brought down on both families the venom of his libellous pen — as keen and satirical as that of Voltaire, and in humble imitation of it ; but Vol- taire had the manliness to face the public in his satires, while living, which Walpole was afraid to do, and hoarded theni up till after his death.* * His letters addressed to George Montagu, nephew of the second Earl of Halifax, a young man about town with two or three sinecures, published only in the year 1818, are so scurrilous and indecent, re- specting Anson, Lord and Lady Hardwicke, and many other public characters, that it may be said of him (barring the opprobrious epi- thets) what Dr. Johnson said of Bolingbrooke — " Sir, he was a scoun- drel and a coward ; a scoundrel for charging a blunderbuss against religion and morality ; a coward because he had not resolution to fire it off himself, but left half a crown to a beggarly Scotchman to ^4i 112 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [oh. III. The time was most important, and the situation of public affairs most serious, when the formation of the new Board of Admiralty was established. France was then busily employed in negociating a new family compact wich Spain, in which an alliance with that power, off'^nsive and defensive, was stipulated to be perpetual ; and one of the articles of the treaty was, that no peace should be concluded with England until Gibraltar should be restored to the crown of Spain. The treaty was signed at Fontainbleau ; war was declared, and active preparations made by the two alli?d powers to equip such a navy as would infallibly, in their opinion, give them the uncontrolled command of the Mediterranean. Considerable fleets of French ships of war were, at the syme time, pre- paring in the ports of Brest and Rochfort ; and the grand object of these two allied powers seemed to be nothing less than to wrest from England her che- rished tenure oi the " sovereignty of the seas." But they had also another object in view, und this was the re-establishment of the exiled family of the Stuarts on the throne of Great Britain. An active correspondence was carried on with the Scotch and English, the Jacobites being very numerous among the former, and more so than they were expected to be found in the latter. One part of the plan was to draw the trigger after his death." Any one desirous of seeing Wal- pole's character laid hare and stripped to the very skin, will find it in the Quarterly Ih'vieio, vol. xxvii. ;H. III. 1745.] FRENCH WAR — SCOTCH REBELLION. 113 tion of of the France family th that I to be ty was, nfflaiid own of ibleau ; lade by ; would ntrolled lie fleets i.e, pre- and the d to be lev che- tnd this of the n active tch and among icted to I was to ^ing Wal- find it in throw a French army into England, from Dunkirk, to be escorted across the Channel by the united fleets of Brest and Rochfort, on the supposition that, from the number of our squadrons employed in the Medi- terranean, the West Indies, and other foreign sta- tions, we had no force at home equivalent to theirs, or capable of obstructing their passage. The Pretender was of an age which unfitted him to join in the enterprise ; but he sent an instruction for his son Cliarles Edward to hasten from Rome to Paris^ and proceed from thence, as his substitute, on this mo- mentous expedition. Twenty thousand men were reported to have encamped at Dunkirk, connnanded by Count Saxe : and the English people of that day looked towards Dunkirk with the same kind of anxious feeling as that with which, more than sixty years afterwards, they regarded the army encamped at Boulogne, and the boasted flotilla under Napo- leon Buonaparte, both of which proved to be equally impotent, and, as such, they equally failed. The French fleet, of about twenty sail-of-the-Iine, was under the conmiand of M. de Roquefeuille, an old and experienced ofiicer, and that of England, amounting nearly to the same number, was com- manded by Sir John Norris, an able and active admiral, who had under him the Rear-Admirals Sir Charles Hardy and Martin. Sir John Avas or- dered to repair to the Downs, lor the purpose of drawing the French fleet into the narrow part of I i .i f I 114 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. III. the Channel, this being the best station to prevent them passing to the northward unobserved in thick weather, as they might be able to do lower down to the westward. In the early part of February the French fleet was seen oft' Plymouth, standing up Channel, and vast preparations were imme- diately made, along the coasts of Kent and Essex, to oppose any attempt to land in those counties. Indeed one burst of loyalty seemed to pervade the whole kingdom, and addresses poured in from all quarters, professing attachment to the throne and the Protestant succession. M. de Roquefeuille, having first sent his cruisers to look into the English ports, and finding no ships of war either at St. Helen's or Spithead, stood boldly up Channel and came to anchor off Dungeness. On this being reported to Sir John Norris, he imme- diately got his fleet under way, and worked down Channel, against a westerly wind, till within two leagues of the French fleet ; but, the tide setting strong against him, he was obliged to anchor. The French showed no disposition to engage ; on the contrary, having made preparations, in order to take advantage of the turn of the tide in their favour, a signal -was thrown out for every ship to make the best of her way to Brest ; and to cut or slip their cables in order to lose no time in getting under sail. A gale of wind shortly sprung up from the noi"th-west, increasing to a storm, by which the III. 1745.] FRENCH WAR—SCOTCH REBELLION. 115 ivent ;hick lown •uary iding iime- l^ssex, inties. le the »m all ndthe misers ) ships boldly On imme- down n two setting The on the to take favour, ike the. p their under m the h the enemy's ships were dispersed, many of them reach- ing Brest in a very shattered condition. Sir John Norris, finding it impossible to come up with any of the enemy's ships, which invariably outsailed ours, and considering it not only useless, but inexpe- dient, to expose his fleet to the storm, returned to the Downs. Tlie violence of the tempest reached Dunkirk, where many of the transports v.^ith troops already on board, and others with stores and amnmnitiun, foun- dered at their anchors in the road, and a great number of lives were lost. So calamitous, indeed, were the disasters sustained, that the camj) broke up, the young Pretender returned to Paris, and the dread of an inva- sion at once ceased. The French, too, now seemed to have abandoned the cause of the young adventurer, at least to have withdrawn the encouragement they had before given to the project ; but Prince Charles was determined, at all events, to try his fortune ; he wrote letters to his friends in Scotland, explaining his design, and uppointing the place at which it was his inttiition to land. An Irishman of the name of Walsh, a merchant at Nantz, furnished for this object a small armed vessel, and raised for the Pretender's use about 2000/., besides arms for a couple of thou- sand men. The old Scotch Marquis of TuUibardine, who called himself the Duke of Athol, Sir Thomas Sheridan, and a few others, embarked with the young Pretender; and this pigniy expedition set sail on tlie i2 «.:■ '!! '., ii ^ 116 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. IIL 4tli July, 1745. Tliey were joined off Belleisle by the Elizabeth, a French ship of war of sixty-four guns, the captain of which had orders to escort them to the Western Ishinds of Scotland ; and this was the only naval assistance given to this bold and en- terprising young man. Anson, being now one of the Commissioners of the Admiralty, had interest enough to get his old lieu- tenant, Piercy Brett (now a captain, though he had failed in making him so), appointed to the Lion, of lifty-eight guns and four hundred and forty men. Having the good fortune to fall in with this escort. Captain Brett ran his ship close alongside the Eliza- beth, and commenced the attack within pistol-shot. The engagement, however, lasted five hours> by which time the Lion's rigging was cut to pieces, her mizen-mast shot away, and all her lower and top- masts wounded ; and in this state she lay as a log on the water. The Elizabeth, having suifered less in her rigging, was able to set sail enough to carry her off, but her hull was so shattered, and she was alto- gether so much damaged as with difficulty to reach Brest. A smaller vessel, in which the young Pre- tender was, attempted at first to rake the Lion, but was soon beaten off by her stern-chasers ; and towards the close of the action she made off' with idl the sail she could carry. This gallant encounter cost the Lion fifty-five men killed, jvnd one hundred and seven wounded, seven of whom died shortly after the action. [. 111. ileby ^-Ibiu* them s was id en- of the I lieu- he hud jion, of J men. escort, Ehza- ol-shot. Lirs, by ces, her id top- a log less ill Li-ry her as alto- reach ng Prc- 011, hut towards the sail :ost the d seven action. 1745.] FIIENCII WAR — SCOTCH REBELLION. 117 Captain Brett and all his lieutenants were wounded, and the master had his right arm shot off. It M'as afterwards ascertained that the captain and sixty-four men >f the Elizabeth were killed, and one hundred and forty wounded. Tiie frigate pursued her voyage, and Prince Charles reached the coast of Lochaber^ w'liere he and his attendants were landed. The young Pretender was strongly advised by his adherents in Scotland to relinquish his enterprise for the present ; but he was self-willed, and resolved at once to carry his plans into execution. Accordingly lie hoisted his standard on the Pith August, to which many of the disaffected clans repaired. On this in- telligence reaching London, the most vigorous mea- sures were put in execution to stay the rebellion, and at all events to prevent its extending to England ; of which the government had great fear, more esj)e- cially after the unexpected defeat of the British forces at Prestonpans. Admiral Vernon, who had gained such general and deserved reputation at Porto Bello, was appointed to command in the Downs, with a powerful squadron, to watch the motions of the French at Dunkirk and Calais, and to send de- tachments into the North Sea to intercept any supplies that might be sent for the use of the rebels in Scot- land. The frigates and smaller vessels thus detached were very active, capturing and destroying transports that were conveying succours to the young Pre- tender's partisans in the north. It was here that 118 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. III. Howe was first brought into notice. He commanded the Baltimore sloop, and, in company with the Greyhound frigate, had a smart action with two French frigates, in which he received a wound in the head that a i first was supposed to bt^ fatal; but he was only stunned, or, as Captain Noel, who went on board the Baltimore to see him, says in his despatch, " he was a little disordered." Our two ships, whose masts were wounded, and their sails and rigging cut to pieces, were unable to follow the enemy, who, as usual, took advantage of their crippled state, and went off. With regard to the proceedings of these rebels after they had the temerity to enter England, Admiral Anson was duly apprised by his brother, Mr. Thomas Anson. Extracts of his last three let- ters will here suffice : 7th December. — " I fancy there has been a general panic about London, upon the rebels seeming to make a point that way ; but it appears that they understand their business better, and yesterday morning, about eight o'clock, marched out of Derby and lay at Ashburn and the adjacent villages, A person I sent to reconnoitre brought an account, that about ten this morning he saw, at three-quarters of a mile's distance, the whole body pass along a valley at the other side of Weaver Hills, the road to Newcastle or Leek, for they might turn cither way. All the most credible accounts agree that the number of the rebels does exceed seven thou- sand — three or four thousand good troops, the rest rabble and boys. The Pretender's son, who was generally in the rear, before the army was so near them, has since inarched . III. 1745.] FRENCH WAR — SCOTCH RERELLION. 119 nded I the . two in the )ut he !nt on patch, whose ig cut 'ho, as 3, and : these igland, rother, :ee let- il panic a point msiness narched dllages, Int, that la mile's le other |eck, for recounts in tliou- rabble in the larched at the head. He is something under six f(j(!t high, \v(;ars a plaid, walks well, a good person enough, but a niclancholy aspect, speaks little, and was never seen to smile — so much for rebels and armies ! My situation is still the same — between two fires — and the prospect, I fear, docs not mend upon us." yth December. — ''Your letter, whicli I have just received, would have been a seascmable consolation if I had not been all this day in good spirits upon finding that v/e ar(> now fairly quit of the rebels, without any apprehensions of their re- turn. They marched out of Leek yesterday morning for Con- gleton and Macclesfield, and are probably returning by the same route they came. The duke, I am told, has put himself a leur trousses with three thousand foet and five regiments of horse and dragoons, and will take up his quarters at Will Mills, at Leek to-night, as the Pretender did two nights ngo. " The rebels were greatly exasperated at their reception in Derby ; their leader was observed to be much more gloomy than usual ; their ladies wept ; and their whole bcnly marched out with visible dejection and despair. Their be- haviour since has been much fiercer, and at Ash burn, and on their way to Leek they have j)lundered and ravaged, murdered two or three people, and wounded others, so that their name is in horror and detestation. Their cruelty will probably increase, if they have time to exert it, which I fancy the Duke will not give them ; and perhaps some of Mr. Wade's troops are within reach. What this gang of rapparees, by no means formidable in themselves, but from the panic they have spread, have already done, I need not observe : but it will surely be lasting matter of wonder and of reproach." 14f/t December. — •• I have just received a letter from M 120 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. III. Jones, the postmaster of Stone, dated lliis day, 5 o'clock, in which he says they had, at that minute, an account that the rebels marched out of Pr>?ston yesterday, and that ou>* horse marched in that afternoon, and it was thought would bo up with them by noon to-day. Ho encloses a letter from Will Mills to me, which is as follows : — " * I hope we shall hear no more of the rebels in these parts. The duke and his army were at Wigan last night. The rebels are ii the utmost distress, have neither shoes nor stockings, nor any hope of getting any, not able to inarc)i, and dwindling awa;y every day. A detachment of light iioise and some hussars arc pursuing them at the head of the duke's army. On "^riiursday an aide-de-camp of Wade's came to the duke, at Macclesfield, to infc^rm him that Wade haa letachcd a large body of horse to intercept them towards Lancaster, and that Oglethorpe, with another body of horse and the royal hunters, were at their heels pursuing them. I hope they will soon give a good account of them, for they were greatly dispirited on their return to this place.'* " Lceh, Saturday Morning.^' This letter concludes Mr. Anson's correspondence on the subject. It is well known that the cavalry of the Duke of Cumberland got up with the enemy's rear-guard at the village of Clifton, near Penrit'i, and after a skirmish compelled them to retire. At Car- lisle they left a g.'Trison and most of their cannon, the main body entering Scotland in two columns. The duke, as soon as Ids battering-train couhl be * Anson's Collection ol MS. Letters, Nos. 21, 22, and 23. 1745.] FRENCH WAR — SCOTCH REBELLION. 121 brought up, bombarded the city, and soon silenced the fire of the rebels, who, oii tlie 30th December, were glad to surrender at discretion. Just at this important period, Admiral Anson was left almost alone in the charge of the Admiralty. The Duke of Bedford Avas laid up with the gout, and Lord Sandwich was taken dangerously ill in Bir- mingham, where he was vis'led by Lord Halifax, Avho writes to Mr. Anson, " vhat his fever had left him, but with great weakness and lownessof spirits ; strength and spirits, he doubted not, would return soon, but he had been dangerously ill, almost beyond hope." " I Jim extremely concerned," says Mr. An- son to his brother, *' both in public and private re- spect?, that the Board is so indisposed at such a juncture. Heaven restore and preserve it ! '* , The effect of this illness on the mind and spirits of Lord Sandwich, as described in a letter from Lord Halifax to Admiral Anson, is so extraordinary, in a man of sucli powerful intellect and bodily strength, as to deserve recording. It is dated Birmingham, 13th December, 1745:— *' I came here in great haste (before my last march to Stafford), having oecn informed my good friend Lord Sand- wich lay danger jusly ill of a fever here ; and indeed I found him very much out of order. He was once blooded, and they hoped the complaint was removed, but I was sensible it lay heavy on his spirits. When I returned here two days afterwards, the fever was entirely removed; but still his 122 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. III. spirits weic as iuw as ever, nor has it been in my jiowcr, by any means, to recover them, though I ihink I have used all ; and if anybody could have given him case, he told me it would have been myself. The concern I undergo u])ou this occasion is beyond what I can express, and the long and uninterrupted course of our friendship makes it impossible for one man to feel more for another than I do for him. The terrible lowness of his spirits makes him take such strange notions into his head as are not to be accounted for, and by force of reason impossible to be removed, lie fan- cies that the expense attending his new commission, though not amounting to 200/., has utterly ruined him, and that he is undone in his circumstances, though, even by his own account, they apT)ear noways impaired. These ill-founded notions are continually preying upon him ; he figures to himself the miseries of poverty and distress, and his disposi- tion is as much affected by them as if they really existed. No weakness of mind, no want of judgment, appears in his conversation on any point, but that single one of his circum- stances, which possesses liim in such a manner as harasses him to death. Though he has draughts ui)on the bank and draughts upon his agent, he expresses himself in the most extreme want of money, and he has had from mo all the cash I could spare ; but nothing alleviates his complaint. ..." Lady Sandwich is here with my lord. I was in hopes her company might in some degree relieve him ; but I do not find ii to be the case. The physicians prescribe nothing at present, unless it be a little bark, and seem to think that time alone can give st'^jngth and cure. I am sure I need not hint to you that it is proper you should keep secret the exact state of my poor lord's health. This weak- ness is, I dare say, the efl'ect of the fever ; but I should be Hi i III. 1745.] FRENCH WAR — SCOTCH REBELLION. 123 r, by all ; inc it 11 this r and ssible • him. '. such !(! for, o fan- hough liat he Ls own )uudc(l ires to Usposi- pxisted. in his UTUin- irasses nk and le most U the lint, was in but escribe eem to 1 am Id keep weak- uld be n sorry anybody l)ut yourself should know to what excess it is carried. God jj^rant that I may be soon able to give you a better account of him ! I ought to make many excuses for this letter. &c. &c. (Signed) ** Dunk Halifax."* Though everything was going on well, us far as the Admiralty was concerned, though the navy had not as yet any great exploit to hoast of either at home or ahroad, yet this illness of the second on the list of the Lords Connnissioners, and the ahsence of the lirst lord at Woburn, threw a heavy responsibility on Anson, though the junior lord, except one, of the Board ; and so tenacious were some of the others of their authority, as seniors, that Anson frequently found himself thwarted in the measures which he conceived best to be pursued for the king's service, and which he was desired by the Duke of Bedford to pursue ; he was in fact the only efficient naval member of the Board. Lord Sandwich, however, speedily recovered, but found it advisable to remain for a while at Ilincldngbrook, fror wiience, in a letter of 25th May, 1746, ad'' ^ed to Admiral Anson, is the following passage, relating to a most important subject : — ** I like the Duke of Newcastle's letter about the court-martial very well, and imagine you will take care to be constantly putting him in mind that his Majesty has promised that proper methods Avill be * Anson" s Collection, No. 184. 121 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CII. III. 11 taken for provcntliiiij anytliing of tlie like nature for tlie fiitun^ ; for, if this oj>jK)rtnnity to e^tahlisli our jurisdirilon is not made use of, 1 fear it may bo u long time before anotlier will offer." This mention of the eourt-martial, and the pre- servation of tlie jurisdiction of the Admiralty, allude to a matter of some delicacy, in which Anson ac- ijuitted himself with t,n-cat judi^mcnt, and as one well versed in the powers and authorities vested in the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty. On these powers and authorities he rightly conceived that the king, on the prayer of the House of Commons, had encroached. The nation, always jealous of the honour and character of the British navy, were clamorous against the Admirals Lestock and Mjitthews for their failure in the engagement of the French fleet off Tou- lon. As such occasions always supply matter for some member or other of the House of Commons to move for immediate inquiry, without giving time to the proper department to take such steps jis the subject may re- quire, so, in the present instance, a motion was uiade for certain otHcers heini^ examined at the bar of the House, relative to the conduct of these two admirals, and of others in the fleet ; in consequence of which, the House came to the resolution of addressing his Majesty on the subject, praying that he would be graciously pleased to give directions that a court- martial should be held, in the most speedy and solemn manner, to inquire into the conduct, &c. &c. ; to 1745.] FRENCH WAR — SCOTCH REBELLION. 125 which his Mjijosty ifuvc a i^racious reply, and issiuMl his coininaiids to the JJoanl of Achnirulty, to order a court-martial to he assenihled accordingly. This ])ro('ce(lin^, thouu^li so very unusual, and strikiui^ at once at the authority of the Adnnralty, in whom alone the power was vested, was ntwertheless complied with ; hut Admiral Anson I'elt it his duty to wait on the Duke of Newcastle, and luunhly to remonstrate against such interference on the ])art of his Majesty, and to request he would suhmit to the king the injurious consecpiences that Avould result to his Majesty's naval service, should so unusual a stretch of authority unhappily he brought into a ])recedent. The king and his minister could not but see at once hoAV necessary it was to nuiintain inviolate tlie juris- H WAR. 131 of the White, and was ordered to hoist his flag on the 2nd August, 1745 ; to repair to the Downs, and take the command of that pari, of the Channel and of the North Sea, where he was indefatigable in making his arrangements, which were approved Ly the Admiralty. His correspondence with the Board, and with the officers of all ranks under his command, was however generally peevish and querulous ; indeed, he a{)pears to have been of a very unhappy t-^mper, not only dissatis- fied with every one about him, but with himself, and he frequently hinted to the Board an intention to resign. At length, witliout any apparent reason, he writes to the first lord of the Admiralty, to desire he may be relieved in his command ; and the Board, on the day following, the 26th December, sent down hy express the following not very usual order to strike his flag and come on shore. " Whereas you have been appointed by us to command a squadron of his Majesty's ships in the Downs, in order to observe and watch the preparations and motions of the enemy at Dunkirk, and the neighbouring? ports of Flanders and France, and to prevent their sending any succours from thence to his Majesty's rebellious subjects in Scotland ; as also to guard the coasts of this kingdom from any attempts of the enemy to land there with an armed force ; and whereas since our appointment of you to the command of that ser- vice, you have in several letters expressed to us your dislike and dissatisfaction with the situation you are placed in, and an inclination to resign your command, which uneasiness and desire of resigning you have again repeated to us, in your K 2 f ^ i|:, ili .t 132 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. III. letter of yesterday's date, we have taken the same into our consideration, and do, in regard to your so often-mentioned desire of laying down your command, and that there is an experienced officer upon the spot to succeed you in it, sig- nify hereby our consent thereto, and therefore do require and direct you to deliver up the command of all his Majesty's ships, and also of all other ships and , essels employed in his Majesty's service, and that are under your orders, to Vice- Admiral Martin, and to give him either such original orders as are in your hands unexecuted, or else attested copies of the same ; and having so done, you aro to strike your flag, and come ashore, for which this shall be your warrant. Given, &c., 2Gth Dec, 1745. To Admiral Verncn, Bedford, DoiL-ns. Sandwich, Anson, &c. Per express at i past 8 o'clock P.M. Tha' they should remove him from his command is by no means surprising. His self-conceit, his querulous disposition, his want of temper, and his abusive language, addressed through the secretary, rendered him unfit for such a command ; and as all this was known to the Board, by his own publication of his quarrels and litigious conduct in the West Indies, tlie surprise is that they ever thought of appointing him. The extraordinary letter he addressed to the secretary of the Admiralty in June, 1744, might be deemed quite sufficient to disqualify him for such an office of trust and con^dence. He says in this letter, " Your First Connnissioner must either have i^ :il l^i. 1745.] FRENCH AND SPANISH WAR. 133 informed his Mfijesty that I was dead, or h^ve laid something to my charge ;" and he concludes it thus : ** I hfive thought proper to remind their lordships I am living, and have, I thank God, the same honest zeal reigning in my breast, that has animaiod me on all occasions, to approve myself a faithful and zealous subject and servant to my Royal Master ; and if the First Lord Commissioner has represented me in any other light to my Royal Master, he has acted with a degeneracy unbecoming the descendant from a noble father, whose memory I reverence and esteem, though I have no compliments to make to the judgment or conduct of the son.'* His appointment, after this, bespeaks at least the good natuie and forbearance of the son, the Duke of Bedford. That unfortunate irritability, which was the ul- timate ruin of this brave officer, would not allow him to remain quiet on the present occasion. His propensity for writing and indulging in intemperate and abusive language against the Board seemed to be more congenial with his feelings ; nor did he stop here. To give the greater publicity to his grievances, and at the same time a vent to his angry and im- petuous temper, he published two anonymous pam- phlets, in which were inserted ibe official letters he had received from the Secretary of State, as well as those from the Lords of the Admiralty, together with his own voluminous correspondence, in which he goes out of his way to combat their opinions, passing 134 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. f K *m 1 1 [CH. III. strictures on their acts, and giving his own notions in opposition to theirs, on matters that had no relation to his conniiand. Tiiis seems to have been con- sidered so outrageous a breach of confidence, that the Board directed their secretary to call upon him to avow or di ivow is being the author of the said pam] 'I Itts. )lv! ieicer of Mr. Cleveland was cer- tainly not zo'u^^hi^d m such courteous terms, as were calculated to soothe th^ u ritable feelings of this gallant officer, who said: he disdained to answer a question that no one had any right to put to him, and that he should answer it, if at all, to the Board of Admiralty. He was accordingly summoned to appear before the Board, which he immediately did; and in con- sequence thereof the following proceeding took place. " At a meeting at the Admiralty-office, the iOth of April, 174(i, in the evening, " Present — His Grace the Duke of Bedford ; Earl of Sandwich; TiCar- Admiral Anson; Mr. Grenville; Mr. Legge ; Lord Barrington. " Admiral Vernon attending. Was called in ; and his Grace the Duke of Bedford acquainted him, that the Lords had taken notice of some things that had passed, and, as First Lord, he spoke to him as the mouth of the Board, who represented the Lord High Admiral. That, upon seeing two pamphlets published in print, called ' A Speci- men of naked Truth, from a British Sailor,' and ' Some sea- sonable Advice from an honest Sailor to whom it might have concerned, for the service of the C n and C y,' they had ordered their secretary to write to him, to know whether 1746.] FRENCH AND SPANISH WAR. 135 ho was the publisher of them, or know anything of their publicatior ; ai;fl. as h(; ha<^ <;ivcn no nojj^ativo answer thereto, they now denianded from hhn a plain and categorical an- swc, .vhethor he was the ^,ublisher of those j)amphlets, or whether they were c( mmitted to the press by his direction, consent, '"r knowledge / Mr. Vernon replied, that he had always a great honour and veneration for his (iracc ; allowed his Graci? was right in saying he represented the Lord High Admiral, but that he was mightily suri)rised at such ques- tions, whic i were upon a matter of a private na' -o ; and that, as he thought he had the liberty of a subio> \ ' did not look upon himself obliged to answer them ; -^^t i. Jiad pleasure in saying he had always served as a f. u.'ui servant of the crown, and, as an officer, was always ^eauy to obey their Lordships' commands. " Upon which his Grace replied that he was sent for as an officer, and that he spoke to him the sense of the Board in telling him that, as he did not deny the questions put to him, with rcjlation to the publication of the aforesaid pam- phlets, they could not but look upon him as the publisher of them. To which Mr. Vernon replied, that he was sur- prised his Grace should ask such a question, and then with- drew. '' Fridaij, nth Aj)nl, 1746. " Present — The same Board as on the preceding day. " His Grace the Duke of Bedford acquainted the Lords, that he had attended the King this morning, and had in- formed Ins Majesty of what had passed between them and Admiral Vernon, with relation to the publication of two pamphlets, entitled ' A Specimen of naked Truth, from a British Sailor,' and ' Some seasonable Advice from an honest 136 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. III. Sailor, to wliom it might have concerned, for the service of the C n and C y,' and what had passed at his attend- unco here last night thereupon, and signified his Majesty's pleasure that the said Vice- Admiral Vernon* should be struck off the list of flag-officers. " Resolved, that the same be done."f Strict justice nhiy have required thai such conduct should not he passed over without some severe cen- sure, reprimand, or a resolution never to he again employed, such as a court-martial would prohahly have inflicted, if one could have heen held. Some- thing of this kind might have answered every pur- pose, without adopting so harsh and severe a punish- ment as that of removing his name frcm the list. The Board might have left him to the effect of that clever and hiting *• Letter," occasioned hy his " Spe- cimen of Naked Truths' supposed to have heen written by Mr. Legge, one of the Lords of the Ad- miralty, which, together with his conduct while in the Downs, completely demolished that pretension to popularity which the affiiir of Porto Bello had conferred on him. "The brave conqueror of Porto Bello" (says the letter-writer) " with sitV ships only ; he that had destroyed the forts of Carthagena, and given us a holiday for an afffvir that, hy the next ex- press, put us all in mourning, we could not think sub- * He was promoted to the rank oi Admiral in April, \7A5, t " Minute Book" of the Admiralty. 1746.] FRENCH AND SPANISH WAR. 137 ject to any meanness either of heart or temper. In short, we could hardly allow you the common imper- fections of human nature. At the last general elec- tion, you might have heen memher, I believe, for almost half the boroughs in England. It was a kind of petty treason to give ear to the least insinuation to your disadvantage, which would, at that time, have been more s'^verely resented in most public compa- nies than disaffected expressions against his Majesty himself. You cannot be insensible, Sir, that we carried you in our pockets upon medals ; that we had you chased on the heads of our canes ; that a print of you, either from copper or wood, was seen in every house ; that we formed societies in your name, and that even the ladies wore you in their fans and snuff- boxes : nay, we had like to have made an annual fes- tival on your birthday, eijual to Gunpowder Treason, or King Charles* Restoration ; and we were one year so zealous in the affair, that we kept two days, upon a presumption that we were wrong in the first of them. All these are matters, I doubt not, concern- ing which you have taken care to have good informa- tion." After this sarcastic display, which is nevertheless true, the letter-writer goes on to show him hov/ the mighty are fallen — how his vanity, his ostentation, his bad temper, his rigour both to officers and seamen in the West Indies, his general rough behaviour, had alienated men's minds ; and tliat the king's service had '% 138 LIFE OP LORD ANSON. [CII. III. \H been more than once nitarded, and a general odium brouglit upon tliose engaged in it, through the haughty and insulting carriage of him who ought to have conciliated all parties. lie tells him the Duke of Bedford was willing, perhaps, to see if his merit would at last shine without his foibh; ; *' but if, u|)on this trial, you appeared again haughty, self-sulficient, unconununicative, irregular, did it become the dig- nity of the honourable lioard to continue you in com- mand ?" But, towards the conclusion, he says : '* I can with pleasure reflect, after all, that Mr. Vernon, notwithstanding his weaknesses, cannot fail of making a considerable figure in English history : yes, the inflexible patriot, the uncUiunted, unwearied officer, the blunt honest man, will be remembered with honour, in spite of those frailties that were a bar to his being always emidoyed." This brave descendant of the ancient and honour- able family of the Vernons, after his disgrace, lived generally in great retirement, very rarely attending his duty in the House of Commons, where he had mjide himself exceedingly disliked, as **a silly brawling admiral." It does not ap])ear that he made any attempt, by submitting his case to the king, to be restored to the service, but retired to his seat at Nacton, in Suffolk, where he died at an advanced age, on the 30th October, 1757. Though the French gave our brave fellows no opportunity, in the course of the year 174G, to dis- 1740.] FRENCH AND SPANISH WAR. 139 tinguish tlieniKelves in any genenil iiction, yet, in single ongagenjents, both by king's sliips and pri- vateers, several gallant exploits Avere j)errornie(l. Among others Mr. Legge mentions two in a j)rivate hotter to Anson, of the 1st May. "The king," he says, " has been spoken to in relation to Captain Phillips, who retook the Solebay, and is so well satis- lied with his behaviour, that he gives us leave to reward him as we think proper. He cut the Solebay out of St. Martin's Road ; there were on board her two hundred and forty men, and he had but one hundred and thirty himself, with fifty of whom lie boarded her, and brought her out ; and, in all re- spects, the action seems to be as gallant as one need wish to see in a sunmier's day. Phillips himself is very desirous to be made a captain in the king's service. But this, we suppose, you will have great objection to, as well as we have. Medals and money, Ave think, should be given liberally, and should be glad of your thoughts, and his Grace's, if with you, upon this subject." The recommendation of the duke and Anson was, that a purse of 500 guineas should be gi^ n, and a gold medal of the value of 200 guineas, which the king immediately sanctioned. In the !^ ime year, howevt;r, Mr. Brown, the master of the Shoreham, having been placed in the com- mand of a small privateer of two guns and t\relve swivels, engaged for five or six hours a privateer of Bilboa, of ten guns, eighteen swivels, and seventy- '■ml 140 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. III. n 1 ri II' eight men, of whom forty-six were killed; all his ammunition being spent, he took her by boarding, ]\fr. Brown, for liis gallant behaviour, was promoted to the rank of commander, and appointed to command a sloop of war. The other action which Mr. Legge mentions in the same letter is a remarkable one. "Caj)tain Molineux Shuldham (afterwards Lord Shuldham), who vvas taken in the Blast bomb, is just re- turned from Spain, and has been at the Board this morning. Nothing certainly was ever braver than his own and his men's behaviour. He was attacked by two privateers, each of which had more men than himself. His own complement was one hundred and eighteer;, out of which forty-five Ave re killed, and only twenty-two left unwounded. He received three wounds himself, and was left for dead upon the quarter-deck. He was cruelly used by the captains of the privateers, kept naked in the sun for two day:^^, though covered with wounds, in hopes it would kill him ; and indeed the governor of the Havanna seemed so sensible of this brutality, that, as Shuldham says, he did his utmost to make amends by his treatment ; he sent for the captains of the privateers into Shuld- ham's presence, and offered to inflict any punishment upon them he should name. But Shuldham had so much generosity as to desire 7ione. Upon all these accounts (and, into the bargain, he being a clever fellow), we hold him worthy of a post-ship, and pro- . 1746.] FRENCH AND SPANISH WAR. 141 pose to take the first opportunity of giving liini one, if the duke and you approve."* Tlie duke and Anson did approve, and ordered a captain's commission to be forthwith made out for him. In this year several actions were fought singly and successfully by his Majesty's ships of war with those of the enemy of superior force in guns and men, in which the great disparity in the numbers of killed and wounded, in favour of the British, clearly pointed out the superior skill of the latter in gunnery and seamanship. The Defiance, for instance, captured the Ambuscade, of forty guns and three hundred men, having killed and wounded twenty-six of the enemy ; the Defiance had one killed and three wounded. The Portland, Captain Stevens, of fifty guns, after a close engagement of two hours, captured L'Au- guste, of fifty guns and four hundred and seventy men ; killed fifty and wounded ninety-four. The Portland had five killed and thirteen wounded. The Nottingham, Captain P. Saumarez, of sixty guns and four hundred men, had an obstinate engage- ment of two hours with the Mars, of sixty-four guns and five hundred men ; killed twenty-three men and wounded nineteen, having only three killed and nine wounded. IMany other similar instances occurred in the course of the year 1746. * Anson's Collections, No. 270. Ho aricls in a P.S., "1 have just heard the Diiko of Newcastle say, it is a shame if Phillips is not made captain of the Solebay. So probably the king is inclined that way." ■m H? ::S4*' m ;3'S 1' ' ■I •\4 H ill 142 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. IV. it ■■1 <'K Mir^' CHAPTER IV. BRILLIANT EXPLOITS OF THE NAVY. Order in Council fov improving the ])uilding o." Ships— Mode of promoting Admirals — Situation of old Captains — Orders in Council for their relief, by appointing them retired Rear- Admirals — Objectionable clause in the order — Firs* established uniform— The year 1 74 7 glorious for the British Navy — Duke of Bedford's opinion regarding the distribution of the fleet — Lord Sandwich's — Lord Anson's disposition of it — his information of two squadrons of the enemy about to sail — Makes preparations to intercept them — Determines to hoist his flag — Selects Rear- Admiral Warren for his second — Letter of the Duchess of Bedford — Falls in with, at- tacks, and takes six French ships of war — Admiral Warren pur- sues the rest — Great rejoicings on this first victory — Congratulations from Duke of Bedford and Lord Sandwich — Fox's squadron falls in with and captures a large portion of the St. Domingo fleet — Rear- Admiral Hawkc appointed to command a squadron to inter- cept that of M. Letendeur — Engages and takes five sail of the line and one fifty out of the eight — His account of the action — Captain Fox's conduct brought before a court-martial — 'is dismissed his ship, and never after employed —Numerous captures made, and several single actions fought — M. de Conflans taken by Captain Shirley — his unfounded chargiis against that officer — Captain Shirley's exposure of them — Relative ranks of army and navy settled — Boscawen sent to India with a large force of ships and troops — Unsuccessful attempt onPondicherry — Hears of the peace, and returns to England. 1746 to 1749. Anson's active measures for preparing the fleet for sea, and his great desire for introducing an un- proved chiss of ships, and also for bettering the condition of the ohl captains of the navy, soon showed themselves by two important Orders in coun- cil, both of which could only have emanated from him, 1746.] BRILLIANT EXPLOITS OP THE NAVY. 143 fleet whom experience had taught to feel tlie evils which he was anxious to remove. The first memorial of the Board relates to the building of ships. It states that, on examining the methods of buihling ships of the royal navy, the Lords of the Admiralty found that no establishment or regulation had been made since tiie year 1719, and that those regulations had been long since discontinued, and, instead thereof, ships had been built according to particular schemes or propo- sitions, without any standard or uniformity, those of the same rate being often of unequal dimensions, so that the stores and furniture of one would not fit an- other of the same class, a matter of infinite inconve- nience in point of service,* as well as the occasion of extravagance in point of expense ; that they likewise found several complaints that the scantlings of the ships are not so large and strong as they should be, and that the ships themselves are crank, and heel so much in blowing weather, as not to be able to open their lee-jiorts, at the same time that ships of other nations go upright, with all their batteries open, and ready for action. It states that, " These and other defects showed the necessity of establishing a fixed standard for building the ships of the royal navy, and that, thereupon, they gave orders to Sir Jacob Acworth, surveyor of the navy, and also to the masters shipwrights of his Majesty's * Lord Nelson most deeply felt, and fretiuently complained of this great inconvenience. :|*'li If- ■ ; '' 144 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. IV. MM !■ i s I '■' M;' dock-ya.ds, and likewise to some eminent ship- builders on the river Thames, to take this matter into their consideration, and to propose and lay be- fore the Lords Commissioners their several opinions in writing, of such a system or establishment for building a ship of each rate, as might amend and rectify the present mistakes and errors therein, and contribute towards obtaining all tlie proper advan- tages and qualities that are essential to the making them good ships of war; which they having ac- cordingly done, the said Lords Conunissioners thought it proper, in the next place, to refer all the said re- ports to Sir John Norris, admiral of his Majesty's fleet, directing him to summon such of the flag-offi- cers as were not in service at sea, such commissioners of the navy as have been commanders at sea, sucli captains as have served as commodores, and sucl' other senior captains as should be thought fit, and to meet together and examine the said reports, as well as some other propositions of the same nature." It then goes on to state, that '* having finished their deliberations with great judgment and exact- ness," they submitted sev3ral propositions to the Board, which are not here necessary to enumerate or detail. The propositions were approved, and, in consequence of this business-like memorial, a better cia^s of ships were introduced into the nsivy, but still inmei'fect, as the fir^t, that were built and ready four years aftervyards. were discovered to be, representa- 1746.] BRILLIANT EXPLOITS OF THE NAVY. 145 iS lied stact- the 3rate 1, in etter still four nta- tions having been made by several captains that they did not steer so easy nor sail so well as was ex- pected ; and therefore, on the 5th July, 1750. '*nother memorial from the Board was presented to the Lords Justices (the king then in Hanover), stating that, being on the point of ordering three ninety-gun ships, one eighty, one seventy, and two of sixty guns, they pray to be allowed to make such varia- tions in the scheme of 1746 as may be thought ne- cessary to improve them as ships of war. The second memorial to the King in Council re- garded promotion and retirement of Hag-officers. It was intended to be an act of grace and favour in be- half of the veteran captains of the navy, who had long suffered, both in point of honour and emolument, l)y being passed over in the promotion of flag-officers ; while their names were kept at the head of the effi- cient list of captains, with the scanty allowance c-* iho half-pay then established, which, to the senior'^ was lOs. a day. At that time brevet promotions « rlag- officers appear to have been unknown, and s» iority wholly disregarded.* AVhen one or two ■ ^mirals were required to be added to the list of flar fficers, the Board looked down the list until th< arrived at one whom tliey considered the best entitled to receive the rank, and who was accordingly selected ; undoubtedly the most effectual mode to obtain good * The edition of the printed instructions brought out 5 1 is year (1 747) says, " No brevet commission shall bo allowed." 11 '■-m \f vl t ! II It nil 15 ' If" i r 1 mm i< Ht !16 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. IV. and efficient flag-officers. Thus, for instance, a pro- niotioL' of three rear-adniirals took phace in 1744, when Isaac Towusend, with fifty captains standing above him on the list, was selected, Henry Medley with fifty-one, and George Anson with fifty-five above him ; the last, however, did not then tak(i })hice, as has ])een seen.* It will readily be supposed that so great a number of officers thus passed over, and left to subsist on the miserable pittance of half-pay, and, (what was far more grating and offensive to their feelings,) all hope of advancement cut off, with a mark, as it were, set upon their names, could not remain tranquil and in- different under their grievances, but that frecpient memorials and remonstrances must have been sub- mitted to Ihe favourable consideration of the Lords of the Admiralty, though iiitherto, as it would appear, without success. Now, however, that a flag-officer of high reputH^ion in the service had become an influ- * At this time the total number of flag-officers on the list was so small that selection was indispenschle. They were — 1 Admualofthe Fleet. 3 Admirals of the White. 3 Admirals of the Blue. 2 Vice- Admirals of the Rv.d. 2 Vice-Admiralsof the Wbi*..'. } Vice-Admiral of the Blue the unfortunate Bynj),). 9 Rear-Admirals, 3 of each colour. — Making a total of 21 The number of cajitains on the list was 200, so that about onc- foiuth of the whole had been set aside at the time of the above-men- tioned promotions. 1747.] BRILLIANT EXPLOITS OF THE NAVY. 147 iHii- /as so t onc- -mon- cntial member of the Board, it may be sup])osc{l that Anson must have received, both in person and in writini^, many touching ap{)eals to his humanity, his justice, and love of the service, and many i)ressing entreaties for his powerful interest in their behalf. lie this as it may, the interference, from whatever quarter it proceeded, was successfully employed to a certain extent, as will appear from the following' order in council : "At tho court at Konsinsfton, tlio .'>rd day of Juno, 1747, " Proscnt — Tho King's most oxcellont Majosty In Council. " Whereas tlu^ Lords Coinrnissionors of th(! Admiralty hav(! ropresentod to his Maj(>sty at tliis lioard, that, upon th(! promotion of admirals, it hath froquon. v ;;;pponcd that sovoral old captains havo boon suporsodcKl by junior captains boing made ilag-offioors over thoir h(;ads, and thougli tlua'c hath not been any particular charge of misb(!haviour or neglect of duty against the said old captains whilst in sorvico, yet, from thoir groat ago and other infirmities, it iiath hv.cn judged proper for his Majostys service to promote junior captains to tho rank of admirals, as Ijoing more active and capable of discharging the great trust reposed in them ; that, as this has been the occasion of great discontent and complaint amongst such old captains, who think some regard ought to have been paid to the length .»f thoir services, and who only desire that, if they nrc not thought proper to he put into actual service with fleets under their command, they may, however, retire with honour, and have a competent suljsistonce in their old age, — tlu^ said Lonls Com- missioners therefore thought it proper to take tho case of the said old captains into their consideration, and have l2 t «'< i„''i^ I I'l jt ■11 1% Hi: I fl'f u , .;;' t 148 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CII. IV. thereupon prepared and laid before his Majesty a proposal for removinc^ the pjrounds of all such discontents and com- j)laints amongst the said captains, and for preventing the siimv. for the future ; and Avhereas the Lords of the Com- mittee of Council (to whom his Majesty had referred the consideration of the said proposal) have this day mad(; their report to his Majesty upon the same; — His Majesty was thereupon pleased, by and with the advice of his Privy Council, to order, as it is hereby ordered, that, at the next promotion of llag-officers, such captains in the navy, who, notwithstanding their seniority, shall happen to be set aside? by such promotion, as well as those who have been already set aside by any former proiuotions, as also those who shall at any tlm(; or times hereafter be set aside by luture promotions, bo ajjpointed by commissions from llie Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to be rear-admirals in general terms, without expressing any squadron or division of colours used in the fleet; and that they shall be esteemed as superannuated scfL-c fleers, and placed for the rest of their lives on the ordina.y esthnate of the navy, with a pension equal to the half-pay of a rear-admiral ; provided that all such captains shall have served at sea since the commencement of the present war with Spain, and that they do make application to the said Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, by petition for such commission or pension ; but in case they, or any of them, shall not think fit to make such aj)plications, that they shall, nevertheless, continue to receive half- pay as captains according to their seniority; and provided also, that no captains who have civil employment, or are upon the establishment of Greenwich Hospital, or command any of his Majesty's yachts, shall have the benefit of this establish- ment, but shall be considered as to their right to half-pay 1747.] BRILLIANT EXPLOITS OF THE NAVY. 1 lU tions, ly as that the ly of |)lisH- e-pay wlirn thoy arc out of (Mnployment as captains only accorcliiii; to their s(;niority. And llio said Lords (Commissioners of the Adniirahy arc; to take care that his Majesty s pUnisure hcrchy signified b(! duly complied with. (Signed) VV. Siiauim;. This <^enerous and nuinificfiit act, as it Jio dou])i u'us inttMided to be, contains Avitliin it the same kind oi* vicious restriction which has ali'ected all riitnre orders in council on brevet promotions. TIk; excej)tion made in the present instance excluded more than one- half of those for Avhose benefit it appeared at first sight to be intended — ** His Majesty is pleased to order that, at the next promotion of flag-oflicers, such captains of the navy, who, notwithstanding their seniority, shall happen to he set aside by such promotion, as well as those who have been already set aside by any former promotions, and also tho^e who ahall at any time or times hereafter be set aside by future promotions, shall be appointed, by com- mission, rear-admirals in general terms." A^othing could be more liberal or gracious than this ; but the deadly clause Avhich folloAvs withers the apparent liberal intention : — "})rovided that all such captains shall have served at sea since the connnencemcnt of the j)resent war with Spain." The effect of this will he ap[)arent from the very next promotion of flag- officers, which took place the same year, Avhen nine * * Tbis is a very unusual number, but none had been matle for throe years, and the} wore wanted, as sir oCthe 7iinc were immediately em- ployed. In these six were Hawke, Kuowles, Forbes, and Boscawen. ^i Hi, ( 1^ ; I I 'I : t(er of I^egge, one of the junior lords of the A(hniralty, to Mv. Anson, that tlie obnoxious chiuse was inserted by him. lie says, " Notliing is yet finished with regard to ytnir .scheme of the superannuation, though the; whcde is fixed and waits only one council to execute. I have, with much difficulty, so far got the better of our noble friend's implicit tenderness (which I think highly commendable in him) to length of service, or, in other words, to seniority ofineaperience, as to limit the retrospect of that plan to those who have served since the commencement of the war with Spain, and to carry the prospect of it as low down as the taking in of Ijoscawon.'"" About the same time the Board of Admiralty decided to give an established uniform to naval officers ; one account says, blue with white colLus, culls, and facings, selected by the king, and tak(;n from the Duchess of J5edford's riding-lial)it. 13ut no order in council was issued, as has since been usual, nor was it gazette^l ; and there is some reason to believe that the general adoption of it was confined, or nearly so, for some time afterwards, to flag-officers and captains. It is stated, on what appears good au- thority, that when it had reached the wardroom, there * Anson's Collection, No. 280. 1747.] nillLLIANT EXPLOITS OF THE NAVY. 101 ilty lvuI ^irs, jvcn no iiior leve or sers ItlU- iere was but OIK? nniforin rout to be i>ut on l>y any of tlu; lieulcnants, when se"* u duty to other slnj>s, or on slion; : that the colour of the breeehi!s was still left to the fancy of each, and was generally black or s<;arlet. Major Kennell, in a letter to a friend, says, '* Jiefore Anson's time (it is said) the lieutenants of tin; navy on thi? Mediterranean station pundiased tlui soldicu's' old coats at (iil)raltar and Mahon, and, trinunini^ them A\'ith black, wore them as a uniform. Sixty-two years ago (in the year 17.09) I saw a master of a man-of-war, who wH)re a red coat no trimmed, and thought himself very smart. Perhaps it was one of the lieiitcnanta' old cuats, as they then wore blue uniforms." Another account seems to upset the story of the Duchess of Bedford's riding-habit, and that the uniform originated in the following manner. In a letter from Captain Keppel to Captain P. Saumarez, dated London, 25th August, 1747, is the following passage : — " Tim Brett tells me you have made a uniform coat, &c., after your own fancy ; my Lord Anson is desirous that many of us should make coats after our own tastes, and then that a choice should be made of one to be general, and if you will appear in it here, he says he will be answerable your taste will not be amongst the worst." What the uniform selected was does not appear, nor can any order in council be found either in the Council Office, or in the Admiralty. srl^if IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 1.1 I L;|2£ 12.5 >u lii 122 ^ U£ 12.0 u 1.25 III 1.4 V] vQ ^ '>> >^ '^ '/ Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WiST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 873-4503 !» 152 LIFE OP LORD ANSON, [CH. IV. The year 1747 was the most glorious for the character of the British navy that had occurred since the commencement of the war in 1744. In fact, no brilliant achievement had been performed, and the few opportunities that occurred were neither satis- factory to the nation, nor honourable to the parties engaged ; for instance, the disgraceful affair of Matthews and Lestock, of which the only good result was bringing forward one of the bravest, the most active, and distinguished officers in the king's service, Captain (afterwards Sir Edward) Hawke. Lestock*s subsequent failure before L' Orient had cast a gloom over the nation, and still more so the cowardly conduct of Commodore Mitchell, who, with four sail- of-the-line and a large frigate, actually ran away from M. de Conflans, Avith two ships-of-the-line, a 54 and 44 gun ship, having besides with him a convoy of 60 sail of merchant-ships. It was small satisfaction to the country that he was rendered incapable, by court- martial, of ever serving again. Equally disgraceful was the conduct of Commodore Peyton in the East Indies, who declined meeting M. La Bourdonnais, and suffered him to blockade Madras, and to exact from the inhabitants a ransom of about half a million sterling. These unfortunate failures, with some minor captures of our convoys, tended to dispirit and to weaken, in the public mind, that confidence which had hitherto been placed in the navy. A brighter view, however, opened upon the nation .IV. 1747.] BRILLIANT EXPLOITS OF THE NAVY. 153 the since ;t, no I the satis- Eirties ir of good it, the king's awke. d cast vardly ir sail- y from i4 and of 60 ion to court- aceful East nnais, exact lillion minor nd to [which lation in 1747. The disasters of one set of officers had stimulated others to wipe off the national disgrace. Besides, a few years* practice at sea had improved both officers and seamen in their professional duties ; and the encouragement given to the one by pro- motion^ and to the other by the large sums of prize- money they looked to receive, particularly from captures of Spanish ships, quickened their zeal, and with it their love for the service. Most of the officers who were with Lord Anson round the world had been promoted, were employed in the command of ships, and had distinguished themselves, which, in the situation he now held, must have been peculiarly gratifying, and the more so, as to him had been consigned the responsibility and the labouring oar at the Board, the Duke of Bedford being confined at Woburn Abbey, and Lord Sand- wich at Aix-la-Chapelle, whither he had been sent to negociate, on the part of England, a general peace. But as, in the mean while, one more campaign at the very least might be expected. Lord Anson was naturally anxious to ascertain, from his two absent colleagues, their respective opinions regarding the disposition of the fleet, more particularly on the home station. The following letter explains the views of the Duke of Bedford on this subject : — ** Dear Sir — I am very glad to find that, when you waited upon the king, to receive his pleasure about the de- serters, he gave you an opportunity of discoursing with him 154 LIFE OF LORD ANSON, [CH. IV, II with relation to our naval strength at home ; and I entirely agree with you in what you said to his Majesty on that subject. You know my opinion has long been that we ought to unite al' the ships cruising to the westward, whether in the Bay, off the Isle of Bas and St. Malo's, or ott' Cape Clear, into one squadron ; and I am the more strongly confirmed in that opinion at present, because, by the sending away so great a force to America as is now designed to be put under the command of Admiral Lestock, we are incapacitated from dividing our force to the westward, which, when collected together, is not more than sufficient to withstand the Brest and Rochfort fleets, if united with that of Ferrol. I am, moreover, confident that these are the sentiments of his Majesty, as well as of the ministers, who, I think, very justly agree that no little agreements o( making prizes on the enemy ought in any measure to be put in competition with the keeping an ascendancy over them in the Channel. " Dear Sir, yours, &c. (Signed) " Bedford."* Lord Sandwich writes as follows : — " You desire my opinion with relation to the recalling the ships that are now out to refit and recruit their men. I must own that till I hear of the arrival of the St. Domingo fleet 1 shall not be entirely easy without we have a sufficient force cruising to intercept them ; nor do I think the time that it will be necessary for Mr. Boscawen to remain on that service so great, that it can in any material degree delay the refitting the ships, as he will probably not be able to keep the sea much longer than till the ships now in hand are despatched. I thinks indeed (if it was practicable for our * Anson's Collection, No. 70. 1747.] BRILLIANT EXPLOITS OF THE NAVY. 155 orders to take place, which I greatly doubt), it might be a prudent measure for Mr. Boscawen to send Lord George Graham with the Nottingham, Eagle, Maidstone, and two or three of the cleanest of his squadron, on this service, and return with the remainder himself to Spithead ; but, as I have already said, I think the intercepting the Domingo fleet too great an object not to be very seriously attended to, as 1 can never think there is any danger of an insult in our Channel, notwithstanding the present division of our force. There are at least eleven ships-of-the-line ready for im- mediate service, exclusive of four ninety-gun ships, which might be manned out of the frigates upon any alarm. Other things will be dropping in every day ; the Sunderland and Falkland particularly may be expected every hour ; and as this strength is in reality a force of eighteen or twenty sail of ships, and the enemy must see it greater, as they cannot know the direct condition of some of our ships, which, though we reckon nothing, must appear to them in a different light (I mean such as the Royal Sovereign, Sandwich, Princess Royal), I cannot conceive the enemy will ever think of an attempt in this part of the world, or that it can be dangerous to leave some ships out to perform this important service, particularly as it must, in my opinion, be over, one way or other, in ten days or a fortnight ; and, by immediately re- calling them, we shall fall into the same trap which has, during the whole war, been so successfully laid for us, of giving way to every sudden alarm, and by that means have missed every advantage fortune would have thrown in our way. This is my real opinion of our present situation ; but I am so little positive or confident of my own judgment, that if, on considering this matter more fully, you and the Duke of Bedford are of a different sentiment, and think it will be 156 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. IV. right to recall our force from the westward immediately, I shall have no difficulty to give up my opinion to those who, I am sure, must know much better than myself ; and I shall never intimate to any person whatever that I was of another sentiment, because I think every act of this consequence, one way or other, ought to be considered as the act of the whole ; and you may be assured, however you determine, it will have all the support I am able to give it. " I am, &c. " Sandwich."* Anson, on the receipt of these tAVO opinions, de- cided on steering a middle course, by calling in a portion of the western cruisers to watch the ports of Brest and Rochfort, leaving a sufficient number to intercept the expected convoy. In the expediency of this measure he was further confirmed, in the early part of 1747, by intelhgence that the French, not- withstanding the ill success which had attended D'Anville's expedition to North America the pre- ceding year, were fitting out a squadron to reinforce that which remained there, with a view to recover, if possible, Cape Breton, the key to their settlements on the river St. Lawrence. It was also understood that a second squadron was in readiness to proceed as a reinforcement to M. Dupleix, whose success in the East Indies had inspired the French with hopes that, by sending out a strong detachment of ships, troops, and stores, he would be enabled to complete the con- * Anson's Collection, No. 345. 1747.] BRILLIANT EXPLOITS OP THE NAVY. 157 quest of the whole of the British settlements on the coast of Coromandel. The command of the first squadron was given to M. de la Jonquiere, Chef (TEscadrey and of the second to M. de St. George. The ministry had also received information that, in order to ensure their safety and that of their convoys as far to the southward as Cape St. Vincent, the two squadrons would sail together, calculating that, from their knowledge of the weakness of our naval force on the home station, they would be superior to anything tliat could be sent out to intercept them. It was considered of the greatest possible importance to defeat these two objects of the enemy, intended to reinforce their squadrons on two distinct stations, where they were already more than equal to ours. Anson resolved, therefore, to fit out a fleet forth- with, the command of which, with the approba- tion and desire of the Duke of Bedford, was to be taken by himself; and he appointed his friend, Rear- Admiral Warren, as his second. Among the ships called in from their cruising-ground, to be employed on this service, were the Defiance, of sixty guns, commanded by Captain F. Grenville, the brother of George Grenville, one of the Lords of the Admiralty, and the Bristol, of fifty guns, commanded by the Hon. W. Montagu, brother of Lord Sand- wich. Whether it was owing to the repugnance felt by these gentlemen to serve in a fleet, instead of cruising alone, or whether, from the mistaken zeal 158 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. IV. and undue interference of their friends at the Board of Admirahy unsought for, does not appear, but an intrigue was discovered to be carrying on by certain members of that Board, with the view of preventing these two ships from joining Anson's squadron, the more absurd, as it could not escape detection, and couM not, by any possibility, be carried into effect. The following letter, which Lord Anson received, when his flag was flying at Plymouth, from the Duchess of Bedford, fully develops this intrigue : — " Sir, " As the Duke of Bedford cannot write himself, and has an affair of some consequence to impart, that he does not care to trust to any other secretary, I am obliged to trouble you with this letter. " The night after you left London Mr. Grenvillc came to the Duke, and after some other discourse brought in the Defiance and Bristol being put under your command, and seemed uneasy lest his brother should be baulked of the favourite voyage by your detaining him in the western squad- ron, and likewise seemed fearful that, if he proceeded on it, detached from you, the admiral's eighth share might (in case of any accidents happening to you) be claimed by your representatives. The next morning Lord Vere came to him, and mentioned, with some concern, Mr. Grenville's un- easiness, and very fairly owned to him that he had advised you to take them under your command. The Duke desired him to explain this matter, and satisfy Mr. Grenville, which, he thought, would have put an end to the whole affair ; but, contrary to his expectations, Lord Barrington came to him just before dinner, and told him that, notwithstanding all 1747.] BRILLIANT EXPLOITS OP THE NAVY. 159 Lord Vere had said, Mr. Grenville was still uneasy, to which the Duke answered lliat no alteration could be made ; in consequence of which, before Lord Vere left the Board, an order was directed for putting; the ships under your com- mand. Lord Barrington returned in the afternoon, and, without communicating anything to Lord Vere, brought an order in his pocket, which he desired the duke to sign, to put the ships under your command, with an injunction, not to keep tkeni above seven dayn after you were out of the Channel. This order was treated with the contempt it deserved, and absolutely refused to be signed, as highly in- jurious to you, and what they should deserve to be hanged for, if it was done. Upon this Lord Barrington produces the order you will have received. This, together with another transaction that has happened since, convinces the duke of the combination Mr. Grenville and Lord Barrington are in, to carry their favourite points by any means whatsoever, by endeavouring to trepan him to sign an order, which Honc of his friends could have justified him for doing. " I am very much yours, &c. " Saturday night." " G. Bedford.* This extraordinary proceeding on the part of the junior members of the Board of Admiralty, in the absence of the three principal ones, is such as could not be tolerated for a moment ; and the Duke of Bedford was not tardy in marking the indignity put upon himself and his Board, for in two months after the transaction a new patent came out, in which the name of Wellbore Ellis, Esq., was substituted for that of George Grenville. * Anson's Collection, No. 72. 160 LIFE OP LORD ANSON. [CH. IV. Captain Montague, of the Bristol, after Anson's action, was found at Madeira by Rear-Admiral Boscawen on his way to India, from whence he thus writes to Lord Anson : — " Captain Montague of the Bristol joined me the day before I anchored here. I have had much trouble with him, and been obliged to confine him, at the desire of the go- vernor of this place, he having put up a paper at the Custom- house that he would beat one of the captains of the Indiamen wherever he met him ; and, at the same time, telling every- body he would put him to death ; and, upon inquiry, I found the captain of the Indiaman to blame in nothing but want of spirit, for suffering himself to be insulted without having in the least offended." * This extraordinary conduct, and the numerous complaints made against him, appear to have es- tranged Lord Sandwich from him altogether, who writes as follows to Lord Anson : — " My brother's general behaviour, and his particular con- duct to me, affects me so much that I cannot write upon it with any degree of connexion. I find that mild treatment will not save him, and indeed I think, at the same time, that nothing will. Thank God, the world can have no reproach to throw upon me on his account, and, what is still a more sensible satisfaction to me, I have nothing on that score to reproach myself with ; and it is with great grief I add, I fear it will not be long before that will be my only satisfaction as to what regards him. ... I cannot conclude this disa- greeable subject without returning my most sincere thanks * Anson's Collection, No, 88. 1747.1 BR11.LIANT EXPLOITS OF THE NAVY. 161 for the many acts of friendship 1 have received from you, as well as for your favours to my brt)ther, which I am sure were upon my account, as I know you are too good a judge of mankind to have done them on his.'* I On the 9th April, siiilcd from Plymouth under his orders : — 1747, Vice-Adminil Anson with the following s(|uudron Curamaiideri. (Vice- Admiral Geo. Anson. iCaptain Bcntlcy. i Roar-Admiral P. Warren, t Captain West. Hon. Cuptain Boscawen. Captain Watson. Captain Harrison. Captain Norris. Cuptain Grenvillc. Captain Saumarez. Captain Brett. Captain Hanway. Captain Barradel. Captain Denis. Hon. W. Montagu. Captain Fincher. Captain J. Montagu. * Mad as this unfortunate young officer was, and by which epithet he was known in the service, it is but justice to add that, in the ac- tion about to be mentioned, he conducted himself with great gallantry and zeal. When the Bristol, of fifty guns, bore down upon and began to engage the Invincible, of seventy-four guns. Captain Fincher of the Pembroke hailed the Bristol, and requested Montagu to put his helm a starboard, or the Pembroke would run foul of him — " Run foul of me," says Montagu, "and le d d ! neither you nor any man breathing shall come between me and my enemy." He next M Sliipf. Guns. Men. Prince George . . 90 770 Devonshire . GG 535 Namur . . . . 74 G50 Princess Louisa . GO 400 Monmouth . . . G4 480 Prince Frederick . G4 480 Defiance . . . GO 400 Nottingham . . GO 400 Yarmouth . , . 64 480 Windsor . . . GO 480 Falkland . . . 50 300 Centurion . . . 50 375 Bristol . . . . 50 300 Pembroke . . . GO 400 Ambuscade . 40 250 Falcon sloop. Vulcan fire-ship. I 162 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. IV. On the IGtli May, Captiiin Denis, of liis MujeHly'a ship Centurion, arrived at the Admiralty, with the following despatch from Vice- Admiral Anson, giving an account of his having, on the 3rd May, fallen in with and engaged the combined squadrons. **ln my former letter," the admiral says, "of the 2nd instant, I observed to you that I liad sent the Inverness and Falcon sloop to cruise off Rochefort to wat(;h the motions of the enemy, and that I had directed their commanders, if they met the French fleet in their way thith(>r, or should discover them cominfif out of the harbour, to inform tluMnselves of the course they were steering^, and then return immediately to ac(|uaint me with it, fallinjif in with me separately, the one in latitude 44° 30', and the other in that of 45° '20'. " The next morning at day-l)reak I made the signal for the fleet to spread in a line abreast, each ship keeping at the distance of a mile from the other, that there might not re- main the least probability for the enemy to pass by us undis- covered. At seven o'clock Captain Gwyn of the Falcon sloop returned, and informed me that he h.ad seen the French fleet the day before, at four o'clock, bearing S.E. by S. four or five leagues from him ; that it consisted of thirty-eight sail, nine of which were large ships, and had the appearance of men-of-war, the rest merchant-men under their convoy, and that they were all steering to the westward. " Upon this intelligence I put abroad the signal for calling in all cruizers, and made sail immediately for the S.W. in order to cut them off. At half an hour after nine, the engaged the Diamant, of sixty-six guns, and, after an action of more than an hour, completely dismasted her, when she struck. The slaughter in this ship was immense. 1747.] imiLLIANT EXPLOITS OF THE NAVV. 103 Njunur made a signal for seeing a fleet in the S.W.. wliieli was also seen soon after hy the man at the Prinee George's mast-head bearing S,W. by S., (^ape Finisterre at tin* same lime bearing S. ^ 1']., distant twenty-four leagues. 1 then made the signal to chase with the whole fleet, and by noon plainly discernetl th(? chase to hit a French fleet ; that nine of the ships had shortened sail^ and were drawing into a lint^ of battle a-head, three of which appeared to be smaller than the others, and that the rest of the fleet, whom 1 judged to be under their convoy, were stretcliing to the westward with all the sail they could set. "At one o'clock I made the signal for the line of battle abreast, and in half an hour afterwards for the line a-head. About three I made the signal for the ship in the van to lead more large, in order to come to a close engagement with the enemy ; who, getting their fore-tacks on board, and loosing their top-gallant-sails, convinced me that tlu?ir soh; aim was to gain time, and endeavour to make their escape? under favour of the night, finding themselves deceived in our strength ; upon which I made a signal for the whole fleet to pursue the enemy, and attack them, without having any regard to the line of battle. " The Centurion having got up with the sternmost ship of the enemy about four o'clock, began to engage her, upon which two of the largest of the enemy's ships bore down to her assistance. The Namur, Defiance, and Windsor, being the headmost ships, soon entered into the action, and after having disabled those ships in such a manner that the ships astern must come up with them, they made sail a-hcad to prevent the van of the enemy making an escape, as did also several other ships of the fleet. " The Yarmouth and Devonshire having got up and en- M 2 164 LIFE OF LOUD ANSON. [CH. IV. gaged the enemy, and the Prince George being near the Invincible, and going to fire into her, all the ships in the enemy's rear struck their colours between six and seven o'clock ; as did all those that were in the line before night. I brought to at seven, having ordered the Monmouth, Yar- mouth, and Nottingham to pursue the convoy, who then bore W. by S. at the distance only of four or five leagues, so that I am in hopes of having a very gofxl account of them. "The Falcon sloop (which I had sent after the convoy during the action, with orders to make signals to the other ships) returned to the fleet the next day with the Dartmouth Indiaman. I have taken in all six men-of-war and four In- diamen, of which are the particulars as under : — Guns , Le Serieux . . 66 M. l-" Jonquiere, chef (I'Escadre, Le Diamant . . 6G M. Hoguart, Bound to Quebec. Le Rubis . 52 M. M'Curty, La Gloire . 44 M. Salesse * L'lnvinciblc . , 74 M. St. George, ' Le Jason . . . 54 M. Beeard, Le Philibert . . 30 M. Cellic, Bouri'l to the L'Apollon . 30 M.deSantons, India- ■ East Indios. La Thetis . . 20 M. Ma(;on, men. Le Dartmouth . 18 M. Pinoche, " The Ruby had struck several of her guns into the hold, having all the guns and stores on board for a new frigate at Quebec. I have put the prizes into a condition to proceed with me to Spithead, and am in hopes that I shall arrive there in a few days ; but it has taken up so much of our time, together with shifting and distributing our prisoners, that I have not hitherto been able to gst a perfect account of the killed and wounded on cither side. Our loss is not 1747.] BRILLIANT EXPLOITS OF THE NAVY. 1G5 very considerable, except that of Captain Grenvillc, who was an excellent officer and is a great loss to the service in general. Captain Boscawen was wounded in the shoulder by a musket-ball, but is almost recovered. "To do justice to the French officers, they did their duty well, and lost their ships with honour ; scarcely any of them striking their colours till their ships were dismasted. M. St. George kept his colours flying some time after the General had struck. The Serieux and Diamant were with great difficulty kept from sinking, which could not have been prevented without throwing great part of their guns over- board, as well as many chests of small arms intended for the expedition. The French general, M. de la Jonquiere, is wounded in two places, the captain of the Gloire killed, and the second captain of the Invincible had his leg shot off. " 1 am, &c. (Signed) *' Anson."* The French in this unequal combat fought most gallantly. Their loss, as afterwards ascertained, Avas about seven hundred in killed and wounded, that of the British about five hundred and twenty. No one could doubt the issue, with so great a supe- riority over the enemy both in ships and men ; but the neat manner, in Avhich the whole were swept into the toils, reflects credit on the seanumship and discipliiie of the British ships ; and great merit is due to Anson for so promptly annulling the signal for the line a-head, the moment he observed the French making sail, and for throwing out that for a general attack, witliout regard to the line of battle. * Admiralty Records. 106 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. IV. When the commander of the Invin^ihle, which struck to the Prince George, came on board that ship, the manner in which he approached the vice-admiral, to deliver up his sword, made a favourable impression on Anson and his officers. He said, with a placid and undisturbed countenance, " Monsieur, vouz avez vaincu V Invincible et la Gloire vous suit;"* an epigrammatic compliment, as true as it is pointed, and said in a manner highly characteristic of this brave and gentlemanly officer, between whom and Anson commenced a friendship and an intimacy, alike honourable to both, which ceased only with the death of Anson. Anson must have felt a high gratification in seeing his old ship the Centurion, now commanded by her former lieutenant, lead to the attack, and bravely fol- lowed up by his two old proteges, Piercy Brett and Philip Saumarez, ably assisted by his friend Kear- Admiral Warren. The detached ships, under the last officer, picked up three of the enemy's ships of war, the Vigilante and Modeste, of 22 guns each, and the Dartmouth, of 18 guns ; besides capturing the remainder of the India squadron that were not in the action. They also captured six others of the con- voy. The treasure found in the squadron amounted to about 300,000/., besides stores of all kinds, of * Most of the accounts give this address to M. La Jonquicre, but the wounds of this otRcer prevented him from going on board the Prince George. 1747.] BRILLIANT EXPLOITS OP THE NAVY. 167 very great value. The money, on the arrival of the ships at Portsmouth, was put into twenty waggons, conveyed to London, and taken in grand military procession through the streets of the city to the Bank, amidst the acclamations of many thousand persons. The houses were illuminated, and bonfires in every street. The Duke of Bedford says, *' You will easily believe no one in this town did with greater joy receive the news of your great success against the French than myself; and universal, I may say it is, as I am just come home through illuminated streets and bonfires. The king told me this morning at his levee that I had given him the best breakfast he had had this long time, and I think I never saw him more pleased in my life. He has ordered Captain Denis a reward of 500/. for bringing this welcome news."* Lord Sandwich from the Hague, says, *' Dear Sir, though I am , in hopes in a very few days to have the great satisfaction of seeing you in Enghmd, yet I cannot think of losing a moment to express my joy on accountof your success, which I have so much cause to be pleased with, for the service it will do to the public ; though I cannot help owning that I almost feel that to be an inferior consideration, and that my chief happiness arises from the credit you will have done yourself in this glorious affair. No- body can be more clear than I am in opinion that * Anson's Collection, No. 73. 168 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. IV. there is no mark of distinction that you have not long ago merited."* Some of the writers on naval history observe that, considering the disparity of force, it was not an event that called for bonfires and illuminations; but the circumstances of the time fully justified these re- joicings. The navy hsid as yet done nothing effect- ually in the war, and, as before observed, the unfortunate affair of Matthews and Lestock had cast a gloom and despondency over the nation. There is in the character of Englishmen however an elasticity that easily elevates, and as easily depresses, their spirits. The army under the Duke of Cumberland might be beaten, as it sometimes was, without affecting the nation generally, or extending be- yond political parties ; but any disaster or failure befalling the navy, was always productive of intense national feeling. No wonder then, that, after the failure of the Mediterranean fleet, the capture by Anson of a whole squadron, and the complete defeat of two expeditions, should call forth an ebullition of public joy. It was the first general action, except that of Matthews and Lestock, and the first victory gained in the war ; and it is an old saying, that the first blow is half the battle. Like the first victory of Lord Howe, it inspired the navy, and animated the nation. When the vice-admiral waited on the King, he met with the most cordial reception, and his Majesty * Anson's CJollection, No. 350. 1747.] BRILLIANT EXPLOITS OF THE NAVY. 169 said to him, in the most gracious manner, " Sir, you have done a great service. I thank you ; and desire you to thank, in my name, all the officers and private men for their bravery and conduct, with which I am well pleased.*' On the 13th June his Majesty was further pleased to create Vice- Admiral Anson a peer of Great Britain, by the title of Lord Anson, Baron of Soberton, in the county of Hants; and Rear- Admiral Warren was honoured with the military Order of the Bath. Captain Fox of the Kent, of seventy-four guns, with a squadron consisting of one sixty-four, two sixties, one fifty, one forty-four, and the Pluto and Dolphin, fire-ships, which had been prepared by Anson for the express pui'pose of intercepting the San Domingo convoy, received information that it had left the West Indies under a convoy of four ships of war, commanded by M. Bois de la Mothe. On the 20th June, when in lat. 47° 18' N., about sunrise, Fox got sight of the convoy he had been so long cruising for, consisting of at least one hundred and twenty ships. Captain Fox crowded all sail he could carry, and stood directly for the ships of war, which, as it afterwards appeared, consisted of one of seventy- four guns, one of sixty-four, one of fifty-four, and one of thirty-six guns. Our ships, being foul, sailed so ill, that night was approaching before Fox could get with- in two leagues of M. du Bois de la Mothe's squadron, which guarded the rear of his convoy. The next day 170 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. IV. the chase was renewed, and a favourable l)reeze springing up about five in the evening, Fox was fast coming up with the enemy, which, being per- ceived, they set all sail, and made off, leaving the fleet of merchant ships to shift for themselves. They therefore dispersed, and had not the weather become thick, the greater part of them would, in all pro- bability, have been talven. As it was, the nurjiber captured by Fox's squadron was forty-five, and the ships left with Rear-Admiral (now Sir Peter) Warren picked up four: the rest got into the different ports on the coast of France, and De la Mothe and his squadron arrived safe in Brest. This valuable capture was laden with .^ugar, indigo, cotton, coffee, and hides, their aggregate tonnage being estimated at 16,051, and manned with 1197 seamen ; the loss of which to France, with other captures made by the detached squadron of Anson, under Admiral Warren, could not have been less than a million sterling.* Soon after the return of Admiral (now Lord) Anson, information was received at the Adi/.iralty of a large fleet of merchant ships, preparing to sail from Basque Roads for the West Indies, under convoy of a strong squadron of ships of war, com- * The net sum to be divided among the captors, as appears by an account (in the Anson Papers) kept by Mr. (afterwards Sir Philip) Stephens, is 755,896/., of which the eighth is 94,487/., and of this sum Anson's account is credited with 62,991/., and Warren's with 31,496/. 1747.] BRILLIANT EXPLOITS OF THE NAVY. 171 inuiided by M. de Letendeur. Orders were imme- diutely issued to prepare a sufficient force to inter- cept this convoy, and that active and gallant officer, Rear- Admiral Hawke, was directed to hoist his flag in the Devonshire, of sixty-six guns, and take the command of the squadron, which consisted of four- teen sail of the line, besides frigates. Hawke at this time was an officer not much known, and from the year 1734, when he was made captain, had chiefly remained on shore until, in 1743, he was appointed to the Berwick, of seventy-four guns, and ordered to join Admiral Matthews. It therefore occasioned a good deal of surprise in the service, that so important a command should be given to so young a flag-officer, and one who had so little distinguished himself; but Anson had noted the character and conduct of the man, though the public had not, for his gallant bearing and brilliant success in the action of Matthews and Lestock, in 1744, in which so many officers were disgraced. In the course of that action the El Poder, a Spanish ship, of sixty-four, had driven one of our ships out of the line, wKich Hawke, in the Berwick, perceiving, bore down upon her within pistol-shot, poured into her a broadside with such effect, tliat in a few minutes afterwards she struck, and was taken possession of by the Berwick, in the face of both the fleets, — the only capture that was made on that day ; but a melancholy fate attended the El Poder. Being dismasted, and unable to follow the British fleet when they wore, she was retaken by the 172 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. IV. French squadron, while she had on board a lieutenant and twenty-three men, belonging to the Berwick : to prevent her falling again into the hands of the English, the French set her on fire, and abandoned her; and she blew up in the night. In the first Supplement to the Gazette no mention is made of the Berwick, or of the name of Hawke ; it stated only that a ship of Navarre, of sixty-six guns, was obliged to surrender ; and that of 900 men, only the captain and 200 were saved, when she was ordered to be burnt. In the subsequent Gazette, containing Matthews' despatch, nothing more is said of the Poder, except that Captain Hawke, of the Berwick, left her, but could not get his lieutenant and twenty- three men out of her ; his first lieutenant having done all he could to persuade the men to quit her, but in vain. If, for the moment, Anson caused some displeasure in the appointment of such a man, he obtained great credit for having got together this powerful squadron in so short a time, it being completely fitted and ready for sea the first week in August. On the 9th of that month, the rear-admiral put to sea from Ply- mouth, and lost no time in getting into a position, which appeared to him best calculated to intercept the enemy's fleet, which, however, did not leave Rochelle Road until the 8th October. There is in Hawke's narrative of his rencontre with the enemy, something so much more clear and circumstantial, than is usually the case in the description of naval done leave is in 1747.] BRILLIANT EXPLOITS OF THE NAVY. 173 battles, that no abridgment could be made without destroying in some degree its interest ; and no apo- logy therefore is necessary for giving it m extenso. " At seven in the morning of the 14th October, being in the latitude of 47° 49' N. longitude, from Cape Finisterre r 2' W., the Edinburgh made the signal for seven sail in the south-east quarter. I immediately made the signal for all the fleet to chase. About eight we saw a great number of ships, but so crowded together, that we could not count them. At ten made the signal for the llne-of-battle a-head. The Louisa, being the headmost and weathermost ship, made the signal for discovering eleven sail of the enemy's line-of- battle ships. Half an hour after. Captain Fox in the Kent hailed us, and said they counted twelve very large ships. Soon after 1 perceived the enemy's convoy to crowd away with all the sail they could set, while their ships of war were endeavouring to form in a line astern of them, and hauled near the wind, under their topsails and foresails, and some with top-gallant sails set. Finding we lust time in forming our line, while the enemy was standing away from us, at eleven made the signal for the whole squadron to chase : half an hour after, observing our headmost ships to be within a proper distance, I made the signal to engage, which was immediately obeyed. The Lion and Princess Louisa began the engagement, and were followed by the rest of the squadron as they could come up, and went from rear to van. The enemy having the weather-gage of us, and a smart and constant fire being kept on both sides, the smoke prevented my seeing the number of the enemy, or what happened on either side for some time. In passing on to the first ship we could get near, we received many fires at a distance, till we came close to the Severne, of fifty gu«s, which we soon silenced, and left to be taken up by the 174 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. IV. frigates astern. Then perceiving the Eagle and Edinburgh (who had lost her fore-topmast) engaged, we kept our wind as close as possible, in order to assist them. This attempt of ours was frustrated by the Eagle's falling twice on board us, having had her wheel shot to picv'^es, and all the men at it killed, and all her braces and bowlines gone. This drove us to leeward, and prevented our attacking Le Monarche, of seventy-four, and the Tonnant, of eighty guns, within any distance to do execution. However, we attempted both, especially the latter. While we were engaged with her, the breechings of all our lower-deck guns broke, and the guns flew fore and aft, which obliged us to shoot a-head, for our upper and quarter-deck guns could not reach her. Captain Harland in the Tilbury, observing that she fired single guns at us, in order to dismast us, stood on the other tack, be- tween her and the Devonshire, and gave her a very smart fire. By the time the new breechings were all seized I was got almost alongside the Trident, of sixty-four guns, whom I engaged as soon as possible, and silenced by as brisk a fire as I could make. Just before I attacked her, observing the Kent, which seemed to have little or no damage, at some distance astern of the Tonnant, I flung out Captain Fox's pendant, to make sail a-head to engage her, as I saw it was in her power to get close up with her, she being somewhat disabled, having lost her main-topmast. Seeing some of our ships at that time not so closely engaged as I could have wished, and not being well able to distin- guish who they were, I flung out the signal for coming to a closer engagement. Soon after I got alongside, within musket-shot of the Terrible, of seventy-four guns, and 700 men. Near seven at night she called out for quarter. " Thus far I have been particular with regard to the share the Devonshire bore in the action of that day. As to the 1747.] BRILLIANT EXPLOITS OP THE NAVY. 175 other ships, as far as fell within my notice, their commanders, officers, and companies behaved with the greatest spirit and resolution, in every respect like Englishmen. Only 1 am sorry to acquaint their Lordships that I must except Captain Fox, whose conduct on that day I beg they would give di- rections for inquiring into at a court-martial. " Hiiving observetl that six of the enemy's ships had struck, and it being very dark, and our own ships dispersed, I thought it best to bring to for that night ; and seeing a great firing a long way a-stern of me, I was in hopes to have seen more of the enemy's ships taken in the morning ; but instead of that, I received the melancholy account of Cap- tain Saumarez being killed, and that the Tonnant had escaped in the night by the assistance of the Intrcpido, which, by having the wind of our ships, had recc?ived no damage that I could perceive. Immediately I called a council of war. " As to the French convoys escaping, it was not possible for me to detach any ships after them at first, or during the action, except ih^ liigates, and that, I thought, would have been imprudent, as I observed several large ships of war among them ; and, to confirm me in this opinion, I have since learned that they had the Content of sixty-four guns, and many frigates from thirty-six guns downwards ; however, I took a step which seemed to me the most probable to in- tercept them ; for, as soon as I could man and victual the Weazel sloop, I detached her with an express to Commo- dore Legge (Leeward Islands). " As the enemy's ships were large, except the Severne, they took a great deal of drubbing, and lost all their masts, excepting two, who had their foremasts left : this has obliged me to lay by these two days past, in order to put 176 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CII. IV. them into a condition to be brought into port^ as well at our own, which have suffered greatly. " I have sent this express by Captain Moore of the De- vonshire, in the Hector; and it would be doing great injus' tico to merit not to say that he signalised himself greatly in the action." The following are tlie lists of the two squadrons engaged in the action : — ENGLISH. Dovonshiro . Roar-Admiral Ilawkc ' * (Captain Moore Kent . . . . Captain Fox . . . Edinburgh . . , . Captain Cotes . . Yarmouth . . . . Captain Saunders Monmouth . . . Captain Harrison Princess Louisa . . Captain Watson , . Windsor . , . Captain Hanway . , Lion . . . , . Captain Scott . . . Tilbury . . . . Captain Harland . . Nottingham . Captain Saumarcz . Defiance . . Captain Bcntley . . Eagio . , . . . Captain Rodney . . Gloucester . . . Captain Durell . . Portland . . . . Captain Steevens FRENCH. Men, Giin.«. LcTonnant 822 801 L'Intrepido G8fi 74) Le Terrible C86 74 Le Monarchc 680 74 Le Neptune 686 74 Le Trident 650 64 Le Tongeux 650 64 Le Sever ne 550 50 >fen. 550 480 , 480 500 , 480 , 400 , 400 400 . 400 , 400 . 400 , 400 . 300 . 300 5800 OUDH. 60 64 70 64 70 60 60 60 00 60 60 60 50 50 854 Escaped. Taken. 5410 554 1747.] BRILLIANT EXPLOITS OF THE NAVY. 177 The loss sustained by the enemy was said to amount to nearly eight hundred men in killed and wounded, and Cajitain de la Fromentiere of the Neptune was killed. Our loss was one hundred and fifty-lour men killed, among whom fell the gallant Captain Saumarez of the Nottingham, an ofticer most deservedly lamented, and by none more sotlian by Lord Anson, whose lieutenant he was in the Centurion ; the number wounded amounted to five hundred and fifty- eight. " It reflects the highest honour," says one his- torian, " on that nobleman, that all the officers formed under his example, and raised by his influence, ap- proved themselves, in all respects, worthy of the connnands to which they n'ere preferred ; and it is not a little remarkable that, of the fourteen captains commanding the line-of-battle ships in this action, two were in succession made commissioners of the dock-yard at Chatham, and ten arrived at the rank of admirals " — a rank, as it has been observed, which, in those days, was conferred generally by selection, and for meritorious conduct and good service. On the 31st October Rear- Admiral Hawke, with his squadron and prizes, arrived at Portsmouth. He was honoured by the King with the military order of the Bath, and when he waited on his Majesty, ho met with a most gracious reception, and liigh com- mendations for his gallant conduct.* * An amusing circumstance occurred when Lord Chesterfield read Hawke's despatch to the King. At that passage where it is said, N 178 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. IV. ft'': Lord Sandwich, on sending to Anson his congra- tulations on Hawke's success, says — "You may easily believe me when I tell you it is with the utmost pleasure that I congratulate you upon the fresh success of our fleet under the command of Rear- Admiral Hawke ; besides the advantage this great stroke will give to us in our public affairs, the credit and reputation it will give to our marine cannot but afford me a most thorough satisfaction ; for it is impossible for any one to have the prosperity of a profession more sincerely at heart than I have of that of which you are so deservedly considered as the chief director ; and to whose knowledge and ability the world is very ready to attribute the different figure that the English fleet has made in the last years from what it did in the beginning of the war."* In a subsequent letter, he says — *' I am sorry to hear of Captain Fox's acquittal : surely Admiral Hawke could nevei- have accused him so publicly without reason ; and I can easily see, if he was guilty, that his going off unpunished will do much hurt to " As the enemy's ships were large they took a great deal of drubbing," the King stopped hira, and asked what was the meaning of the word druhhirig ? Just then, the Duke of Bedford entering the closet, the earl begged to refer his Majesty to his Grace, who understood it per- fectly. The reason of the reference being explained, the King laughed most heartily, and said he now knew very well what drubbing meant. The Duke, but a little time before, had a fracas on the race-course at Lichfield, in which he was roughly handled, but rescued by the timely interference of Mr. Rigby. Anson's Collection, No. 357. 1747.] BRILLIANT EXPLOITS OF THE NAVY. 179 the service, which always gives me concern ; for I can very sincerely declare, that the prosperity of your profession is, and always has been, my favourite object." Admiral Lord Anson, equally alive to the honour of the profession, had ordered a court-martial on Captain Fox, which sat on the 25th November to try him on a charge, " That he did not come properly into the fiffht, nor do his utmost to engage, distress, and damage the enemy ; nor assist his Majesty's ships which did." The fact was proved ; but his defence was, that his first lieutenant and master asserted that the Kent's signal was out to come to the admiral's assistance ; and on this he left the Tonnant, the ship he was then engaging. The signal was, in fact, for close engagement, but the officers of the Kent might have mistaken it, which was no unusual case at this time from the defective state of our signals.* The court were of opinion that the charges were proved ; that he was guilty of having backed his mizen-top- sail : they acquitted him of cowardice ; but because he paid too much regard to the advice of his officers, contrary to his own better judgment, they sentenced him to be dismissed from the present command of the Kent. Though he had always maintained the cha- racter of a good and brave officer, he was never after- * Keppel, however, who was on the court-martial, in a private let- ter to Anson, says, he helieves the first lieutenant and the master to be great scoundrels, and did all they could to ruin Fox, who, he fur- ther says, *• was in the hands of two damned bad fellows, I really believe." n2 180 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. IV. wards employed, and died a superannuated rear- admiral in the year 1763. The year 1747 closed with the arrival in the Eng- lish ports of several captured ships of war, sloops chiefly, numerous privateers, and merchantmen of the enemy. The Russel and Dartmouth fell in with and captured a large Spanish ship, the Glorioso, of seventy guns and seven hundred men, his own crew being only four hundred, of whom twenty were on the sick list, and unable to come to quarters. Sir Edward Hawke was again despatched, in January, 1747-8, with a squadron consisting of two ships of seventy-four guns, three of sixty, and four of fifty guns. On the 31st January, two of them, the Nottingham of sixty, and the Portland of fifty guns, were sent by the rear-admiral to chase a large ship, the former of which came up with her, and began a close and running engagement, which lasted nearly six hours, when, after the Portland got up, she struck her colours. She proved to be the Magnanime of seventy-four guns and six hundred and eighty-six men, forty-five of whom were killed and one hun- dred and five wounded. The number killed in the Nottingham was sixteen, and wounded eighteen; in the Portland four were wounded. This noble prize w^as added to the British navy, and became the favourite ship of Lord Hovre, under whose command nmch valuable service w^as rendered to the country in the seven years' war. In April of this year, another squadron was sent 1748.] BRILLIANT EXPLOITS OF THE NAVY. 181 out, in wliicli were six sail-of-the-line of Dutch shipe, stipulated for by Lord Sandwich, and ordered to join ours intended for the western squadron, under the command of Sir Peter Warren ; but, shortly after their leaving the port, his Majesty having informed his Par- liament that preliminary articles for a general peace had been signed at Aix la Chapelle, a vessel of war was forthwith despatched, with directions for Rear- Admirals Hawke and Warren to return into port. On foreign stations the British flag had no rival, and our colonies were everywhere free from insult. The Company's settlements in India must, however, be excepted. Here, sometimes from a superiority of force, sometimes from ill management on our part, the French were either triumphant, or contrived to neutralise oar exertions. Sir George Pococke was sent with a squadron to the East Indies, where he did nothing. Peyton having left Madras to the mercy of the enemy, was superseded and sent home with disgrace by Conmiodore Griffin. This officer, immediately on his arrival, blockaded Pon- dieherry ; the reduction of this settlement being the principal object which his armament, joined to the ships left by Peyton, was intended to accomplish ; it failed, however, and all he could do was to protect the British settlements from falling into the hands of the French. On reaching England, in 1748, he was brought to a court-martial for misconduct before Pondicherry ; and for not endeavouring to do Lis 182 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. IV. utmost to bring the French squadron to action off the coast of Coromandel ; sentenced to be suspended from his rank and employment as a flag-officer (being now vice-admiral of the Blue) during his Majesty's pleasure ; but was soon after restored. Lord Anson therefore, towards the end of 1747, on consultation with the Duke of Bedford, resolved to prepare and send out to India an expedition of such magnitude, as should insure a preponderating influence over any enemy in that quarter, regain Madras, and drive the French out of Pondicherry. In the choice of an officer, to be recommended to the King for the command of the expedition, he could not for a moment hesitate. It fell on one, of whose gallant conduct and vigorous exertions Anson had himself ocular proof, when the former was in command of the Namur in the action off Cape Finisterre. This officer was Rear- Admiral the Hon. Edward Boscawen ; yet, in appointing him, the shaft of malice was levelled at Anson in secret, for it never saw the light till two ge- nerations had passed away, when it appeared in the Memoirs of Horace Walpole. This caustic and not very scrupulous writer states, that, in 1731, when Anson was first lord of the Admiralty, '* Admiral Bos- cawen was on the very worst terms with him, who had carried off all the glory of the victory at Cape Finis- terre, though Boscawen had done the service, and whom he suspected of having sent him on the im- practicable expedition to Pondicherry on purpose to 1747.] BRILLIANT EXPLOITS OF THE NAVY. 183 at tlie not leu lOS- nad nis- aud ini- le to ruin him." It is hardly necessary to say that this sarcastic sentence is wholly unfounded, and contains as many lies as lines. An armament of six sail-of- the-line, four of iifty guns, and five or six smaller vessels, as a reinforcement, with above five thousand land-forces, under the command of a young rear- admiral, was a signal mark of distinction, and was so considered. But ignorance, coupled with malevolence, is always ready to pervert the best intentions. It is not necessary here to enter into any particu- lars of the unsuccessful result of this expedition. No blame whatever Avas imputed to the admiral ; on the contrary, having landed at the head of the troops and trained seamen, he is said to have shown himself as skilful a general as he h. i before proved himself an able sea officer. When compelled to retreat, from circumstances he could not have foreseen, he brought off his people so ably, that the enemy, numerous as they were, never endeavoured to molest them. The fact was, that having fought his way within a mile of the place, it was found to have been insulated by an inundation that rendered a nearer approach impos- sible ; and the harbour was too shallow to admit of the squadron bombarding the town with any effect. The siege lasted for two months, during which time the loss of the British land-forces amounted to 757 soldiers, 43 artillery, and 265 seamen. Soon after this event, intelligence was brought to India of the general peace which had been concluded 184 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. IV. at Aix la Cliapelle ; in consequence of which Fort St. George at Madras was delivered up, and taken pos- session of by Mr. Boscawen, who remained to see eveiy other stipulation on the part of the enemy complied with according to the articles of the treaty. This delay, however, was the cause of a most melan- choly disaster. On the 13tli April, 1749, a tre- mendous hurricane was experienced on the coast of Coromandel. The Namur was at anchor in the road of Fort St. David when it commenced ; at seven in the evening she put to sea, and, unable to resist the storm, foundered, and went down in nine fathoms water. The admiral himself was fortunately on shore, and about twenty of her crew sick in the hospital. Captain Marshall, the third lieutenant, the captain of marines, the surgeon, purser, chaplain, boatswain, and about forty seamen, were all that were saved out of a crew of nearly six hundred men. The Pembroke and the Apollo, hospital-ship, were lost the following day, with the greater part of their crews. The admiral, having concluded his arrange- ments, embarked for England on the 9th October, 1749, and arrived at St. Helen's on the 14th April following, when he Avas ordered to strike his flag and come on shore ; and, in 1751, when Lord Anson was appointed first lord of the Admiralty, he selected him as one of the naval members of his Board. Among the numerous captures made by single ships in the year 1747, was one that occasioned more 1747.] BRILLIANT EXPLOITS OF THE NAVV. 185 trouble and consideration than the subject connected with it required. The Dover, commanded by Cap- tain Shirley, when between Ushant and Belleisle, fell in with the Renommee, of thirty- two guns, and three hundred men, having lost her fore-topmast, sprung her mainmast, and much of her rigging cut by the Amazon, (which had engaged her the day before,) and after a short action with the Dover, he struck, having sixteen men killed, and between thirty and forty wounded, besides losing four killed and eight wounded in the action with the Amazon ; the Dover had one killed and eight wounded. In this ship was M. de Conflans, going out as governor of St. Domingo. The conduct of this person, who figured in the future war as a naval officer, afforded, on the present occasion, a most unfavourable contrast with that amiable and brave man, St. George. Though the capture of the squadron which this gallant officer commanded, had blighted his prospects, de- stroyed his hopes, and ruined his fortunes, or, as he says in his letters to Anson, " Ayant tout perdu hormis rhonneur," he bore his misfortune bravely, never murmured at his fate, but made himself so agreeable to Anson and all the officers of the Prince George, while he remained a prisoner on board, that every one took an interest in him. "Pour moi," he writes, " qui y perds plus que personne au monde, et ^ qui il he reste que I'honneur, j'avoueray u toute I'Europe que j'jiy trouve dans M. L'Amiral Anson, le vain- 186 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. IV. queur la plus genereux, le plus compatissant et Tamy le j)lus respectable et le plus sensible.'* When Anson had obtained leave for him to return to France, on his parole, he urged in such strong terms his wish to see London, that the noble Lord obtained permission for him to do so, introduced him to his colleagues at the Admiralty, to the ministers, to the club at White's, and even procured for him an interview with the King ; in short, every body Avas delighted with M. St. George, and he was not ungrateful. His account of the treatment he had met with, and that of the French prisoners generally, of the good feeling of the English towards France, and the great desire that the negotiations then pending might be successful, tended very much to do away a suspicion, which lurked in the cabinet of Ver- sailles, that England was not in earnest. Sir Joseph Yorke, and Mr. Thomas Anson, who met with him at that court, had strong proofs of this. Long after tlie peace he was anxious that Lord Anson should visit Paris, that he might have the opportunity of showing him the same kind of civility which he had received in London.* * One of his letters, written in English, announcing his intention of re-visiting London, is here given as a curiosity. " My Lord, " I am in great hopes, and in greater desire of crossing the sea in the beginning of May, expressing, first, to pay my most humble respects to my Lady Anson, and to have the honour of getting ac- quainted with the respectable consort of the dearest of my friends, and most generous of conquerors. Second, to give due thanks to your 1747.] BRILLIANT EXPLOITS OF THE NAVY. 187 sea III mmble To return to M. Conflans. This officer thought iit to bring a charge of ungentlemanlike treatment, and something worse, against Captain Shirley, which Lordship for so many proofs of generosity, and to cultivate that happy friendship that begun so far from our native countries, and that will be certainly everlasting. Third, to pay a very agreeable visit, of which I am, with all my heart, in debt with your beloved and dear brother, Mr. Anson, or on the Thames, or on the Trent borders, also to your very gentile and amiable nephew, my Lord Parker, and to your good friend, Mr. Mytton. " These are indeed three very agreeable objects for my crossing the sea with pleasure ; to which I will add, to see so many lords, that your friendship have procured me the honour of knowing in my little stay at London, namely, your brethren. Lords Duncannon and Barrington, and those which I had the honour of seeing in the famous and respectable club of Weight (White's). " But I hope principally that under the happy auspices of your charming brother-in-law (now I may say my friend, Mr. Le Colonel York, an able statesman, and as busy in his great ministerial em- ployments, as he is amiable in the society of the ladies), I will have the honour of presenting my most humble respects to my Lord High Chancellor. " I dare not say that, in my heart, a very flattering aim would be, if by your friendly assistance I may have the honour of bowing myself again before one of the greatest and the most gracious mo- narchs in the world, to give his Majesty my most humble thanks for the great honour that he bestowed upon (I dare not say) me, but upon the friends and the prisoner of the valiant and generous Lord Ad- miral Anson, his beloved subject, and the man that gives most honour by sea to his glorious reign. Adieu, my Lord. I hope that your Lordship will understand my English, because my letter is the expression of the heart, and the heart's tongue is to be understood well everywhere, but mostly by so good and so generous friends. The dear Colonel wrote for getting me a room in the Pall Mall, the nearest to my Lady Anson and your Lordship. I am in expectation of seeing you, and with great respect to you both, " Mj Lord, your most humble servant, " and everlasting friend, " Paris, 18th Avril, 1749." " St. George.* * Anson's Collection, No. 4 18. 188 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. IV. he transmitted to the l^uke of Bedford. The Duke writes from Woburn the following letter to Lord Anson, dated 7th October, 1747: — " My dear Lord, " I send you enclosed (which I desire you will com- municate to the Board) the copy of a h»tter I have received by this post from the Chcvahcr de Conflans, who was taken prisoner by Captain Shirley in the Dover, and bronjrht into Plymouth. The r.ink and character of M. dc Conflans in the French navy is so well known, that I own it gives me infinite concern to receive a complaint from a man of liis figure, against a man of quality, a captain of one of the king's ships, for un- gentlemanlike behaviour to him and the rest of the French officers after they were taken prisoners. I beg tliis affair may be inquired thoroughly into, in order, not only to make all possible reparation to M. le Conflans, but also to clear tlie officers of the navy, and the nation in general, from any aspersions, that the brutal and unofficerlike behaviour of this man might otherwise cast upon them. I will write by to-morrow's post to 'he Duke of Newcastle, to beg the favour of him to apply to the king for M. de Conflans, his equipage, and the commission officers of the frigate, having leave to return to France upon their parole. I think the behaviour of the French to the Captains Keppel and Lisle, and the rest of the officers of the Maidstone and Severn, very justly entitle their officers to a like return of civility and politeness from us. I will by the first oppor- tunity acquaint M. Conflans with what I have done, and I doubt not but that, in the mean time, the Board will indulge him in everything that is reasonable an officer of his rank should ask. I believe the First Lieutenaiit of the Dover is tcby the ulgo 1747.] BRILLIANT EXPLOITS OF THE NAVY. 189 one Mr. Thomns Lcmpriorc, of whom I have always heard a very good character, and who may possibly be able to j;rlve some llj^ht into this affair."* Ti»e Duke of Bedford has in thi.s letter expressed a ])roper feeling towards the treatment of officers of the enemy, who have been unfortunate like M. de Con- flans ; but he appears at the same time to have been a little too severe, as well as too liasty, in passing condemnation on Captain Shirley. Lord Anson had ah'eady called upon this officer to explain the conduct imputed to him by M. de Conflans, and received from him the following account, which proves how very un- worthy the Frenchman was of the favour which the Duke had obtained for him. Captain Shirley says : — " Dover, Plymouth, 11th October, 1747. " Your Lordship's generosity and goodness, which were so beautifully expressed in your favour of the (Jth instant, gave me the utmost astonishment and joy. Your friend- ship, my Lord, in giving me an opportunity of vindicating my character (which was so basely aspersed), shall be always acknowledged with the utmost gratitude and thanks. Neither could I before be in the least insensible of your Lordship's esteem for our family, having already so bounti- fully bestowed it on me, and can only wish it may be in my power to merit a continuance, since it is impossible I should ever be able to repay it. I must now beg your Lordship's patience, and leave, to trouble you with a detail of the usage M. Conflans met with (which he calls ill-treatment), and which, I assure you, on my honour, is fact. * Anson's Collection, No. 81. 190 LIFE OF LOVn ANSON. [CH. IV. " When the RenommtM? struck, thny called out to us that sho was sinkinpf, and desired us to hasten our boats on board, which we ilifl. The first boat brought on board M. Con- flans, the captain of tlie ship, and his brother, with two or three more officers, when M. Conflans complained of a wound that he had received in the hip. I immediately led him aft to^ tho lieutenant's cabin ; and as soon as I could get my own cabin up, and things a little to rights below, got all the officers and him down into my cabin, and put M. Conflans into my own bed, where he lay till we came in here. All the time Ik* was on board he never would eat at my table, where all the other officers did, but ate always in the state-room. His own cook dressed his dinner, which consisted of soups, and which ho chose, on account of his wound : this was dressed chiefly by his own surgeon, though once my surgeon was called on a consultation, who assured me that the skin was not raised, and that he had often seen a greater contusion from a blow at cudgels. I ordered my servants to supply his cook with everything he asked for, and when the fowls grew short, I ordered that none should be killed but for his use. " I should first have mentioned to your Lordship that we had no sooner shifted our prisoners than the wind began to blow very hard, which continued for some days. We separated from the prize, and had not an opportunity of sending for his clothes ; but as soon as we joined her again, I got them all on board the Dover, and sent the officers on board the prize to search for whatever belonged to them. They found the greatest part; but, before we had taken possession, their own people had broken open and plundered their chests, and as their number was greater than ours considerably, we had not an opportunity of searching them 1747.] BRILLIANT EXPLOITS OF THE NAVY. 19) •>n seen till they wur« ^oing on sliorr, beinp; obli^^cd to put thoin nil down in tlu* hold; and thcn^ what wo found belon^innK ^^ the officers, distributed aiiion|>;8t them. In short, I boliovc I may venture to say, that less plunder (in regard to cloth«'s) wns never known than in this ship. Nay, every ounce ol' plate belonf;finp to M. Conflans, &c., I took care to secure for him ; and 1 must bep; leave to say that 1 don't b«»lieve he lost sixpence, except the merchandise he was cnrryinpf abroad as a venture, which I looked upon as the ship's carfifo. The captain and other oHicors, whom he told your Lordship were also robbed and ill used, are so far from thinking so, that when I acquainted them with what M. Conflans hail reported to your Lordship, they were as mu(?h surprised as myself. Had I treated him even as he repre- sented, I could hardly think myself culpable, as he was never genteel enough to show me his commission, nor pro- duce it, though I often asked for it. That your Lordship may have an idea of M. Conllans' honour and integrity, I must beg leave to mention, that the evening he came on shore hvYc, I provided him lodgings and everything necessary for his reception. He at first, indeed, made a little bustle against my officers, who, he said, wanted to search his chests and trunks when coming on shore ; but on my assuring him they would come on shore unmolested, he thanked me, embraced me, and begged my friendship ; and the very next day, or the day after (as I suppose) wrote to your Lordship a downright falsehood. " I am sorry I have not the honour of being better known to your Lordship, but I flatter myself, if your Lordship will be kind enough to inquire into my character, you will find me at least a charitable man, and above a mean and base action. I am afraid I have already intruded too long on 1 p 1 ' ■V u 'f. vfX''"' 192 LIFE OV LORD ANSON. [CH. IV. your Lordship's patience, and shall therefore only beg leave to add, that I am, with the greatest respect, &c. (Signed) "W.Shirley."* Thus the Duke's interposition in favour of an un- deserving object was premature and ill bestowed. On his departure he wrote a letter of thanks to Lord Anson for the civilities he had received ; in it he ob- serves — " La fa^on noble et genereuse, my lord, avec laquelle vous pensez, me fait oublie entierement les procedez du Capitain Shirley, que j'attribue lYsa jeu- nesse et a son peu d'experience." M. de Conflans was doomed, however, twice afterwards, to suffer the mor- tification of being annoyed by the British navy — once in being stopped on the high seas by Captain P. Denis, of the Centurion, when carrying out intelhgence to the French colonies of the cessation of arms, and a second time, by suffering a complete defeat, in 1759, when Hawke drove him to take shelter among the rocks, and destroyed half his fleet. Lord Sandwich estimated more correctly the posi- tion of this chevalier. "Hague, 28/A November, 1747. "My dkar Lord — I have heard by accident that the French demand the release of M. Conflans, in virtue of the cartel of Frankfort, as he is a lieutenant-general in the King of France's service. As I have always at heart everything that concerns the interest of your profession, I cannot but express my apprehension lest you should not consider that * Anson's Collection, No. 397. 1748.] BRILLIANT EXPLOITS OF THE NAVY. 193 affair with sufficient attention ; for if you yield the point, I think we shoukl, for the future, be obhged to restore, upon the footinjj of the cartel, all officers in the French lloet of any rank ; for it is, I believe, certain, that M. Con- flans' rank as lieutenant-general is either a consequence of his rank in the flieet (which in France, you know, is nscer- tained with the land-service, as I hope it will be with us), or of his being governor of St. Domingo, which is the same thing, those governments being always given to sea- officers."* Speaking, in another letter, of comparative rank in the two services, he says : — " I hope that mat- ter does not sleep, as I am sure it will do great good to the service, and I think this is the time we ought to push any of our purposes, as I flatter myself we are generally in favour, and consequently more likely to succeed now than hereafter." It may here be mentioned that Anson had this point settled by Order in Council of 10th February, 1747, and it still continues without alteration ; the Order, how- ever, was not published till the 5th March, 1748. * Anson's Collection, No. 359. 194 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. V CHAPTER V. CONCLUSION OF THE WAR. The duties of First Lord executed by Anson — Lord Vere's interfer- ence and incapacity — Rules of precedence at the Board — Change of the Board in consequence of Lord Chesterfield resigning the seals, the Duke of Bedford accepting them, and Lord Sandwich's appointment as First Lord — Correspondence of the Duke, tlie Earl, and Lord Anson on the occasion — I ord Sandwich's pressing letters, desiring Anson to consider himself, in all respects, as in his place — Anson's marriage with the Lord Chancellor's daughter — Lord Hardwicke's letters to him on the occasion — His anxiety and affec- tic for Lady Anson, on the score of her health — Difficulties of Lord Sandwich at Aix-la-Chapelle — Suggestion of the Duke of Cumberland with regard to the establishment of a Marine Corps — Conclusion of the war — Lord Vere, in the absence of Sand- wich and Anson, appoints a commander-in-chief— He resigns both the Admiralty and Navy — The first visitation of the dock-yards by the Board — unsatisfactory state of — An act passed for consolidating the laws relating to the Navy — apparent severity of — Question re- specting a sentence of transportation — legal opinion of — Lord Bar- rington's motion for providing seamen for the Navy dropped — Old Horace Walpole's story — Change in the Board of Admiralty, Lord Sandwich dismissed by Newcastle's intrigues, and Lord Anson 'ippointed First Lord. 1748 to 1755. In the frequent absence of the Duke of Bedford, from indisposition, and of Lord Sandwich, first at the Hague and then at Aix-la-Chapelle, negociating a general peace, it has been seen tliat Lord Anson was obliged to take upon himself nearly the sole charge 3H. V 1748.] CONCLUSION OP THE WAR. 195 interfer- -Chango ning the indwich's the Earl, vg letters, s place — ;r — Lord md afFec- iculties of Duke of e Corps — of Sand- iigns both -yards by Id, from at the iting a toi» was charge and responsibility of the duties of the Admiralty, though his name stood below that of Lord Vere Beau- clerc in the patent; but he was particularly and frequently requested to do so, both by the noble duke and the earl. There was indeed good reason why it should be so. Lord Vere had seen little or no ser- vice since he was made a captain, at twenty-one years of age, and probably in the whole course of his life never saw a shot fired in ang'^r. It is true he commanded a frigate in the Mediterranean station for three or four years, but appears to have been employed chiefly in carrying despatches from Lisbon to the Mediterranean, and from the latter to the former, or wherever they were required to be sent; and, being one of the squadron under Sir Charles Wager, he was once sent with that admiral's compliments of excuse to the Grand Duke of Florence, for not having waited on him himself. Whethei he was for this, or some similar service, placed as a junior lord of the Admiralty, when Sir Charles AVager was at the head of the board in 1738, his naval biographer has not stated ; bu^ he resigned his situation in 1742, and was re- appointed, under the Duke of Bedford, in 1744. In 1745 he was raised to the rank of Rear-Admiral of the Blue, and, in 1749, threw up his situation at the Admiralty, and, at the same time, or shortly after, his connnission in the navy, when he was created u peer of Great Britain. It is probable, o 2 ^1 " i# 196 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH.V. therefore, that he owed his advancement rather to his heiug the son of the Duke of St. Alhan's, than to any service he had performed in the navy. It is evident, however, from the correspondence of Lord Sandwich with Anson, that the hitter was very materially interfered with hy Lord Vere, who pre- sumed OK his seniority jit the Board. It was of no avail that Anson was selected as the advising naval lord ; or ihat, in the civil department of the service, seniority at that time went for nothing ; the seats at the Board were taken according as the names stood in the patent, which continued to he the rule until the Whig administration, under Lord Grey, adopted a new one, which gave to tlie first lord of the Ad- miralty the privilege, if necessary, to settle the pre- cedence at the Board ; and this prohably is the right course, Jis the principal or advising naval lord must necessarily be next the first, whatever his rank may be.* ♦ We have a memorable illustration of the old rule when Sir George Cockburn was appointed to the Admiralty : cominj; in with two others, he stood, as a matter of course, nearly the last in the patent—in fact, all but the junior lord — whereas Sir George War- render, having remained at the Bo;ird till he had seen out all his old colleagues, stood at the head ; but Sir fleorge Cockburn was the first or advising lord. When Sir James Giunam came to the Admiralty, he wished to keep Sir Henry Hotham, who, under the old rule, would have stood second in the patent, or immediately after the first lord ; but, on being told that Lord Grey had recommended Sir Thomas Hardy, junior to him, to stand first. Sir Henry, being a high-minded but rather punctilious officer, [declined a seat at tho Hoard. Thus Anson, though junior to all but one, was considered, in fact, after Lord Sandwich, as the leading member of the Board. III.V. er to tban ice of !5 very ) pre- ol* no naval ervice, iats at s stood i until dopted he Ad- lie pre- e right d must dv may ivhen Sir ; in with st in the rge War- U his old the first drairalty, lie, would rst lord ; Thomas li-minded il. Thus [\ct, after 1748.] CONCLUSION OF THE WAR. 197 On the 8th February, 1748, an event occurred which caused a change in the Board of AdmiraU) , somewhat, though not materially, affecting the po- sition of Lord Anson. The Earl of Chesterfield suddenly and unexpectedly notified to the minis- ter his intention of resigning the seals as secretary of state. " The whole affair," writes Baron Clarke to Lord Sandwich, " occasions great confusion, and many people have been talked of to succeed, though no one to any purpose but your lordship and Mr. Fox ; and, it is said, the Duke of Bedford is fixed upon as one who will prevent .iny mischief from de- termining in favour of either of the competitors ;" and he adds, " I don't apprehend anything in favour of Lord Anson in prejudice to you on this occasion ; but, if you are not immediately dechired the head of the Board, the world will think you are neglected ; and who knows what may happen in a month or two?"* Mr. Fox was not supposed to have any chance. Lord Anson tells Lord Sandwich that " the Wal- polean party, who gain strength daily, neither love him nor you ; and I think Mr. Fox, whose ability and credit in the House of Commons are great, will, in my private opinion, push both the brothers (Duke of Newcastle and Pelham) whenever he sees a fair opportunity, for he does not want ambition, nor any qualities that are necessary to raise a man in this country to the height of power." f * Lord Sandwich's Collection. t lb. 198 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH.V. To which Lord Sandwich replies — " I agree with you in what you say about this gentleman, that he does not want ambition or any qualities to raise a man in our government ; but that is not enough, as I am sure he wants many qualities necessary to main- tain himself after his rise, so that it would be much more easy for him to pull down than to build : how- ever, I hope we shall put ourselves out of his reach."* Lord Sandwich was no less in disesteem than Fox with the Pelhams. His friend, Baron Clarke, tells him in plain terms he must always bear this in view : " You are looked upon as a man of too much weight and consequence to be left at liberty near the throne. This is no flattery of mine, as will be obvious when I tell you that, of late, it has been the echo from their dependants and table-deckers, that Lord Sandwich is a great young man, and no doubt will make a great figure in the government; but it seems rather too soon for him to be setting up for himself, and making parties of his own."-)" The acceptance of the seals by the Duke of Bed- ford put an end to the expectations of all the candi- dates. His Grace, on the 12th February, kissed hands as secretary of state, and a new patent was ordered, appointing Lord Sandwich first lord commis- sioner of the Admiralty. On the same day his Grace acquainted Anson with what had taken place. " The * Lord Sandwich's Collection of MS. Letters, t Lord Sandwich's Collection. 1748.] CONCLUSION OF THE WAR. 199 die," he says, "is at last thrown, and I have this morning kissed the king's hand in the closet for the seals, and the king puts Lord Sandwich in my place at this Boiird. The thing was going, I was afraid, to take so wrong a turn with regard to Lord Sand- wich, that I began to be afraid lest he should Ije passed over in the change Lord Chesterfield's resig- nation must have occasioned. I was called in unex- pectedly into the king's closet, and, I can assure you, was under no small concern at the task his JNIajesty has ordered me to undertake. But I hope, when the peace is made, to have as good success in getting Lord Sandwich appointed my successor for the seals, as I have now the satisfaction to see him established at the head of this Board."* On the 14th Lord Anson writes to Lord Sandwich as follows : — " Of Lord Chesterfield's resignation, and what has hap- pened since, the particulars you will have from Legge, to whose friendly aid you are much obliged, although you have not attained the office your friends wish to see you in. It was owing in a great measure to the Duke of Bedford's firmness and Legge's management that a disagreement did not happen in the administration, which, at this time, might have been fatal to this country. The dispositions of people in general here are much changed since you left us , all now seem inclined for peace : indeed the raising of eleven mil- lions for next year is greatly dreaded, as it will show to the whole world how near tliis nation is of becoming bank- * Anson's Collection of MS. Letters, No. 84. 200 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. V. rupt ; and the citizens, being likely to be losers by the pre- sent loan to the government, have changed their note from war to peace, I therefore hope that, when you have got your troops in the field, and have put on your whiskers, some good occasion will happen of treating for a peace in earnest : it is certainly the thing wished for universally ; and if it is not brought about I fear there will be much ill blood in Parliament next session. " Your Lordship will easily conceive how disagreeable my situation must be, upon the Duke of Bedford's removal and your Lordship's absciice, to act under Lord Vere, who, 1 find, is determined to continue at the Board, and seemed to be pleased with the change, as he imagines your continuance there will not bo long. Be assured, my dear Lord, that, except in ceremony and correspondence, at both of which I am extremely awkward, no man living can be more sincerely your friend. (Signed) "Anson."* His Lordship, however, having acted a part in tlie drama, of which Lord Sandwich seems not to be aware, gave to his friend, on the following day, a full and particular account, showing how matters of this kind were then managed. " February 15, 1748. " My dear Lord — As your Lordship is now in posses- sion of the Admiralty, where no man can wish you more satisfaction than I do, nor be more desirous of being an assistant to you, you will permit me to talk very freely with you upon the subject of it, and explain to you the disagree- able situation your absence places me in, as I find, from ♦ Lord Sandwich's Collection of MS. Letters. 1718.] CONCLUSION OF THE WAR. 201 talking with Lord Vere, that he intends to continue till you return to take possession ; and indeed I think he will then quit it with a much better grace than he would leave it with now ; besides that, in the mean time, he may make his conti- nuance at the Board serve many good purposes of his own, and make as much a cipher of me as he pleases, which you will easily imagine must be very disagreeable to me, after the share the Duke of Bedford has allowed me in the direc- tion of affairs afloat, and the success which has attended his Grace's administration of naval affairs in every branch of the department. Besides, I think the world will see me in a very disadvantageous light, and think me acting out of cha- racter. " I don't mention this to place any difficulties in your Lordship's way, but that you may give me your advice and assistance, which I never stood more in need of than at pre- sent, for I had not the least idea that Lord Vere would con- tinue when the Duke of Bedford left the Board, from many hints that he himself at times has let drop ; but the appre- hensions of losing a shilling will quiet his resentment or his ambitiori He has been in my way ever since I came into the wori . Two years ago I endeavoured to shove him be- fore me, but there was no moving him from the earth to his proper element ; and to continue now in his rear, both at land and sea, I own I cannot well endure." * His LordsMp then proceeds, in the same letter, to relate the manner in which the new arrangement was brought about. " It was not known that Lord Chesterfield intended to quit the seals, with any certainty, until the Thursday before * Lord Sandwich's Collecticn. 202 LIFE OP LORD ANSON. [CH. V. it happened, when he ileclared he would resign on Saturday morningf. The Duko of Newcastle had invited the Duke of Bedford and myself to dine with him upon the Thursday, when he announced what had passed between him and Lord Chesterfield, and that the king had declared he would not have your Lordship, nor Mr. Pitt, nor the solicitor-general, as secretary of state. What operations had occasioned this extraordinary declaration I am entirely ignorant ; but some of your enemies had been busy at work : that the seals were not designed for you appeared clearly. " I staid till the Duke of Bedford was gone, when, being left alone with the Duke of Newcastle, I told his Grace I thought you would have great reason to complain of all your friends, if you were passed by on this occasion, and therefore proposed, if you could not get the seals, that they should be given to the Duke of Bedford, and your Lordship to take his place at the Admiralty. He asked me, very earnestly, whe- ther the Duke of Bedford had said anything to me upon it. I told him, ' No.' He then asked me if I thought the Duke of Bedford would accept the seals. I then declared that it was my opinion his Grace would decline no trouble, how- ever disagreeable to iiim, that would serve you, and show the friendship he had for you. " I was obliged, on account of my health, to go for Bath the next morning ; but I thought it very proper in me to let the Duke of Bedford knew all that had passed between the Duke of Newcastle and myself, and pressed him very ear- nestly not to suffer your opponents to triumph over you. So the affair stood when I left I^ondon, and the success of it cannot give you jriore pleasure than it has done me, — being, my dear Lord, &c. "Anson."* * Lord Sandwich's Collection of MS. Letters. 1748.] CONCLUSH/., 'HE WAR. 203 On tlie 5th Murcli Lord Sandwich writes thus to Lord Anson, from the Hague: — "My dear Lord — You will easily conceive my satisfac- tion on the receipt of the news contiined in the last three mails from England. I am sensible how much I am ohlijj^ed to your Lordship for the {jreat weight of your friendship, and I readily perceive how much your support has contri- buted to mak(! the way ciisy to the height of good fortune to which I am arrived, which 1 shall never forget to the last hour of my life. " I have very little time to write by this post, but I would not lose a moment to desire that you would consider yourself as in effect at tlit; head of the Admiralty ; that you would not only write to me your sentiments, as to any measures you would wish to have executed, and when my assistance is necessary, but that you would always make use of my name whenever it may be necessary ; and, if you would have any- thing deferred, desire time to write to me about it, and you may always depend upon the decision that you tell me is agreeable to your opinion. I must beg you will suffer every- thing I do to go through your hands, as it is my meaning to throw my share of the power, and the direction of the whole, as much as possible, into your hands."* This expression of unbounded confidence from the first lord of the Admi -alty could not but be highly gratifying to Lord Anson, which is repeated, in still stronger terms, if possible, in the following extract from his reply to his lordship's letter of February 15th, sent from Aix-la-Chapeile, to which place he had * Anson's Collection of MS. Letters, No. 369. 201 MFK OF LOnn ANSON. [ (II. V. luMMi reniovod to curry on the ncjjjociations witli tin? rrpresentuiivcs of the several powers ; and this will account lor the delay in answering it. " Aix-la-Chappllp, March 1(), 1748. •' I nm sorry Lord Vcro remains at thn Board, if that is any way e assured I will do no act what- ever but directly through your hands, which will plainly show people where the power centres, and, I think, indis- putably fix you in the entire management of aflairs, which has been always my view, as I am sure it is what is most for the advantage of the service."* * Anson's Collection of MS. Letters, No. 370. 1748.] CONCLUSION OF TIIK WAR. 905 It, as Nothing could he more sutisfuctory to Ijord An- son than this letter of Lord Sandwich ; it set his mind at ease on the eve of a very important event to himself, — namely, his marriage with Lady Kli- zaheth, daughter of the Lord Chancellor Ilard- wickc. Anson heing one of those quiet plodding men who look only to their own particular occupations, and his hands heing suiliciently full with Admiralty business, the Chancellor, having '* been in the world " (in which the other was said never to have been), seems to have thought it right to remind him of two or three trifling matters, connected with his intended new situation in life, which might otherwise have escaped his notice or his recollection. To prevent, and also to correct, mistakes, he writes liim the fol- lowing rather curious letter, considering from whom it proceeds : — " Powis IIousp, April 21s<, 1748. " My dear Lord — I saw the Archbishop of Canterbury to-day, who expressed himself extremely concerned that he had not the plcasm'e of seeing your lordship when you did him the honour of calling upon him yesterday morning. I have desired the favour of his grace to be here on Monday at seven o'clock, and must desire that your lordship would be so good as to let me know the names of any of your friends, whom I should invite on that occasion. I find by Mr. Perkins that Saturday evening is fixed for the execution of the deeds, and hope eight o'clock will be a convenient hour for you. It is proper and usual that the trustees should bo present, to execute at the same time ; and I must beg the favour of your lordship to make the appointment with 206 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. V. my Lord Parker, my I ord Chief Baron, and your brother. The whole portion shall be paid either in bank-notes, or in my draft upon the Bank, as you like best. '' I desired Mr. Perkins to mention to your lordship a mistake which the coach-painter has made in painting the arms, in which, I fear, he was misled by something that fell from my wife. I have inquired of the heralds, and also of the Duke of Dorset, who is very skilful in matters of that nature ; and they all agree that, upon the marriage of the daughter of a peer of any rank, one of her father's support- ers is always put on the woman's side, that is, the sinister side, of the scutcheon. This is the invariable usage ; and if the lady's father's supporters 2 i 212 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. V. " Give me leave to congratulate you, as I do most sincerely, upon the news that will be brought to l^^ngland by our friend Leveson. I dare say it will please the public ; and I know your partiality to me is such, that it will be an additional reason for you to think favourably of the work, by reason of the share I have had in it. I hope it will not be now many weeks before I shall have the happiness of seeing you, as I have leave to be in England by the meeting of Parliani ent. God knows it will be a happy day when I can once more sit down among my friends, and get a little respite from the hurry and confusion I have been concerned in for these three years past."* His lordship however did not take his seat at the Board till the early part of the year 1749, nor before his colleague, Lord Vere, had actually, in the absence of both Sandwich and Anson (the latter being engaged in conveying his Majesty to Holland), ap- pointed a commander-in-chief to Barbadoes (Sir George Pococke), an appointment which was never intended to be made in time of peace. Lord Sand- wich says, " 1 am vexed at the account you give me of the nomination of the commander-in-chief at Bar- badoes : there would be a certain way of preventing any such advantage being taken in your absence, if you were to desire that, whenever any such material commissions as those of commander-in-chief were to be disposed of, Mr. Corbett might be directed to write to me, to know whether I had any person to recom- ♦ Anson's Collection of MS. letters, No. S8G. 1748.] CONCLUSION OF THE WAR. 213 nieiid ; in ■which case I should certainly mention, in answer, whomsoever you thought the fittest person. However, I hope this will soon be at an end, and that I shall have the happiness of being with you in a short time iu England, where we will take care to settle things at the Board upon such a footing, as to leave no room there for anything to be done contrary to our inclination."* Lord Vere left the Board iu the course of the year, and his place was supplied by Granville Leveson, Viscount Trentham,. This long war, with all the continental subsidies, increased the public debt by about seventy millions. The nation, however, Avas sufficiently tired of it, and became at last clamorous for peace ; and, though the main advantage gained to the country by the pro- secution of it had been purely naval, and the result of it, that of reducing the fleets of France and Spain, the treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, notwithstanding, met with almost general approbation. The basis of that treaty was a mutual restitution of all conquests made since the beginning of the war, with a release of all prisoners without ransom. The king, in his speech, on opening the session in November, 1748, says, *' Whatever the events of war nuiy have been, the bravery of my trooj)s has distinguished itself, on every occasion, to their lasting honour ; and our signal successes at ^^ea must ever be ♦ Anson's Collection of MS. letters, No. 387. .vi|^ '■[■■{ 214 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. „. [CH V. remembered, to the f^lory of the British fleet, and entitle it to the particular attention and support of this nation. You will further consider that tl.ose brave men who have served well by sea or land, and cannot now be emi)loyed, justly deserve to be the objects of your favour and protection." Though there was some slight opposition in the Connnons to the address of than].s, it was carried, as originally moved for, without a division, and, in the Lords aloo, unanimously. In the early part of 1749 Lord Sandwich took his seat at the Board ; and one of his first measures was a visitation of all the dock-yards and other naval establishments, which, for many years before, had been entirely neglected. Lideed there is nothing on record to show that they had ever been oiHcially visited by any preceding Board of Admiralty ;* or even by the Commissioners of the Navy, under whose control they were more immedi^itely idaced : yet these establishments occasion the great portion of the expense annually voted by Parliament on the navy estimates. The object of this first visitation, by the proper and respeusible auth( rity, is fully suited in the following miiii^te of the Board : — * Sir Edward Hawke, in 1770 (then first lord of the Admiralty), beinf^ dissatisfied with the reports he received from th 3 surveyor of the navy and the dock-yards, procured an v*')rdev in Council which directed iha., in fiituie, his Majesty's ships and dock-yards should be inspected by the Board of Admiralty once every two years — they are /low visited annually. 1749.] CONCLUSION OF THE WAR. 215 " Friday, {)th June, 1749- " Present — Earl of Sandwich, Lord Verc Beauclerc, Lord Anson, (Sec. " The Lords, taking into consideration the number of men borne in the several dock and rope-yards, the great ex- pense attending the same, and that the works are not carried on with the expedition that might be expected from them, which must arise from the remissness of the officers or insufficiency of the workmen, or both, and being deter- mined, as far as in them Il^s, to remedy the same, do judge it expedient forthwith to visit all his Majesty's dock and rope-yards, to examine into the ability and conduct of the offi(;ers, the sufficiency of the workmen, the conditio' of the ships and Jiingazincs, together with what works are car- rying on, that such reformation may be made as shall be found needful to prevent any unnecessary expenditure of the pnMic money, to see that the several rules and orders for the government of the yards are duly carried into execution, that the ships of the royal navy be kept in constant condi- tion for service, and that the money granted for keeping up the same be frugally expended, and that the comptroller of the navy do attend them in their visitation. " In tlie minutes of their proceeding's it appears, that they found the men generally idle, the officers igno- rant, the stores ill arranged, abuses of all kinds over- looked, the tiii)ber ill assorted, that which was longest in store being undermost, the standing orders ne- glected, the ships in ordinary in a very dirty and bad condition, filled with women and children, and that the officers of the yard had not visited them, which it was their duty to do ; that men were found, borne M' 216 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [on. V. i 1 1 5i:i uiid paid US ofTicers, who liad never done duty as such, f<^v ■which their Lordships reprimanded th(^ Navy ]]oar(l throui^h the comptroller ; that the store- keeper's accounts were many years in arrear, and, what was most extraordinary, that the Navy Board had never required them ; in short, gross negligence, irregularities, waste, and embezzlement were so pal- })able, that their Lordshi])s ordered an advertisement to be set up in various parts of all the yards, offering encouragement and protection to such as should dis- cover any misdemeanors, committed either by the officers or workmen, particularly in employing work- men or labourers on their private affairs, or any other abuse whatever.* Everything, in short, a])peared to be left to the resident connnissioner, who, on his part, left all matters to the principal, and they to the inferior, officers. Tlie members of the Navy Board seem to have given themselves no trouble about the dock- yards. Captain (afterwards Admiral) Savage IMostyn, the comptroller of the navy, must have felt himself in ratlier an awkward position while the inquiry was going on, and at the public notice above mentioned being stuck up in the yards. In future years, when Lord Sand^vich Avas Jig.-iin First Lord of the Admi- ralty, he caused frequent vi^ttations to be made, and left a record of tliem in the Admiralty-office, as an inducement for subsequent Boards to pursue the same * Minutes of Lord Sandwich's Visitation. 1749.] CONCLUSION OF THE WAK. 217 I j)racticc, whicli was piirtisilly followed hy Lord I lowo, Lord Spencer, Jiord St. Vincent, and is continued to the present time. From these visitations much good has resulted, many ahuses have been corrected, and a vast expenditure of money and stores saved to the public. The first business in the House of Commons, after the address of thanks on the Kinj^'s speech, was j» motion for papers relating to the treaty of Aix-Ja- Chapelle, which, after a long debate, was lost by 181 agjiinst 120. The next (juestion that came before the two houses of Parliament was of the greatest importance to the army and navy ; — that of the Mutiny Bill, brought in by Mr. Fox, Secretary-at- War. Several new clauses were introduced Avhicli met with great opposition ; some of them were car- ried and others not. On this subject Horace Wal- pole indulges in a tirade of keen severity. " When the Duke (of Cumberland) had set himself to restore the discipline of the army, and bring it nearer to the standard of Gernum severity, he found it necessary to reform the military code a: whatever despotism he had a mind to establish might at least be grounded in an appearance of law. The Secretary-at-War, with u few general officers, ^vere ordered to revise the Mutiny Bill, and (if one may judge by their execu- tion of this commission) to double the rigour of it. The penalty of death came over as often as the curses in the Commination on Ash-Wednesday ; oaths of secrecy were imposed on courts-nuirtial ; and even ml If' 218 LIFE OF LOUD ANSON. [c:i. V. ofFicers on half-piiy wtu'c fur the future to be subject to all the jurisdiction of military law. My Lord An- son, who governed at the Adniirulty Board, was struck with so amiable a pattern, and Avould have chained down his tars to a like oar ; but it raised sucli a fernu!nt in that boisterous profession, that the ministry were forced to drop several of the strongest articles, to quiet the tempest that this innovation had caused."* \\^ilpole always exaggerates. The navy has no Mutiny J>ill except for the marines on shore — a corps not then reguhirly established — and which, when they were so, is in accordance with that of the army. The discipline of the navy is maintained by various acts of Parliament ; and Lord Sandwich and Lord Anson thought it the proper time, now that the war was at an end, to have them consolidated into one act (22 Geo. II.) by a bill which was brought into the Commons by Lord Barrington, a member of the Board of Admiralty. It was entitled " A Bill for amending, explaining, and reducing into one Act of Parliament, the Laws relating to the Navy," a most desirable and highly useful measure, which has con- tinued in full force to the present day, with an exception to be noticed presently. The principal, and indeed almost the only, novelties attempted to be introduced were, first, that of subjecting half-pay officers to courts-martial, which, after much oppo- Walpolc's Memoira. 1749.] CONCLUSION OP TIIK WAR. 219 sition, and a (l«*])atc which appears to have Listed ten or twtdve days, waH thrown ont ; the second was the administration of an oath of secrecy to the nieni- hers, which was carried, and continues to the pre- sent time. With rejijard to the " ferment in the boisterous pro- fession," it exjdoded, if tiicre was any "tempest" to '* bad 5 una- lay on by bis [)f the ike of inesse, int the 11 upon rations m that inected stay in rote to kcasion [gge to sion of some Bed- vh the to the 1751.] CONCLUSION OF THK WAR. 227 treasurersliip of the navy, he submitted t(- break his connexions with the two latter, })y being the indecent messenger of Lord Sandwich's disgrace. . . . " The Duke of Bedford demanded an audience of the King, and, among other grievances, spoke warmly on the dismission of his friend Lord Sandwich, and on all the treacheries of the Duke of Newcastle, which he recapitulated, and he concluded by telling the King that their (Pelham and his brother) persecu- tions of him jind Lord Sandwich arose solely from their attachment to his son, the Duke (of Cumber- land) . The King was struck and pleased with this remonstrance ; agreed to all 1 e had said of the Duke of Newcastle ; doubted of the facts charged on Mr. Pelham ; and, with regard to Lord Sandwich, only said, * I don't know how it is, but he has very few friends.' "* The Duke of Bedford was offered by the King to be president of the council ; but he declined, and re- signed the seals. Lord Anson was appointed First Lord of the Admiralty, and the Admirals Boscawen and Rowley Lords Conmiissioners of the Admiralty — " the latter," says Walpole, " attached to Lord Granville, the other to nothing but his own opi- nion." A great part of this is no doubt true ; but wliether the incident of the marriage had any connexion with ■'H's * ^V a 1 polo's Memoirs. ^4 Q 9 ;H 228 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. V. 1 J the dismissal of Lord Sundwicli is very doubtful — what should the King care about Lord (iower's daughter ? It would appear rather to have been the sole contrivance of the Duke of Newcastle to accom- plish the removal of the Duke of Bedford, which he had i' vain '^ riv ;n for some months to effect ilirough the DuciK'isi* 01 /armoutli, wiio, with himself, was with tht; Khi^ at Hanover. He was afraid of moving the King direc.._y, knowing how desirous he was to have about the throne the highest nobles of the land. The Duchess was to tell the King of the Duke's unfitness ; that the Duke of Newcastle had declared he could not go on with him ; that he did not transact any business — "it is all jollity, boyishness, and /anity : he persuades himself that riding post from London to Woburn and back again once a-week or fortnight is doing a great deal of business." The King, however, turned a deaf ear to all this ; and, as the last resort, Newcastle made up his mind to ask the King himself to dismiss Sandwich, well knowing that the Duke of Bedford would follow his friend. All this and a great deal more of in- trigue appears in the Duke of Newcastle's letters to his brother, ]Mr. Pelham, as published by Coxe. No naval officer could have been chosen more fitted for the vacant situation than Lord Anson ; he having, in fact, carried on the duties of first lord during the preceding five years. Li point of talent and energy, he might perhaps be considered inferior m 1751.] CONCLUSION OF THE WAR, 229 to Lord Sandvvicli, but by iiuicb his superior in profes- gionul k. owledge and sound judgment in naval con- cerns, as frequently acknowledged by his lordship. Aj the name of tins noble earl will no more appear in the course oi' this Memoir, it may be right to say that botii Mr. Pitt and Lord North were so well satis- fied of his fitness and great ability to fill the situation of First Lord of the Admiralty, that, in the reign of George III., he Avas twice appointee' -^ the head of the naval administration ; and that uii t' second occasion he remained as First Lord ol iL^ Adinirulty from the 12th of January, 1771, to *'ae 30th of March, 1782, a period of more thar le^'en years. >H 4 K%^ 230 LIFE OF LOUD ANSON. [CH. VI. CHAPTER VI. THE SEVEN YEARS' WAR. Vigorous preparations for war— Duplicity of the French— Establish- ment of a marine corps under the immediate command of the Athuiralty — Tho late King's address to the marines — A lleet under Boscawen sent to America — French lleet puts to sea — ^Two of their ships taken by Howe and Andrews — Remonstrance of tho French — Their ambassador recalled — A fleet prepared and placed under the command of Sir Edward Hawke — Duke of Cumberland and Anson visit the lleet — latter hoists his Hag in the Prince — Discus- sion in the Cabinet ns to Hawke's instructions — Copy of instruc- tions from the Lords Justices — Sails and captures many of tho enemy's ships — Secret information from the King at Hanover — Threats of invasion by the French — march down troops to +hc coast — Howe sent to protect Guernsey and Jersey — attacks and takes Chausso — War at length pr')clainied by England— then by France — Admiral Byng sent with a lleet for the relief of Minorca — engages Galissonniere, and retreats to Gibraltar — Public clamour against him — recalled— sent a prisoner to Greenwich Hospital — Change in the administration — Pamphlets for and against Byng— for, by Dr. Johnson, and against, by Mallet, assisted by Lord Hardwickc — is sent to Portsmouth — tried and condemned to death — Mistaken proceedings to obtain the King's mercy — Voltaire and Richlieus letters — Opinion of the judges decides Byug's fate — His gallant behaviour previous to and at his execution — Liscrip- tion on his tomb. 1755 to 175G. In the year 1755 a feverish peace of seven years was succeeded by the coiniuencemeut of a seven years' war, a name by Avliich it is distinguished in tlie history of this country. No sooner had the King's message been brought before the two houses f^ il 1755.] THE SEVEN YKAllS WAR. 231 of Purliament, stating the necessity oi' an augmenta- tion of iiis forees by sea and land, Jind of taking such othor measures as might best tend to tlie general peace of Europe, than the most vigorous prepanstions for war were set on foot. A number of ships were forthwith ordered to be put in commission, press- warrants, the certain precursors of hostilities, were issued, with the usual proclanuition for granting bounties to volunteer seamen ; and subscriptions were raised in most of the considerable towns and cities for bestowing premiums on such seamen and soldiers as would voluntarily enlist. In fact it was soon disco- vered that no more time was to be h)st in making every preparation, as the French, Avith all their sin- cerity and professions of good faith, with every solemn assurance of no intention nor desire on their part to disturb the general peace of Europe, which had been so happily concluded, were actually strength- ening themselves, in all their foreign possessions, and intriguing at home, to embroil us in hostilities. It was also well ascertained that ships were pre- })aring and troops assembling ready to embark both at Brest and Roclifort. For some time past they had been making encroachments on our settlements of Nova Scotia, and various complaints of their con- duct had reiiched England from that quarter. In this state of things Lord Anson, bearing in mind the suggestion of the Duke of Cumberland, conveyed to him by Lord iSandwich in his letter from !• ...» :'i rit:- If 232 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. VL Aix-la-Cliapelle in 1748 (alrcMuly noticed in the pre- ceding chapter), deemed the proj)er and convenient time to have now arrived, for phicing, on a fixed and permanent establishment, a corps of marines to serve on board his Majesty's ships in lieu of tliose marine regiments Avhich had been dismissed or broken, as it was termed, at the conclusion of the last war. It is unnecessary to add that the plan suc- ceeded to admiration, and has undergone no essential change in the principle uj) to the present time. His late Majesty, William IV., avIio was himself a good soldier as well as sailor, had the highest pos- sible opinion of the good service of the corps of marines, whether employed by sea or land ; and, on his visitations of the dock-yards and other naval esta- blishments, he always had them out to be inspected by himself. His Majesty was known to possess an extraordinary recollection of naval and military events, and of many of the details and circumstances attend- ing them. On one of his inspections of the royal marines at Woolwich, M'hen Lord High Admiral, after complimenting the corps on their soldier-like appearance, and the correct manner in which they went through the various evolutions in the field, he said it was a great satisfaction to him to reflect that, on all occasions, the royal marines had particularly distinguished themselves, and on none more than on that which he Avould take the liberty to mention to them, and with which, probably, very few of the offi- cii J 4 17.55.] THE SEVEN YEARS WAR. 233 cers whom he was then addressing were acquainted. It was tliat ol'the capture of Gil)raltar ))y Sir George Kooke, in 1704, to which 1800 nmrines, landed on the isthnuis under the Prince of Ilesse, nwiinly con- tributed; and who, after the capitulation, were left to garrison this important fortress. lie further observed, as a renuirkalde circumstance, that, in the same Ga- zette (the lOtli August, 1704) in which the capture of Gibraltar was announced, was also contained the first intimation of the victory gained by the Duke of Marlborough at the battle of Blenheim, comprised in a short epistle from the Duke, addressed " To my Lady Duchess, written on horseback with a lead pencil."* The Lord High Admiral was quite correct as to the Gazette and the marines, wherein they are so called ; but those who landed at, and afterwards garri- soned, that important fortress, were the soldier-ma- rines, or regiments alrejidy spoken of, and placed in our ships of war, to be instructed in seamanship, to make use of the musket and bayonet in time of battle, and to assist in operations on shore. These kind of regi- ments were likewise considered to be, and a motion * Tiiis note was brief, but to the purpose : — " I have not time to say more tbm to beg of you to present my humble duty to the Queen, and to let her Majesty know that her army has had a glorious victory ; Mon- sieur ToUard and two other generals are in my coach, and I am fallow- ingthe rest. Thebearer, my aide-de-camp, Colonel Parky ^viU give her Majesty an account of what has passed ; I shall do it ir< u day or two by another more at large." — Gazette. 1 ^■l '^ l|;[ •■'^; u il mt i jB^B ,^ '■^^^^^H rli' »..■■# ! fhlM I 4, 234 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. VI. :i . to that effect was made in Parliament, one of the means of manning the navy, by their becoming in a little time fond of the sea-service, and volunteering to serve as seamen. There were, however, serious objections to men of this description, who, on disman- tling the fleet, or l)aying off a ship, were sent adrift, as being, according to the Duke of Cumberhmd's expression, " neither sea nor land forces." Lord Anson therefore considered the time now come for placing the marines on a different and better footing ; and, with this view, he matured a plan for the estabhshment of this excellent body of men as a separate corps, entirely distinct from the army, to act with the navy, when afloat, and to be regulated l)y a Marine IMutiny Act, when on shore, siinihir in its provisions to tliat for the army, and, like that, to be annually submitted to Parliament by the Admiralty ; ir. whom all promotion was to rest, and by whom they were to be governed and distributed, being placed, as expressed in the King's Order in Council, "under the entire and immediate command of the Lord High Admiral." This order, signed by the twenty-four Lords Jus- tices at the Council Joard, is dated ord Ai)ril, 1755 ; it authorizes a corps of 5000 marines to be raised and formed into fifty companies, to which officers and non-commissioned officers are to be a[)pointed from other corps, making in ^lie whole 5700, to be established, as their head- quarters, at Portsmouth, 1755.] THE SEVEN YEARS WAR. 235 Plymouth, and Chatham. On the 20th Nover;her of the same year, as ships of war were brought for- ward for service, thirty additional companies were ordered to be raised ; and on the 7th July, 1756, to keep pace with the increasing strength of the navy, twenty more companies, making one hundred ; and again, on the 1st March, 1757, the navy still increas- ing, thirty more companies were added ; and on the 'Sn\ March, 1759, they were still further augmented by one lieutenant, one serjeant, one corporal, one drum- mer, iiiii] twenty-three private men to each company, making, on the whole, a corps of about 18,0(30 marines. The preparations for war went on rapidly. By the end of April the Admiralty had eleven sail-of- the-line, fully manned and equipped, which were put under the command of Admiral Boscawen, one of the Lords of the Admiralty. He repaired to Ply- mouth, where he received on board two regiments, and on the 27th April put to sea, with the intention of taking up a station near the southern point of New- foundland for the purpose of watching the motions of the enemy, who, it was no longer doubted, had a squad- ron ready to proceed to that quarter. Scarcely, indeed, had he sailed when certain intelligence was received that a French fleet, consisting of twenty-live ships-of- the-line^ besides frigates and transports wnth warlike stores on board, and four thousand regular troops under the command of Baron Dieskau, were on the eve of departure. Every exertion Nvas made to get J n1 ■Li. 236 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. VI. ready {ind despjitcli Admiral Holbourne, with six sail- of-the-line and a frigate, to reinforce Boscawen. Early in May the French fleet put to sea from Brest, under the command of Admiral Macnamara, Avho proceeded only as lar as Sciliy, and returned to Brest Avith nine sail-of-the-line, leaving the rest of the fleet under the orders of M. Bois de la Mothe. Boscawen had not been many days off Cape Race, the southern point of Newfoundland, when he was informed that the French fleet had separated, part luiving gone up the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the rest through the Straits of Belleisle, the thick fogs that prevail here having kept the former division from his sight, though it must have passed at no great distance from him. Two ships» however, that had parted from the French fleet in the fog, happened to fall in with Captain Howe of the Dunkirk and Captain Andrews of die Defiance, who were detached to look out for the enemy's scpiadron. One of these w^as the Alcide of 64 guns and 480 men, the other the Lys, pierced for 54 guns^ but mounting only 22. Captain Howe made for the Alcide ; and when within pistol-shot, having iiailed her, he requested that her commander would accompany him to the admi- ral, then in sight at no great distance. The French captain asked him if it was war. Howe repeated his request, having, it would seem, no positive orders from the aihniral to attack. Boscawen, imagining that some })arley was going on, threw out the signal to 1755.] THE SEVEN YEARs' WAR. 237 engage. The decks of tUe Alcide were crowded with military officers, and among them were several ladies. Howe took off his hat and requested they would go below, as his orders were to fire ; fnd, as soon as the decks were cleared of the non-combatants, he poured in a broadside, which was returned, but in a short time Captain Houquart struck his colours. The Lys also struck to Captain Andrews ; she had eight compa- nies of soldiers on board and about 8000/. in money. The account of this action is given by Boscawen in a very vague and unsatisfactory manner, and Howe scarcely notices it in his log. It would also appejir that the admiral's private account to Lord Anson was not more intelligible, for, having sent it to his father- in-law, the chancellor, he returned it with the follow- ing letter, quite in the doubting style of a lord chan- cellor ! " I return your lordship a thousand thanks for the comnmnication of the enclosed private letter from Mr. Boscaw^en. It gives me nmch concern that so little has been done, rwce anything has been done at all. I apprehend that only two French ships have been taken, namely, 1' Alcide and the Lys ; but to me the account is so confused that I cannot say I quite take the detail of it. I hope the }>ublic letter is more clear. What is become of the rest of the French men-of-war that sailed from Europe ? for it seems to !ne tlie number that Bos- cawen met, together with those he saw in Louis- burgh harbour, do by no means come up to the iii i '. i M V, ' It 238 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CII. VI. n'iinlK-r tliat went on to America when Mjiciianiura left them." * The captnre of these t'vo ships undoubtedly fell far short of what the public expect(ul from the character of I^oscawen, and the force he had with him ; and yet it was hailed with f>reat joy, as the certain conunencement of hostilities, and as an act that had fairly conunitted us with the perfidious i»'o- vernment of France. When news of this action reached France, they affected great astonishment at so unox])ected an event, comphiined loudly of the attack on their shi])s-of-war, as a breach of national faitli, called us ro])bers and pirates ; and, after th(^ usual ebullition of al)use, their and)assador, M. de Mirepoix, was recalled from London, and M. de ]?ussy from ITanover, where he had just arrived, to attend George 11. in a public character. Yet no declaration of war Avas issued either on the [)art of France or England. An order, however, was given on our part to stop all French merchant-vessels, and bring them into port ; and it was extended to Ame- rica. Still it was clear that, for some particular reason, the French were desirous of avoiding a ',v^ar with England. Probably their system of encroach- ments on our North American settlements, and their grand plan oi uniting Canada and the J\Ii- sissippi by a line of forts, were not yet sutlicienily in progress to secure them against attack. * Anson's Collection. 1755.] THE SEVEN YEARS WAR. 239 The English government, however, were quite satisfied that the present position of the two coun- tries could lend only to war; and eijijhtee'^' -''il-ol- the-line were, by the extraordinary exertions (jf Anson and the olFicers selected by him, manned .ind fully equipjied in a very short time, and placed under the orders of Sir Edward HaAvke,* who put to sea towards the end of July, with the view of intercept- ini;' any Fr(;ncli shij)s-of-war that might leave the ports of the Channel, or the s(|uadron of liois de la Mothe, should it return to Europe, It would ap])(;ar, however, that England was still doubtful as to the line to be taken ; for a discussion was held in the cabinet, as to the nature of the instructions to be given to IIaA\'ke. Lord Waldegrave says the een ships before, 240 JFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. VI. tion was left to a select coniinittee, and gives the foll()wiiii( account of their proceedings. lie tells us that *' the preparations for war and all military operations were chiefly conducted by the Duke of Cumberland, Fox, and Lord Anson. An affair just now came under their consideration, of the greatest importance. A powerful fleet Avas ready to sail under the command of Sir Edward Hawke, and the King trusted to his regency to prepare proper instructions. Was Hawke to have hostile orders ? If hostile orders -were given, must they be unli- mited ? Ought war to be declared when the fleet sailed, or wer<3 we to commence hostilities with- out any declaration ? The Duke of Cumberland, naturally inclined to vigorous measures, seeing the nation impatient for war, it being also the general opinion that the en»jmy was yet unprepared, thought it advisable to strike the blow whilst our fury was at the greatest height : at the same time he was very sensible tnat, notwithstanding our very formidable fleet, we were not ourselves in such perfect readiness as mahy people imagined. •' On the other hand, the Duke of Newcastle, who was not fond of danger at a distance, and seldom gr3W bolder on its n^.a•er approacii, was for keeping off the storm as long as possible, and gave his opinion that Hawke should take a turn in the Channel, to exercise the fleet, without having any instructions whatsoever. ,i who Udoin ;ping his the any 1755.] THE SEVEN YEARS WAR. 241 " The Chancellor had more courage than tlie Duke of Newcastle ; hut, agreeahle to the connnon practice of the law, was against bringing the cause to an immediate decision. " Lord Anson, as usual, said little ; but, as an admiral, and first lord of the Admiralty, thought it became him to seem rather inclined to the spirited side of the question. ■ " After mature deliberation, it was resolved, that Haivke should sail loith hostile orders ; hut war was not to be declared. Either extreme," continues Lord Waldegrave, '* had been better than this com])romise ; for it was in our power to have remained quiet till we had been thoroughly prepared fcv •' 'tion ; or, if we were inclined to more vigorous L^easures, Hawke's departure might have been deferred a few days, the King might have been entreated to return to Eng- land, and war might have been immediately pro- claimed on his Majesty's arrival. " In which case, even our enemies must have allowed that we had acted fairly, and like men of spirit, who would not bear ill usage. " Whereas, on the contrary, without previous notice, we at once commence hostilities ; Ilawke, in pursuance of orders, seizes every trading-vessel which has the misfortune to meet him ; whereby a foundation is laid for nnich dispute and cavilling, perhaps, also, for a considerable retribution, if the war should prove unprosperous : and in the iiuian time we are called robbens and pirates.*" Lord Waldegruvo's Memoirs. R WW t-J ■t mi 242 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. VL Such was tlie situation of affairs in July, 1755, when Hawke sailed, under instructions signed hy the Lords Justices, which directed him to intercept and brint? into Portsmouth or Plymouth any ships of war or merchant-ships he may fall in with; but, if he hears that the French have connnitted hostilities by their shipii of war, or have connnissioned j)rivateers, he is then also to connnit hostility against the French, to take, sink, destroy, &c. Among the great number of merchant-ships and privateers that Sir Edward stop})ed and sent into port, he captured a French brig from Louisburgh, having a missionary on board, who had heen very active in fomenting the disturbances in America, on which account a j)rice had heen set upon his head hy the English. By this capture many important dis- coveries of the proceedings of the French, in that quarter, appeared from tlie ])apers which had been thrown overl)oar(l ; but which, by the weight at- tached to them having fallen off, were picked up by one of Sir Edward's ships. One great object of Hawke was to intercept a strong stjiuidron of French ships of war that had been sent to the West India colonies in the early part of the year ; but this S(j[uadron having put into Cadiz, and there learned that the British fleet was looking out for it, that object was defeated, and Sir Edward Hawke returned to Spithead. The command of a detachment of this Heet was now given to Admiral the Hon. John Byng, who hoisted 1755.] THE SEVEN years' WAR. 243 his flag vn hoard the Ramillies, having under him Kear-Adniiral West in the Buckingham. They sailed from Spithead on the 14th of October, and on the 1 4th November fell in with the Esperance, a French ship of seventy-four guns, which was attacked by tile Orlord, and afterwards by the Revenge, when she surrendered. She proved to be one of Perrier Salvert's s(|uadron, commanded by the Comte de Rouvet, was returning from Louisburgh, and had only three hundred men on board, of whom thirty were killed, and nearly douldethat number wounded. The; Esperance being an old ship, and the weather becoming extremely boisterous. Admiral Byng, as soon as it moderated, withdrew her men, and set her on lire. The fleet returned to Spithead on the 21st November. While matters thus remained in doubt and suspi- cion as to their issue, and no declaration of war pro- nudgated on either side, Lord Anson received in- telligence of the secret negociations, carrying on by the French, from a quarter he perhaps least suspected. Having sent, as in duty bound, the state and disposi- tion of the fleet to the King, who was then in Hanover, he received in return the following letter from Lord Iloldernesse, secretary of state, then with Lis Ma- jesty ;— "Hanover, August 3, 1755. " My dear Lord — I am greatly obliged to your Lord- ship for the honour of your letter of the 125th past, enclosing, for his Majesty's information, copies of the names, numbers, r2 1 I'i 244 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. VI. and statujiis of lils M.ijesty's ships at homo, and under the command of Sir Edward ITawke, or under orders for other necessary services. The King has never deviated in his approbation ot the wise measures taken by the Admiralty, under your Lordship's direction, and expressed himself par- ticularly satisfied that every branch of service was now so well provided for by the attention and foresight of the Lords of the Admiralty. " I have the King's leave to acquaint your Lordship with some intelligence of consequence his Majesty has lately re- ceived : the first is, that the French are endeavouring to persuiidc the Danes to fit out a squadron, under pretence of covering their trade from the insults of the English ; but in reality to protect I'rench effects under Danish colours ; whatever may ])c the reason of it, it is certain the Danes have augmented the ordinary number of their soamcM. France has likewise been tempting the Swedes to enter into their maritime views ; and, besides a proposal of the same sort with that made to Denmark, they are contracting in Sweden for vast quantities of timber and other materials for building ships, as also for guns of all sizes and sorts, both iron and brass. As soon as I learn any further particulars I shall not fail to send your Lordship notice ; in the mean time you will please to acquaint Sir Thomas Robinson and the Duke of Newcastle with the substance of this letter. . . I ever am, &c. &c. (Signed) "Holdernesse."* When the court of Versailles had satisfied itself that England was not to he cajoled by their profes- sions of a desire to come to an amicable arrangement ; that the meaning of their courteous conduct towards Mr. Lyttleton, governor of South Carolina, who had * Anson's Collection, No. 21 ;>. 1755.] Tin: SKVEN YEARS VAR. 245 been captured in liis Majesty's sliij) IMandford, of 20 guns, by a French squachon, and bolli ship and go- vernoi" ordered ; released, was Avell understood ; when the French, in short, discovered that Enghind was not to l)e duped, she changed her tone, and pub- licly gave out that, if England did not make proper satisfaction for the taking of his ships, the King of France would send, early next spring, an army of two hundred thousand men to invade the electorate of Hanover. Nay, they went beyond this, and caused it to be announced that the most vigorous exertions should immediately be put in practice, and the most ample preparations made, not only for the purpose of taking possession of his Majesty's electoral dominions, but, at the same time, for the invasion of Great Bri- tain and Ireland. The British ministry took this threat as intended in good earnest, and issued a public notice that, in case the French attempted to make an hostile invasion of this country, the inhabitants should cause all horses, oxen, and cattle to be driven, and removed at least twenty miles from that part of the coast, where any such attempt should be made. The King's message, on the 23rd March, 1756, confirmed the notion of invasion entertained by his ministers. His Majesty informed the Lords that " the great preparation of land-forces, ships, artillery, and warlike stores, now notoriously making in the ports of France opposite to the British coast, together with the language held by the French 1 I 4 II 'ft I li IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 1.1 12.8 ■10 ta ■tt Ui |2.2 lU ■IS •ss u i:^ 110 M |I.25||U ,.6 < 6" ► V y f c* Photographic Sdences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREf T WEBSTER, N.Y. MS80 (716) 873-4503 '^ .^% Q46 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. VI. ministers in some foreign courts, left no room to doubt of such a design." It was supposed, however, by some, that the French were prompted to these threat- ening measures, from the supposed weakness of tlie British ministry, and the well-known timidity of the Duke of Newcastle, then at the head of it. It ap- peared they were right, and the effect, which the enemy had calculated upon, was soon obviously pro- duced. The ministry did not disguise their alarm, th j nation seemed panic-struck, and a general desporid- ency prevailed. There was nothing wanting, however, to rouse the dormant spirit of the people but a foiTiial declaration of war ; and this was at length is- sued against France on the 18th May, and followed by a similar declaration, on the part of France, on the 18th June following. In the mean time the French actually marched down troops to various ports in the Channel, were it only to show to England that their threat of invasion was in earnest ; they made, at the same time, ostensible pre- parations for an invasion of Guernsey and Jersey. The British government sent reinforcements of troops to these islands, and the French abandoned the at- tempt. It was determined also that an expedition of ships and troops, on a small scale, should be sent to that part of the coast of France, to be employed in the protection of, and to give countenance as well as assistance to, those Channel islands; to harass the enemy's coast and trade ; and to take possession of 1756.] THE SEVEN YEARS WAR. 247 Chaussee and its islets, on which was stationed an Irish brigade in the service of France. Lord Anson, ever watchful overthe character and conduct of officers, selected Howe to be employed on this service, to which he was appointed in June, 1756. He hoisted a broad pendant in the Dunkirk frigate, and with seven smaller vessels under his orders, and tour trans- ports for the conveyance of troops, immediately put to sea. Having taken on board some troops at Jersey, he proceeded to the island of Chaussee, sunmioned the fort to surrender, which the commandant immediately complied with, on permission to be allowed to retire with military honours to Granville. To save the ex- pense of putting the works in repair, and leaving a large garrison for its defence, Howe blew up the for- tifications, and, finding that the French had moved off their troops towards Brest and the more western ports, and had abandoned any design they might have had on our Channel Islands, he returned to Plymouth, leaving part of his squadron to capture and annoy the enemy's coasting-trade. Ample supplies were now granted by Parliament ; 50,000 seamen, including 9000 marines, were voted ; the greatest exertions were used in the dock-yards, and large bounties were offered for volunteer seamen. The aimy was considerably augmented, and a regiment, chiefly of foreigners, was raised to be sent to North America. But that which tended mostly to revive the spirit of the nation was the change of administra- tion, that took place towards the end of November, ..'M I 248 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. VI. when the general dissatisfaction, loudly expressed against the existing ministers, Avas at its height, oc- casioned chiefly by for their not having taken timely steps to prevent the invasion of the islf. nd of Minorca, of the preparations for which at Toulon they had received early information. They had, it is true, sent Admiral Byng and Rear- Admiral West, with ten sail-of-the-line, part of the western squadron in the command of which both these flag-officers were, to the Mediterranean, which sailed from St. Helen's on the 10th April, 1756. The Admiral had been de- layed just one month after receiving his appointment, on account of his ships being generally short of their complements of men. He complained, previous to his sailing, of his force being unequal to that of the enemy; but, as there was a small squadron under Captain Edgecumbe, already in the Mediterranean, which, when united with that from England, would make him equal, if not superior, to anything the French could have at sea in that quarter, it was not deemed necessary to increase it at home, where the alarm of invasion was still kept up by the ministers. Byng was ordered to call at Gibraltar for a detach- ment of troops equal to a battalion, for the relief of Minorca. The engineers there gave it as their opi- nion, that, " all circumstances considered, it would be extremely dangerous, if not impracticable, to throw succours into Fort St. Philip." Governor Fowke called a council of war, which resolved " that the sending such a detachment would evidently 1756.] THE SEVEN YEARS WAR. 249 Aveaken the garrison of Gibraltar, and be noways effectual to the relief of Minorca." But, as Mr. Edgecunibe's squadron had left its marines at Fort Philip, the governor gave 232 officers and privates to act as marines. Byng wrote a complaining letter, of the 4th May, from Gibraltar to the Secretary of the Admiralty, al- most anticipating defeat, from the superior strength of the French ships at Toulon ; in this letter he says, " If I should fail in the relief of Port Mahon, I shall look on the security and protection of Gibraltar as my next ob- ject, and shall repair down here with my squadron.** Being joined by the ships under Captain Edgecumbe, he sailed from Gibraltar on the 8th May ; on the 19th got sight of Minorca ; and on the 20th, the two fleets formed each their line of battle, the English having the weather- gage. As much has been said of the inferiority of the British force, it may be right, before proceeding further, to give their comparative strength, with the result of the action as to killed and wounded. BRITISH LINE OF BATTLE. (Division.)— The Hon. J. Byng, Admiral. Guns. Men. Commandeis. Killed. Wounded, Kingston 60 400 Capt. W. Parry . Deptford 50 300 — J. Amherst . . CuUoden 74 600 — W.Ward . . Ramillies 90 750 Hon. J. Byng Capt. A. Gardiner Trident . 64 500 — Ph.Durcll . . Princess Louisa 60 400 — Hon. T. Noel . 4 13 Revenge • 64 500 — F. Cornwall . . m '41 •i 250 LIFE OP LORD ANSON. [CH. VI. (Division.)— Temple West, Esq., Rbar-Admiral. Intrepid . Captain . . Buckingham Lancaster . Portland . Defiance . Total Guns. 64 64 68 66 50 fiO 834 Men. 500 500 535 520 300 400 ComraanderR. Killml. Capt. J. Young . 9 — Ch. Catford . . 6 jRear-Adm. Westl „ tCapt.Everitt ' "^ — Hon.G.Edgecumbo 1 — P. Baird — T. Andrews . OiinB. 6205 FRIGATES. Chesterfield 40 Phoenix 20 Fortune 14 Experiment 20 Dolphip 2U FRENCH LINE OF BATTI.E. 6 14 43 Wounded. 39 30 7 14 20 45 168 Men. 250 160 100 160 160 FouUroyant 84 950 Total 800 8250 10 Couronne . . 74 800 ICapt. L'Aiguille J M. delaClue Capt. de Gabanous 3 Le Rcdoutable . 74 800 (M. de Glendeves | {Capt. de Marion- } I ville J 12 39 Le Guerrier 74 800 C— Villar de la ) I Brosse. J 43 Le Tcmerairc . 74 800 — de Beaumont \ de Matii'- J 15 Le Triton . . 64 600 '— de Mercier . . 8 14 Le Lion . . , 64 600 — do St. Aignan . 2 7 Le Content . . 64 600 — de Salieu Gram-I mont. ) 5 19 Le Sage . . 64 800 — de Revert . . 8 L'Orj: .^ie . . 64 600 — de Raimondis . 10 9 Le Fier . . 50 550 — de Hervillte. . 4 L'Hippopotamc 50 5J0 — de Rochraere . 2 10 41 181 175G.] THE SEVEN YEARS* WAR. 251 FRIGATES. Gum. Men. LaJunon 46 SOU La Rose . 32 260 La Gracieuso 42 2A0 LaTopaze 28 Q^O LaNymphe 28 250 The French ships always have been, and still con- tinue to be, better manned, as to numbers, than ours, and their metal is generally heavier ; but the small disparity between the two fleets, above enumerated, is only just as much as a gallant English admiral would rather wish it to be than otherwise. The clamour therefore raised against the Admiralty, for sending out so inferior a force, was far beyond what it merited. The Admiral's account of the action is very long, and one of his complaints was that it had been garbled, and a great part of it omitted in the Gazette. That which explains the rencontre is as follows : — " As soon as I judged the rear of our fleet the length of their van, we tacked altogether, and immediately made the signal for the ships that led, to lead large, and for the Dept- ford to quit the line, that ours might become equal to theirs. At two I made the signal to engage : I found it was the surest method of ordering every ship to close down on the one that fell to their lot; and here I must express my great satisfaction at the very gallant manner in which the rear-admiral set the van the example, by instantly bearing down on the ship he was to engage with his second, and who occasioned one of the French ships to begin the en- 252 LIFE OP LORD ANSON. [CH. VI. gagcmcnt, which they did by raking ours as they went down. The Intrepid, unfortunately, in the very beginning, had her fore-topmast shot away ; and, as that hung on her fore-top- sail, and backed it, he had no command of his ship, his fore- tack and all his braces being cut at the same time ; so that he drove on the next ship to him (the Revenge), and obliged that and the ship a-head of me to throw all aback." [These were the Princess Louisa and Trident.] " This obliged me to do also for a few minutes, to avoid their falling on board me, though not before we had drove our adversary out of the line, who put before the wind, and had several shot fired at him from his own admiral. This not only caused the enemy's centre to be unattacked, but the rear-admiral's division to be uncovered for some little time. I sent and called to the ships ahead of me to make sail and go down on the enemy, and ordered the Chesterfield to lay by the Intrepid, and the Deptford to supply the Intrepid's place. I found the enemy edged away constantly ; and, as they went three feet to our one, they would never permit our closing with them, but took the advantage of destroying our rigging ; for, though I closed the rear-admiral fast, I found I could not gain close to the enemy, whose van was fairly drove from their line ; but their admiral was joining them, by bearing aw^ay." This, it must be confessed, is not a very intelli- gible account, but it shows no want of nerve in Byng by detaching one of his ships from the line, because he had one more in number than the enemy ; for, though the old fighting instructions very cavalierly enjoin this, yet it was always on the understanding that the combatants should be pretty nearly ship for ship, on an equality of strength, which was not the 1756.] THE SEVEN YEARS WAR. 253 case here. His order for each ship to bear down and engage her opponent is precisely what Howe did near forty years after, when this brave officer had brought his signals to that degree of perfection which enabled him at any time to change the order of the fleet, if found necessary ; whereas it is clear that Byng, amidst that disaster which paralysed his own and the efforts of three other ships for a time, had no other means of making his communications than by calling in and despatching a frigate or frigates with verbal orders, which caused the delay, and thereby prevented him from " doing his utmost." It was owing to this short delay, and Admiral West's division having driven the enemy's opposing division out of the line, which gave to the French fleet the opportunity of making the best of their way unmo- lested into the harbour of Port Mahon ; — and Fort Philip, after the determination of Byng to proceed with his fleet to Gibraltar, and a brave resistance, fell into the hands of the enemy. The first intelligence that reached England of the Mure of Byng's expedition was the copy of a letter from the Spanish minister at Paris to M. D'Abreu, the Spanish resident in England, which had been received from Galissoniere, the French admiral ; it stated that the English seemed unwilling to fight him ; that the engagement had not been general, for the English kept trop serres ; that two or three English ships had sheered off; that night separated the fleets; that he (Galissoniere) had lost thirty- 254 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. VI. eight men, and liad nint; oflicei'H wounded ; that he hud taken no English ship, but had prevented their throwing succours into Mahon ; that he had expected to have been attacked again the next day, but, to his great surprise, found the English had disappeared. It can scarcely be believed, if it was not an official and historical fact, that immediately, on the strength of this vapouring account from the enemy's Jidmiral (for no other intelligence had reached England), the ministry despatched Sir Edward Hawke and Admiral Saunders in the Antelope frigate to supersede Ad- mirals Byng and West, and to arrest and bring them prisoners to England. This feverish and unusual expedition was at once Byng's condemnation, and it had that effect on the public mind. In this frigate was also sent a little cargo of courage, as it was called, in the persons of Lord Tyrawley, the actual governor of Minorca, where he ought to have been on the first appearance of hostilities, and Lord Pan- mure to supersede General Fowke at Gibraltar. Public indignation was roused at the receipt and publication of the letter of the French admiral ; but, on the arrival of Admiral Byng's own despatch, which, it is true, as he says, was garbled before it went to the Gazette, the rage of the people rose to the greatest height. Poor Byng was burnt in efl&gy in all the great towns ; his seat and park in Hertfordshire were assaulted by the mob, and with difl&culty saved. The streets and shops swarmed with injurious ballads, libels, and caricature prints, in some of which was 1756.J THE SEVEN TEARS* WAR. 255 mingled a little justice on the ministers, who were uccused of neglect in nut despatching u Heet sooner, and an inelficient one when they did. "But," says Walpole, **if the clamours of the })eople rose on tlie confirmation of this misfortune, so did the terrors of the administration. The very first effects of their fear showed that, if they had neglected Minorca, they were at least prepared to transfer the guilt to others. They descended even to ad* vertise in the Gazette that orders were sent to every port to arrest Admiral Byng in case he should not have been met by Sir Edward Hawke. All the little attorneys on the circuit contributed to blow up the flame against the admiral, at the same time directing its light from the original cri- minals.'* On the 26th July the prisoners arrived at Ports- mouth. Admiral Byng was immediately committed to close confinement, and doomed suddenly to ex- perience a most melancholy incident. His younger brother, who had hastened down to meet him, was so struck with the abuse he found wherever he passed, that he fell alarmingly ill on the first sight of the ad- miral, and died the following day in convulsions. " What a cruel star' (says Lady Torrington, his sister- in-law, in a private note from Southill) ** presides over this family at present. Last Friday night an express came from Admiral Byng at Portsmouth, to acquaint me with the melancholy account of Col. £. Byng*s 250 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [Cll. VI. death, unci to desire my leave lor his hotly to he hrougiit to Southiil, and interred in the family vault. It is some consolation to hear the admiral makes not the least doubt but that he shall be able to show, that he has acted in every respect like an officer. It must have been a shocking incident to have his brother come to him on Wednesday and die on Thursday morning." Byng, however, on recovering from this shock, expressed no other emotion but that of surprise at the rigorous reception he had met with, jind persisted in declaring that he hud beaten the French, and made them retire to their port. West, to whose gallantry Byng had testified, and which was generally reported, being left at large, proceeded to London, and was carried to court by Lord Anson. The King said to West, *• I am glad to hear you have done your duty so well ; I wish everybody else had." From Portsmouth Byng, strictly guarded, at once to secure him from the mob, and inflame their resentment, was transferred to Greenwich Hospital.* It would appear however that there was another motive, though a weak one, for his being so guarded. By a note in Lord Anson's writing, without date, without place, without address, evi- dently Avritten in great haste, in answer to a question put to him (probably by Mr. Fox), it would appear they were apprehensive he might escape. — "Dear * The brutal governor of the hospital, Townsend, on his arrival at night, caused him to be placed in one of the garrets, in an unfurnished chamber, save a deal table and a chair, the window barred with iron, and, it is said, an iron bar across the chimney, to prevent his escape. 1756.] THE SEVEN YEARS' WAR. 257 fell*," writes Anson, •' I um entirely of your opinion with ret^urd to the securing A(hniral liyng in the Tower, for I do think (from his former situation in the fleet) he might have a chance to escape, if he lias any sucii intention. A hotter is wrote to tlie Secretary of War for a strong guard to hring him to town from Portsmouth." Fowive, in tl»e mean time, was tried hy court-martial for disohedience of orders in refusing to send the regiment from Gibrahar, and his sentence was suspension for one year, for having mistaken his orders ; l)ut the moh and the ministers recpiired a victim, and therefore Fowke was broken ])y order of the King. Next came an address to the Kinnj from Dorsetshire, which was followed by others from seven or eight coun- tiesand great towns, demandingan inquiry into the loss of Minorca, and justice on the culpable. But the most dictatorial was that from the city of London, " to which," says Walpole, *' the trembling ministers persuaded the King to pledge his royal word, that he would save no delinquent from justice, — a most inhuman pledge, and too religiously kept." Walpole further says, that " the Duke of Newcastle, with a volubility of timorous folly, when a deputation from the city had made representations to him against the admiral, blustered out, * Oh, indeed, he shall be tried imme- diately, he shall be hanged directly.' " Newcastle was in the habit of uttering foolish things, but Walpole himself, or some of his city friends, must have said this for him. s 258 LIFE OP LORD ANSON. ^ ^M [CH. VI. A quarrel between Fox and Newcastle brought the ministry, already unpopular enough, into a totter- ing and precarious state. The quarrel was increased by a prevailing opinion that Mr. Pitt was likely to be taken into administration. But the King disliked Pitt for the same reason that he disliked Sandwich. He had not only spoken disrespectfully of Hanover, but opposed supplies for that country, which made the king say, *' I am sure Pitt will not do my business." So unpopular, indeed, had the present ministry become, that Fox was clear-sighted enough to discover it could not stand much longer, and hud therefore been laying his ground for a retreat, or at least for a change of situation. There is a note from him to Lord Anson, which must have caused the latter some little uneasiness, in guessing what was meant therein. It runs thus : — " My dear Lord — When can I see your lordship Lalf an hour, to tell you a very unpleasant story, which I did not mention before, because I knew it would not please, and might embarrass you ? I do assure vour lordship I am in all situations as much at your service, and as affectionately so as any man in England. « Wlufehally Oct. 19, 1750." *' Yours ever, H. Fox. Lord Anson could not long be kept in the dark respecting this " very unpleasant story," even had he not seen Fox speedily. He would soon have been informed that Fox, the preceding day, had sought and obtained an audience of the King. " That I 1756.] THE SEVEN YEARS WAR. 259 moment the King was sour, but endeavoured to keep his temper, yet made no concessions, no request to the retiring minister to stay." After a great deal of ne- gociation, scheming, and intriguing by those goingout, as well as those who wished to come in, the ministers, finding matters grow worse, decided on reti*eating,and the Duke of Newcastle and the Chancellor resigned on the 19th November ; others soon followed, and the new appointments stood thus : — The Duke of Devon- shire took the place of Newcastle, as First Lord of the Treasury ; the Great Seal was put in commission ; Mr. Pitt was Secretary of State in the room of Mr. Fox ; Mr. Legge Chancellor of the Exchequer ; Lord Temple, First Lord of the Admiralty ; and Admirals Boscawen, West, and Forbes, with Dr. Hay, Elliot, and Orby Hunter, Lords of the Admiralty. The change of administration produced two parties, not only in Parliament, but in the country, — for and against Admiral Byng. The friends of the old ministers were clamorous against him, and those of the new ones equally so against their predecessors, f >r having sent him out with an inferior force, — for employing, on such an occasion, an untried admiral (whose cause thej nevertheless affected to espouse), — and for theii delay and gross neglect of sending succours to Minorca. The press readily caught the infection, and squibs and pamphlets were written on both sides. Among others, Doctor Johnson entered the lists. *' The generosity," says Boswell, '' with which he pleads the cause of Admiral l>yng is highly s -2 m 260 LIFE OP LORD ANSON. [CH. VI. to the honour of his heart and spirit. Though Voitaire affects to be witty upon the fate of that unfortunate officer, observing that he was shot, ^ pour encourager les autres^ * the nation has long been satisfied that his life was sacrificed to the political fervour of the times." The acute editor of Boswell's " Life of Johnson " does not entirely agree to this. He says, ** Nothing can be more unfounded than the assertion that Byng fell a martyr to political party. It is im- possible to read the trial without being convinced that he had misconducted himself ; and the extraordinary proceedings in both houses of Parliament subsequent to his trial, prove at once the zeal of his friends to invalidate the finding of the court-martial, and the absence of all reason for doing so. By a strange coincidence of circumstances, it happened that there was a total change of ministry between his condem- nation and his death ; so that one party presided at his trial, and another at his execution : there can be no stronger proof that he was not a political martyr."f If this were so, what sort of proof would such a cir- cumstance furnish? But the fact is not quite as stated. The ministry was changed the 19th No- vember, the trial commenced on the 28th December, the sentence (his condemnation) was not passed till the 27th January, and the execution took place on the * Boswell is mistaken ; the wit was meant as a satire upon the English people, not on the admiral's fate — a fate which did encourage, by rousing naval officers to a higher sense of responsibility, and to that spirit and enterprise, revived under an indignant feeling of the sacrifice made to popular clamour, t Boswell says the sacrifice was to the *' political fervour of the times." 1756.1 THE SEVEN YEARS WAR. 261 14th March ; so tliat one party (the new ministry) presided at his trial, his condemnation, and his execu- tion. JMallet, who was said to be always ready at all kinds of work, whether verse or prose, took the other side of the question. " Johnson," says Boswell, " spoke of him with no great respect," called him " a beggarly Scotchman, ready for any dirty job," said *' he had wrote against Byng at the instigation of the (old) ministry, and was equally ready to write for him, provided he found his account in it." In his * Lives of the Poets,' however, Johnson is rather more gentle with Mallet. " In the beginning of the last war," he says, " when the nation was exasperated by ill success, he was employed to turn the public vengeance upon Byng, and wrote a letter of accusa- tion under the character of a *' Plain Man'' The paper was with great industry circulated and dis- persed ; and he, for his seasonable intervention, had a considerable pension bestowed upon him, which he retained to his death." This is not probable : the party for whom he was writing, being out of office, were, consequently, out of power, and therefore had not the means of granting pensions. But he may not be far from the truth in his assertion about Mallet being employed by the old ministry. There is a letter of the ex-chancellor Hardwicke to Lord Anson, which connects him with Mallet and his pamphlet. It is as follows : — 262 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. VI. " Wimpole, Oct. lOM, 1756. *' My dear Lord — I have taken the opportunity of the Marquess of Rockingham's doing me the honour of a visit, to return [hy his servant) to Mr. Cleveland the manuscript of Mr. Mallet's pamphlet. I had read it quite through, and, upon the whole, cannot find much fault with it, though I must own I am not much enamoured with it. But this entre nous, for authors of this kind must not be discouraged by too much criticism. However, I have ventured to put down in the enclosed sheet of paper some remarks and queries, which I desire your lordship will take the trouble to peruse, and to consider whether you think any of them improper, especially in what relates to maritime affairs and dispositions. Whatever you shall disapprove in this paper of mine, I desire you will strike out, and then deliver it to Mr. Cleveland, with my request to him to copy it over fair, and forthwith send such copy to Mr. Mallet, keeping my original. My reason (which I will tell your lordship) for taking this method is, that I am not fond of giving a handle to be named as a joint author with this gentleman ; but I have writ him a very civil letter, wherein I have informed him that he will very soon receive such a paper from Mr. Cleveland. I have also modestly suggested to him to add something further, by way of observation and argument, upon the points of conduct chiefly objected to, for in that part I suspect the performance to be chiefly deficient. *' Ever yours, " Hardwicke."* As an inquiry into the loss of Minorca was called for in the House of Commons, in which the conduct * Anson's Collection, No. 345. 1756.] THE SEVEN YEARS WAR. 263 of the Admiralty would be investigated, it Avas natural enough that Lord Hardwicke as former Lord Chan- cellor, and Anson as late First Lord of the Admiralty, should interest themselves in preparing for their justi- fication. That they were busily so employed, appears from several letters of Lord Hardwicke. In one he says, the papers he has perused are long, " but they show the several intelli fences and facts in a clear light, being divided methodically, and applied to the different questions ; so that they appear to me to make a complete justification. But," he adds, "it is necessary that they should be carefully read over to your lordship, especially to have two or three things more fully explained relative to the metier of the Admiralty." As the time for the debate on the inquiry ap- proached. Lord Hardwicke thus writes, on 2nd February, to Lord Anson : — " As Mr. Townshend has given notice to make his motion the next week, and, I presume, will do so, if the gout and the frost will permit Mr. Pitt to come down, I take the liberty of reminding your lordship forthwith to consult with Mr. Cleveland about the ans^vers to be given to any objections or observations that may be thrown out by our adversaries, as to the practicability of sending part of the western squadron to the Me- diterranean in March last. 'Tis possible that they may not hit upon it ; l)ut it is necessary to be pre- pared with the proper answers." n: ' 264 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH.VI. It appears, however, that neither the gout nor the frost prevented Pitt from going down. ** Pretend- ing," says Walpole, ** to wave the care of a broken constitution, when Iiis country demanded his service, and, as a pledge of his sincerity in the scrutiny, he came to the discussion in all the apparatus of a theatric valetudinarian. The weatlier was unseason- ably warm ; yet he Avas dressed in an old coat and waistcoat of beaver, laced with gold ; over that a red surtout, the right arm lined with fur, and appendant with many black ribands, to indicate his inability of drawing it over his right arm, which hung in a crape sling, but which., in the warmth of speaking, he drew out with unlucky activity, and brandished as usual ; on his legs were riding stockings. In . short, no aspiring Cardinal ever coughed for the Tiara with more specious debility. This mummery was covered over with candour ; he acquiesced in every softening term proposed by the advocates of the late criminals ; his justice shrunk behind the apprehen- sions of personality ; moderation was the sole virtue of a censor. The loss of Minorca, he avowed, he meant to charge on the Avhole government ; for the whole government could not be punished."* The issue of this long threatened inquiry turned out, in fact, to be neither more nor less than a complete justification of the old ministry. Several Walpolc's Memoirs. 1757.] THE S'EYEh YEARS WAR. 265 resolutions were proposed, the drift of wliicli was to show that the former ministers had grounds for believing in the threatened invasion of Great Britain, rather than a design on Minorca ; and " the courtiers," says Walpole, " having, on the last day of the committee, moved a resolution that no greater force could have been sent to the Mediterranean under ]\Ir. Byng, triumph itself blushed at so palpable a falsehood; and the victorious majority shrunk to seventy-eight, many retiring, and many of the more independent sort joining the minority ; and," he adds, sneeringly, '* the late cabinet, to their great disappointment, were forced to sit down contented, without receiving the thanks of the House of Commons for the loss of IMinorca." Thirteen years after this (in 1770), when the Spaniards attempted to bully this country, on the subject of the Falkland Islands, the great Lord Chatham, in his splendid speech on that occasion, said, ** Consult the returns that were laid before Parliament in the year 1756. I was one of those who urged a Parliamentary inquiry into the conduct of the ministry. That ministry, my lords, in the midst of universal censure and reproach, had honour and virtue enough to promote the inquiry themselves. They scorned to evade it by the mean expedient of putting a previous question. Upon the strictest inquiry it appeared that the diligence tliey had used in sending a squadron to the Mediterranean, and in 266 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. VL their other naval preparations, was beyond all ex- ample." Thus this part of the business was settled in fa- vour of Anson and his colleagues ; but not so the fate of the unhappy Byng. After a long and close confinement, under pretence that he might es- cape, a step which it was most unlikely he should ever have thought of attempting, he was brought before a court-martial assembled on board his Ma- jesty's ship St. George, in Portsmouth harbour, on the 28th December, 1756, and held every day after- wards, Sundays excepted, till the 27th January, 1757, inclusive. The Court, consisting of Thomas Smith, Esq., Vice- Admiral of the Red, President, three rear-admirals, and nine captains, having agreed to thirty-seven resolutions, (the last five of which imputed blame to Admiral Byng,) by the fifth and final one, adjudged him to be shot to death. These five, being the most important, were as follow : — *' 33. Unanimously. The Court are of opinion that Ad- miral Byng did not do his utmost to relieve St. Philip's Castle, in the island of Minorca, then besieged by the forces of the French king. " 34. Unanimously. The Court are of opinion that Ad- miral Byng, during the engagement between his Majesty's fleet under his command, and the fleet of the French king, on the 20th May last, did not do his utmost to take, seize, and destroy the ships of the French king, which it was his duty to have engaged, and to assist such of his Majesty's 1757.] THE SEVEN YEARS WAR. 267 ships as were cni?a}Ted in fight with the French ships, which it was his duty to have assisted. •* 35. Unanimously. It .appears by the evidence of Lord Robert Bertie, Lieutenant- Colonel Smith, Captain Gardiner, and by other officers of the ship, who were near the person of the Admiral, that they did not perceive any backwardness in the Admiral during the action, or any marks of fear or confusion, eit.iir from his countenance or behaviour, but that he seemed to give his orders coolly and distinctly, and did not seem wanting in personal courage. " 36. Unanimously. Resolved, that the Admiral appears to fall under the following part of the 12tli article of the Articles of War, to wit : ' Or shall not do his utmost to take or destroy every ship which it shall be his duty to engage; and to assist and relieve all and every of his Majesty's ships which it shall be his duty to assist and relieve.' '* 37. Resolved, as that article positively prescribes death, without any alternative left to the discretion of the Court, under any variation of circumstances, that he be adjudged to be shot to death at such time, and on board such ship as the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty shall direct. But as it appears by the evidence of Lord Robert Bertie, Lieutenant- Colonel Smith, Captain Gardiner, and other officers of the ship, who were near the person of the Admiral, that they did not perceive any backwardness in him during the action, or any marks of fear or confusion, either from his countenance or behaviour, but that he seemed to give his orders coolly and distinctly, and did not seem wanting in personal courage, and, from other circumstances, the Court do not believe that his misconduct arose either from cowardice or disaffection ; and do therefore unanimously 268 LIFE OF LORD ANSON, [cn. VI. tlruk it their duty most earnestly to rccomincnd him as a pr()j)cr object of mercy. The sentence was therefore drawn U]> and passed accordingly." The Court, however, with u proper feeling of clemency towards the unfortunate prisoner, and as a relief to their own consciences, addressed a letter to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, of which the following is a copy : — *' We, the underwritten, the president, and members of the court-martial, assembled for the trial of Admiral Byng, believe it unnecessary to inform your lordships that, in the whole course of this long trial, we have done our utmost endeavours to come at truths, and to do the strictest justice to our country and the prisoner ; but we cannot help laying the distresses of our minds before your lordships on this occasion, in finding ourselves under a necessity of condemn- ing a man to death, from the great severity of the 1*2 th article of war, part of which he falls under, and which admits of no mitig^ition, even if the crime should be com- mitted by an error in judgment only, and, therefore, for our own conscience's sakes, as well as in justice to the prisoner, we pray your lordships in the most earnest manner to re- commend him to his Majesty's clemency. The only course for the Lords of the Admiralty to pursue was such as one might suppose could not have been mistaken ; yet, unhappily, it was so. It might not have occurred to Lord Temple, or the other new lords of the Admiralty, but it ought not to have been overlooked by Boscawen, who, having had a seat at Anson's Board, and continuing 1757.] THE SEVEN YEARS* WAR. 269 under Temple, ou^ht to have known the usual course of proceeding. The sentence pronounced on Admiral JJyng was not from a conviction of its lustice, but one that inevitable necessity compelled the Court to give; and all that remained for them to do, under such unhappy circumstances, and what they did, was to endeavour to j)alliate that sentence by entreating their lordships, in the most earnest manner, to recommend him to the mercy of his Majesty. Such a recommend- ation, from such a quarter, is seldom disregarded, and, when supported by the Admiralty to the throne, never. There was indeed one instance, a i^w years back, in which the sovereign resisted the recommendation of the Lords of the Admiralty to conmiute the sentence of death for one of transport- ation for life ; but, on its being represented to him, by his ministers, that :- refusal of the royal clemency in such a case was unusual, and would be highly un- popular, he immediately signed the submisssion for mercy. But the Admiralty, in the case of Byng, did not proceed in this manner. They wrote a long letter to the King, enclosing a copy of the charge de- livered to Admiral Byng, of the thirty-seven resolu- tions of the court-mai-tial, and of the sentence, with various other documents ; and they stated to his Majesty, •' that doubts having arisen with regard to the legality of the sentence, particularly whether the crime of negligence, which is not expressed in any part of the proceedings, can, in this case, be supplied f 'if' 270 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [cn. VI. by iniplicfttion ; we find ourselves obliged most buiubly to beseech your Majesty that the opinion of the judges maybe taken whether the saiil)? out of town does not look like u present disposition to accept. *' One of the most remarkable parts of your letter is the discourse; which your lordship heard from some of the duke's (Cundierland) servants. It will be a curious addition to the extraordinary (svents of the times, if, after the im- mediate necessity of the duke's journey has been made the pretence for accelerating this change, his Highness should not go at all. I have no notion of any dilHculty in getting to the German army ; but if there are difllcultiess in forming it, i mean in making it strong enough, one of the first mill -stones which this new ministry must take about their necks must be to make it stronger. " Most affectionately yours, " Haudwicke."* During the long interval, in which negociations fur forming an administration were carrying on, the King's patience was abundantly tried. He sent for the Duke of Newcastle, who wished to have every- thing his own way — for Fox, ^vho would have Pitt '*' Anson's Collection, No. 198. :i i fir I 286 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. VII, and Temple dismissed — for Lord Mansfield, who could make no progress — for Lord W^aldegrave, who consented to accept the treasury temporarily, whose opinion was taken, and who gave the King the best advice; recommended Pitt, and told his Majesty that, though he disliked Hanover, he would be tractable. His account of his audience is curious. " His Majesty heard everything I said with great patience, and answered with some cheerfulness, that, according to my description, his situation was not to be envied ; but he could answer me, it was infinitely more dis- agreeable than I represented it ; that he believed few princes had been exposed to such treatment ; that we were angry, because he was partial to his electorate, though he desired nothing more to be done for Hanovci than what we were bound in honour and justice to do for any country whatsoever, when it was exposed to danger entirely on our account. " That we were, indeed, a very extraordinary people, continually talking of our constitution, laws, and liberty; that, as to constitution, he allowed it to be a good one, and defied any man to produce a single instance wherein he had exceeded his proper limits ; that he never meant to screen or protect any servant who had done amiss ; but still he had a right to choose those who were to serve him, though, at present, so far from having an option, he was not even allowed a negative. 1757.] EXPEDITIONS TO FRENCH COAST. 287 It a Der It at ot •* That, as to our laws, we passed near a hundred every session, which seemed made for no other pur- pose but to afford us the pleasure of breaking them ; and, as to our zeal for liberty, it was in itself highly commendable; but our notions must be somewhat singular, when the chief of the nobility chose rather to be the dependents and followers of a Duke of Newcastle, than to be the friends and counsellors of their sovereign." The King regretted much the loss of Lord Hard- wicke, who had made up his mind never again to take office. '' Lord Hardwicke," says Lord Walde- grave, " resigned the Great Seal, much to the regret of all dispassionate men, and, indeed, of the nation in general. He had been Chancellor near twenty years, and was inferior to few who had gone before him, having executed that high office with integrity, diligence, and uncommon abilities." To Lord Temple the King had the strongest aversion, his lordship having a pert familiarity, which is not always agreeable to majesty ; besides, in the affiiir of Admiral Byng, he had used some insolent expressions, which the King would never forgive. " He went so far," says Walpole, '* as to sketch out some parallel l)etween the monarch himself and .he admiral, in which the advantage did not lie on the side of the battle of Oudenarde." He expressed his dislike to Pitt and Lord Temple in very strong terms, the substance of which was, that " the secretary m m B m 288 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. VII. made liim long speeches, which possibly might be very fine, but were greatly beyond his comprehension, and that his letters were affected, formal, and pe- dantic." " That, as to Temple, he was so disagreeable a fellow, there was no bearing him ; that, when he at- tempted to argue, he was pert, and sometimes insolent ; that, when he meant to be civil, he was exceeding troublesome, and that in the business of his office he was totally ignorant." *' He made use of a strong expression : * Tell him (the Duke of Newcastle) I do not look upon myself as king, whilst I am in the hands of these scoun- drels.' "* At length Lord Hardwicke, being called in, suc- ceeded in forming an administration, of which Wal- pole, after giving the heads of it, says — '* Fox ac- cepted the Pay-office, professing great content, and that he should offend neither in thought, word, or deed. Both Newcastle and Pitt acted wisely in permitting him to enjoy this place ; he was tied up from giving them i'.uy trouble ; and, while serving for interest under Pitt, how much did it exalt the latter ! Yet the latter, too, took care to deserve his share of the reproach. Adjusting their list with Lord Hard- wicke, Pitt said he missed a very respectable name there, which he hoped to be placed, greatly : it was * Lord Waldegrave's Memoirs. mg the IViiS 1757.] EXPEDITIONS TO FRENCH COAST. 289 Lord Anson's ; and he was restored to the Admi- ralty — whether with more opprobrium to himself, who returned to that Board with Pitt's set, abandon- ing his own, who had been disgraced with him, or to Pitt, who restored so incapable an object to a trust so wretchedly executed, I am in doubt to deter- mine." This consistent writer of Memoirs, just two years before, in 1755, thus records his opinioi: of the cha- racter of this incapable object of 1757 — "Lord An- son, attentive to, and in general expert in, maritime details, selected with great care the best officers, and assured the King, that, in the approaching war, he should at least hear of no courts-martial." And again, in the same year, he says — " By the beginning of February, our fleet of Jiirty ships of the line had been fitted out with equal spirit and expedition. Lord Anson had great merit in that province, where he presided." — So utterly worthless is his tes- timony. Walpole, however, contrived to get general inform- ation of whai was going on in the political world ; but, in the present instance, it is not necessary to have recourse to him, as the Ex- Chancellor Hardwicke, who was sent for by the King, and had the full arrangement of the new administration, has ac- quainted Lord Ansoii with the details of the transac- tion. V W m :: : 290 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. VII. " Powis House, June 18, 1757. "My dear Lord, Saturday nicjJit, 11 o clock. " Ycu will probably bo surprised at receivings this letter from me by the King's messenger ; but it will make me more happy than ever I was in my life, if the subject of it shall be as agreeable to your Lordship as it is to me. You have heard how the administration projected under Mr. Fox failed this day se'ennight, in the very moment it was to have been carried into execution, and he was just going into the closet to receive the Exchequer- seal. On Tuesday night the King, by the Duke of Devonshire, ordered mc to attend him on Wednesday morning. I have since had the honour of several audiences of his Majesty ; some of them most uneasy and painful ones, though without any anger towards me. My first orders were, for the Duke of Newcastle and myself to negociate some settlement of an administration with Mr. Pitt and his friends, under certain restrictions, from which his Majesty declared he would never depart. \\\ the course of my audience, I told his Majesty that I could take no part at all, unless some honourable re- gard was shown to your Lordship, though I could not just then point out the particular thing; that I had told the gentlemen with whom we had conferred the same thing, and had previously humbly conveyed it to his Majesty. " In his subsequent discourse the King, in aggravating the inconveniences that would arise from this new plan, told me with warmth, that resignations had been talked of; that, in the way we were going, there would be resignations enough ; that my Lord Winchelsea was in the next room, in order now to come into the closet to resign. The conve- nience of this struck me^ but I reserved myself. Some 1757.] EXPEDITIONS TO FRENCH COAST. 291 minutes afterwards the King read over my list in lieut — ob- jected to Mr. Logge being made a pe(«r and first lord of the Admiralty — was determined not to do two great things for one man at the same time ; and in this he was peremptory. I then threw your Lordship in his way, but that I was far from knowing what the other persons would say to it. His Majesty answered quick — ' / shall like it extremely' "When I stated this to the Duke of Newcastle it made him most happy ; and I reported it at the meeting of all four in the evening ; I stated it, as it was in reality, the King's option. JNIy Lord Bute and Mr. Pitt received it with the greatest politeness. Lord Bute first broke the ice ; declared his particular respect for your Lordship, and did great justice to your character, and merit in your profession; and declared that he knew those to be the sentiments of the place to which he belonged. Mr. Pitt said he only waited to hear what Lord Bute would say, and most readily con- curred in the same sentiments. In short, it ended so that all the four plenipotentiaries agreed that your Lordship should be again at the head of the Admiralty, if the King continued in the same mind ; and Mr. Legge has his old office of Chancellor of the Exchequer, which he had pro- fessed to like better than any other place. " I have been negociating ever since upon other points, and have led a most fatiguing life. However at last the whole was settled, and I carried the King the plan in writing this day at noon. The three things which the King h.ad made his sine qua non were — 1. That he would perform his promise to make Mr. Fox paymaster. 2. That there should be no change in the Secretary-at-War. 3. That Lord An- son should be at the head of the Admiralty. When I told his Majesty that we had carried all this for him, and that all u2 292 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. VII. those points were most dutifully yielded up to his pleasure, I never saw such a change in man. He said at once, with a gracious smile — 'Then this thing is done; and, my Lord, I thank ynu heartily.' He is in haste to carry it into execution immediately, and indeed it must be in a few days. " I can't send your Lordship the plan, for the King kept the original, and I have yet no copy. The great lines are- Mr. Pitt, Secretary of State ; Lord Temple to have a Cabi- net Council place; the Duke of Newcastle, First Lord of the Treasury; and Mr. Fox, Paymaster. Thus your Lord- ship is once more called to this great office by the King's earnest desire, the united voice of all parties, and the concurrence of Saville House — though that must not be talked of. In other circumstances you might possibly not so well like the company you are to sit with, which arc those who were turned out at Easter. You know that Mr. Pitt and friends always made restitution their point, and wanted to provide for those friends who were of that Board, so there was no possibility of altering that. But I hope, in the present situation, you will make no difficulty or hesitation about it. Indeed, my dear Lord, this unexpected event, which I have used some honest dexterity in bringing about, is the greatest thing for the King's honour, for the credit of his old admi- nistration, and for your own honour. It does, by their own admission, give the lie to all the calumnies that have been raised ; it contradicts all that had been said upon the in- quiry ; and confirms the issue of that inquiry to be a total justification. The King sees it in that light, and therefore is prodigiously pleased with it. This is the true light wherein it is to be seen ; and the unanimity of the Royal family upon it is a most happy and inviting circumstance; 1757.] EXPEDITIONS TO FRENCH COAST, 293 and will, I am confident, induce your Lordship to overlook all other circumstances, which a little time and opportunity will correct. I have privotely laid in with Lord Bute tand Mr. Pitt that some one of their people may be changed upon being otherwise provided for, and they have agreed to the reasonableness of this. You know the Duke of Newcastle had formerly promised Mr. Stanley, who may be useful to you in the House of Commons ; so will Elliot, who, T dare say, will in six weeks be as much yours as theirs. Besides, I am told that Admiral Forbes is likely not to accept, and, if so, it will make room for Sir Edward Hawke, or any other man we shall like. " This is the state of the case, and when I look back I stand amazed at the sudden change. All our friends are in raptures with it ; the court in general pleased, and the town more so. It is looked upon as the strongest administration that has been formed many yenis, and, by good conduct, may become so. " I am glad to hear that the waters have agreed with your Lordship, but you must interrupt them for a few days ; and, in obedience to his Majesty's commands, set out immediately, and be in town as soon as you can without hurting your health in this hot weather. I am to see the King on Mon- day, who will ask me if I have sent for you. "The Duke of Newcastle sends your Lordship his most cordial compliments and congratulations. Both his Grace and I. and all your friends, entreat your Lordship to make no difficulties, and to let us see you as soon as you can, in health. The messenger waits, and will bring you a letter from dear Lady Anson, who knew not one word of this matter till I had settled it finally with the King this day. " Adieu, my dear Lord, &c., &c. " Hardwicke." 294 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. VJI. Thus, then, in July, 1757, wn have Lord Anson restored to liis seat at the Jioard of Admiralty, after the short adm'nistration of less than five months by Earl Temple, and of three months l)y the Earl of Winchelsea. In the spring and summer of this year, as in the last. Admirals Boscawen, West, and Brodrick had the connuand of the Channel fleet alternately, to cruise off Brest and in soundings, to watch the enemy's movements, distress his trade, and to inter- cept any supj)lies or reinforcements that .night he sent out from Brest to the colonies. Their navy had been very much reduced by the preceding war, and their ships in commission and ready in the western ports were barely suihcient to escort their convoys ; but it did so happen, that our cruising squadrons could not, with all their vigilance, prevent M. Bois de la Mothe from slipping out of Brest with a squad- ron of ships of war and transports, carrying rein- forcements and supplies for Louisbourg, where he arrived in safety. A reinforcement of four ships of the line was im- mediately sent out to Admiral Holborne at Halifax. His fleet, now consisting of nineteen sail-of-tlie-line, two of fifty guns, and some frigates, proceeded to block up the French in the harbour of Louisbourg, but having arrived twenty leagues from the port, on the night of the 24th September, it blew a perfect hurri- Cciue, which continued to the middle of the following 1757.] EXPEDITIONS TO FRENCH COAST. 295 (lay, when, most fortunately, it veered round to the north, or the whole fleet, then close in with the rocky shore of Cape Breton, would in all probahility have been doomed to destruction. As it was, the Tilbury was wrecked, and the captain and most of her crew perished. Many of them were oblit^ed to throw their guns overboard, and in others, some of the seamen were lost. Twelve or thirteen ships of the line were dismasted, and otherwise so disjibled that the admiral, after collecting his shattered squadron and ascertain- ing their damages, sent those that were in the worst condition to England under Sir Charles Hardy and Commodore Holmes, and repaired with the rest to Halifax. The French did not escape the effects of the storm. Several of them suffered so severely as to make it necessary to send them home, and such its escaped capture by our cruisers arrived at Brest in a very shattered state. Mr. Pitt, ho er, nothing daunted by this disaster, though the nation was dissatisfied as if the admiral had been the cause of them, desired Anson to get the ships speedily repaired, and others brought forward, to be employed in active operations at hoiue, it being his in- tention that, in conjunction with the army, they should direct their united forces against the ports and towns of the French coast. The plan proposed had a double object in view : the one was to demolish the enemy's naval arsenals, by blowing up the fortifications, docks, basins, and other public works, and to destroy m ;.i 296 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CU. VII. or capture his shipping, niid by so doing put an end to the vapouring threat of their invasion of Eng hind or Ireland l)y this retaliation on his own coast. The other, to create a diversion in favour of the King of Prussia and the Duke of Cun\berhmd, by alarm- ing the French for the safety of their coast and harbours, and thereby inducing them to withdraw a portion of their contmental army for the more im- portant service of protecting their own shores, or at least to prevent them from sending reinforcements. He concluded with an earnest desire, that Lord Anson would have a sufficient fleet ready at Spithead, with the least possible delay, and recommend an officer to command the naval part of the expedition, whom he considered most eligible for such a service. He at once named Sir Edward Hawke, and forth- with put him in communication with Mr. Pitt. Vice-Admiral Knowles and Rear- Admiral Brodrick were placed under his command. The fleet consisted of sixteen sail of the line, two frigates, five sloops, two bombs, two fire-ships, and a number of trans- ports, having on board about 7000 land forces, the command of which was given to Sir John JMordaunt. Under him was General Conway, second in com- mand, then Cornwallis, Howard, and Lieutenant- Colonel Wolfe, Avho contracted a friendship with Howe, the captain o^ the Magnanime, which Wal- pole describes as " like the union of cannon and gun- powder." 1757.] EXPEDITIONS TO FRENCH vOAST. 297 h A joint instruction from Mr. Secretftry Pitt to Sir Edward Havvke and 8ir John Mordaunt directed them to ** attempt, as far as shall be found practicable, a descent on the French coast, at or near Hochefort, in order to attack, and if practicable, by a vigorous impression, force that place; to burn and destroy, to the utmost of their power, all shipping, docks, ma- gazines, and arsenals that shall be found there, and exert such other efforts as shall be judged most pro- per for annoying the enemy." The fleet left Spit- head on the 8th September, and on the 22nd an- chored in Basque Roads. On the following day a detachment under Vice-Admiral Knowles, in the Neptune, with the Magnanime, Barfleur, America, Barford, Royal William, and Alcide, together with the transports, were ordered to attack and get possession of the Isle d'Aix, as a stepping-stone to Rochefort. The Magnanime was selected to lead. Howe stood direct for the fort, reserving his fire till he came within forty yards of it, when he brought up with a spring on his cable, and opened so tremendous and well-directed a fire, that in less than half an hour the enemy were driven from th^ir guns and surren- dered at discretion. The next step taken by Sir Edward Hawke was to cause the coast of the mainland to be reconnoitred, and soundings taken, in order to secure a safe land- ing and protection for the troops ; and, after maturely considering their report, " I was of opinion," says i mHI lil '4 HI l;i ||9 iyii ^^ m t.., ^jhMH P' 'IHI m^ ^l^Bt Ktx * (Rfll^l li 'i|^| fepi 298 1,1 FK OF LORD ANSON. [cii. vn. tho niliniral, "that they mi^ht land." A discussion, however, arose as to the expediency of hindin^ ut tlie fort of Foil ras, and marching thence upon Kochefort. As some difference of opinion seemed to prevail, Sir John Mordaunt proposed a council of war to assemble and determine it. In the mean time, while this was going on, the French were assembling a force at Kochefort and making ])repanitions for receiving the attack. The council decided that the landing could be effected. The fort of Fouras, ho\vever, was stat(;d as a formidable object, and that largt; ships could not approach sufficiently near for their cannon to reach it. The French j)ilot, Thterri, who had carried the Magnanime close to the walls of Aix, said the ap- proach was practicable, and vohmteered to take the same ship before Fouras : he was told he might have the liarfleur, Avhich drew less water, but he persisted in going in with the JMagnanime. ]ieing asked why, he replied, " Parceqtw le Capitaine Howe eat jeune et hrave'' When the expedition was given up by tlie commander of the troops, to the great surprise of Sir Edward Hawke, it was attempted to throw discredit on Thierrts proposal, and to accuse him of ignorance ; but Sir Edward, in his letter to Mr. Pitt, says, *' The pilot of the Magnanime has behaved like a man of bravery and skill, and as such I beg leave to recommend him to you." The following private letter to Lord Anson from Sir Edward Hawke, enclosing a copy of minutes of 1757.] KXPKDITIONS TO FRENCH COAST. 290 tho council of war, fully explains that ^nillant olVicer's opinion and fecliiigs on this niortifyiui; failure : — " RamUlics, BastjUf Roads, •*My Loud, SOth September, 1757. *' Tlic Vipor sloop joined ino within tlio entrance of tills place, just before we cinio to an anchor, Mr. Knowlcs' division having brought to some little time before. I have kept her all this time, llattcrlng myself with the dally hopes that the land-officers would come to a determination to land thn troops, to try what was possible to be done for their country, notwithstanding they were of o|Mnlon it was impracticable to take the town of Rochefort by escalade. If there Is faith In man, my Lord,, you may believe that I have urged this to them v cmtinually, painting the absolute necessity of It In the strongest terms that 1 could possibly think of. But I am infinitely concerned to tell your Lord- ship that you will see by their result that all this has availed nothing. I made no hesitation in attempting to remove every obstacle out of their way that was in my j)ower, in which I happily succeeded, and wanted no council of war, nor never would have had any, if they had not been de- manded, to confirm me in my opinion that it was right I should use my utmost endeavours for my king and country." Sir Edward adds in a postscript — "The pilot of the Magnanimc has behaved extremely well, and is truly deserving of your Lordship's favour and protection." " Minutes of a Council of War assembled on board his Majesty's ship Ramillics, Basque Road, 28th September, 1757. " Sir Edward Hawke, K. B., &c.. President, &c. &c. 4 300 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. VII. " The Council, in order to determine whether forts leading to, and upon the mouth of, the Charente were open, and capabl*^ of being attacked by land, proceeded to examine — *' 1. Lieutenant- Colonel Wolfe, who declares that, with rtgacd to Fort Fouras, it is his opinion that it is not a strong place, seeming to be principally fortified towards the sea ; yet he saw people at work on the land-side. Thpt, if our troops could come at the Barbette battery by it, it might be of great use in taking the fort, provided there was proper ammunition for that purpose. Iln further gives it as his opinion that Fort Fouras cannot be taken but by ar- tillery and escalade. " 2. Lieutenant- Colonel Clarke. Knows nothing but what he saw through a telescope. " 3. A French prii,jner said Fort Fouras was circular — had no ditch j that Fjrt la Pointe is also circular, like Fouras; that the best landing-place is in the bay of Chati- lailon ; that, fron: hence, along the Rochefort Road, is a fine open country ; that on Friday last he was on Fouras ; that thtre were but twenty-two or twenty-four guns in it, and not above fifty men ; that there are much the same on Fort la Pointe, and that both forts .are enclosed by a wall on the land-side. " The council having maturely considered the evidence, Sir John Mordaunt declared he was of opinion that some- thing further should be attempted, and that he would give his orders accordingly that moment, if any (meaning the general officer of the troops) would say it was advisable. " Vice- Admiral Knowles declared he had received great light from the persons examined, and therefore thousht something ought to be attempted. " Major- General Conway declared for the attempt, merely from his own opinion, without regard to the evidence. 1757.] EXPEDITIONS TO FRENCH COAST. 301 " Sir Edward Havvke, appealing to every member of the council for the truth of what he said, declared that he was now of the same opinion which he had given both before and at the council of war on the 25th — that the landing could he effected — that the troops ought to be landed for some further attempt, which was alone matter of consideration with the general officers of the troops, he 'not taking upon him to be judge of land operations; but would, from his confidence in their abilities and skill in their own profession, readily assent to any resolution they should come to, and assist them to tlio utmost of his power. This being settled, after some debate. Sir Edward Hawke, Vice-Admiral Knowles, Rear- Admiral Brodrick, and Captain Rodney, withdrew. " The Council of War being ve-assembled, and the quf?stion put, " ' Whether it is advisable to land the troops to attack the forts leading to and upon the mouth of the river Charente T " Yes. « No. " Colonel Geo. Howard. " The Hon. Edward Corn- " Captain Geo. Bridges wallis, but afterwards ac- Hodney. " Rear- Admiral Brodrick. '' Right Hon. H Seymour Conway. " Vice-Admiral Knowles. " Sir John Mordaunt. " Sir Edward Hawke. quiesced with the majority." ■ ■ Sir Edward adds : " The debates at the council of war of the 25tli were so various, tedious, and unconnected, that it was impossible to take minutes." 302 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [cH. VII. The one he sent may be taken as a sufficient specimen of such an assembly. Sir Edward Havvke lost not a moment in ordering every disposition to be made for landing the troops , and part of them were actually in the boats, when Rear- Admiral Brodrick reported to him, *' that the Generals had come to a resolution not to land that night." And on the following day Sir Edward re- ceived a laconic epistle from the General, couched as follows ; — " Sir — Upon the receipt of your letter I talked it over with the other land-officers, who were of our council of wfir, and wc all agree in returning directly to England. " I have, Sir, &c. " J. MORDAUNT." It may easily be supposed with what astonishment and mortification the gallant Sir Edward, and, in- deed, the whole navy, received such a notification on the part of the military officers. Sir Edward, in reporting his proceedings to Mr. Pitt, says, " I beg leave to assure you, Sir_, I have discharged my duty to my king and country with fidelity, diligence, and integrity, and wish more could have been done for the good of the service." In point of fact, nothing whatever was done, except the demolition of the works on Isle d'Aix by Howe alone. Of this we have the high testimony of Wolfe, the bravest of the brave, whom all loved, and all delighted to follow. In a private letter to his \ father, dated Hade des t! 1757.] EXPEDITIONS TO FRENCH COAST. 303 Basques, 30th September, 1757, he says, "By the Viper sloop I have the displeasure to inform you that our operations here are at an end. We lost the lucky moment in war, and are not able to recover it. The whole of this expedition has not cost the nation ten men ; nor has any man been able to distini^uish himself in the service of his country, except Mr, Howe, who was an example to us all." A general, but temporary gloom, was cast over the public mind in consequence of the signal failure of this grand expedition ; but it operated, as mi.^'-ht be expected, in a manner altogether the reverse on the feelings of the enemy. Nothing but rejoicing was heard along- the whole line of coast, as if some irrejit victory had been gained ; and, as if to show how little they were dispirited by the attenq)ts of England to molest their coasts, they boasted, as usual, that in the si)ring of the following year an army Avould assemble at St. Maloes, of sufficient forcet o turn the tables on their enemy by an invasion of Jersey ;in(l Guernsey. Another piece of good fortune tended to elevafp the spirits of this volatile people. In- telligence being received in England of the sailing of a large fleet from Louisbourg under M. Bois de la Mothe, which had escaped our cruisers when outw.'u-d bound. Sir Edward Hawke, which had scarcely reached Spithead from Basque Roads, was ordered to proceed to sea with a strong scjuadron, in which was Vice-Admiral Boscawen, one of the lords of the 1 tl jf-1' A 304 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. VIL Admiralty, with the view of intercepting it. The squadron sailed from Spithead on the 22nd October to cruise off Brest, but encountered a violent gale of wind, which dispersed and drove the British fleet from their station, and, before they could join and reassume their cruising-ground, M. Bois de la Mothe had the good fortune, a second time, to escape with great part of his convoy into Brest, having suffered severely in the same gale of wind, in which most of his ships were crippled. Two of his frigates, however, and several of his convoy, were captured. Indeed, the cruising frigates Avere most actively employed, and with great success. Captain Lock- hart, of the Tartar, took no less than four stout privateers and three frigates in the course of the year, and received from the merchants of London a piece of plate, value two hundred guineas, and another from Bristol, of one hundred guineas. Se- veral other ships of war and strong privateers fell into the hands of our cruisers, generally after severe actions. The greatest exertions were made in the naval department for the service of the year 1758. The number of seamen voted was 60,000, including 14,845 marines. For the greater encouragement of seamen to enter the naval service, the Admiralty brought into Parliament a bill for a more regular and fre- quent payment of their wages, and to enable them when out of the kingdom to make remittances for the H. VII. 75S.] EXPEDITIONS TO FRENCH COAST. 305 The Ictober gale of li fleet in and Mothe escape having which rigates, ptured. ictively Lock- r stout of the ndon a and Se- n's fell severe naval The 14,845 eamen rought Id fre- theni lor the is, support of their wives and families, which was, some years afterwards, simplified by the system of allowing seamen, on signifying their wish to the ca})tuin, to assign over a portion of their pay for the use of their families. The two flag-officers on whom Atison, and, it may be said, the nation generally, placed the greatest confidence, were Sir Ed^'ard Hawke and Boscawen ; and both were innnediately put in requisition. The latter, as early as February, left St. Helen's for North America with twenty-three sail-of- the -line, six frigates, and several sloops and smaller vessels, having under his command Rear- Admiral Sir Charles Hardy and Commodore Diireli, and arrived at Ha- lifax early in May. The ol)ject was to recover Cape Breton and Louisburgh, which had been re- stored to the French at the i)eace, and which Ad- miral Holburne had failed to effect, the preceding year, in consequence of the disabled state of his ships, by a tremendous hurricane, which overtook them when just off" the harbour. The fleet now under Boscawen assembled in Gabarus Bay. Seven fri- gates w^ere appointed by the admiral to cover the debarkation of the troops, which was efl*ected with the greatest order and regularity, under Brigadier- General Wolfe, in the face of a heavy fire of cannon and musketry from the enemy, who fled and nban- doned their works, leaving behind them several cannon and mortars. The enemy next sunk a ship- X 806 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. VII. oi-tlie-line, a frigate, and two corvettes, across the mouth of the harhoiir of Loiiishurgh. Another ship- of-the-line took fire, and was consumed, together with two other vessels. Two of the line still remained in the harbour, which the admiral was determined either to take or destroy ; and for this purpose six hundred seamen were sent in boats in the night, under Commanders Laforey and lialfour, and, amidst the fire of the ships and batteries, burnt one of them that got aground, and towed the other ofi". All the ships being thus destroyed, Boscawen in- ibrmed the French General that he should send his fleet into the harbour next morning ; but he replied by desiring to capitulate, and terms were imme- diately agreed upon. Admiral Boscawen returned to England, arrived at Spithead on the 1st November, and very shortly afterwards received the thanks of Parliament. The French, apparently not aware of the destina- tion of Boscawen's fleet, and ignorant as they nr^icst have been of his success, had fitted out at Rochfort a considerable squadron of ships-of-the-line and Iri gates, with forty or fifty transports, to convey troops and stores, as reinforcements for their North American colonies. The Admiralty had early in- timation of this, and of its assembling in Baf^que Roads, near the Isle d'Aix. Anson was fully alive to the importance of preventing the sailing of this armament, and appointed Sir Edward Hawke, who 1758.] EXPEDITIONS TO FRENCH COAST. 307 was always ready for any service, to command a squadron of seven sail-of-the-Hne and three frii^ates, for the purpose of watchini^the motions of the enemy. With these ships he left Spithead on the 11th Marcli, and early in the morningof the 4th April was opposite the entrance of Basque Roads. On proceed- ing towards the anchorage, he ohserved five sail-of- the-line lying off the isle of Aix, besides six or seven frigates and forty merchant-ships, having on board, as he afterwards learnt, three thousand troops. The enemy, on perceiving Hawke's squadron, began to cut and slip their cables, and to run in the greatest con- fusion towards the bottom of the roads, with the view of getting into the river Charente. Many of ilieir ships stuck in the mud ; but, night coming on, the admiral, aware of the danger of our ships getting on shore, from the shallowness of the water, made the signal to anchor off the Isle d'Aix. In the morning the enemy's ships-of-war were seen four or five miles off, all aground and almost dry, some of them and the transports laying on their broadsides ; but there was no possibility of getting within gun-shot of them. Launches were sent down from Rochfort to carry out warps, and drag the ships through the mud ; guns, great quantities of stores, and ballast, were thrown overboard ; and, in the course of the day, they gained the mouth of the Charente, leaving about eighty buoys over their anchors, guns, and other articles which hud been thrown overboard, x2 S 308 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. VII Hiul which our frigates and boats cut away. Sir Edward sent a largo ])arty of marines ashore on the Isle d'Aix, who conipUitely destroyed the new works which the French had there erected ; and thus was this powerful armament in effect totally destroyed for the present year, while the unexi)ected visit fully answered the purpose Avhich Mr. Pitt had in view, — that of harassing the eneiuy along his coasts, of em- ploying tli<^ P^reneh troops in tliu protection of their sevenii ]K)rts, and thus ])reventing them sending reinforcements to the armies on the Continent, which they otherwise might be disposed to do. Mr. Pitt war not a minister to be disheartened by a first failure Wi^en he had in view the accomplish- ment of a great object. He conceived that a measure calculated to throw obstructions in the way of the enemy, desirous of recruiting his forces on the Con- tinent, was the best policy to be pursued by this country. Conformably with this idea, and notwith- standing the little success of the former expedition against Rochfort, he resolved to follow up the plan of creating alarm, by attacking and destroying his har- bours, defences, magazines, and shipping, togethej- with all kind of buildingrs of a public nature. This he considered the surest way of keeping their troops employed at home, md perhaps of compelling them to recall a part of tbo.^e already with ♦he continental armies. In addition to these motives, there was an- other, though of ininoj- importance. The French, 1758.] EXPEDITIONS TO FRENCH COAST, 300 elated at our former failure, announced, as they had done hefore, that vast preparations were nuikin^ hy them Jit St. Maloes and other parts of the coast for the invasion of Jersey and Guernsey. Mr. Pitt communicated verbally to Lord Anson his view of the naval forces that would be required, and when they ought to be in readiness to proceed, giving him to understand, that he expected no delay would take place, nor any avoidable obstruction to their departure at the time specified. Every exertion was made to comply with the ministers' wishes ; and on the 27tli May the whole of the naval force was assembled at Spithead. It consisted of two separate fleets, or squadrons, the one composed of twenty-two sail-of-tlie-iine and nine frigates, the command of wliijh, jit the particular desire of Mr. Pitt, was taken by Lord Anson himself, who hoisted his flag in llie Royal George, of one hundred guns. Of this fleet he appointed Sir Edward Hawke second in conmiand. The other squadron consisted of one ship-of-the-line, four of fifty guns, ten frjo-ates, five sloops, two fire-ships, and two bomb-ketches, the command of which was conferred on the Hon. Cap- tain Howe, the only num, according to Wolfe, ^vho distinguished hiuiself on the former occasion, and "was an example to all." Such a man Mas not likely to be passed over either by Pitt or Lord Anson. Tlie latter, indeed, might consider bun as one of his OAvn, though the storm olF Cape Horn prevented him from sharing in his fortunes. ; 4! ' I ',■■!'• I 310 LIFE OF LOUD ANSON. [CIL VII. The intention ol tlie ^i-and ihct was to cruise oil' Brest, and to rover the squadron uijder Connnodcre Howe, so that the enemv mii^-ht not be able to interrupt or disturl) his operations, on wlioni, in tact, depended the acconiplislinient of tlie main ohjeet of the expedition. To Howe was intrusted the eliarge of embarkation and m{inaij;ement of tlie Avlude mili- tary preparations. Tiie army consisted of fourteen thousand men, divided into five l)rii»;ades, each under tlie orders of a major-;2,'eneral. The connnand of this ijreat force was conferred on Litnitenant-Generul the Duke of Marlboroui;li, under whom w^re Lieutenant- Generals Lord Georitre Sackville and the Karl of Ancram, Major-Generals Waldecjrave, Mostyn, Drury, Boscawen, and Granville Elliot (afterwards Lord Heathfi(dd). On the 1st June Lord Anson made the siii'Uiil to weigh, and steered doAvn Channel ; shortly after Commodore Howe's squadron also weighed, and stood directly across the Channel. On the morning of the 2nd, Howe's squadron was off Cape laHogue, l)ut the weather being stormy, and the tides nipid in this part of the coast, it was the 5th before he reached Concale ]3ay, v/here it was intended to land tlie troops. Howe had his broad pendant in the Essex, us being more adapted for the kina of navigation he had to encounter ; l)ut, finding she drew too much water, he shifted it into the Success, and Avith three sloops stood in close to the shore, to cover the troops on their disembarking, to scour the beach, and silence liter and inn- id in lied tlie ■;ex, 1758.] EXPEDITIONS TO FRENCH COAST. 311 51 battery that was meant to defend it. The enemy iininediattdy fled, and the iidiabitants desei*t(Ml tlieir liouses. Hence the Duke ordered his lorces to march to St. JMaloes, in the ntii^hbourhood oi' which they encamped ; hut, having reconnoitred the works of the town, it was stated tluit they were capable of standing; a sieg;c for a month ; and, as intelligence was received of a vast nund)er of tr()0j>s pouring down to tile (;oast, the J)uk(5 of JMarlborough contented him- self Avith destroying tli(^ ships, the public buildings, and magazines tilled with naval stores of all descrip- tions, at the two suburbs of St. Servaud and Solidore, by setting fire to them, which caused a tremendous conflairrjition, that lasted the whole nii'lit. The })r()perty destroyed consisted of thirteen or fourteen ships-of-war, about seventy merchant-vessels, a large number of smiill craft, an immense quantity of pitch, oil, hemp, cordage, plank, and every species of naval stores ; the value of the whole consumed being estimated nt something not far short of a million sterling. From the stn^ngth of St. M Joes, and the assemblage of the enemy's fore , it was deemed exjiedient to return to Concale Bay, where the troops were reimbarked ; and hence, after several unsuccess- ful attempts to get out to sea, on account of the wind and bad weather, they at length, on the 21st June, wave able to proceed oil' Havre ; but here they found the enemy so well prepared, that they bore away for Cherburg. Arrangements were speedily I fir i; A *>! i 11 t]]2 MFR OF LORD ANSON. [CII. VII. iiiiuh! for Lmding; but, wIkmi cvcryiliini^ was ready for a dcRcent, a ^ale of wind sprung u|>, blowing directly upon thc^ shore, and making so groat a surf, that it was det»nied impracticabhs and the transj)orts, with the utmost difficulty, were got safe out of the roadstead. On the return of the expedition, the forces were landed on the Ishi of Wight. JMr. Pitt, so far from expressing any disa])pointment, was (|uite satisfied at the alarm which it had occasioniHl, and the di- version which had been made of the French land- forces. Howe was sent for to town, and the r(»sult Avas, to prepar<\ without loss of time, as the summer was but just set in, for another descent on the coast of France, that the enemy might have no respite from that state of alarm, which these hostile visits had spread over the country, and which were not a little in- creased by the fleet of Anson hovering along the coast from Brest to Rochfort. The Duke of Mjirlborough, Lord George Sackville, «andthe other general officers, had no great taste for this species of maritime war- fare, and volunteered to take reinforcements for the allied army in Germany. Lieutenant-General Bligh was recalled from Ireland, and appointed to the command of the land-forces to be em])loyed on tlie new expedition. He was a man advanced in life, had seen good service, but was considered too old for the severe duties that were now likely to be re- quired of him. The troops were speedily embarked : 1758.] EXPKDITIONS TO FPENCII COAST. 313 the tlie life, old on the 1st August the expedition ssiih: I from St. IIeh;n*s ; and on the Oth came to Jinchor in Cher- l)urg Road. Tiie Conunodore, witli General liligh, and the other gen(u-al ofHcers, having reconnoitred the sliore, found the place much strengthened since the last visit, and a large body of the enemy asseni- hkul. Howe tlu'refore moved the fleet to Marais Bay, drovt? them out of their entrenchments, landed the troops, who, after having scoured the country before them, marched in two columns direct for Cherburg, which the General entered without oppo- sition, the enemy retiring from the town, and a])an- doning the villages and works along the coast as he advanced. The fort and the several works being secured, the General gave orders to the engineers to demolish the piers, which formed the entrance into tlie harbour, the Avails of the basin, the slips and docks, magazines and storehouses. Upwards of one hundred and sixty iron guns and some mortars were rendered useless, or thrown over the batteries into the basin, and the batteries destroyed. Twenty-two brass cannon and two mortars were embarked in one of the enemy's ships taken in the harbour, and sent to England. From twenty to thirty vessels of different kinds were carried off, or sunk in the entrance of the harbour; and, after the undisturbed process of demolition was completed, conformably with the instructions of the Secretary of State, on the 17th the fleet crossed over to Portland Roads to reflt and refresh. y 4 4^ W ♦irl ^. 314 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. VII. The brass cannon, after being exhibited to t^'a pul)lic some time in Hyde Park, were drawn througli the city in pompous procession, amidst the joyfnlaccLimations of the people, and lodged in the Tower. Tiie success of this expedition was favourably considered by ]Mr. Pitt, and generally by the public, after the iailurc before liochfort. Lady Anson, lioAvever, appears to be rather jocose on the subject. "To be sure," she says, " war has its advantages, particuhirly in the fine sights its triumphs afford, of which to-day has seen one, in the noble procession of nearly three hun- dred dray-horses with the twenty Cherburg cannon, which all the Johns and Joans in town, who have kept Hyde Park like a fair for some days, are con- vinced must be the first brass ones that ever were seen in Enirlard, I had a p-reat mind to have them sent to Woolwich, where there lies near two hundred, which my Lord took and never showed to anybody." Li another letter, written after the failure of the next and last expedition, she says — *' This unhappy news arrived just in time to set off by reflection the pro- cess ion of dray-horses on Saturday. I never under- stood, till since, the reason of its having been so long- delayed, nor why they were carried through the Horse Guards and over Westminster Bridge; but it seems Saturday Avas the day of the Southwark fair, and, as the colours were sent to delight the city, these were intended to charm the borough. No tune Avas lost in the pre})aration for completing the minister's int^tructions, which wx're to consider 1758.] EXPEDITIONS TO FRENCH COAST. 315 Granville as the next object of attiick ; but, us Cher- burg required no longer any of the enemy's forces, and intelligence was received that 10,000 of their troops were assembled in its neighbourhood, the attack on Granville was given up, and also that on Morlaix, advices havini;' been sent to them I'rom Enii- land, that the French, in consequence of Anson's appearance before Brest, had assendjled a large army in that neighbourhood. On consultation, therefore, it was decided that the landing should be effected in the bay of St. Lunaire, thence to march upon St. ]\Ialoes, being about two leagues to the eastward ; ])ut tlie fleet, exj>eriencing stormy weather, was obliged to take refuge in Weymouth Koads, from ^vhence, on its moderating, they again proceeded, on the 3rd September, and anchored in St. Lunaire Bay, where, on the following day, the troops \vere landed without opposition. The General, Connno- dore Howe, and Prince Edward (Duke of Y(H-k), proceeded to a village about three miles from St. l\laloes to reconnoitre the position intended to be taken up. They were fired at from a neighbouring lort, and a shot fell close to the Prince's feet. The boisterous state of the weather made it dani>*erous for the fleet to remain in St. Lunaire, and the Com- modore thought it right to inform the General that, if the westerly gales continued, it would not be possible to reind)ark the troops at that place; and that, for this , purpose, it would be ex}>edicnt tlie shi}>s and ft" feT '[■I II f^ 316 LIFE or LORD ANSON. [CH. VII, m i transports should move round to the bay of St. Cas, where there was good shelter and a sandy beach. The intended attack on St. Maloes was therefore given up, and the troops began their march across the country to St. Cas. In this march they were ha- rassed by parties of men concealed in the woods and villages. At Martignan the General received inform- ation from some deserters, that the French were in great force between that place and St. Cas. It after- v/ards appeared that an army of 10,000 men had been collected, under the command of the Due d'Aiguillon. In the mean time Commodore Howe anchored his squadron and transports in the bay of St. Cas. The troops made their appearance, and immediately afterwards the French were seen on the heights, but refrained from molesting the embarka- tion, until the rear-guard only were left on the beach. They then brought their field-pieces to bear, and a dreadful slaughter ensued, both on the beach and in the boats, though they were covered by an incessant fire from the frigates, sloops, and bombs. About 700 men were missing, of whom near 500 were prisoners, and the rest killed. Among the latter were General Drury and several other officers, and of the former Lord Frederick Cavendish of the Guards, and Cap- tains Rowley, Mapleden, Paston, Elphinstone, and Duff, of the navy. Such was the unfortunate termination of these shore expeditions, but which, hoAvever, had the effect 1758.] EXPEDITIONS TO FRENCH COAST. 317 that Mr. Pitt expected. Lord Anson, with the squadron under his command, had continued to block up the harbour of Brest, during the first land ex- pedition. Soon after his arrival on his station, Sir Edwai-d Havvke was seized with a fever and obliged to return to England. The Admiral therefore formed his fleet into three divi& ons, and appointed Captains Cornish and Geary conmiodores. These and his smaller cruisers cleared the sea of the enemy's trading vessels, which amounted to few, but mostly coasters. The Admiral returned to Plymouth Sound on the 19th July, where the third littoral expedi- tion was fitting out ; and, having taken in water and provisions, he sailed again on the 22ad, having been joined by Rear-Admiral Holmes, Avho hoisted his flag in the Kamillies, and, about the end of August, by Rear- Admiral Saunders witli his flag in the Nep- tune. The three Admirals continued cruising till the middle of September, when Connnodore Howe had finished his campaigns on the coast of France. Lord Anson and Rear-Admiral Holmes, witli the greater part of the squadron, then returned to England, leaving the rest, under Admiral Saunders, to block up Brest, and to endeavour to fall in with and inter- cept the French squadron expected to be on its re- turn from Quebec. Having continued on this ser- vice till the middle of December, he returned with his squadron to Portsmouth. The cruising ships in the Channel and to the west- H r:- I' \' 318 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. VM. wurd niad(3 great havoc among the privateers of the enemy, two or three of Avhich were such fine and powerful ships, that they were purchased into the navy ; several large and valuahle merchantmen from the West Indies and America also fell into the hands of our cruisers. Captain Denis of the Dorsetshire, one of Anson's former lieutenants, had the good for- tune, after a close engagement of nearly two hours, to capture the Raisonahle, a French ship-of-war of 64 guns and 630 men, commanded hy the Prince de Mombazon, Chevalier de Rohan, who had 61 men kiUed and 100 wounded in the action ; the Dorset- shire 15 killed and 20 wounded. She was a fine new shi]), was purcluised by the government, and added to the list of the navy under her own name. She struck to the Achilles, Captain Barrington, on his coming up and firing a few shot. A brilliant action was fought in the IMediterranean between the JMonmouth of 04 guns, Captain Arthur Gardiner, and the Foudroyant of 84 guns and 800 men, commanded by M. du Quesne, chef d'escadre. Captahi Gardiner was wounded in the arm by the first broadside, and soon after, when encouraging his men to exert themselves in the unequal contest, was shot dead by a ball striking his forehead. Lieutenant Casket maintained the contest most gallantly, when, at the end of about four hours, the enemy being a complete wreck, her decks a scene of dreadful car- nage, and her iv'c nearly silenced, on the Swiltsdrc 1758.] EXPEDITIONS TO FKENCII COAST. 319 and Hampton Court coming up, she struck her colours, having 100 men killed and 90 wounded. The Monmouth had 2« kil]';d and 79 wounded. The Foudroyant was the favourite ship so long com- manded hy Sir John Jervis, and in which he captured Le Pegase. ■i-j 320 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. VIII. CHAPTER VIII. SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN OF 1759. Preparations for the campaign of 1759 — Tn^'^ats of the invasion of England, Scotland, and Ireland — Measures taken to meet it — Thurot escapes from Dunkirk — takes Carrickfergus — is met by Elliot, wlio captures his three frigates — Thurot killed in the ac- tion — Rodney attacks Havre — Anecdote of Rodney — Boscawen's action with the fleet under M. de la Clue — defeats it — De la Clue wounded, and dies — The glorious defeat of Conflans' fleet by the gallant Sir Edward Hawke — Extract of his letter to the Due d'Ai- guillon — Joy of the nation — Hawke receives the thanks of the King, and a pension of 2000/. a-year on the Irish Establishment — Re- ceives also the thanks of Parliament — Hawke no friend to the line- of-battle — Expedition against Quebec — Sir Charles Saunders ap- pointed to command the fleet, and General Wolfe the army — Jealousy of the army on the appointment of the latter — Operations on the St. La>yrence — Quebec taken — Wolfe killed — Noble con- duet of S iunders on reaching England — Praise of Wolfe by Pitt in proposing a public monument — also of Saunders by Pitt and Walpole — Rewards to officers, by appointing generals and colonels of marines— Capture of Martinique — Gallant conduct of Admiral Pocock in the East Indies. During the whole of this year, the war against France was prosecuted with the greatest vigour by the navy both at home and abroad ; Parliament having voted for the sea-service 60,000 men, includ- ing 14,845 marines. Anson Avas indefatigable in getting the fleet and squadrons well equipped, offi- cered, and manned, and he selected the choicest flag-officers to command them — Sir Edward Hawke, Itl 1759.] SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN OF 1759. 3*21 the Hon. Edward Boscjnven, Sir Charles Saunders, Sir Charles Hardy ; the Vice- Admirals Brodrick, Cotes, and Poeock ; and the Rear- Admirals Rodney, Geary, Holmes, Durell, and Stevens, being all em- ployed. To these may also be added, Conunodore Sir Piercy Brett, Captains Denis, Howe, Keppel, and Byron, associates with Anson in the South Seas ; and it must have been most gratifying to the noble lord, as well as to themselves, that all of these old companions were selected by the gallant Hawke to serve under his immediate eye, in the centre divi- sion of the Channel fleet, consisting of twenty-seven sail-of-the-line and thirteen frigates. Most of his other captains were such as luu opportunities of distinguishing themselves in the course of the last three years of the present, as they since did in future wars. The judicious choice of commanders, together with the excellent condition of the fleet, which Hawke was appointed to command, added to the high re- putation Anson had acquired, as head of the naval department, and, above all, the energetic and decisive part which Mr. Pitt took, as Secretary of State, had inspired confidence into the public mind, raised the spirit of the nation, and enabled the government, without much opposition in Parliament, to send assistance to our continental allies ; at the same time ample protection was afforded to our colonies in every part of the world, and some of the Y t i t,. h w 322 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [cH. VIII. h it*' most important Jiiid valuiible ones of the enemy fell into our possession. On the other hand, the French, having succeeded, in the year 1756, l)y their threats of invasion, in intimidatinfi^ the government of that day, and induce it to keep a larger naval force at home than was required, hegan eu^-ly in the presoit yt;ar, again to put '.J priHJi<»<; tho nmQ kind of artifice, and to promulgate ihr ir irjTimtion of invading England, Scotland, and Ireland , the same time. To give more effect to this oft repeated threat, active pre- parations were carrying on in their several ports for the execution of this avowed purpose : hut Mr. Pitt was not a man to be disheartened l)y threats or de- monstrations, both of which were liberally resorted to ; and to add strength to the sincerity of their in- tentions, a large body of troops was assembled at Vannes in Lower Brittany, under the command of the Due d'Aiguillon, and a multitude of transports assembled in the Morbihan to convey them to their destination. A scjuadron of ships of war, under the command of M. de la Clue, wae. likewise appointed to join another assembled at Brest, and commanded l)y M. de Conflans. These combined squadrons were specially appointed to escort the fleet of transports, crowded with troops, to the shores of Ireland. For the invasion of England, an army was assem- Ijled on the coast of Normandy, and vast prepara- tions made for its embarkation at Havre de Grace, in vessels drawing little water, and capable each of mi 1759.] SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN OF 1759. 323 ronveyini>' across tlie Cliiinnel from three to four hundred men — a ort of j raams, not unlike those prepared in after-times by l*»uonaparte at l^oukii»'ne ; and they sec n toliavc been looked upon, pretty nuudi as they were in our time, with considerable alarm by soine, but ireated with ridicule by others, especially by nava) men. The ])rojcctors of this "mosrjuito fleet" calculated on slipping them out, and crossing the Channel ii the absence of our ships of war ; '1 the government of France expressed their sai? ""din expectations that, by this project, they would s«t«L3 ed in retaliatinij on our recent attacks on their slu es, and with far better success. To create an alarm in Scotland, and with the view, at the same time, of drawing oft' the attention of Eng- land from the other more formidable preparations, a small armament was fitted out in the port of Dun- kirk, consisting of land-forces, from fifteen hundred to two thousand men, to be escorted by a small squadron of five frigates, under the command of M. Thurot, a man not regularly brought up to the nav.al service, but one who had greatly distinguished him- self as master of a privateer. He was of fin active and enterprising turn of mind, and well acquainted with the ports of the North Sea and Ireland, on which he had been successful in capturing the coast- ing; trade, and had rendered himself well known — in short, a kind of prototype of Paul Jones. To Lord Anson and his Uoard was of course in- Y 2 1 ; r:i 'f: -1 \,i^ 324 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [cil. VIII. trusted the charge of jjrepjiring and inakint"; a projKn* distribution ol' the naval force, so as to meet, and, if possible, defeat, tliese several fornii(lal)h; projects, which the enemy had phinned for the invasion of England, Scotland and Ireland at the same time ; with the view, no doubt, of inflicting on each part of the United Kingdom as much distress and destruction us their successful landing might enable them to do. To Rear- Admiral Rodney was given the command of a scjuadron consisting of one sixty-gun ship, four of fifty guns, and six frigates, with five or six bomb- ketches, to w^atcli the motions of that i)ortion of the enemy's shi])s and transj)orts in Havre de Grace destined for the invasion of Entiland. Conunodore lioys was employed to block up the port of Dunkirk Avitlv a squadron consisting of two fifty-gun shij)s, two forty-six gun frigates, and two sloops ; but the sagacious Thurot found means to slip out with five frigates, on the 12th October, when the Commodore was forced from his station. Finding he had jiroceeded to the northward, Commodore Boys closely pursued him ; but he had the good fortune to reach the port of Gottenburg before he w-as overtaken. Here he re- mained for the winter, and his absence put an end to the projected expedition from Dunkirk. Thurot, however, was of too bold and enterprising a character to be thus defeated. He therefore, in the early part of the following year, 1 760, left Got- tenburg, and proceeded for the cousl of Ireland ; but 1759.] SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN or 1759. 325 sirier (jncouiiteriii^* boisterous woiitlier and soverc lollies of wind, wliit'h nuluced his five tVipiles to three, he jippeured Ijefort! the town of Ciirricki'ergus oa the 20th Fel)ruary, which, after a resolute (leleiice by a lew invalids, under Lieutenant-Colonel Jenninj;s, was obliged to surrender to this daring adventurer. Having replenirhed his ships and relVeshed their crews, he levied contributions on the town, spiked tlui i\iw guns on the fort, and then took his (lej)arture. Cap- tain John Elliot of the ^olus, with two oth(;r frigates, the Pallas and Brilliant, having received intelligence at Kinsale of Thurot's visit to Carrickfergus, put to sea in quest of him. He fortunately fell in with him on the morning of the 28th off tlie Isle of JMjin, brought him to close action, which continued with great bravery on both sides for an hour and a half, when the three French frigates, the Marishal de Belleisle of forty-four, Le Blonde of thirty-six, and La Terpsichore of twenty-four, struck their colours. The brave Thurot, for brave he unquestionably was, fell in the action, with a great number of men. His ownship was so much shattered that it was with diffi- slie could be kept afloat till Elliot with his prizes reached Ramsay Bay in the Isle of JMan, Avhen, having refitted his now doubled squadron, he proceeded to England, where shortly .'ifter he and his captains received the thanks of Parliament for the important service they had performed. The following extract of Elliot's letter to his brother, gives an account of the action briefly, in a Afii 326 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [cil. VIII. ]>lain, smiinjinlike style : — "On the 28th ho ciiiiio out with his three shi|)s, jind we were lortumitc eiKnit^h to tiill in with liini at (hiyiii^ht in the niorn- ini^ coming towards us ; he uftcu'wards ran Tor it, and we foHowed. About nine o'idock we ij;ot up with the Mariahal I^tdleisle, and ran him directly on board, which carri(Ml his bowsj)rit away. Tlie Jiril- liant and Pallas were just at hand; and I was no sooner clear than they both gave him a brojidside or two a-piece, and went on to the two IVesh ships, leaving the JMarishal to me. I ran him alongside again, and after that boarded him a second tinu;, and Forbes went on board, and struck her colours. The Blonde fell on board me at the same time : however, to nuik(5 short, we took them all in an hour and a half, with very little loss — six killed, and between twenty and thirty wounded. The enemy lost their Connnand(U' Thurot, and between two and three hundred wounded." This action, and many others in the course of the war, show that bravery alone is not sulhcient, but requires to be aided by skill, good scamansliij), and that imdaunted and resolute courage, inherent in Bri- tish seamen, but which, in French sfiilors, generally gives Avay ^^'hen closely pressed — always Avlieii boarded. When the fleet of praams in Havre de Grace had assumed the aj)pearance of readiness, the Admi- ralty ordered Kear-Adniiral llodney (promoted to that rank in the early ])art of this year) to proceed 1759.] SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN OF 1159. 327 with Ills little sfjuadron and boinb-kt'tchcs to ])om- l)!inl tlmt port, and uko every ineaiis in his power to d(!stroy tlieni, toi^ether with the magazines. On tlie 3r(l July he anchored in tlu; road, and, havinj^; ar- ranged the bonib-ketelies at the proper distance, Ijegan the same eveninijj to throw shells into the town and anionj^ the llotilia in the basin. The result of this service is best explained l»y the «:;allant Adniirars olUcial letter : — " yl('/u7fr.s', ojf llnvir :ust the (iibraltar discovered the Frencli fle<.'t close to the Barbary coast, consisting of eleven sail-of-the-line, two fifties, and two frigates. At seven tlu; next morning Boscawen got sight of seven of the enemy's ships to the westward, and made the signal for a general chase. Our shi])s came up liist with the enemy, and at t^^•o in the afternoon the headmost commenced a close action ; soon after the enuao'ement became iieneral. Admiral Boscawen in « 1* jht of iiiiide 1759.] SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN OF 1759. 331 the Naniur attacked M. de la Clue in the Ocean ; but the Naniur, after al)Out half an hour's engagement had her mizenmast and both toi)sail-yards shot away, and thus disa])led, was thrown out of the action. AVhen De la Chie perceived this, he made an attempt to get away, witli his scjuadron, setting all the sail they could carry ; the Centaur, however, having lost her fore and laain-topmasts, was obliged to strike, after standing the brunt of the liattle. The moment that the Nannir fell astern, Boscawen got into his barge and rowed with all possil)le haste on board the Newark, hoisted his flag in her, and pursued the enemy, till he lost sight of them in the night. In the morning four sail only were visible. On coming up with them, the Ocean ran among the breakers ; and the Admiral sent the iVmerican and Intrepid to destroy her. M. de la Clue, with one leg broken and the other wounded, had been carried on shore, and soon after died of his wounds : the Ocean was set on fire. The Warspite was ordered to proceed against the Tcmeraire, at anchor, and brought her off. Vice-Admiral Brodrick and his division engaged two other ships, and captured the Modeste of sixty-four guns. The Kedoubtabh of sevent\'-four iiuns, being bilged, was set on lire. Our loss amounted to tifty-six men killed and one hun- dred and ninety-six wounded. The result then of this running fight was, three line-of-battle ships captured, the Centaur, Tcmeraire, m 332 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CIL VIII. II ^ E-* ^ and Modeste, and two destroyed, the Ocean and lle- doubtalde. J3oscawen used every possible exertion to brini»- the whole of De la Clue's fleet to action, and was not well pleased that the conduct of some of the captains did not correspond with his own. He was heard to say, the day after the battle, " It is well, but it nii<^ht have been a great deal better." He sent his captain, Buckle, home with an account of his success. He Avas most graciously received by the King, who ordered him a present of 500/. to buy a sword. The Admiral soon followed, leaving a great part of the s(juadron under Vice- Admiral Brodrick, ivlio, conformably with his orders, repaired off the port of Cadiz to block up that portion of De la Clue's squadron that had taken shelter there. The King was highly pleased with the conduct of Bos- cawen, and showed him many tokens of his regard. He was sworn in of the most honourable Privy Council, and the three prizes were added to the royal navy by their proper names. But the greatest blow of all, and that which anni- hilated the grand project, and extinguished the hopes of the enemy, in their view of retaliation, was struck by the gallant Sir Edward Hawke. This excellent officer, Avliile he blockaded Brest, detached small souadrons from his fleet to watcli the proceed- in,?; > of il.e French in the several ports along the wc'Slorii coLir^t, and pre^ ent their ships-of-war from ven- tir/'iiji out , tiie tradiiig ships that did so, and many of an 111- tlie \, was the 1 veii- ■iiiv of 1750.] SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN OF 1759. 333 those returniiiij; from abroad, were sure to be ca[)ture(L A squadron under Connnodore Duff closely blocked up the ships and transports in the IMorbihan : .; powerful detachment under Commodore Ke]:pel was sent to Bascpie Roads ; and another, under Com- modore Sir Piercy lirett, was stationed in the Downs to watch the movements of the enemy, which, how- ever, by the able disposition of Sir Edward Ilawke's fleet, and the vigilance of his officers, tliey never once attempted to make. On the 9th November a violent gale of wind from the westward compelled Sir Edward Ilawke to (juit his station, and take refuge in Torbay. During his absence IM. de Bompart, with his returning squadron and convoy, got safe into Brest, instead of falling into our hands, as he certainly would have done, had the British fleet been able to keep its station a few days longer. The Ijlockadc of Brest has always been at- tended with this advaiitaiie in favour of the French : — the same wind that forces the blockading s({ dron to retire from the coast, is a fair wind for r rying the enemy's fleets in ; and, on the contrary, v lien the blockading s(|uadron is driven from the c ist, or obliged to seek shelter in Torbay, the bloc! d fleet can slip out the moment the weather niodciates, and before ours can resume their station. As usual, it so happened on the present occasion. IM. de (onflans, iudi'ini'', from the violence of the i>ale, that the Bri- tish fleet had been forced to seek shelter, vent iied out ii II 334 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. VIII. m m P from his long confinement, on the 14th November; and on tho same day Sir Edward Hawke put to sea from Torl)ay. On the following morning, having fallen in with the Gibraltar, Sir Edward was informed that the French fleet had s.iiled, and were seen steering S. E., in the direction of the island of ]3elleisle : he immediately crowded all sail, and stood in the same direction, not doubting that the object of Conflans was to release the shi])s in the JMorbihan, blockaded by Connnodore Duff. Contrary wind^; retard^nl his progress till the 19th, when, on becoming fair, he ordered two frigates to go p-head of the fleet, and to keep a good look-out, one on the starboard, the other on the larboard quarter. On the morning of the 20th he sent the ]\Iagnauime, Captain Lord Howe, a-head to make the land. A little after eight, the Maidstone made the signal for a fleet in sight, a;id soon after the Mag- nanime signalled that they were enemies. Of the conflict that followed, many and various details have been p]d)lished, but Sir Edward Hawke's official despatch is so clear, that the whole transaction is brought under the eye of the reader. An abstract will here suffice. Conflans, on discovering 'he English fleet, after some confusion endeavoured to form a line, but, finding seven of the J3ritish shij)s advancing, he made off"; these were the IMagnanime, Kevenge, Torliay, Montao-ue, Resolution, Swiitsure, and J)c- VIII. 17.39.] SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN OF 1750. 335 after 1)Ut, fiance. At half past two these seven ships cngat>'0(l the rear of Conflans' fleet. About four tlie For- iiii(lal)le, bearinii; the Hag of Rear-Adniiral M. de Verger, struck to the Resolution ; soon after the Thesee, engaged with the JMagnjininie, and after- wards l)y the Torbay, sunk ; the Su])erbe also went to the bottom, both it was supposed ])y persevering to kee]) ojxni their lower-deck ])orts. The crews of both perished, with the exception of some twenty or tiiirty men, picked up the next morning on the spars of the wreck. Tlic Heros struck to the Magnanime, but the weather was so bad she could not be taken possession of, and both she and the Soleil Royal, Conflans' flag-ship, ran on shore in tin* jTx.dit; the Essex and Resolution, in following then;, also got on shore, and, ])einiQ; irrecoverably lost, were set fire to by the Admiral's order. The Soleil Royal was also set on fire by the French, and the Heros shared the same fiite by our own people. In the night the enemy's fleet dispersed, some standing away to the southward, and seven of their ships, after lightening themselves by throwing guns and heavy articles over- board, got into the river Villaine, over the bar, and too high up to be reached either by >ltot from bond)s, or by fire-ships ; but three of them onl} ever got out, the rest, being much damaged and lying on shore, were broken up. Sir Edward observes that the loss of the two ships (Essex and Resolution) has been owing to the weather; not the enemy. '' Our loss," he says, " by the i ri i 336 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CIL VIII. 1 1 ■ 'K eiieiiiy, is not consideruble, for in the ships thiit ure now with nie, I find only one lieutenant and thirty-nine seamen and marines killed, and about two hundnMl and two wounded. \Mien 1 consider the season of the year, the hard gales of wind on the day of .action, a flying- enemy, the shortness of the day, and the coast we were on, I can ])oldly aftirni that all, that could i)ossil)ly be done, has been done. As to the h)ss we liave sus- tained, let it be [)laced to the account of the necessity I was under of running all risks to break this strong force of the enemy. Had we had two hours more daylight, the whole had been totally destroyed or taken, for we were almost up with their van when nifflit overtook us." The enemy's ship Le Heros having struck to Lord I'lowe, Sir Edward sent his lordship with a letter to the Due d'Aiguillon, in wliicli he says, " I there- fore clf'm the otlicers and men as prisoners, and expect, iVom your Grace's known honour, that they ■will be immediately delivered up to me." They had all got on shore, and the duke seemed not disposed to give them up. Sir Edward in his second letter therefore says, *' I can only assure your Grace that, had a captain of a British man-of-war nnder my conunand begged quarter, and surrendered to the French, and afterwards run away with his shij), in open brejich of the rules ol" war, I would innnediately have delivered up the commander to have been treated as the fori'eiture of his honour deserved. The . VIII. lilt are ^-iiiiie (mI and 3 yeiu*, flyiiii^- list wo ossibly ^^e sus- icessity strong 5 more yed or 11 when to Lord Litter to the re - rs, and at they ey had isposed letter •e that, er my to the lii^), in diately been The 1759.] SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN OF 1759. 337 same I shouhl have expected irom the Due d'Ai- guillon, if I did not consider him as the subject of a state in which the will of the monarch constitutes riii'lit and wroni^." Sir Kdward Hawke sent his captain, (7 unpbell, with the news of tliis (Hscomfiture of Conflans' fleet. The joy of the nation on the recei]»t of it was at its lieight. Tlie idea of invasion, if any still remained in the public mind, now entirely vanished, and nothin*^- but bonfires, illuminations, and general rejoicings, were exhibited in every pjirt of the kingdom. The King received Captain Campbell most graciously, jind ordered 500/. for a sword to be given to him for bringing the joyful intelligence.* On Sir Edward Hawke's return to England, the first day lie at- tended in his ])lace in the House of Commons, the * The following anecdote is related of this honest Scotchman : — Lord Anson, when taking him in his carriage to the Kin^", said. " Campbell, the King will certainly knight you, if you think proper.'' " Troth, my Lord," said the ciptain, who retained his Scotch dialect as long as he lived, " I ken nae use that will be to me," " But your lady may like it," replied his lordship. " Weel, then," rejoined Camp- bell, " his Majesty may knight her, if she pleases.'' He afterwards acted as first captain to Keppel, who was much attached to him, in the action of 1770 ; attained the rank of Vice-Admiral of the Ked in 1787; and died in December, 1790. *' He preserved," says Charnock, " his original simplicity of manners till his death, notwithstanding he lived among, and mixed with, the first people ir the kingdom ; but he had, withal, a dry, sarcastic mode of expression, as well as manner, which approached so near to that in which Mr. Macklin played the character of Sir Archy M'Sarcasm, that 1 nave often thought that excellent actor must have seen and copied him." This Campbell has frequently been mistaken for the midshipman Alexander Campbell, of the Wager, wrecked in the Pacific. Z ^i I't R '*•! 338 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [cil. VIII. S)M'iik(!r thus jiddrL'ssrd liiin in tlu; following iioat und most jij)j)ro}ni;it(? sjx'ccli : — "Si II EnwAun Tr\>vKr. The House has unanlinously resolved lli;U tlicir tliauks bo ^ivcu to you lor tho late sif^iial victory obtiilnod by m)u over tho Fronrh floot. " You ;u(! now, Sir, li;ij)|)ily roturnod to your country, after a hmj^, but most important service, and returnc^d vic- torious and triumphant. .uu\ full of lionour. You meet the applause of your countrymen in their minds and hearts, and u liich they had manifested before, in all outward dcjnonstra- tions of ]Hiblic joy and conijfratulation. " Y(mr expedition was for tho nean^st and most affecting- concern to us — the innnediate defence of his Majesty's kinfjdparing invasion was then broken and dispelled ; and which cannot but bring to our remem- brance the design and the fate of another armada, in a f(n'- mer age of glory, whose defeat was at that time the safety of l^ngland, and the lasting renown of the English navy. '• These, Sir, are your late eminent services to your I ! vm. neat sl}2;iml luntry, !(\ vio pot tlio ts, iuid onslviv- iTcctln<>- ;vjesty's ly, mc- Your o which ahiUlios r fears ; romluct vcn the V. Vou cf naval it them ill their ape, to broken I remem- in a for- Isafety of '7- [to your 17/30.] ST](CESSFTTT, CAlVirAIfiN OF 1759. mo king; mkI country, and h;i\e liccii lum ciiimierated, not from any imatjiiialioii tliat tlic v arc imkiu)\vn anyuiiere, or can ever be ior^jollcii, but thu.. .>av presence with us makes them to rise, with their first strenjjth, in our thou<;hls, as the reeountinrejit honour eonl'erred (»n me hy this auji^ust House, in their (list iiii.;'uislie(l approha- tion of my conduct on the 20th November hist. In doing my utmost, I only did the duty I owed to my kini»- and country, which ever has been, and shall be, my greatest andjition to perlbrm iaithiuiiy and ho- nestly, to the best of my ability." For this signal service the king ])estowe(l on him a pension of 2000/. on the Irish establishment, for his own life, and that of his sons ; and when he waited on his Majesty he was receive 1 \ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) . ^O y^/:^ V. ^ 4^ ^ 1.0 1.1 UiMM 125 |jo ^^" BI^B ■o lU 12.2 S Hi ■" :; us ■2.0 IL25 III 1.4 II 1.6 V] o n ^/. /A ''W o 7 PhotDgraphic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. t4SS0 (716)872-4503 4\ m '^ \ C iV V ^ '^ 340 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. VIII. During the long blockade of Brest and the i>orls of the Channel, supplies of fresh provisions and vegetables had been sent out to the fleet ; but the bad weather, and gales of wind, Avhich succeeded the defeat of Conflans, made it impossible to con- tinue them with the same regularity as before, and the men were obliged to be put on short allowance. All this was taken in good humour, as the occasion of it was well understood by the seamen ; but it gave rise to the following witty epigram : — Ere Hawke did bang Monsieur Conflans, You sent us beef and beer: Now Monsieur's beat, We've nought to eat, Since you have nought to fear. Sir Edward Hawke had no great affection for fighting in line of battle, and he was probably right. There never was, and, perhaps, never will be, a decisive battle fought where the line on both sides is pre- served, or attempted to be preserved. Such a battle is little more than a sort of field-day: the two lines proceed parallel to each other at a cer- tain distance, within cannon-shot, fire at each other in passing, tack or wear, or wheel round, going through the same process, consuming daylight in their several manoeuvres, and sepaniting, each their own way in the evening. It is absolutely necessary that a large fleet should form the line, in order to keep the ships together, and each in its own divi- 1759.] SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN OF 1759. 341 sion, that tlie Commander-in-Chief may know where to find them ; but Hawke, like Nelson, thoui^ht only of attacking the first ship of his opponent he might be .able to come up with. The plan of Rodney, Howe, St. Vincent, and Nelson, dashing through the enemy's line, and throwing it into con- fusion, and then attacking ship to ship, is the sure way of arriving at a decisive result. Mr. Charles Dupin, who knows more of naval matters than most of the French officers, and is now in the department of the minister of marine, successfully ridicules Avhat he terms *^ the ])ious respect of his countrymen for the sacred order of the line of battle," to which he' says, '* the combined fleets were sacrificed at Trafalgar." While Nelson advanced in two close columns, to over- whelm the centre of this '* sacred line," the two wings remained immovable : they were •* in line," (he says,) *' and that was enough ; and in this position they looked on, * avec une effrayante impassibilite,' until the centre was destroyed — then, and not till then, forgetting all respect for the sacred order of the line, they thought, not of seeking to remedy any part of the evil, but of making their escape." Rear-Admiral Durell, who, after the reduction of Louisburg, retired with his squadron to Halifax, put to sea in the spring of the year, with the view of intercepting any supplies which tlic French might send out for the garrison of Quel)ec. Hear- Admiral Holmes was sent from England, early in the spring, with a reinforcement to join Hear- Admiral DureJl ; 342 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. VIII. and as the oiKMiiy liad bccMi so completely subdued at home, the ijjovernment determined to strike a blow at their foreign })ossessions ; and with this view Admiral Sir Charles Saunders was ( Cspatched from England in tJie Neptune, of ninety guns, to take command of the fleet in North America ; and, in conjunction with the land-forces under IMajor-Ge- neral Wolfe, who end)arked Avith him, to lay siege to Quebec. Having touched at Louisburg, and the General und troops liaving re-emharked, a junction was formed with tla^ ships assend)led, under tlie conmiand of l^ear- Admiral Durell, when the com- bined fleets amounted to twenty sail-of-the-Iine, two fifties, and thirteen frigates, besides sloops, bondjs, and fire-ships. The a])pointment by J\Ir. Pitt of so young a major-general as Wolfe, to connnand the land-forces, caused much the same kind of jealousy and dis- pleasure in the army, as was felt by the navy when Anson flrst gave the connnand of a powerful squadron to ITaAvke ; but the result proved how well the two ministers knew the men they selected for their respective^ conmiands. The >ame thing hap- pened afterwards, \vhen Lord St. Vincent gave to Nelson the Mediterranean command. Sir John Orde was indignant at being passed over, and wrote a remonstrance to Lord Spencer, sending, very pro- perly, a copy of it to Lord St. Vincent. The Earl told him in rejdy, " that those who are res})onsible for measures have an undoubted right to appoint 1759.] SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN OF 1759. 343 the men they prel'er to carry them into exinuition." It imiy here he noticed that, in Fol)ruary, 1755, Mr. Jervis received his first commission as lieu- tenant from Lord Anson, who also placed him on the present occasion in the Neptune. On the 1st June the expedition left Ijouishurg, anr on the 23rd the whole fleet i>-ot up to the Island of Codrc, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Avliere tliey found Rear-Admiral Durell and his s([uadron. Sir Charles hoisted his flag in the Stirling Castle, and, with the fleet and troops, proceeded higher up the Gulf, and on the 26th anchored oft' the Island of Orleans. General Monckton took up a post at Point Levi, to dislodge the enemy from thence, who, on the 1st July, sent down from Quehec three floating bat- teries, with which they (cannonaded this ])ost, till driven away by Captain Lindsay of the Trent. Genera] Wolfe visited Levi, and caused batteries to be erected for cannonading Quebec across the river. Returning to Orleans, he embarked the army on the 9th July, and early in the morning made a descent on the north shore, below the falls of JMontmo'-enci, under cover of the Porcupine sloop and Boscawen armed ship. Sir Charles had appointed Lieut. Jervis (afterwards Lord St. Vincent) to connnand the Por- cupine, and here- connnenced a friendship between Wolfe and him, two congenial spirits, which was, alas ! too soon destined to cease. The detail of the operations are clearly and dis- 344 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. VIII. tinctly stated by General Wolfe, in a letter to Mr. Pitt, of the 3rd September ; and those of the navy equally so by Sir Charles Saunders to the same minister. A few extracts from the latter will suftice. Having mentioned that, on the 2Stli June, at mid- night, the enemy sent down from Quebec seven fire- ships, he observes, that though our ships and trans- ports were so numerous, and necessarily spread over so great apart of the Channel, they were all towed clear, and ran aground, without any part of the fleet re- ceiving the least damage from them ; and on the 20th July he adds, — " At midnight the enemy sent down a raft of fire-stages, cf near a hundred radeaux, which succeeded no better than their fire-ships." On the 5th August, in the night, the admiral des- patched twenty flat-boats up the river, to embark twelve hundred and sixty of the troops, with Brigadier- General Murray ; and also sent up Admiral Holmes to act in concert with him, who was ordered to use his best endeavours to get at and destroy the enemy's ships above the town. ** The enemy," Sir Charles says, "appears to be numerous, and to be strongly posted ; but let the event be what it will, we shall remain here as long as the season of the year will permit, in order to prevent their detaching trooi>s from hence against General Amherst. The town of Quebec is not habitable, being almost en- tirely burnt and destroyed. I should have written to you sooner from hence ; but while my despatches 1759.] SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN OF 1750. 345 were preparing, General Wolfe was taken very ill : he lias been better since, but is still greatly out of order." This sickness of Wolfe created, among the troops, as great uneasiness as that which was occa- sioned, in the j)ublic mind at home, by the receipt of the despatches, in which the difficulties and delay Mere descril)ed as far beyond what had been anticipated. On his return to the camp a universal joy was felt in the \\'hole army ; and the General formed his plan, in concert with the Ad- miral, for striking the decisive blow. On tlie 12th September, all being ready, Wolfe issued a general order to the troops, which thus concludes : — " The officers and men will remember what their country expects from them, and what a determined body of soldiers, inured to war, is cai)able of doing against five weak French battalions, mingled with disorderly peasantry. The soldiers must be attentive and obedient to their officers, and resolute in the execu- tion of their duty." It would be out of place here to enter upon a detail of the landing, and the disposition of the troops, and of the several regiments that com- posed the two lines and the reserve : it is sufficient to state that, on the morning of the 13th, the two armies under Wolfe and Montcahn, respectively, were in motion : the French having advanced briskly within musket-shot, began to lire, but the British troops reserved theirs until the enemy had approached within thirty yards. They then kept up their lire 346 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. VIII. with such effect, that the enemy gave way, and our men, under cover of the smoke, pursued and charged them with fixed bayonets. At this time General Wolfe, exerting himself at the head of the Louisburg Grenadiers, received his mortal wound ; and M. de Montcalm was also mortally wounded, and carried off the field. The command now devolved on Brigadier Townsend. Sir Charles Saunders had already brought up his large ships with the intention of attacking the town, which being perceived by the governor of Quebec, he sent out, on the 17th, a fiag of truce, with offers to surrender ; and terms of capitulation were soon agreed upon. General Townsend, in his letter to Mr. Secretary Pitt, says — " I should not do justice to the admirals and the naval service, if I neglected this occasion of acknowledging how much we are indebted for our success to the constant assistance and support re- ceived from them, and the perfect harmony and cor- respondence which have prevailed throughout all our operations ; — in the uncommon difficulties which the nature of this country, in particular, presents to mili- tary operations of a great extent, and which no army of itself can solely supply ; the immense labour in artillery, stores, and provisions ; the long watchings and attendance in boats ; the drawing up our artillery by the seamen, even in the heat of actjon. It is my duty, short as my command has been, to acknoAvledge, for that time, how great a share the navy has had in this successful campaign." 1759.] SUCCKSSFUL CAMPAIGN OF 1759. 347 of Vice- Admiral Siiuiiders sent home Captain James Doui^las, accompanied by Brigadier-Cienenil Towns- end and Lieutenant-Colonel I lale, with the news of this important eoncjuest. His Majesty reeeived them most graciously, and, accordinj;- to his custom, ordered that each of them should he preseiited with 500/. to })urchasea sword. C:iptain Dout»las was also knii»'hted, and Coh)nel Hale had a regiment of dragoons given to him. His Majesty received addresses iVom the city of London, and various other corporations, con- gratulating him on this important victory. The season drawing near to a close, Sir Charles Saunders sent home the ships of the line under Hear- Admirals Holmes and Durell; and, on the 18th October, foUowed them in the Somerset, taking with him the Devonshire and Vanguard, leaving Lord Colville in the conmiand of his Majesty's naval forces in America. The gallant admiral, on his arrival in the chops of the Channel, hearing that the French Heet, under M. de Conflans, had put to sea in great force, and that Sir Edward Ilawke was in pursuit of it, instantly directed his course, with his three ships of the line, to Quiberon Bay, as a reinforcement to Sir Edward Hawke ; but soon after, hearing of the defeat of the French, steered for Portsmouth. When Parliament met, ]\Ir. Secretary Pitt, in a most elofjuent speech, set forth in glowing terms 'the various and brilliant successes of the late cam- paign, and the very great nn'rit of the naval 348 LIFE OF LOim ANSON. [cil. VIII. and military officers by wliom tliey were accom- ])li»Iie(1. Tlie panegyric he passed on the immortal Wolfe convinced his audience that what he said came from the heart ; but when he attempted to sum up his virtues, and the loss which the country had sustained in the death of so brave and accomplished an officer, a burst of sympathy was manifested such as rarely occurs in that House. He concluded by moving an address to his Majesty, praying that he would be pleased to order a monument to be erected in vVestminster Abbey to the memory of Major- General James Wolfe. After which, thanks Avere returned to the surviving generals and admirals, who had been employed in the glorious and successful expedition against Quebec. Walpole will not admit that Pitt made any im- pression on the House. He says the parallels which he drew from Greek and Roman story did but flatten the pathetic of the topic ; but that JMr. Pitt himself had done more for ]3ritain than any orator for Home. "The horror of the night, the precipice scaled by Wolfe, the emi)ire he, with a handful of men, added to England, and the glorious catastrophe of con- tentedly terminating life where his fame began — ancient story may be ransacked and ostentatious philosophy thrown into the account, before an episode can be found to rank with W^olfe's." — *' Pitt then moved," he continues, "in general words, for thanks to the generals and admirals ; mentioned them all, 1759.] StiCCES FUL CAMPAIGN OP 1759. 349 particularly Admiral Saimdors, wIiofc merits, Ik* said, had equalled those who have heateu aruiadas — * May I anticipate V cried he — ' those who wi/l heat armadas!'"* Walpole, for once, has given a most faithful and well-deserved panegyric of one of the hest and bravest men that ever adorned the annals of the British navy. ''Mr. Pitt's anticipation," he says, "of Saunders' renown was prophetic. That admiral was a pattern of most steady bravery, united with the most unaffected modesty. No man said less or de- served more. Simplicity in his manners, generosity and good-nature adorned his genuine love of his country. His services at Quebec had been eminent. Returnhig thence he heard that M. Conflans had taken the opportunity of Sir Edward Hawke's re- tiring to Gibraltar to refit, and had sailed out of Brest. Saunders, who heard the news at Plymouth, far from thinking he luid done enough, turned back instantaneously, and sailed to assist Hawke. His patriotism dictated that step, and would not wait for other orders. He arrived too late ; but a moment so embraced could not be accounted los^." t Nothing can be more true or more just than this panegyric. No two men were ever found in manners, sentiments, and habits more congenial than Anson and Saunders. But it is provoking enough .•'i Walpole's Memoirs of the last Ten Years of George II. t lb. 350 MFE OF LORD ANSON. [ciI. VIII. lliut, tlioui^li ill coiislaiit rorn'spoiKlcncc nilli cji ;Ii otluM-, then; is seairely a sera}) of wrifiiio- to ]h. iound ()r«'illier; {]\vy i^xchiui^vd portraits, and tliesr are the only nicinorials loft in the two imnilies to re- mind tlieni ol'tiieir early and lastin^^ IViend.sliij). To Saunders' protci-tion Anson eonunitted the Karl of St. Vineent, alter i,^ivint,^ him, as already stated, his first conniiission ; he was with him at the siei»e oi* Quebec ; was appointed hy actintj order to a sloop; confirmed by Anson, who shortly after gave him his captain's conmiission ; and thus was the navv indebted to Anson for one of its greatest and best olHcers. Lord Anson, l)eing mcxst desirous that some dis- tinguished mark of a})probation should be conferred on those brave ofHc(!rs, wlio had rendered to the state such brilliant services ; and the Admiralty, having no other means of rewarding such services but by the ordinary routine of promotion, which was very much circumscribed in those days, Anson, on consultation with the Duke of Newcastle and IMr. l*itt, obtained their ready assent to a measure by whicli a mark of dis- tinction, as well as an oiFicc of emolument, wM^iild be bestowed on a very small number of officers, who should be deenuMl worthy of it. The follo\ving ex- tract from the Order in Council, authorising the appointments in question will best exphiin their na- ture. The memorial states, that — " Having taken into our consideration the present state oT the marine forces^ which your Majesty has been pleased to 1759.] SUCCESSFTIL CAMPAION OF 1759. 351 "oip'nit to our in.um^'nncnt, wv hoff \vs\\r liuinhly to ohscrvo. that siiicr tho Tirst cstiihlisliiiicnt ol' (il'ty rompaiiics of ono hutidrod privutc inoii cacli. thoy nr(> now tiu^inciitod, by your Mnjcsty's several Onlera in Counril, to one hundred and thirty companies of one hunth'ed and twenty-tlneo private n)(>n in each, and at ])r(>sent amount in the whoU; to eighte:>n thousand and ninety-two men. commisiiion and non-eonnuis- sion officers inclu(h>d, oi which there are only ten field- ofhcers — vi/., one cohmel, three licu*enant-colonels, and six majors. 'JMiis ^reat increase of tho number, we apprclu-nd, will make it necessary, in order to preserve disciplint; and rcL'^nlarity ainoni>:st so fjreat a body of men, that we should have some officers of rank in the navy to assist us therein, who may frecjuently review them both afloat and ashore, to see they are kept in constant order for service, and rep^ularly provided with clothin^^, arms, and accoutrements ; likewise to inquire into the conduct and behaviour of the officers, and make their report to us, that we may b(? enabled to lay the same before your Majesty whenever there may be occasion. We do, therefore, most hunddy propose, that your Ma- jesty will be ijraciously jdeased, for the aforesaid purposes, to authorise and empower the Lord Ilij^h Admiral of Great Britain, <«• the Commissioners for executing the oflice of Lord Hiffh Admiral, now, and for the time being, to appoint two of the flag-officers of your Majesty's fleet to be general officers of your marine- forces, in the following manner — viz., one general of the marines, with the pay of of, a-day, and one lieutenant-general at 4/."* And, on the 1st February, 1760, a further memoriul AViiS presented to the King in Council, stating — M * Ovder in Council of 'Jtli November, 1759. 352 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. VIII. WM. 'WV-S " This great body of marine forces, amounting to upwards of eighteen thousand men, are directed to be quartered, when on shore, at the established head-quarters at Portsmouth, Plymouth, and Chatham, or in the neighbourhood of those places ; and though we apprehend that the proper direction and superintendence of those head-quarters are of the greatest importance to the discipline and good government of those forces, yet, from the present low establishment of field- officers, each of those stations can only be put under the immediate care of an officer of no higher rank than a lieu- tenant-colonel ; we therefore humbly submit to your ]Ma- jesty, whether, instead of having one colonel of marines re- sident in London, as at present, it will not be for the advan- tage of the service to have three colonels of marines with tb i pay of forty shillings a-day to each, in lieu of all other pro- fits or allowances, and to allot to th^in severally the care, inspection, and command of the three established head- quarters. " And if your Majesty should be pleased to appoint officers of the rank and authority of colonels, we also beg leave to suggest, that it appears from the ancient establi<;li- ment of marine forces, and particularly from certain regit - lations made in Council soon after the Revolution, that the colonels, but none other of the officers, might be sea- com- manders: we therefore humbly submit to your Majesty, whether it may not be for the advantage of your maritime service, and likewise a just and well-timed encouragement to your sea- officers, so far to revive the ancient establishment as to appoint three captains in your Majesty navy to be colo- nels of marines, at the before-mentioned established head- quarters; and that, whenever the said three captains, or either of them, may ])e promoted to the rank of flag-officers. 1759.] SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN OF 1759. 353 other captains in your navy be appointed colonels of marines in their room ; and the said flag-officers not to be permitted to continue in this station after such their promotion, but to act in their superior rank of admirals." The additional division of marines at Woolwich was established by Ins Majesty's Order in Council of 15th August, 1805, upon an augmentation often men to each company of the marine corps ; upon which occasion an additional naval Colonel of marines was appointed. In consequence of the order in council first men- tioned, the Board of Admiralty, to mark and reward the services of certain meritorious officers, appointed Admiral Boscawen, General of Marines ; Vice-Ad- miral Sir C. Saunders, Lieutenant- General ; and Sir Piercy Brett, the Hon. Augustus Keppel, and Lord Viscount Howe, Colonels of Marines. It was not untilJuly, 1794, that a Major-General was added to the marines, and Vice-Admiral Sir Alan Gardner was the flag-officer appointed. As these appointments were, in their origin, really, iud clearly understood to be, though not ostensibly^ t'le rewards of great public service, in a profes- sion where, generally speaking, pecuniary emolu- ments are small and their augmentation purely inci- dental, and that there are no regiments nor go- vernments, nor any other little sinecures to give away, as in the army, the wisdom, or the policy, of abolishing these seven marine appointments seems 2 a i 'iiS 354 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. VIII. very cjiiestionablc, when it is considered tlirt the very salvation of (treat Britain and her dominions depends on the navy. There was no pretence what- ever of any abuse or favouritism in the distribu- tion of those rewards ; not a single undeserving or objectionable officer had been selected for the seventy years and upwards tiiat the l)oon liad l)een in exist- ence ; but Ihey were ainecurea, and the sacrifice was made to the name, but fell on the navy, to stifle a clamour for econonu/ — a word nmch abused, and sometimes very ill apj)Hed. It is true the emolu- ments of these marine appointments have been r*e- served to the navy, and spread over a larger surface, under the name of " (lood Service Pensions." The number of course is increased, and if confined within a certain seniority, so will be the difficulty of select- ing the most proper objects. The selection made by Lord Anson merited and received high approbation, and served as an example for l\iture 13oards of Admiralty to follow, and it is but justice to say, they did follow it. The brilliant successes of the campaign of 1759 were not confined to America, nor to the western fleet. Commodore IMoore, who connnanded a squa- dron of frigates on the Leeward Island station, having received a reinforcement from England, with a body of troops under the connnand of IMajor- Geueral IIo})son, it was resolved to make a joint expedition against the island of Martini(iue, which. 1759.] STJCCERSFUL CAMPAIGN OF 1759. 355 however, proved too stronjj; for tlicm. They therefore proceeded agjiinst Guiulalou])e, and this island, af ^c a hrave and i>'allant resistance on the part of the enemy, of more than three months' duration, capitulated ; and the ishmds of MarigahirA^*, the Saints, Descada, and Petite-Terre, soon followed its exam})le. In the East Indies, Admiral Pocock, witli nine ships of the line, one of them, the Cumherland (a weak ship, reduced from sixty-six to fifty-ei«];ht guns) attacked M. D'Acho, the best olhcer that had ap])eared in the Indian seas, with eleven sail-ol-the-line, all of thern superior, not only in guns and men, but also in size of ships and weight of metal. The engagement was long, and gallantly fought on both sides : the I^ritish ships suffered much, chiefly in masts and yards, against which the aim of the French is always di- rected ; and the battle ended by ]\L D'Ache retreat- ing, and leaving' Pocock in possession of the field only, no captures having been made. The severity of the jiction may be judged of by the killed and wounded, which, in tlu; J^ritish fleet, amounted to five hundred and sixty-nine, and in that of the enemy to nearly fifteen hundred. Two of our caj)tains were killed, and two wounded, and in the list were se- veral inferior oflicers. The Governor and council ot Madras, in their letter to the Admiral, say, " The warm fire you sustained for two hours AA'ith seven shi})s sigaiust eleven, and obliging them, at last, to make their retreat, \\'\\\ do innnortal honour to vou •w .'1 "W t.'i! 356 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. VIII. and to Mr. (Rcar-Admiral) Stevens and all the brave officers who had the happiness to serve under voii." It has been remarked as an extra- ordinary circumstance, and one that shows the sin- gular talents of each of these commanders-in-chief, " that they had fought three pitched battles in the course of eighteen months, without the loss of a ship on either side." On Pocock reaching home the fol- lowing year, he was honoured wath the military Order of the Bath, and promoted to the rank of Ad- miral of the Blue. In closing the brief narrative of the bustling and glorious events of this year, a letter from Lord Hardwicke may here be introduced — the last in date of the series in Anson's collection — it is curious, as showing how well a shrewd and clever man, like the ex-chancellor, knows how to manage a tardy and timid prime minister, and frighten him into a com- pliance with his Avishes. The immediate agent to be employed was Anson. " Grosvenor Square, November I4th, 1759. " My dear Lord — I have been reflecting upon what passed between your lordship and me last night, and I have judged it necessary to give you this trouble. I wish you could make it convenient to you to see the Duke of New- castle this forenoon, either at Newcastle House (which would be best) or else at court, before the House of Lords comes with their address. I beg further that you would tell him something of what passed between us two last 1759.] SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN OF 175'\ 357 night, and tell him as many oi' the strong things, which I said, as you can recollect ; the stronger you represent them the better ; that, from what his grace said to your lordsh'p, I feared his various occupations had not allowed him time to consider my letter from Wimpole of the first of this month by Barnesley ; that, as to what is passed, I was only confirmed in the same opinion, which is there expressed at large. But my desire is to look forwards, which, in general, must depend upon events ; that, for the present, my resolution is — thaty until this unhappy affair of Joe'* is set right, I will not set my foot within the House of Lords. I will not come near the court, nor hear one ivord upon any public business ; that, from this resolution, the King's civil list shall not move me. " I think this will alarm his grace ; and the first thing he will think of will be to come to me, either as he comes from St. James's to-day or at night. Both these I would avoid. The first would hurt me in my present state, by keeping me from my dinner ; the last, by keeping me up till midnight. I therefore beg your lordship Avould, in a kind, confidential way, say to his grace, "You had better let Charlesj and me talk to him before you sec him. I found his mind was much agitated and heated ; and he owned it was this hindered his sleeping. We will sec him this evening : you need not suspect our blowing him up, will only calm and make him more easy. » . wo * Sir Joseph Yorke, the Earl's third son. In 1749 he was secre- tary to Lord Albemarle's embassy to Paris ; in 1751 minister to the Hague, where he remained twenty-nine years without removal ; but his rank was changed in 17G1 for that of ambassador. t Charles Yorke, the second son, who, in the year 1770, was ap- pointed Lord Chancellor, and created Baron of Morden, but died sud- denly, while the patent was making out. M m 358 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CIL VIII. " If I know his grace, ho will be thankful for this, and it will bring it to what I have wanted ever since I came to town, to have a full conversation with your lordship, Roys- ton,* and Charles (whom I consider as part of myself, and on whom I can rely), to settle what is fit to be done for my honour and Joe's interest before I talk with anybody else on the subject. I desire this for two reasons, 1st, the thing is rightest in itself; Cnd, I own I dare not trust myself to an impetuous conversation with the Duke of Newcastle in my present state. I should be in danger of losing my temper, and of hurting the cause, or myself, or both. " If this scheme takes place, I wish your lordship could be here between seven and eight this evening, or as much earlier as you please. Let me know if you can, and I will appoint Charles. He may get away early from the Serjeant's feast. If this meeting cannot be to-night, I shall like i as well to-morrow, provided the Duke of Newcastle can be decently kej)! oft' in the mean time. Be so good as to let me hear a word from you ; forgive this trouble, and, " Believe me, y wife" inlorms the reader — " With the hifjhest exertions of military grcntness, lie united the gentlest offices of Immunity. Ilis concern for the interest, and unwearied Attention to the health of all under His command, Softened the necessary exactions of duty, And the rigours of discipline, ]3y the care of a guardian and the tenderness Of a father." He gave a strong proof of this during his last command, by taking possession of a small island in Quiberon Bay, near the mouth of the Vannes, which he caused to be cultivated with vegetables for the use of the men afflicted with scorbutic disorders. In this year Anson was doomed to experience one of the heaviest afflictions which a domestic man is liable to suffer — the death of Lady Anson — a most amiable and accomplished woman, who expired sud- denly, on the 1 st June, 1760, as would appear by Avhat follows : — "Adm ira Ify, the 3 1 .9^ Mcnj, 1 760. " I have the greatest satisfaction in acquainting your Lordship that Lady Anson is quite out of danger, and though 1760.] CONCLUSION OF THE WAR. nos her rash is not nil out, %\w is cnsior, nml to a dcfjioo has recovered licr sleep and spirits, and desires uie to make her dutiful acknowlcdji^nients and thanks lor your Lordship'b very kind and affectionate wishes ; and she [jromises to be very careful of herself for the future. . , . Since I hegan this letter, Dr. Wihnot thinks Lady Anson has rather more fever than she had in the morninfj^, which, he says, is usual in these cases in the evening, and imagines there is more rash to come out. I don't understand their jargon, and always feel, when 1 have any of them in the house, as I always did when I had a pilot; being ignorant myself, I always doubted whether my pilot knew as much as he ought to do ; but, in both cases, there is nothing else to trust to. I am, my dear Lord, your ever faithful and affectionate ser- vant, "Anson." Lady Anson died next duy ; and, on this letter, Philip, the second Lord Hardwicke, has written the following notes : — " N.B. This was a very unhappy affiiir, and a loss which could not be replaced. We thought Dr. Wilmot had not shown his usual sagacity in the illness. "H." " Till the death of this poor lady, our family had gone on in an uninterrupted flow of worldly prosperity ; since that era we have had our share of private disasters. God's will be done. " H." Sir Edward Hawke followed up the plan of his predecessor in stationing his cruising squadrons, by which the French ports were completely sealed, and many of their trading ships and privateers cap- '!ti 366 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. IX. tiircd. As the Channel fleet was frequently deficient in a supply of fresh water, which was mostly sent from England, and the small ishmd of Dumet, near Quiheron Bay, was known to have plenty of that indispensable article, Sir Edward fippointed a small squadron, consisting of the Magnanime, Prince Fre- derick, and Bedford, under the command of Lord Howe, to get possession of that island, which soon surrendered, on two of the ships being placed against the fort, and firing a few shot. The little garrison w^as composed of one company of the regiment of Bourbon, consisting of fifty-five men, of whom two were killed and six wounded. This capture proved of great service to the fleet on this station during the remainder of the war. Sir Edward having detached the Hon. Augustus Keppel to make observations on the island of Belle- isle, conformably with an instruction from Lord Anson, and that oflicer havini>: been sent with his report to the noble lord, it was transmitted to Mr. Pitt ; and as this able minister still cherished his favourite scheme of harassing the French coast as much as })ossible, being, as he always maintained, the surest means of preventing the enemy from sup- plying the continental army with reinforcements, by keeping them in a constant state of alarm, he readily entered into the plan of making an attack on that island. Anson, however, bearing in mind the dis- asters of St. Cas, and desirous of oljtaining the best 1760.] CONCLUSION OF THE WAR. 367 possible information before risking the ships and troops, submitted to Mr. Pitt that Sir Edward Hawke shouhl first ]>e desired, confidentiallj', to examine the shores of the island himself, to make a detailed report of the accessible points, and the strength of its seve- ral defences. The following is a coj)y of the memorandum sent by Anson to the gallant admiral : — "The situation of the Kinj^'s affairs in Germany requiring a diversion to be made on the enemy's coasts, his Majesty's servants have considered which may be the properest place for that purpose, and examined Mr. Keppel, who, having been lately in the liay, had an opportunity of making the observations, that I send herewith, on part of the coast of the isle of Belleisle, which it is thought may be attacked Tvith the best prospect of success ; and the King, as well as his servants, reposing great confidence in you, I have it in command to let you know that a very considerable body of troops, with a train of artillery, are collecting together^ and transports getting ready to embark them, whenever it shall be thought proper. ^' Wherefore you are desired to use every means in your power to inform yourself how near ships can lie to batter the several works in the sandy bays of iJelleisle mentioned by Mr. Keppel, and what depth of water there is close in to the shore, and to ascertain the distance of the citadel from the said sandy bj.ys. " You will also inform yourself whether troops can be landed at Lomarie or any other parts of the island besides these described in Mr. Keppel's paper, and how far they may be from the citadel. 368 LIFE OP LORD ANSON. [CH. IX. P " You will likewise please to learn, whether the enemy's ships in the river Vilane are tlisarmed, and, if so, whether their artillery, ammunition, and stores have been sent to Pain-boeuf, or how disposed of. " It will also be necessary to know what number of regu- lar troops and militia there may be in the island, and if the town of Palais is fortified ; to come at which knowledf^e I would recomjncnd to you to cause some coasting or fishing vessels belonging to the enemy to be taken, and by every proper means to get the best intelligence you can from them. " When you have satisfied yourself with all that is neces- sary to be known, I must desire you will send me your an- swer by a good sailing frigate to the first port she can make in England, and to forward the same by express. " I hope it is needless for me to repeat the confidence that is reposed in you on this occasion, and the necessity there is for the strictest secrecy. " Sir Edward Hawke, " Anson.* ''9th October, 17G0." Sir Edward Hawke found the report of Keppel to 1)6 correct, and that the island was attackable from several places. The expedition Avas accordingly has- tened ; a body of troops collected at Portsmouth, under the command of Major-General Kingsby, and a squadron under the Hon. Augustus Keppel was appointed to receive them. The expedition was ge- nerally supposed to be intended for an attack on the islands of Bourbon and Mauritius. The troops were * Anson's Collection. 1760.] CONCLUSION OF THE WAR. 369 all embarked, and the fleet ready to put to sea, when the sudden and unexpected death of George II. j)ut an end for the present to its proceeding. His death took place at his palace of Kensington on the 27th October, 1760, in the seventy-seventh year of his age and thirty-third of his reign.* The only naval and military operations of much importance were confined to North America, ^^•here the successes of the preceding year determined the government to follow up the blow by an attack on Montreal, which, with Quebec, would throw the whole of Canada into our possession. With this view Commodore Swanton, with a considerable naval force, and transports to convey stores and provisions, was despatched early in the spring to reinforce the squadron at Halifax. At the same time another small squadron, under the conmiand of Ctiptain * The account given by Horace Walpole to George Montague is nearly correct, but heartless and indecent, coming from a man who, through Sir Robert Walpole, owed everything he had in the world to the King. " He went to bed," he says, " well last night, rose at six this morning as usual, looked, I suppose, if all his money was in his purse, and called for his chocolate. A little after seven he went into the water-closet ; the German valet-de-chambre heard a noise, list- ened, heard something like a groan, ran in, and found the hero of Oudenarde and Dettingen on the floor, with a gash on his right temple, by ftdling against the corner of a bureau ; he tried to speak, could not, and expired. In another letter he speaks of the vast sums of money left by the King, which turVied out to be nothing equal to what Sir Robert Walpole left; but it was the slander of the day; just as, in our time, similar allegations were made against the late excellent Queen Charlotte, who literally left nothing, having bestowed nearly the whole of her allowance in charitable uses. 2b :^i ;ii ti ' !;■ [M il 370 LIFE OF LORD ANSON, [CII. IX. Byron, was sent to Cape Breton, ^\itli orders to de- stroy the fortifications of Louisburi^-, and to convey the greater ])art of the garrison to join General Murray at Quebec. J>yron hearing of a small French squadron of three ships of war, with about twenty transports, laden with stores and ammunition for the French army in Canada, having arrived in tlie bay of Clialeur, ])roceeded thither, and on entering the bay to attack them, Uvo of them Avere burnt by their own people, and the third by ours ; he silenced the batteries and destroyed them, tt)gether with the whole of the transports. After this he returned to England, on finding that General IMurray had been reinforced. In the mean time the Chevalier de Levis, the suc- cessor of jM. ]\lontcalm, tiiking advantage of the absence of the shii)s of war, on account of the ice in the St. Lawrence, made his a])pearance before the town with an army composed of regulars, colonial troops, and Canadian militia, amounting altogether to betAveen fourteen and fifteen thousand men. Ge- neral JMurray resolved, imprudently as it was thought and turned out to be, to march out to meet him, with about three thousand men, tlie flower of his garrison, and twenty field-i)ieces. But it is stated that, by some fatal mistake, the commanding ofiicer of the artillery jdaced his guns in a holloAV where they could 1)6 of no use, and that, by a most unpardona])le bliMuler, the shot brought with the guns would not 760.] CONCLUSION OF THE WAR. 371 h fit them, being" for nine instead of six-pounders, and therefore of no use. The infantry, left thus without support, were compelled, after a brave resistance, to fall back with considerable loss within the walls. Here the General immediately began to repair and strengthen the works, and in a short time had one hundred and fifty cannon mounted on the ramparts. On the arrival of thvi fleet the Chevalier de Levis raised the siege, leaving behind him a quantity of baggage, stores of ammunition and provisions, his battering cannon, mortars, and field-pieces. General Murray now ](^ft Quebec to join the army under Lord Andierst, avIio, after various operations l)otli on the shore and the river, and negociations with the IMarquis de Vaudreuil, Alontreal, a: d with it all Canada, surrendeied to General Amherst, on the 8th Sej)tember, on such terms as he thought proper to dictate to the Marquis. The French power being thus annihilated in North America, Lord Colville, who commanded the naval forces, ordered such of his squadron as might be Avanted to proceed to the West Lidies, and the rest to EngLmd. The accession of George IIL was not immediately followed by any change in the administration, nor in the measures intended to be i)ursued. The same numl)er of seamen and marines were voted for the year 1761 as in the i)receding. The Channel fleet, under the command of Sir Edward ITawke, kept its station through the winter in Quiberon Bay, and 2 b2 372 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [ciI. IX. continued successfully to block up the enemy's sliips in the river Vilaine until the 2nd Janmiry, 1701, when by the favour of a very dark night and blowinj^ weather, they took the op])ortunity to slip out, and, though closely pursued by Captain Gandjier, ef- fected their escape into Brest. Sir Edward Hawke, therefore, considering so large a fleet no longer ne- cessary in Quiberon J3ay, returned to England early in March, leaving a suflicient number of ships to watch the enemy's motions along the ports of the western coast. The secret expedition, which had been postponed by the King's death, was now ready to proceed ; and on the 29th March the Hon. Commodore Keppel, with a squadron of ten sail-of-the-line, eight frigates and smaller vessels, and with trans[)orts conveying about ten thousand men, under Major-General Hodg- son, put to sea, and on the 6tli April came in sight of the island of Belleisle, against Avliich they were designed to act. They found, on approaching the coast, that intrenchments and batteries had been raised, since the commodore's former visit, at every place where a landing was thought practicable ; and a strong garrison was placed in the fort of Palais, under the connnand of the Chevalier de St. Croix, a very gallant and skilful officer. Having fixed on three several landing-places, the troops destined to act at each of them, covered by the fire kept up incessantly from the ships of war, made good their 1761.] CONCLUSION OF THE WAR. 373 landing, and a ])art of tlieni maintained themselves on the ishmd, while others were compelled by supe- rior numbers to retreat. At length, after much fighting, and tlie English gaining post by post, the Chevalier, by lighting a fire on the top of the hill, summoned all the inhabitants capable of bearing arms to repair into the citadel of Palais, which he resolved to defend to the last. It was the 2nd ]\Iay before our batteries opened upon the town of Palais, and on the 7tli June, when General Hodgson was prepared to storm the place, the Chevalier de St. Croix sent out a fla«f of truce to offer a capitulation. In consideration of the gallant defence made by the garrison, they were allowed all the honours of war, and to be sent to France. This siege cost the enemy 922 men killed and wounded ; and to the British the loss was 13 ofhcers and 300 men killed, with 21 otHcers and about 480 men wounded. After this the commodore detached a small squadron of ships of the line to Basque Roads, to attack any of the enemy's ships that might be there, and to demolish the fortifications on the Isle d'Aix. In the Mediterranean the cruisers under Sir Charles Saunders were particularly active. The I sis, after a smart action, took L'Oriflannne, of fifty guns, and three hundred and seventy men ; but Captain Whee- ler, a midshipman, and quartermaster, AAcre killed in the early part of the engagement. The Thunderer, II :x.;i k li I 374 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CII. IX. (vaptiiiii Proby, tniga^ed L'Achille, of sixty-lour guns, {uid six hundred men, wliicli, after a i;'idlunt resistunce of half an hour, struck. The Thelis engaged L'Achille's companion, Le Boull'on, of thirty-two guns, and two hundred and Um men, whi(di also struck. A number of merchant ships and small armed vessels were captured in the course of th(; year, but nothing like a Heet or s(piadron ventured to show itself u[)ou ihe sea. In the Leeward Islands, Couunodore Sir Janu;s Douglas, being joined by four sailof-the-line an.l threes frigates, with a body of troops from Nortl" America, undcu- the command of Lord Hollo, proceeded on the 4tli June to attack the island of Dominica, which, after a short resistance, surrendered. On the Jamaica station several captures were made, and, among others, the St. Anne, ji new sixty-four gun-shi[), with a valuable cargo of indigo ; she was puchased into the British navy. In the East Indies, after an eight months' siege and blockade, by Rear- Admiral Stevens and Rear Admiral Cornish, Pondicherry surrendered, and was delivered up to the British troops. Several ])rilliairt single actions occurred during this year in various ])arts of the Aiorld. On the Jamaica station, the Hampshire, Boreas, and Lively, fell in with a convoy under hve French frigates. The Boreas, being a-liead, came u}) with the Sireune, but the latter, after a close action of t\\'enty minutes. 17G1.] CONLCIJSION OF THE WAR. 375 shot a-hoad, and made oft'. The Boreas pursued ; but it was the mid(Ue of next day liefore she came up with her, and renewed the action lor two hours nearly, when the Sirenne struck, havint:;eii»;hty men killed and wounded. The l?oreas had out; man killed and one wounded. IJeing only a twenty-ei^-ht i(un-frigale, and that of the enemy thirty-two, with eii;hty men more than the former, this is one of the many instances where superior seamanship, added to su])erior gunnery, have given the victory. The Lively, of twenty guns, came up with her erjual, tin; Valeur, engaged her in close action, took her, having killed a lieutenant and thirty-seven men, her captain, master, and twenty- three men wounded. The Liv(dy had two men killed. Two of the French frigates were destroyed by the Hampshire, and one escaped into Port au Paix. In the course of this year two great events oc- curred — an overture of peace from France, and the resiij-nation of Mr. Pitt — which latter threatened ma- terially to cilfect the successful progress of affairs, at least in puljlic opinion ; and, as a third, may he added, the discovery ot an intrigue of France with the 8})anish court, at the very moment she was making professions of a desire for peace. As soon as it came to the kno\vledi>'e of Mr. Pitt that the Due de Choiseul had sii>'nihed his master's wish to terminate the war, and feeling that our posi- tion with regard to the successes of our navy at home 'ill 'i '^a 1 '^1 ,1 376 IJFE OF LORD ANSON. [CII. IX. and jiliroad, and oftlK^ allied army on the Continent, were favourable for entertainini^ siieh an overture, and, inoieover, that the enormous expense of the war pressed heavily on the national resourc(;s aiul the patienee of the ])ul)lic, he appointijd, early in May, Hans Stanley, Es(|., to ju'oeeed as envoy extra- ordinary to the court of Versailles, and JM. JJussy was sent over in the snnie character to the court of London. The terms were very soon nearly adjusted, and agreed to hy the nei»'ociators, and tin; periods settled when the preliminary articles should he signed and ratified. Jiut, just at this time, M. Bussy, hy desire of the king of Spain, thought fit to present a private memorial, ])ro[)osing that his Ca- tholic majesty should be invited to guarantee the treaty between the two crowns ; aiid it also insi- duously introd ^ced into the memorial, that, at the same time, the settlement of three great points in dispute between Great Britain a\id Spain might he arranged. These three points were — the restitution of some Spanish ships, or ships under Spanish colours, taken in the course of the war — liberty of fishing on the banks of Newfoundland — and the demolition of certain settlements made by the log- wood cutters in the bay of Honduras. Mr. Pitt expressed great indignation at so highly improper an interference, which, he told M. Bussy, he would not suffer to be mentioned, or to enter in any shape into the present negotiation, and that he wouli 17G1.] CONCLUSION OF THE WMl. 377 not Jillovv Fraiicj; to intiM'pose in any disputes Orcut Jkituin mii^lit luive, either with Spain or any other power. Ho saw at once the (h'ift ot" France in makings sucli a proposal ; that, it acee|)te(l, time wouhl be j^ained ; iFrelused, Spain niij^ht l)e induced to take j)art against us ; lor, hunibU'd as she? had heiMi, her fleets nearly destroyiMl, her colonies tak<'n, and her iinances in a stal(? oi' bankruptcy, France still flattered hersell" that, if she could draw Spain into the contest, their united forces mii;ht i»iv(! a more favourable turn to th(», war. It soon appeared that Mr. Pitt was correct in the view he took of the memorial ])resented by M. Bussy. Tlu! connnunications received from the Earl of JJristol, our andjassador at the court of JMadrid, made the desiiijn still more evident, and tended to confirm Mr. Pitt of the hostile intentions of Spain. Having called a cabinet council, he laid before his colleagues the conduct of Spain, said that he had required the Sj)anish minister to disavow the pro- l)ositions being made through IM. l^ussy, with the knowledge of his court ; instead of which, the Spanish ambassador had not only avowed, but jus- tifled, the step taken by M. Bussy _, as coinciding entirely with the sentiments of the king, his master. This conduct of Spain, JMr. Pitt said, could be considered in no other liiilit than as a refusal of satisfaction, and that refusal as a declaration of war ; that it had become necessary to give a lesson to bis I M 378 LIFE OP LORD ANSON. [CII. IX. Culholic mujcisty, utid to all Kurope, l»ow danii^crous it is to presume to (lictiitc ill the utVairs of (Jreut IJriljiiii. The eahinet aflert(Ml mochu'iition, inclined tothinU that we sliould wait, and that it wouhl he time enoui;li to de(dare war, if Spain shouhl actually Ix; gained over hy France, in which case we should then have all Knropi^ with us. JJut Mr. Pitt had made iiimself well accjuainted with the intrit!;ues that were carrying on Initween the two powers ; he had good intelligtmce that the ** family comi>act " had heen stu-retly signed ; and h(! ])ersisted in tlu; policy of adopting imnuidiate and decisive measures, whicli, if not aasentcid to, he dechired his intention of sending in his resignation forthwith. " I was calhid," he said, "to the admi- nistration of affairs hy the voice of the people : to them I have always considered myself accountahle for my conduct, and cannot therefore continue in a situation, whicli makes me responsible for measures I am no longer allowed to guide." The threatened resignation of this able minister was considered as one of tht^ greatest caLimities that could befal the nation, and excited a degree of alarm not usual on the retirement of a minister. Tlie confidence placed by the country on the judgment and energy with Avhich all his measures were conducted, and which he was wont to inspire into the councils of the nation, could not be transferred to a successor, who would, in all probability, l)e under the influence of those Avho had refused their support to the pro- 17()l.] CONCLUSION OF TIIK WAR. »> 79 position ol'INIr. I'llf. It wjis supposiMl tliiit most ot'tlio iiKMnluM's of thr raluiHJt were not at all sorry to heiir swell a (Icelaratioii : tliey round themselves (M'lipsed !»y his .su[><;rior sjdiMuiour ; they therefore persevi'red in opjkosin^ his views ; ami, on a division, oidy he and liis hrothtM'-in-law, lOarl Tem|)le, were in favour of jin innnediate dodiiration of war against Si)ain. Nothing' now remaiiKMl for Mr. Pitt hut to resign the seals into his Majesty's hand, which he did on the 5th Oeloher, and which tlie Kin<;- accepted.* The treachery of Frances was now mach; ir.anifest : they exulted at tht; resio-nation of a minister who had inspired them with terror, and now openly hoasted of the family comj)acttliey had contrived to bring about, the elfect of which would be, not only to retrieve their all'airs, but to humble the pride of Great Bri- tain. The remains of the old cabinet, with the Earl of Egmont as successor to Mv. Pitt, pursued exactly * The EdinburKh Uovicw, in mamiifyinfj the tiscendiincy of Lord Chatluim (Mr. Pitt) over his coUeaj^ues, observes — "So absolutely was he deleniiiiied to have the control of those measures of which ho knew the i-esponsibility rested upon him alone, that he insisted upon the First Lord of the Admiralty not havinj;- the correspondence of his own depart raent, and no less eminent a naval character than Lord Anson, with his junior lords, were obliged to sign the orders issued by Mr. Pitt, while the writing was covered over from their eyes." The reviewer might have informed himself better of the manner in w hic'h the business of the Admiralty was and is transacted. The Secre- tary of State, in conjoint expeditions, gives instructions in the Sove- reign's name to both services, and sometimes, but rarely, when diplo- nuitic communications are to be held with I'oreign powers. That he should repeat the stale joke made some years ago on the lay lorda, in so grave a manner, is too ridiculous to gain belief. 380 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. IX. the measures of tlie latter, Avhicli they had rejected when he was at their head ; and on tlie 4th January, 1762, Avar was prochiimed against Spain at London, and on the 18th Spain did the same at Madrid against Great Britain. On the 8th July, 1761, his Majesty, George III., hati made known to the Privy Council his most gracious intentions of demanding in marriage the Princess Cir liotte of Mecklenhurg-Strelitz, a prin- cess distinguished for eminent virtues and amiable endowments ; and, by liis Majesty's command, Lord Anson was ordered to prepare a squadron of ships of war, and to proceed with them under his liag to Stade, to receive and to escort the Princess to England. The Royal Caroline yacht was prepared and newly decorated, and her name changed to that of Royal Charlotte, in honour of the future Queen of England ; and the command of her on this occasion was conferred on Captain Peter Denis, one of ihe old lieutenants of Anson, who, having in the course of this month been made admiral of the fleet, hoisted the union flag on board the Royal Charlotte. The squadron, consisting of all the other royal yachts ; the Winchester, of fifty, Nottingham, sixty, Minerva, thirty-two, Tartar, tAventy-eight, and tAvo sloops of fourteen guns each, sailed from IlarAvich on the 8th August. On the embarkation of her Ma- jesty, on the 24th, the Royal Charlotte Avas dressed in the several colours of all nations, Avhich, on her ..(S^ 1761.] CONCLUSION OF THE WAR. 381 coming on board, were insturitly struck, and the royal standard hoisted at the main-top-gallant mast- head, the admiralty flag at the fore, and the union at the mizen. After a very stormy passage, which, it is stated in Anson's Jom-nal, the Princess bore remarkably well, they arrived at Harwich on the 6th September. The Queen set off for London, Lord Anson struck his flag, and the squadron disi)ersed. This was the last occasion of Lord Anson having had his flag flying. The King in his speech from the throne declared it to be his fixed resolution, with the concurrence and support of the Commons, to carry on the war in the most effectual manner, for the interest and advantage of his kingdoms, and to maintain, to the utmost of his power, the good faith and honour of his crown, by adhering firmly to the engagements entered into with his allies. The ministry, with the accession of Lord Bute as First Commissioner of the Treasury, in the room of the Duke of Newcastle, resolved to push the war with vigour. They voted immediately seventy thousand seamen, the same as in the pre- ceding year. They had a fleet at their disposal in high order, well manned and disciplined, and com- manded by the choicest officers in the service. In this respect Lord Anson was always most fortunate, because he never attended to private solicitations, nor allowed any one to interfere in his appointments. Li reply to an officer who complained of being ne- i 382 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CIT. IX. glected, tlioii£(h a nol)leinan hii;'h in the governiiient had applied in his hehalf, Anson merely replied that, as he considered himself responsihle for the officers he eni])loyed for particular stations^ he never would allow himself to be dictated to by any one in that respect. Several very splendid actions between single ships were fought in the course of the year 1761. It will suffice to mention one between two seventy- four- gun sliij>s, the Ikdlona, Captain Faulkner, and the Cou- rageux, M. L'Aiubert. Scarcely had the action begun, before the mizen-masts of both ships fell over- board, when Captain Faulkner, with ':ireat skill and ])resence of mind, wore under the stern of the enemy and brought her io close action on the other side ; the result was, that in half an hour she struck, her captain mortally wounded, 240 men killed, and 110 wounded. The Bellona had 6 killed jind 28 womided. This is another of the many instances in whicli nau- tical skill and masterly seamanship proved, in their results, manifestly superior to the French. The appointments made, or continued, on the Spanish declara! ion of ^Y•dv, \a ere Sn* Edward Ilawke to the coasts of Spain and Portugal, with Vice- Admiral Sir Charles Hardy and Rear- Admiral his Royal Highness th(^ Duke ofYorkund«T him; Sir Charles Saunders and Commodore Sir Piercy Brett, to the jMediterranean ; Connnodores Lord Howe and Denis in Basque Koads ; in the Leeward Islands, a. 1762.] CONCLUSION OF THE WAR. 383 Rear- Admiral Rodney and Commodore Swanton. On the Jamaica wstation Sir George Pocock, Conniio- dore Sir James Douglas, and the Hon. Augustus Keppel. In Nortli America, Commodore Lord Col- ville; and in the Eaist Indies Vice- Admiral Cornish. The first and early disaster which bel'el Spain was the ca]>ture of the Ilermione, a large register ship from Lima, oif Cadiz, on the 21st INIay, 1762, by the Active frigate and the Favourite sloo]), two of Sir Edward llawke's cruiseis. The net procee'^s of this shi}), after the payment of all charges, w^as 519.705/. IOa'., of which the flag share amounted to 64,963/., and each of the captains to the same sum ; the lieutenants 13,000/.; and each seaman and marine 485/. About the same time another cruiser captured a rich Spanish ship from Barcelona having on board specie to the aniount of 100,000 collars. These, however, were but the commencement of misfortunes which Spain had brought upon herself by the unwise step taken by that nation. It was determined by the government that an attack should be made on the Havannah, and the necessary JMstructions were given immediately to Sir George Pocock to that effect, and at tiie same time, the com- mand of the troops to be employed was conferred on Lieutenant-General the Earl of Albemarle. The troops being end)arked without loss of time, these two gal hint oflicers, with fiv(3 sail-of-tlie-line, and a fleet of transports, sailed from Spithead on the 5th 384 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. IX. March. The army destined for this service, when the several forces from England, from the West Indies, and from North America, were collected, amounted to between fifteen and sixteen thousand men ; and the fleet under Sir G. Pocock consisted of seventeen sail-of-tlie-line, five of sixty guns, four of fifty^ and a great number of frigates and sloops, besides cutters, bombs, and other kinds of small craft. With this overwhelming force, the two com- manders-in-chief sailed from Martinique on the 6th May, and after the necessary preparations for the siege, a regular attack on the JMoro Castle com- menced on the 1st July, and on the 30th of that month a practicable breach Avas made on this strong fortress, when, on the same day, it was resolutely carried by storm, with the inconsiderable loss of ttvo officers and thirty men. On the 11th August the Spaniards hung out flags of truce from the town, from the fort Le Puntal, and the admiral's ship in the harbour. On tlie 13th the capitulation was signed, and on the following day the British troops were put in possession of the Havannah. The trea- sure, the valuable merchandise, and naval stores found in the town and arsenal, anK)unt< '■ to very nearly three millions sterling. The Spanish authorities struggled hard to save their ships of Mar that were in the harbour, but without success. They consisted of nine sail-of-the- 1762.] CONCLUSION OF THE WAR. 885 line fitted for sea, and two of the line on the stocks were burnt by our seamen ; three had been sunk at the entrance of the hjirbour, with a large galleon — making fourteen sail-of-the-line, besides smaller armed ships and a number of merchant vessels. The capture of this place was of the utmost im- portan-^e to us, a death-blow to the Spaniards in the West Indies, and the possession of a fleet, equal in the result to a great naval victory. Lord Albemarle, in his despatch to the secretary of state, says — " Sir George Pocock and Commodore Keppel have exerted themselves in a most particular man- ner ; and I may venture to say, that there never was a joint undertaking carried on with more harmony and zeal on both sides, which greatly contributed to the success of it." But the Spanish disasters did not end with the loss of tlie Havannah. The Argo frigate was despatched from England to the East Indies, immediately after the declaration of hostilities, carrying out orders from the Admiralty to Vice-Admiral Cornish, and similar orders from the secretary of state to Colonel (after- wards Sir William) Draper, for a conjoint expedition against Manilla. Sir William had gallantly distin- guished himself at the siege of Madras in 1759, and, beinjr in Eng-land, was selected for this new service. The Argo, in which he proceeded, arrived at Madras early in June ; and as soon as the two commanders had collected the troops and transports, the fleet, 2c m % i im^i /^X 386 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. IX. consisting of nino sjiil-of-tlio-line and a few frigates, assembled at Malacca on the 19th August, and on the 23rd September arrived in Manilla Bay, to the great dismay and confusion of the Spaniards, who had not even heard of the war, and were therefore but ill prepared for resistance. They did, however, resist manfully, and resolutely defended the place ; and, owing to their exertions, the difficulty of our large ships in approaching near enough, and a violent storm which lasted two days, it was the 5th Octol)er before a practicable breach was made in the enemy's works ; after which, on the following morning, the fort was carried by storm. The governor and prin- cipal officers retired into the citadel, but were soon obliged to surrender. To save the city from being pillaged, the governor and inhabitants entered into an agreement to ransom it for four millions of dollars, the greater portion of which was never paid ; the history of this ransom has been a subject of long discussion, but never satisfactorily explained. All the large ships found in the harbour were seized, as well as a great quantity of naval and military stores. The colours taken at Manilla were sent to Cam- bridge, at the request of Colonel Draper, and hung- up in the chapel of the college of which he was a member. His Majesty conferred on him the honour of the military order of the Bath, and Admiral Cornish was created a baronet of Great Britain; 1762.] CONCLUSION OF THE WAR. 387 11 •y 'g al they also received the thanks of both Houses of Par- lianie)it. With regard to France, the disasters of the pre ceding year, which had induced her to make an over- ture of peace, were not in any way redeemed, l)ut rather augmented in 1762, notwithstanding the assistance she expected from her alliance with Spain. On the 5tli January of this year, Rear-Admiral Rodney sailed from Carlisle Bay, Barbadoes, with his squadron and a large fleet of transports, having on board about fourteen thousand troops, under the conmiand of Major-General Monckton, with tlie in- tention of attacking Martinique ; at the same time, the rear-admiral detached five suil-of-the-line, under Commodore Swauton, to })roceed to Fort Royal Bay to attack and destroy the enemy's Ijatteries, whilt; Rodney sailed for St. Anne's 15ay, where a large body of troops were landed, and batteries for their protection erected. Finding, however, that this position was not favourable for the speedy reduction of the island, the troops were re-embarked and con- veyed to Fort Royal Bay, where they w^ere again landed on the 16th, together with a detachment of seamen, to assist in drawing the heavy artillery over the rugged ground, frequently under a galling fire from the enemy's batteries. The siege of Fort Royal continued till the 4th February, when it surrendered ; and on the 16th the whole island was in possession of the British forces. Very soon after this the 2c2 ril 388 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CII. IX. isLuuls of St. Lucia, GrjinJidu, sind St. Vincent Avere captured by the squadron under Coniniodore S wanton. A French squadron with 1500 troops on board, under M. de Fernay, which liad escaped from Brest during a thick fog, towards the end of April, niadc^ its appearance on the 24th June before the har- bour of St. John's in Newfoundland, into which they entered without o})position, and hmded the 1000 men, wlio were under the orders of M. de Hausson- viUe. Lord Colville, on hearing this, ])roceeded from Halifax witli his squadron off' St. John's harbour, and blocked up M. de Fernay. On the 16th September a strong westerly gale, attended by a thick fog, forced Lord Colville from his station, of which M. de Fer- nay availed himself, slipped his cables, and stood out to sea. The French general, finding himself deserted by the squadron, and that it was impossible to hold out long, ottered terms of capitulation, which, being accepted, the French troops became prisoners of war; and, on the 18th, the whole island fell again into the possession of the English. The two parties to the family compact being thus humbled by the loss of their possessions — their navies — and their connnerce — wevo glad to sue for pea"c, and preliminaries were signed at Fontainbleau in November, 1762, which were ratified on the 10th and proclaimed in London on tlie 22nd February, 1763; and thus ended, gloriously for England, " the ^'eveu- 1762.] roNcrusroN of the war. 3«D Years* War," during which it may safely he asserted, the British navy, at no former ])eriod, arrived at a hii^her state of discipline, exhibited a greater de- gree of perfection in seamanship, or performed more nol)le deeds of valour, than were accomplished under the direction and guidance of the nol)le lord at the head of the naval department. Lord Anson, however, did not live to receive the gratification of being witness to all the glorious ex- ])loits which led to the termination of the war; but he lived long enough to be made acquainted with many of them in the early part of this last campaign, owing to his judicious appointments and arrangements; for which the country was not less indebted to the memory of the nuui who planned than to those gal- lant men who executed them. His Lordship, soon after his arrival in England Avith the Queen, finding his state of health much impaired, was advised by his physician to try the 13a*' 'vaters, from which he Avas thought to have received benefit ; but soon after his return to his seat of IMoore Park he was suddenly- seized, while walking in his garden, went home, com- })lained of being ill, and laying- himself dow«> on Lis bed, expired without a strug<^"le, on the Gtli June, 1762. His remains were interred in the family vault at Colwich, in the county of Stafford. By his will a great part of his fortune devolved on his sister's son, George Adiims, Esq. 390 LIFE OF LOUD ANSON. [Cll. IX. The surviving friends of Anson and his ninnenms and faithful followers had every reason to be proud of his memory. His amiable and Ijeloved ^vife, a lady of veiy superior acquirements, had gone before him two year« — a loss which u iS to him irrepjirable ; both were fond of rural life, and enjoyed the pleasure of floriculture and planting. For the introduction of that finest specimen of apri :o\, known by the name of the Moore-Park apricot, the subsequent proprie- tors of this noble place were indel)ted to An':on. He is said also to have taken peculiar pleasure in culti- vating a species of lathyrufi, which his cook picked up in the Straits of Magellan, and was there consi- dered a great luxury ; but here the " Anson pea," as an esculent, may be considered the very worst of the whole tribe : it is, hoivever, a pretty addition to the flower-bed. Anson left no children to bewail liis loss ; and his brother Thomas appears to have been the only remaining near relation. ''J^'o this brotiier, the Duke of Newcastle, who, under all the fluc- tuating circumstances of two wars, had ever looked up to Anson for his opinion and advice in naval con- cerns, addressed the following letter : — " Claremmt, 9th June, 1 762. "Sir — Tlic> very groat regard which I had for my Lord Anson, and the friendship with wLich he honoured me for many years, will, I hope, be my excuse for the liberty I take in most sincerely condoliug with you for his loss — a loss 1762.] CONCLUSION OF THE W iit. 30 J which th(* pul)llc will feci as well as his frionds ; for there? never was a more able, a more upright, or a more usc^lul servant to liis King and country, or a more sincere or valu- able friend. Nobody can \w more sensible of his loss thiui I am, or more desirous to show all possible respect and re- gard to his memory. " I have the honour to be, with great truth and respect, " Your most obedient liumble servant, "IIOLLES NkWCASTI.K. " Thomas Anson, Esq." 302 MFK OF LOH!) ANSON. [rn. X, CIIAPTKR X. ANSON'S (CHARACTER ILLUSTRATED. Proffssional cliaructcr— Condui't in the civil tk-piirtmcnt of tlio Navy — Iiuprovoiiionts in the maft' riel ol' tho Navy— Moral character — resembled that of Lord Howe — Peculiar habits — Character illus- trated by his correspondents — Captains IJcnnet, Picrcy Brett, Cheap, Denis, Phili]) Sauniarez ; Mr. Le^'. IVXi IJritiiiii, if no otliiT <'innnnstim('«! had comt' lo his aid." ♦ This is cortiiiidy just ; and in tht? rase supposed, the; iiain(M)i' Anson wouhl have raidvcd hi^h ainon<^ those early navigators, Mai;'elliaens, Drake, ('aven- dish, Danipicr, and other eeh'hrated men |)revinus to Jiis time ; luit much more tlian this is (hie to liis me- mory. To say tliat Anson was a jierleet seaman wouhl he no ^reat eom])Ument to an olheer w ho, like him, had spent the lirst thirty years at least, alter leavini; home, I'l the various duties oi' the ])rolession ; and lew men had more painful experience ol" the dani^ers, the dilliculties, and the m(dancholy disas- ters, to whieh a seaman's life i- exposed, than he had in those whicli fell to his lot to eneounter in his enterprising voyage round the world, in tliat voy- age he gave am})le proof that he was a truly hrave nan — morally and physically hrave — a man of firm nerves, and of great resources in time of need — for the exercise of which, occasions were neither slight nor few. To say he was so is no special ]n-aise. All the world knows that a naval officer is and mnst be brave ; it is a virtue common to the Avhole pro- fession ; they are instrncted from their earliest youth to be so, and it is a jdant that grows with their growth ; but like other (jualities it has its degrees, and requires occasions to bring it forth. * Naval and Military Memoirs of Great Britain ; by Robert Beatson, Esq., L.L.D. "I 394 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. X. It (lid not happen to fall to the lot of Anson to distinguish himself particularly ri fJCtion with the enemy. His engagement with the great Acapulco ship, with his reduced and feeble crew, just one-half in numbei to the enemy, was highly creditable to him, his officers, and ship's company ; and perhaps still more so, after all their sufferings, cheerfully to g^ forth with the true undaunted spirit of British seal len to seek and meet the enemy. Nor was it a less strong feature in the character of Anson, that, soon after taking his seat at the Board of Ad- miralty, at a time when the public were dissatisfied at nothing having been done for the first two years of the war, he volunteered to hoist his flag, and assume the command of a fleet for the purpose of in- tercepting two combined squadrons of the enemy, of which he had received certain information ; a step that could only have been taken on public grounds, united with a desire to d > something that might dis- tinguish him, and render him worthy of the situation he held in the public service. But Anson's character is to be looked at more closely in the civil department of the navy, in which it has b^en seen he acquitted himself with great ability, diligence, and impartiality. Under his administration, many years before and during the Seven-Years' war, the British navy attained a pitch of power and pre-eminence to which it had never before arrived : while the fleets of France and Spain were /"""v.. tlOll nore hicli reat his the ;hof ifore *^ere CH. X.] ANSON*S CHARACTER ILLUSTRATED. 395 completely humbled, and almost annihilated ; the remaining portion of them being mostly shut up in their ports during the last three years of the war. Nothing can speak more strongly in favour of Anson's character than the confidence placed in him by the Duke of Bedford and Lord Sandwich, both of whom, before he had been two years as a junior member of the Board, entrusted him with the manage- ment of the affairs of the Admiralty, and urgently desired him to take into his hands the whole direc- tion of the naval department ; assured him they should consider his acts as their own, and were re.vdy and willing to take upon themselves the responsi- bility of them : all which is so clearly and so dis- tinctly stated in their correspondence, when absent from the Board, which was of frequent occurrence, and is so strongly expressed by Lord Sand\\ich, after he became the head of the Board, and was confined to his post at Aix-la-Chapelle, as to leave no doubt on the subject, that Anson was, while a junior member, in all respects but in name, First Lord of the Admiralty. Anson's attention tvas not merely confined to the ordinary routine of the civil and military duty ; he had seen and sufficiently experienced the misera- ble kind of ships ours were, as compared with those of other nations, not to take advantage of his situation for their improvement. He knew that the old system of building ships, on the plan established by order in council of the year 1719, was deplorably 396 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. X. bad, and that the ships built after it had not one good quality ; yet it would have been little short of treason to break through it. Anson, however, had not been two years in the Board Avlien, in 1746, he prevailed on the Duke of 1 Bedford and Lord Sandwich to obtain a revision of the faulty system, and if possible to establish a better. The mode adopted to bring this about has been shown in the IMemoir ; and the whole proceeding proves the business-like manner in which it Avas accomplished. The defects of ships of the line at this time were stated to be, that they were narrow for their length, lean in the bows, and so deficient in bearing, forward, that their pitching, rolling, and labouring, in a heavy sea, always endangered the loss of their masts. In short, they Avere inferior ia sail- ing, and in every other good quality, to those of the French. The fi^Ly and sixty gun ships foi'med a very prin- cipal part of the line when Anson came into the Admiralty ; but, in the course of the Seven-Years' Avar, Avhen he Avas at the head of the Board, he caused great number of scA^enty-fours to be laid doAvn, to take the place of the sixties ; and at the time of his death, just before the conclusion of the Avar, he had built and hiunched not fcAver than four or five first and second rates, and other ships of the line, of Avhich not feAver than tAventy-nine Avere seventy- fours, together with tea sixty-fours and sixties. These CH. X.] anson's character illusthated. 307 improvements in building ships of the navy were of essential importance, but had been totally neglected by his predecessors. In his time, and long before it, the bottoms of the ships became so foul as to make it necessary, after any short cruise, to have them cleaned and scrubbed with soap and water, or some other lotion, to remove the filth which prevented their speed. Mr. Secretary Pepys had long deplored this great defect, and Imd in vain wished that the sur- veyors of the navy, a conceited set, would try what a covering of lead would do, but he was never able to succeed in getting the experiment tried. Anson, however, either from his own suggestion or that of some other, ordered the Alarm frigate, in 1761, to be sheathed with copper, the first that was ever so covered ; but, like all new inventions, it took from twenty to thirty years before it ])ecame general. Anson was not only thus a great benefactor to the materiel of the navy, but equally so to its officers, whose claims had not been listened to with that atten- tion which they had a, right to expect from one of their own corps, usually placed at the head of the naval department. Ilie number of captains passed over in promotion of admirals was very great for so small a list, but at the same time may have been expedient ; the grievance complained of was, the neglect and injustice of leaving their names at the head of the list of captains, though never intended to be employed, and continuing them there on the scanty pittance Im 398 LIFE OP i.ORD ANSON. [CH. X. of iialf-pay. Anson, who hud passed over a great many on his own promotion, could not but feel for their situation ; and that he did so is more than pro^abIe, by the order in council which was passed for their relief in the first year after he went to the Board. He was a man of great modesty and simplicity of manners, and so reserved in general society as to give some truth to the point of Williams's hon mot, that '' he had been round the world, but never in it:" Wi. "pole, also, is not far from the truth in calling him " the silent son-in-law of the chancellor." His silence and reserve, however, were not the offspring of any deficiency of knowledge or want of ability, either on general or professional acquirements, but from that natural diffidence of his own merit, and a reluctance of speaking in public, which very many men of con- siderable talents have not been able to overcome; while others, with a parsimony of intellect, are by no means deficient in volubility of speech. As a representative in the House of Conunons, and subse- quently as a peer of the realm — as a member of the Board of Admiralty, holding for many years the high and responsible situation of First Lord — it does not appear, from the parliamentary history, that he ever spoke on any subject, professional or otherwise, although many naval questions of considerable im- portance, in both houses, were brought into discus- sion ; but there were always able civilians in the Board to represent his sentiments. In the records CH. X.] anson's character illustrated. 399 of the Admiralty there is ahundant evidence of his constant and unremitting attention to the various duties of that department, and of the large share he had in them. Anson stood hij>'li in public estimation previous to, and after, the unfortunate affair of Byng and the loss of Minorca, which drove him for a short time, with Mr. Fox, the Duke of Newcastle, Lord Hardwicke, and others, from the administration. Lord Walde- ^rave, a very honest and competent judge, says, *' Lord Anson was also dismissed from the Admi- ralty, a violent clamour having been made against him, of which he was no more deserving than of the high reputation which preceded it. He was in reality a good sea-officer, and had gained a consklerable victory over the French in the last war ; but nature had not endowed him with those extraordinary abili- ties which had been so liberally granted him by the whole nation. Now, on the contrary, he is to be al- lowed no merit whatever ; the loss of Minorca is to be imputed to his misconduct, though many were equally, some infinitely more, blameable ; his slowness in business is to be called negligence, and his silence and reserve, Avhich formerly passed for wisdom, take the name of dulness and of want of capacity. "* " There never was," says the Duke of Newcastle, '' a more able, a more upright, or a more useful servant to his king and country, or a more sincere and va- luable friend." la The Earl of Waldegrave's Memoirs. 400 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CII. X. Tiie fleets that lie fitted out, with a rapidity never before known, afford no i^round for the imputation of .siownena ; the truth appears to be, that he was sh)w to decide, but ([uick to execute. He was not certainly possessed of shining abilities, buc a plain, straightfor- ward, matter-of-fact man, attentive to the duties of his office, Avell acquainted with the practical part of his profession, and — what is perhaps equally import- ant — with the character of the officers belonging to it, which he closely looked at and thoroughly under, stood — the more necessary in his time, as selection for promotion to the flag was almost exclusively the rule. *' Anson was remarkable," says Major Ken- nel, " for having brought forward such a number of line officers, who figured as captains and admirals during the * Seven -Years' war' — Saunders, Sir Piercy Brett, Dogger-bank Parker, Saumarez, Kep- pel, Denis, &c., all of whom served in his ship, or in the South Sea squadron. I knew many of them. The lieutenants and midshipmen of his ship and squadron were the admirals of the Seven Years' and the American Wars. His judgment was great, and he improved and gave a spur to the navy."* If Anson was frugal of his speech, he appears to * MS. letter from Major Rennel to a friend. It is worthy of notice that three of those (lieutenants and midship- men) who were in Anson's squadron, Howe, Keppel, and Saunders, became First Lords of the Admiralty — that Sir Piercj Brett, Sir Peter Denis, the Hon. John Byron, Sir Hyde Parker, all attained the rank of Admiral, and commanded fleets, the first of them a Lord of the Admiralty. Poor Captain Cheap of the Wager died of fatigue and suffering soon after reaching England. CII. X.] ANSOX'S t.'IlAKACTl'R ILLUSTHATKn. 401 liuve been no less so of liis })en. Tlie Lord Cluin- eellor, in jicknou'le(l<;ing a long-er letter than usnal from liini, says, " I was sure it must l)e material upon o])eiiinij^ it, sinee nothing else could have drawn so much writini!^ from your Lordsjjip." In a letter to Lord Sandwich, he himself admits his deficiency thus : " ]\Iy dear Lord, be assured that, except in ceninony and correspondence, at both of which I am extremely awkward, nobody living can be more sincerely," &c. In fact lie had no notion of making a display; but he had the sterling good sense to preserve silence, rather than to show his want of what passes in the world and in society for corversa- tional tact. It appears, indeed, evidently enough from the little he did write, that his education had heen defective, and that he was neither more nor less than the plain honest seaman, altogether self- educated. The consequence was, that of all human 1)eings ])laced in the proud situation in which he stood, he was the least ostentatious. IModesty and reserve were the true characteristiv^s of xVnson. In this and many other respects he strongly resembled Lord Howe, of whom a gallant admiral, now living, ob- served, in the words of Isaiah, which are equally ap- plicable to Lord Anson, " Pie did not kindle a fire to compass himself aljout with sparks, or walk in the sight of that fire and in the sparks Avliich he had kindled." There were indeed many points of resemblance be- tween these two great and good men. IJenevolence 2d m 402 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [iIJ. X, jiiid a'onerosilv were tlic disliiii'Miisliiiiii," ('[laracters ol' eiicli. HouT, when oJi slion', spontuiicou^^ly ij^iivci up his share of prize-money to those en^Mged in making it, and his generous acts in mai:-y other respects havv'i heen put on record. Anson also distrihuted his share of the whole rich plunder of Paita among Ids companions concerned in taking it. And W(^ have the voluntary testhnony of the lady of South Carolina, who dchcrihes his character 'when there "that he -was generous without profusion, elegant without ostentation ; and, above all, of a most tender, humane disposition ; and his benevolence extensive even to his own detriment." This was in the early ])art of his career, and it reniiuned with him to the last. But these acts of kindness and benevolence were perhaps most conspicuous in the relief he was ahi^ays readv to bestow on those most in need of it — the un- fortunate prisoners of war. His humane treatment of those in the South Sea was acknowledged with gratitude by all whom the fortune of A\'ar h.id thrown into his hands. The people of Spanisli America, enemies as tliey were, extolled his generous conduct ; and the followers of Anson, who had tiie misfortune of suffering shipwreck ou the coa^<: of that country, were treated with the greatest humanity, and had money offered to supply their wants, because they had belonged to An^on. A most remarkable instance of the durable re.nniiscence of l)en^volence is mentioned by Captain Basil Hall. He says: 11. X. ;rs oi' ikini;' ;|)C<'ts imI liis iji; liis liave •olimi, lat he ithoiit Liiiiiiiie veil tu piii't ot t. e were always he lui- atineul (1 witli lir h;i(i pauisli iierous ad the of that uiiiitv, ecauirie rkaWe I'oleiice says : cii. X.] Anson's ciiaracteh illustratfd. 403 " Lord Anson's proceedings, we were surprised to find, are still traditionally known at Paita; and it lurnislies a curious instance of the effect of manners in the opinions of mankind, to ohserve, that the kindness Avith wliich that sagacious officer treated his prisoners is, at the distance of eighty years, hetter known and more dwelt upon l)y the inhahitants of Paita, tlijui the capture and destruction of that town."* The French admitted that thei: prisoners in England were better taken care of unc»er Anson's udministration than usual, and they acknowledged it in their negociatioiis for peace : and well they might ; for wdien their agent avowed that his go- vernment, being in a state of bankruptcy, could no longer support their prisoners in England, Anson ])revailed on th^ Englisli government to contribute to their suriport, and succeeded in levying private contributions to afford them sustenance. That part of Anson's epistolary correspondence, which has escaped destruction, consists of letters ad- dressed to, with very few from, him ; a chasm that leaves a sad deficiency in the development of his sen- timents and opinions on particular subjects. Though an indifferent scribe — and that he admits himself to be — his Order Book on tlie South Sea expedition might serve as a model for any commander-in-chief; it is a pattern of laborious detail and minute rogis- * Travels in Scutli America, by Captain Basil Hall. 2 D 2 J V m iFii ■X.3 ■■ 404 MFE 01' LORD AXSOX. [cm. \. tration in all mutters |H!rtiiinini:jto tlie iml)lic service : Ills instructions arc A^ riiten ^nlll i^reat elearn(?ss ; nothini^ is slurred over; every cireunistance is stated with precision. Every name of every Spanish i)ri- soner is noted down in a list ; every disposition of them accounted for ; so is every spar and every rope-yarn ; in short, that extraordinary hook is a do- omiient which estahlishes the character of Anson, as u clear-headed man, and a correct, honest, and faithful servant of the public. There is reason to Lelieve that a private journal existed during- his long and interesting voyjige, in which his feelings were no doulH fully and fre(|uently expressed; hut it has (lisap])eared, having, it is sup- ])osed, been lent to some one wjio lorgot to return it. AVe may, however, ])retty well gather from th(^ letters of his numerous correspondents, which by good chance have been ])reserved, what their sentiments were with regard to liim, and extracts from them aa ill afford the best illustration we have of his character. It is an old saying, " Show nie the company a man keeps, and I will tell you his character." Why not, on a similar principle, say, "Show me the corre- spondence which a man receives, and I will show you what manner of man he is." For want, therefore, of his own letters, it may not he amiss to give a few specimens of thc.e of his correspondents, from which some estimate of his character may be formed. cii. \.] Anson's ciiAiiAtTEu iLnsTiiATKn. 405 lot [lis his Tli(^ first is IVoin Captuin liarnott, of the navy, who writes to Lord iVnson a lon^ and very sensil)k' h'tler from Fort St. David, of which tlie following; is an extract: — "As I cannot suppose that riches and lionours liave made any alteration in JMr. Anson, I presume still to adch'ess him us my friend, thou«;h he is one of my masters. 1 In^artily Avisli the navy had many of your great capacity and hapi)y temper and disposition: hut Avhere ure they to he found? and how seldom have we had one man at the Admiralty who really did, or endeavoured to do, anything in support of the corps of sea-oihcers, or made the im- ])rovement of the discipline any part of his care 't JMinisterial johs have too often taken up their whole attention, or the care of their own interest and the promotion of their family's. You, Sir, have nothing to risk, nd less to fear; I therefore expect a great deal from you ; and if I am deceived will never again hope to see the grievances of the sea-o(Vicers redresL^d, or any real improvements made, hut conclude we are to go on in the old stupid tracks of our pv le- cessors, leave all to chance, and blunder on .. tn/i- nitum, without any regular system of discipline. I am stupid enough to tliink that we are worse officers, though better seamen, than our neighbours : our young men get wrong notions early, and are led to imagine that he is the greatest officer who has the least Idocks in his rigging. I hope you will give another turn to our athdrs, and form a society for the i-, I 106 LIFF, OF I.ORO ANSON. [('II. \. |)rojm«»'atioii ol'scji-iiiilitiirv kiiDU'lcdoc. I think you hsul roniierly siu'li a scheme."* From those who had served with Anson the ex- ])ressi{)iis of jj;k'iititud(5 and kind feeling are univer- sal. His old lieutenant, Pierey Br(;U, says, " On my arrival yesterday, I was favoured with your friendly, ohligiug letter. I heartily wish you joy of your ]m>- motion, and do assure you the compliment you pay me in making choice of me for your captain giv«.'s uw, the greatest jdeasure imaginahle, and I shall ever look ujion it as a mark of your est(!em."f From another of his South Sea companions, Caj)- tain Cheap, one of the greatest suffei'ers, where all Lad to suffer, by the additional misfortune of the loss of his shi]), and by having to deal with a nmti- nous crew, Anson receives the first account of his safety, in a letter dated Landernau, in France, the 12th December, 1745: *'I should be unpardonable if I let slip this opportunity, which is the first I have had, of congratulating you on your sale arrival in your native country, after so tedious and fatiguing a voyage, and your having obtained tli(; preferment you so justly deserve in the opinion of all mankind ; even your enemies speak well of you — I mean the enemies of Great Britain, for I believe you have no personal ones ; and, at the same time, I take the liberty to assure you that no man on earth wishes your prosperity with a warmer heart than I do." J * Anson'b Collection, No. 60. t lb. No. 90. % ll>- No. 110. ('II. \.] ANSOn's ClIAKACTKIt ILIJISTHATKI). 107 Capliiin Denis, of 1 lie ( 'I'Mtiiricui, diic t)!' his ISuutli Sim lioiitLMiiiiits, IVll iiM\ilh and (Mjitiircd live or six rich pri'^cs. In his h'lU'i- to Anson, ho says, with ^reut nmvrli', •* ^^^lat 1 have (h)nt' to (h'scrvc all this i^ood lorttnir I know not; hut thus far shall I hr t'vcr s(MisihI(! of — that the sprini.*; ol all my success took its rise IVoni your J^onlshin's fritMidship, and one of my greatest ph'asures is, that of acknowledi^ing it." And Hoscawc!!!, whom ^Vall)ole had the inso- lence to say Anson sent on a hojxdess expedition to Irdia, out of jcuilousy to get rid of him, thus Avriti.'s from Madeira: "I h()j)e to he joined hy llu; ships that have parted comj)any, otherwis<^ I am afraid it will be im})ossibIe for me to exi'cute the whole of the scheme jtropo.-ed in my instructions; hut I will do all in my ])ower, that 1 may convince you I am not unworthy the many friendshij)s 1 have received from you." Caj>tain Philip Saumarez, another of his South Sea com])anions, writes thus: '* As W(; are now on the; point of sailing, I cannot possibly leave this j)lace without letting you know what j)art I take in the honours and titles which are preparing for you ; the inward satisfaction they give me is nmcli easier con- ceived than ex])ress(!d. Ii is an assendjlage of events which rarely hajipens, that the judgment of the sove- reign and the sulfrages and applause of a nation, should so solenudy coniirm and unaiiimourdy a])prove 'I Hi ^ % 408 MFE OF LOK!) ANSON. [ril. X. ()r\\licilevor (]islini;-uisliiii:;- marks oi' lioiiour ;ire lo Ik; t'ourornMl on you."* Tlio Hon. ITcMiry Loi!^i;'(S once Anson's r()H('ai;ii(', und sent ai'torwards on special Ijusincss to the -ourt of J5tM*lin, Avrites to liini some beautiful and sometimes umusing' letters. The one dated Itli Sept. ITiS, from }5erlin, is interesting': — " The account of your naval exploits has pene- trated even into tliis inla.nd country, where, though every man one meets is a soldier, they are all ready to allow the merits of a mariner, and a])le to discern liow much more merit one of the profession may have than another. All people here who have the least smattering of English (and many have) are at work with granmiars and dictionaries to read over your South Sea voyage ; and as 1 am known to have been formerly a marin :r, great resort is had to me for the explanation of such technical terms as are not to be found in dictionaries. However the work itself may suffer by such a commentator, the author's character certainly M'ill not ; for unless somebody here should have malice enough to make me declare, upon my conscience, what sort of a correspondent you are, I think, in all other respects, my reports Avill not be much to your disadvantage. " You may imagine; I am not tlie only dealer in English here \\\\o has not read it. I have borro^Acd =^ Ansoird CoUocliou, No. oU4. ^ ^ lie be y er lid "y ,1 l)e iiii 10(1 1^ CII. X.] anson'.s CUAKACTKH ILM'.STUATKP. lOD jiiid rejul it with tlio f];i•e;llc^^t siitisfaction. Though it is a Avork whicli, us an Kiigli.^hnian, I am proud of, and, as a mariner, I think will be of perpetual use to tlic faculty ; yet self-interest and ])rivate passions eau always find somethiiii;' to appropriate to themselves, out of benefits of the most general influenee; and therefore I feel myself most shamefully inclined to thank you, more, for having done honour to my bro- ther, than to your own country. Tiie kind, and, I may say, just paragraph (for otherwise I am sure you would never have admitted it) which relates to him, will always have authority enough to protect his memory against coffee-house censurers, and the cavils of those children of ease who sit at home and, without risking themselves, blame every man's con- duct they do not and cannot understand. You knew my affection to poor Ned* — measure my obligations to you by it ; and I will dwell no longer upon a sub- ject which always makes me unhappy." f The following may serve as a specimen of the lively manner in which his friend Leggc writes. It is dated Berlin : — *' Dear Ansox, " Wherever this epistle finds you on this side the water, I hope it will pvevail upon you to proceed furthev, even into Berlin. Whilst you were a single man you enter- * The Hon. Ed. I.cfigc, who coramandcd the Severn, in the South Sea voyage, and died when comniydorc of the Lecwaid Islands station. ■•• Anson's Cullecliou, Xo. 'i8S. lili H>'. 410 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [Cil. X. tained notions of" this sort, and gav(^ nir room to liopo ; T daro say you had not one virtue as a bachelor that has not received improvement and addition by the accession oi' a good wife, and I am very desirous to rank ev(!ry kind inten- tion towards your humble servant among- the; number of your virtues, 1 know if I can once get them received in that Hght, they will have the most stable foundation in your own heart; and Lady Anson cannot but apj)l;'ud and en- courage them. Believe me it is a virtue worthy to enter into the most Christian catalogue, to visit and comfort one's friends and countrymen whilst they are sojourning amongst strangers in a foreign land. You will find it so written in Beveridge^ or Nelson, or Jeremy Taylor, or some good book or another ; and though I cannot exactly name to you the chapter and verse, yet I dare say Lady Anson could. The way hither is very good, and not very long ; besides, 1 am a little pawned in honour to produce you, if possible, for I could not help bragging one day to his Prussian Majesty of the long acquaintance and friend /xiip I had with you, and hinting that I thought it not impossible but you might see Berlin ; at which he intimated, with great vivacity, a strong curiosity to see you. In short, if you come we will treat you with great kindness and cordiality ; if you do not, 1 will only tell the king, that though you make nothing of going round the world, you grudge the trouble of visiting his capital. I am, dear Anson, behave how you will, most affectionatelv, &c. " H. Lkgge." * The praise of Anson was not confined to his cym- pagnons da voyage and countrymen, it extended to foreigners, and, among others, to those whom he had reduced to the state of prisoners. The sentinie its * Anson's Collection, No. 285. CH. X.] ANSON's character ILLUSTUATEI). 41 1 and the conduct oi' IM. St. George, who connnunded the Invincible, Jind taken by Anson, have been con- trasted with the vapouring M. de Conlians. Tlie friendship which was established between the former gallant olheer and Anson — the victor and the van- quished — was of the noblest character, and highly honourable to both. 'While yet in the Prince George he sent some packet of letters to request Anson to forward them to France, in j ustitication of his conduct to his government, in which he expressed himself, as in his whole correspondence, full of grati- tude and affection. The following letter, wdth a copy of verses, from M. Hardenberg, is highly flattering : — " Au, Gardenbery, le 4me Juillet, 1/47. "Monsieur — Permettez que je ,'ous teinoigne ma joie, ct que je vous felicite de tout inon cocur sur la gloire que vous vous etes si dignement acquire dans votre dernier expedition. Jugez de I'efFet de Famitie ; elle m'a fait poete en votre fa- veur, moi, qui de ma vie n'ai songe a faire des vers ; ils sont destines pour etre mis sous votre portrait^ si vous n'en rcn- contrez pas de meilleurs. J'ai fait allusion sur votre visage modeste, malgre lequel vous entreprenez les clioses du monde les plus dangereuses, et j ai taclie d'y rassemblir en racourci toutes vos belles acticms. Failes je vous prie bien des ami- ties de ma part a Mr. U. Legge, et a my Lord Delawar, et me croicz avec autant de sincerilc que d attaclicment pen- dant tout ma vie, *' Votre tres humble, tScc. " IIaiidenbi.ug.'"* "^ Anson's Collection, No. 183. f ' i "';;i I - :;liii II I ! :li I I' 112 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [CH. X. " Sic vultus hostes inter raortcsque sercnos, Qua jvatot occanus, circum Maria omnia };casit. Hcros, cum patrioo rccidivum attoUere laudam Natus, ihesauros devicto cxtorsit Ibero, F(cdifragi Hesperiura mare Galli siinguine titixit. Hosquoties salsis stupuit Ncptunis in undis ITos adamant nautse, civcs, mirabitur Orbis.' To this complimentary letter, and its accompaiu- ment, Anson replies in tolerable good French — " jNIonsieur — Je dcmandc mlllc pardons d'avoir dcffcrt' si long terns de vous remercier do votrc belle lettro, ct do la part quo vous me faites I'honneur do prendre a ce que m ar- rive d'avantageuse. Je devroi peut etre me pleindre que vous mettez tout en nouvre pour me rcduire, et mo rendro Ic plus vain de tous Ics liommes. Los connoisseurs ont peine ii croiro que ce n'cst que d'aujourd'lmi que vous etos pootc ; lis trouvcnt vo,^ vers extremcmcnt beaux^ et assurement il n'y manque que le sujct. En tout cas jo suis plus flatte do Famiti^ qui en est la cause quo de tous les eloges du mondo. Trrn glorieux de I'avoir morite, j'en desire avec avdeur la continuation, ct je serai toule ma vie avec Fcstims ct l"at- tacbement le plus vrai, votre tres obeissant, Sec. ''Anson." No one could be more devoted to another than Lord Sandwich Avas to Lord Anson. He was to him a IMecpenas in more than naval matters. This has appeared in so many parts of the narrative, that nothing further v.-ould be necessary ; though a iew brief extracts from his correspondence may here l;e added. Captain Cascoigne had solicited Anson for a particular appointment, and had aj'plicd to Lord cii. X.] axson's character illustrated. 413 Sandwich, who was iiicliiKMl to serve him. On this occasion he says to Anson, " I conlcl not lielp coni- plyinjif with liis i*e([uest in writing thir. to yon, thongh I shall take no other step in it, nor in this, nor in any other ti'ansaction, act any part that I have not iirst concerted with you, and am persuaded is agree- able to your inclination. I can make no other return than this for the many remarkable acts of friendshij> which you have shown to me, and which no time nor circumstances ca^i ever efface out of my mind." At the close of a long letter, fully explaining the difficulty of his situation at the Hague, and evincing an anxiety that Anson should be satisfied of the recti- tude of the ])rincij)les by which his actions were regii- lated, he says : " I assure you the thing on Avhich, in j)rivate, as well as in public life, I most sincerely pride myself, is the having been able, with the short ac- ;h satisfaction ; as it is impossible for any one to have the i)rospeiity of a profession more sincerely at heart ii ;'il wi. .1 i i<|S 'll 414 LITE or LOUD ANSON. [Cil. X. than I liJivo of that of which you are so deservedly considered as the chief director, and to whose know- ledge and ahility the world is very ready to attrihute the different figure that the English fleet has made in the last years, from Avliat it did ,'it the beginning of the war " * Anson, luiving carried over the k-ug to Holland, took that opportunity of making a hasty visit to his friend Lord Sandwich, at Aix-la-Chapelle. The latter writes to him alter his departure thus : — " As I am in hopes that you arc- ])y this time safely arrived in England, give m(; leave to return you my most sincere thanks for your friendly visit at this ])lace ; every day gives me fresh reason to acknowledge my obligations to your Lordship, of which, in no cir- cumstance of my life, I shall ever be unmindful." Lord Sandwich had, very innocently and luide- servedly, roused the jealousy of the Duke of New- castle, the most suspicious, and at the same time timid, of public men, explains o})enly the whole of the circumstances to Anson, and thus concludes: — " You see, my dear Lord, that I write to you as I sj)eak to myself; these things are not proper to Ite mentioned, but to those one can trust with that entire confidence ; and there is no other man in the world but you to whom I would venture to say half what I now do ; but I have so many proofs of your friend- ship for me, that from you I can conceal nothing." Writing on the same subject, the conclusion of his * Anson .s Collodion, No. 3;)7. CH. X.] ANSON's CIlAKACTEl? ILU'STKATKl). 115 letter sliows not only the eoniidenee he placed in Anson, l)ut the good opinion he entertained of his judt,nnent: — *' I write this letter to you in the ful- ness of my heart, sc that I dure say I need not enjoin you to keep it entirely to yourself; as I have already said, there is nothing will go so far toAvards making me think I am in the wrong, as my knowing that you are of a different opinion; and, if that is the case, I flatter myself you will not conceal it from me." AVhen Anson eonnnunicated to him his nomination as First Lord of the Admiralty, he says, — " You will easily conceive my satisfaction on the receipt of the news contained in the last three mails from Enji-land. I am sensihle how nuicli I am obliged to you • ] lord- ship for the great weight of your friend shij) , and I easily perceive how nnich your support has contributed to make the way easy to the height of good fortune to which I am arrived, and which I shall never forget to the last hour of my life." And when Lord Sandwich had comi)lete(l the arduous task of settling the peace, he writes, — "As it will be so soon that I shall have the hap]/iness of being with you, I will say nothing to you at present upon public afiairs, any further than to return you thanks for your constant kindness to me, and for the friendly advice you gave me in your seve- ral letters ; to which, you maybe assured, I shall ])ay the strictest attention, as there is no one livini>' of Avhose friendship I am more convinced ihan I am of yours, or for whose opinion I have greater deference." li5 r: m 4 1 f) LITE OF LOKD ANSON. {CU. X. From the colhu'tioii of upa-.inls of fivci liuiulnMl loiters iiddiTssed to Anson, many iiiore extrjicts minht licre ])e added, some of tliem expressiiii;- i;'rjititu(le for beiu.'tits received, others for attentions bestowed, and others again comphnientary, landatory, or teeming Avilh effusions of pnre reij; ni and friendshi]). The sj)cci';ic:is ' 'e ..ucu, expressive of esteem and affection for J^ as ,•, sV;. i various individuals, may serve to evince an amiable c: -acter and disposition in him to whom the letters are addressed. It does not appear, indeed, that he had any enemies, except a few and very few political ones, such as ^Valpoh^ whose praise or censure is equally valueless from his tergiversations and constant self-contradictions. Dr. Johnson is said not to have liked Anson ; how should he, after writiui;* ai>ainst him in his de- fence of Byni>; ? Besides, he was a AYhig, and the m-eat moralist had a rooted dislike to \Vhii>'i,nsm, which he said " was a negation of all principle ; "' and he once blustered out to Boswell, that " the devil was the first Whii>\" Boswell tells us, that one day a lank boney figure, with short black hair, came to Johnson with an " Ode to the warlike Genius of Britain ;" and, in going over it, Johnson, in a tone of displeasure, asked him, " Why do you praise An- son ?" On this passage the editor of J^oswell has the iollowing note f'"oni Piozzi's anecdotes : — " He dis- liked Lord Anson j)robal)ly from local politics. On one occasion he visited Lord Anson's seat (jMoor cu. X.] Anson's chauactkr iliajstuatkd. 417 Park), juul jiltlioui>;Ii, jis ho coifcssed, ' well ro- ceiv ' and kiudly tiTiitet., he, u'itli iho true ^ruli- tude »f .iwil, ridicaled the master oi" the house be- foiT lie h;i(l left li halt" an hour.' In the grounds the '„ is a temple of the A\iuds, ou whieii he made the following ejMg'ram . — ' Gratmn aniiiauni laudo; Qui clebuil omnia ventis, Quam bene vontovum, surgore templa jubct.' " * Lord Chatham, \io\. ever, was a more competent judge of Anson's merit than Dr. Johnson. In the dispute with Spain, in 1770, respecting the Falk- land Islands, Johnson wrote a long paper against their establishment. "It was he" (Lord Anson), sjihi Lord Chatham, — "it Avas he who first pointed out the udvantaii'os that miaht accrue to Great Britain from establishing a regular colony upon them. In accordance with his suggestions the English Go- vernment, soon after the peace of Aix-la-Chapelle, determined to send ships to extend the discoveries in the South Seas, and particularly to examine into the condition of the Falkland Islands." He added, — " The second naval object with an English minister should be to maintain, at all times, a power- ful western srjuadron. In the profoundest peace it should be respectable ; in war it should be for- midable ; without it, the colonies, the commerce, the navigation of Great Britaiji, lie at the mercy of the house of >]ourbon. While I had the honour of act- * Crokev's BoswelFs Life of Johnson. 9 )i E 'H iill V '!i a ;tT. 418 LIFE OF LORD ANSON. [cii. X. in^ witli Lord Anson, that uhli; oirn'or never <'eas('(l to inculrate upon tli(! minds of his Majesty's ser- vants the nectissity ol' (Constantly niaintainini; a stroni-' western squadron ; and 1 nuist vouch lor hini, tiiat while he was at the head of the marine it was never netj;leeted." This from J\Ir. Pitt, witli whom and ai^ainst wlioni it had been Anson's f<>rtun(;to act, sj)oken eii»ht years after his death, is a testimony so favoura])le to his professional character, as to re([uire little more to he said on that subject. One thino-, however, is rather surprisin<^-, that to the memory of such a man no statue, nor monu- ment, nor inscribed taldet, })ul)lic or private, has l)een raised. Nothinj^-, even in his own ])arish-church of Colwich, beyond the dry fact, on the lid of his coHin, of where lie was born and where died. *' I always feel ashamed," writes an amiable lady of the present family, " when I think that neither private alfeetion nor public gratitude has ever rai^ed a monument to one who has shed such lustre on the name of Anscui, while some of the humbler companions of his voyage have their deeds recorded on niarble, in the venej'able fane of Westminster." There ^.v, however, a memorial of him ])r(,'servod, of a perishable nature it is true, but most {i])pro- priately disposed of When the old Centurion was broken up, her head, a celebrated carv(Ml lion, rani- paiif, Avas sent to George 111., who presented it to rir. X.] anson's ciiahactkw n ijisthatkd. \]\) Charles J)uke of Kicliinoiul, then iMuhter-Cnuienil of tlie Ordnance ; the Duke phiced it on a pedestal at ^^^lterheech, rear Goodwood, where it starved as a si^!i to the public-house. The late kini»;, A^'illiani 1 V., saw and admired this venerable relic, and begi;ed it of tlie present Duke of Uichniond. It was sent to Windsor, Avhere the Kiui;' had it placed at the head of th(! grand staircase; but, on l)eing persuaded, by some of the gentlemen of taste, that it was out of character where it stood, his IMajesty said he would send it where h(i was sure it would be in character ; ordered it to (JrceMwich Hospital, with directions to place it in one of the wards, which lie desired should be called the " Anson ward ;" and there this bold and well-sculptured royal animal stands, with his head erect, in a rampant j)osture, measuring;' just sixteen feet from the ground. On tlie })edestal were inscribed the foUowinii* lines : — " Stay, lravell(M'. awhile, and view One who has travcll'd more than you : Quite round the i?lol)e, throuj^h each degree, Anson and T have ploughed the sea ; Torrid and (rigid zones have past. And — safe ashore arrived at hist — In ease with dignity appear, He in the House of Lords, / here." Many an old sailor of this ward will doubtless have acquired the history of the Centurion's lion, * 2 E 2 "• I '■! t I'iO mm; ok I.OWD ANSON, [CH. X. iiiid ))(.; iil)l(i to niirnitc tlic principiil adveiiiurcs and events of " Tlu; Voyai^c round tin; World." * Jltlie dcedrt ol Anson an; not to W " n^cordcMl on niarl)l<'," nor any nieniorial of tliein, why tlion, i'or uant oi' sonietliinii; better, — Illi sit inouuinontuin (andidus istc libi'llus. * The old Centurion must havo been a favourite ship : iherc is a (Irawinj; of hor stern by Serros, beautifully curved, a copy of which was kindly sent to nie by Robert Cole, Es(i., which came too late, or I should have outbraved it, toj^cther with the head. Slie was also a good ship, havinj; been more than thirty years in commission, almost constantly at sea. si:i'1»lemp;ntal ciiai'tfr. 421 S U rPI.E M KNTA L C 11 A VTK W . INTRODUCTION. It liud l)('(Mi my intcnlion to confine inysdl', in the follow ing fiijipter, io a few observations on two ini- j)ortant points — *^ ]\Ianning tlie Navy," and " Pvc- servation of the Health of Seamen ;" l)ut there has recently jjeen so much abuse of the Admiralty, and so many misrepresentations with rej^jard to the state of our navy, compared with that of foreign powers, bandied aliout in jiarty pampldets, newspapers, and after-dinner speeches, that I deem it right, and even feel it a duty, to disabuse the pid)lic, by showing that the oft-repeated charges of the neglected and reduced condition of the British navy are wholly unfounded in fact. I had, for other purposes, collected from authentic information, and arranged in two tables, the actual state of all the navies in Europe and Ame- rica. With this information before me, as an old servant of more tliii thirty years in this department, and as one who ha> been an lunnble instrument under eleven diilerent iiaval administrations — Whig and Tory — and professing myself moreover, as far as my oflicial character is concerned, of no political party (my only ptirly being the A^avi/), I chiim I 1 ii !i!.||| \H Ml 422 SUPPLEMENTAL CHAPTER. the privilege of endeavouring to remove that false impression, which the misrepresentations in ({uestiou are calculated to make on the British public, and (which is still more to be deprecated) on foreign powers — that the navy of Great Britain is neg- lected, and in a progreaaive state of decay — a gra- tuitous falsehood, the fa^t being the very reverse. For the facts and observations I have ventured to state, I hold myself wholly and solely responsible, having, advisedly, communicated with no one, not even with a single member of the Board of Admi- ralty. I have no other object in view but that of letting the truth be known ; by which test I am willing to abide. J. B. 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CO 2 CO do Cl ■Sii!(Hiii}[ "' *^ '^' ^> • (M CO '^ O C- 1^ o -<• ■" ; •A.UHnp.io m •'lOISSlUllUOf) UI c-i CO 55 CI ■* -* CI « c» in « 00 Cl ■^ o o a o 3j i-l to C» t' wo r- r. ^:" £ 2 ■r. 1 - 1 1 c i^i i i s F3 s ^ 5c;i tc •.o v5 "n d So 5 CI ^o '/-: •" "■• - t^ 1 1. '. i = "i 2 c r^ & 5 C & ■1. w x C/J I- " fa ^ c S ° "J — ^ o 423 I —I Cl CO X J. z. o , O ^ 4j s ;: B 3 '" rt 3 o S - 2 w 2-3 " != H 2: J- ,-^ a u ^ 2 a a r3 = lu S a n .:< >- S -. ■3; s = 5 i, r' . c a. a -- S b* CJ CO C CO I- a 2 « >• ^ • ri S 5.5 UI a " 2 c """ m ^-^ ?~ g , t;'^ ;£ 5 « = 5 = '■» 'H ■5 •= g I ^ % W r;ii liSI ll 1 1 421 SUPPLEMENTAL CHAPTER. M u ei a c 'J Q t m :(/ rt a '3 O 3 o rs 60 «S ^^ >1 hn ^ s o rt a o r3 rS rt c ^ c (m o O f/1 C/l '/I CI --^ g a rt o aj f> -♦-» t/3 C • f4 C & C3 o ^ fi r/> C) a> ■*-• r! o SO *-* ■4.J p^ to c r/> t/1 fj ■• -! ■*-* y? <1> tf MM •l«in,T, •Hiiipiinji •.\.niiii\).io "I •UOlSSHUlUOf) II X ri! 'A •SinpimH •Ajvntp.io I'l •tioisKiiumof) iij •P'1".L •\.nMii|),i() m iinissuuiuo;") iii A is CO •Pnoj, •.'tiiiiiniijt •AIVIIIIVIQ n\ •uo'.ssiiumof) uj ■l':i'\L 'A 5 •Siiipipi}! •.uimjiuo III ■iioissitmnof) tij ■P'l'M. C A •''"H'pi'n •X.u'niji.io "I •noissimuio,') iij -^ Cl ^3 CO II l!» (71 «:; t^ Cl SI M a\ • n 1(5 -H Ifj (TI • «£. ml I I III II I II II ■ mm III ■! 'I mill I IB f^ -^ n o ^, — o' a; to •/: ifS n ^^ IM C Ul •r o o r) z*. ^ '^ *"' '- o C ■M •^ ^p !Y) '. - W H c irj CO ■~ s rt *_i fi s O r/i 1 o 1 2 5 o lO 2 t 1 1 u< 1 1 Oh ff rt '/ tn ;' rr t/) tr •r ■/) ir » tr. ■^ - C J a f/: c: 'i M X =■ rto 3 n tr o o Tr •n "^ -s Ift a •^ C^I am CO >— t ti CO t/. CO a a .a ,8 CO o 5 - If -1 ;i 50 NAVIES OF GREAT BIUTAIN, FRANCE. &C. 425 ^ ' o c .- m w: * 7* "? rt ff rt tf -I. ;i ;() ~ :- — 7j — ' -M ■f. '^ " T •r, § l.-NAVIES or GREAT BRITAIN, FRANCE, &c. ]Mr. II. W. Craiifurd, a young coininandpv in the Ilritish navy, belnc: at Petersburg, was introduced to, and met \vith a most gracious reception from, His Imperial Majesty of all the Russias. He was also allowed to take a cruise of observation in a corvette, fitted and manned for the occasion, to accompany the Russian fleet to sea, on tlieir accustomed annual exercise. He came home so enraptured with the reception he had met with, so astonished at the number, force, and equipment of this fleet, that he could not resist the tempta- tion of publishing a pamphlet, with " Rrmarks,'' as he prints in large capitals on its first page, " intended to drain atten- tion to the danger of leaving our navy in its present ex- tremely RKOUCED state.'''' And he patriotically thus conclude : — " My remarks have not been directed against Jhissia or her fleet, in which I was received with kindness and hospitality, but arr((in,st nnj oini country ; to reproach her for the injurious economy, the parsimony, w) ich has led to the present reduced state of her navy.' There is an old homely jiroverb that says, '* It is an ill bird that fouls its own nest." If Mr. Craufnrd had drawn the attention of the department, under Avhicli he holds his commission, instead of the clubs and the newspapcns, to any remarks or ol^servations he had to communicate, he might probaljly have learned that he was at least quite as ignorant of " the present extrcnu'ly redi'ced state of orr navy " as he is mistaken with regard to the increased state of that of if I! V •i 1!'S I Ru ssia. I. I 426 SUPPLEMENTAL CHAPTER. If ho moans, rr it may bo su])p().sos, ♦^ give ii to us agaiii ;" one would really suppose we were ;u 'var, tiad had suffered defeat in some ;!;roat ge- neral c)i2,p.nfon/nit. vhich had -lecidcd our fate and our fall. ^- NAVIES OF GREAT BRITAIN, FRANCE, &C. 427 Tliis silly opinion of a youthful commandor may be taken for what it is worth, and no more ; but he would have done well in beins^ l(!ss indiscreet in invitinu^, as it were, " a neijj^hbour- in"^ power " to pay us a visit, with " an overwhehnlnj^ force, within a week's sail of our shores." Any imputation of the neglect of, or any slight cast upon, the navy, makes the blood thrill through the veins of ev(?ry true Englishman, who regards the honour, the wellare, and the salvation t)f the country ; knowing that, on it, rests the defence of the thn^e kingdoms — the preservation of our colo- nies — the protection of our commerce — the power of repel- ling and avenging insult ; in short, that it is the navy which contributes mostly to make the name of Britain honoured and respected among nations. It is not therefore surprising that the people of these islands, thus tenacious of the ho- nour and reputation of their navy, should feel indignant at the appearance even of neglect, on the part of those to whom the management of its concerns have been intrusted ; and the more so when, by a constant repetition and reiteration of such charges, the misrepresentaticms at last obtain a sort of general belief. Nor does the mischief end here ; they create among foreign powers a doubt and distrust of the boasted naval power of Great Britain, which never before entered their thoughts. Even France, which, of all others, has hitherto had most reason lo acknowledge Eng- land as the mistress of the sea — France, through one of the acknowledged government organs, for so it is said to be, has launtdicd an uncalled-for and rather impertinent observa- tion, regarding the British navy : — '' The French navy,' says the paragraph writer, " pos- sesses at })resent a matcrid which does not fear a compari- son with that of any other nation in the world ; for if we str'.ke out of the pumpaus list of the British navy, pidjlished iliiJi 428 SUPPLEMENTAL CHAPTER. bj llio Ihitlsh 7\'liniralty, tlio vessels unfit for son, no shall find lli.'it Client Britain licrsolij the (^uecn of the Ocean, cannot muster ither ; or, in other words, ,v??j}tT/or to l)(;th combined. Fhe two pegs on which Mr. Core hangs his vituperative nnsrc- ispa- )i' the ])een liter, .rs of 13ii- i that (bfr to The I'isre- *■ I NAVIES OF GHEVT TUtlTAIN', FRANCE, &C. 4i0 prcsontatiou of the i!;()V('nnnf'nt, and tin? adniirally in jvvr- ticular, arc, Arst, the younp; commandor's discovcM'y of the rapid ]>roi^ri'ss of th(^ Russian navy in the l^altie, and the reduced state of our own ; and, seeondly, tlii^ faUneious statements of the Frenrh journalist. Let lis see, however, what thes(i char<>"es really amount to, that arc so hountifully bestowed on the naval administration, that they may be answered in something like detail. The; three following heads will probably embrace them all : — • 1. That oil)' !ih.<[)s n/'irar, parl/ciihirlii those of the line, (ire nnl; eqiiii! in tiinnber, size, or iiriiuniii'iil, lo those of other maritime powers, Frcmee and .Russia more espe- cially. 2. That ships-o/'-lhe-line are. sent to sea without their lower-deck guns, and, irith a reduced and inadequate co>n- jjlement of men. 3. That, from the reduced state of naral stores in the dock-yards, and of the number of shipwrlijhts, a Jieet, such as a tear wovld require, could not be sent to sea. First. I know of no better mode of giving, at a single glance, a brief comparative statement, as to the classes and numbers, of all the navies of the western world, than by exhibiting them, as I have done, in two tables. They are constructed, from authentic documents, and I have every reason to believe may be relied on as accurate — within a ship or two at most. To the first table 1 coidd wish to draw the attention of Mr. Montague Gore, thai he mav cor- rect his erroneous assertion ; and also to the editor of the Journal de Dehals. The English navv is not, in the table referred to, exhibited as a jiompous list. a!;d it will answer triumphantly that jiart of the first charge, which reflates to its reduction as io numbers. Many of the se>enty-four-gun ships are^ no (L.ubt, too small to be engaged singly with the I' ' '!':: Ml .\i ( '1.1 ■. r! II ! I i ! I '1' m i 430 SUPPLEMENTAL CHAPTER. second class ships of Franco and America, ])ut thoy arc precisely such as arc l>est ada])tcd for tlu; North Sea and Baltic ; and, in all rcspcuts most (it to meet, and defeat too, the twenty sail of Russians of the same class, which we are confidently told are to invade us next summer. In frif2^ates, however, especially in those of the first class, it must be admitted we are, as we always have l)een, some- what deficient : howev(!r, with eifjht of fifty-two fj:uns, and twelve of fifty, carryina; thirty-two-j)ounders ; and forty-two of forty-six ^uns, also so armed, and e([ually prepared for tlnowinjif shot or shells — in all. sixty-two powerful friirates — we have nothinjj to apprcdiend from the sixty-f;un frla;ates so l)e|)raiscd by a soi-disanf Flajj-Oflicor, who shall be noticed presently. We too misjht add ciijht or ten jnjuns to our friii:ales. to iiiv(^ the (ipp('(irrs into which may not b(; placed a couple of sixty-eight-pounder guns, cither for shot or shells, or both. NAVIES OF GREAT TIRITAIN, FRANCE, &C. 431 inoroii« Ty im- troop- ■issary machinery, should not bo able to compote with cither or both of those nations in this class of ships. Tho best of those of Franco are fitted with English maciiincry ; tho rest liavc very little to boast of. The sec(md Tabh^ cannot bo glancoil at without a leeling of melancholy, on rolleding what tho navies of Sweden, Denmark, and Holland in particular, once were, and to what a humiliatinu; condition they are now reduced — all sacrificed, at various periods, to their alliance with France. And then as to Spain ! — what a deplorable figure does the remnant of her once proud navy here exhibit ! Wo well know what became of those nol)le three-deckers the Sal- vador del Mundo, the San Josef, the Hormaneglldo, and Real Carlos; but where are tho Santissima Trinidada, Purissima Concepcion, Prlncesa del Asturias, and tho numerous magnificent ships mounting from eighty to ninety- six guns, and composing a splemhd iieet of sixty-eight sail- of-tho-line, eight of which were of three decks? Some of them were reserved to fail with the loss of her American cok)nies, but the great. Hiotographic Sciences Cbrporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14SS0 (716) •72-4503 434 SUPPLEMENTAL CHAPTEH. could have vvritton them: his "iacts," however, must be dealt with somewlmt at hiifje. His first yV/r/ is a fiction. He says that, " before the war of 179'3 (that is, in 179~)> there were .s/.t-trcn sail-of-the-linc as jjuard-shijis." ITere he only mistakes w*f';/ (ors/t/px. Tlie vote was for l(i,(KJ() fitcn ; the hirji^est number borne was about 14,000 — <>(nierally about l'i,O0O. The number of jifuard-ships were elcrcn sail -of- the- hue, of which two were second-rates, an will ainounl only to lorty-scvcii sail-ol'-tlu'-line ; but tlu! trulli is, lie mistakes en commission, which sifj^nincs shij)S picttv inuch in tlu? same state as our twelve ( foolishly named (h'imm.stritlion slii])s), lor ships actually in commission, which in I'ranco is arnirv ; those not in commission arc desarmrs. He contludes his enumeration of the tremen,()00, out of which tlic flcot is to ho mannccl, Hut ho furthor ohscrvcs, that of thoso 5.'3,(K)(), thoro are only 34,(X)() or .'3o,000, from tho ago of twenty to forty, fit for \[\v. service {hoii.v an service) ; and that tho numhor of men kept in actual s(;rvice of the flcot docs not exceed 18,(KX). If tho authority were not ahovo question, it would scarcely bo credited, that tho commercial marine employs onlv, in lon*:f voyages, in the ji^reat fisheries, and the groat coasting trade (grfrnd rahoff/gc), about GTiOOO seamen, exclusive of '23,000 others, engaged in the small coasting craft (ppf.U cabotage) . From the first number, ho says, recruits are taken from tho navy, but only under extraordinary circum- star cos, more extraordinary still from tho second ; and ho conclud(.'S by saying, that tho real active portion of tho mari- time inscription is at least 45,000 men. Already employed in ships of war . . 18,000 " " in ships of commerce 27^,000 45,000 Such are the resources from which France has tho power " of manning her fleet in a short time." And now for the last enemy — that either is or is to be — tho United States, who, he finds, "have sent a formidable squadron to South America, of seven men-of-war, all perfect of their kind, a jwrt of which would bo sufficient to take pos- session of the whole of our contemptible squadrons there, at tho Capo, and in India, with our three admirals command- ing them, and carry them to New York." This is mere impertinence. The United States make no secret of their naval force or of its disposition. They have two ships- of-the-line and six frigates in commission, and one of these, and one frigate, with some smaller vessels, constitute their force in the Pacific, which is to take our three admirals, on NAVIES OF GUKAT lUUTAlN, FRANCK, &i'. Ill tlml station, at tlic Capo of Good Hope, and in India ! They havn two of thn second class and tlnoo of tlio third in or- dinary, and eight on the stocks, making in the wliole fifteen of the line. The Americans are, moreover, kindly informed that " a few of tiieir po'.verful ships with troops might run into Halifax harbour, and all Nova Scotia would be in their power ;" nay, more, much more — *' they might at any time take possi^s- sion of Ca})e lireton, (establish themselves in Louisburg, and New Brunswick would soon follow." Crossing the Atlan- tic, " The inhabitants of Brighton and all our undefended sea-coasts Avould not be safe in their houses; neither can it be said that London would be secure from being plundered and burnt ; ' and, to remove all doubt of the lamentable state to which we are reduced, we are assured that the Baltic fleet will be " all ready in the summer to pass over into I'^ngland ;" that they may " anchor at St. Helen's, take the Isle of Wight, and establish themselves there." Does this "Flag-Officer" know — it may charitably be supposed he does not — that were he afloat, and we in the ])ositi()n he would place us, with regard to France, Russia, and the United States (that is, at war), the pains and penalties of the 3rd Article of War, which are not slight, would very nearly, if not entirely, attach to him ? As it is, his crime goes something beyond frightening old women and children, from Lelth to the Land's End ; he is using his best endeavours to stir up friendly nations against us, and to inflame the minds of the Queen's subjects against them ; but, however it may vex him, he will learn from the President's speech, that "^ the most amicable dispositions continue to be exhi- bited hy all the nations with whom the government and citi- zens of the Lhiited States have an habitual intercourse." — And Louis Philippe says — "My relations with foreign powers fire as satisfactory as ever. France occupies the 442 SIIPPLEMKNTAL ('HAPTKH. rank wliich belongs to licr in tlui rstriMii ol' her .illirs and of tin' worUl." Taklnjr tills letter altoffcthcr. I repeal, it apju'ars impos- sible that any Jbilisli ilafj-oilu'er can be the author ol so disfiraeel'nl and mischievous a jiroduction ; and my reasons lor this btdiel are, — 1. ]iccaus(; a British ilag-oflicer, in possession ol" informa- tion, hostile or injurious to the Queen's government and the nation, would feel it to bo his bounden duty to make it known to her jMajesty's ministers, instead of conveyinj^ it to the enemy, or those whom he treats throughout as enemies. 2. Because a British ilaro cmanripdUon fi<(f^ be unfurled, and all of them would at once follow the example of San Dominjjo ; that the pet coufjuest of Algeria, blockaded by sea, and pressed upon from within, could not \ov\^ hold out. Nov is it certain that the position of the present dynasty might not bo seriously affected. Louis Philippe has not yet, notwithstandina^ all his sajj^acity, prudence, and p^ood conduct, acquired any of those pres/igrs which blazed liko a glory around the crown of Napoleon. France, theiefore, notwithstanding what the '• Flag- Officer " says, will no doubt deprecate war as well as England. But Russia? This power is undoubtedly tiie least of all others to be trusted, because war or peace is, in that nation, actually the prerogative of on(^ man ; and her motions ought therefore to be more closely watched : it is not, however, be- cause she has two large fleets, tlmt she makes herself an object of jealousy to England ; but it is her warlike indica- tions in keeping them constantly manned, and, as we are told, provisioned for four months, ready at a moment's notice to put to sea ; — it is this state of naval preparation, enabling : II '111' if; i I* IM SriTMlMKNTAL CIlAPTi:!?. lu'V to roiniiiciuc liostilitii-s at once, that shouM krcp \\h on our guard against a surprise. Slio lias neither rohuiies nor coininerce to j)rotert : is it not then a lair (|uestion to he asked, hy Austria, I-'ranee, or ICnghmd, for what j)urpose is a naval armament, in such a state, ke])t on Umtf It may !)(• against I'^nghuid, or Turkey, or both — in either case, it Ix'hoves us to he prepared ; for if Nicholas be, as he is represented, aud)itious, restless, vindictive, and unforgiving, and wholly independent of the opinion of ins subjects, he can never want a pretext for g»)ing to war. Hut, from the ele- vated position he holds among I'hnopcan nations, ho ought to be esteemed a man of honour, cautious of acting the part of a barbarian and a midnight rol)ber, whose object is to invach? the shores, burn the bouses, plunder and nmltreat the inha- bitants— as tlu; " Flag-Oflicer" takes great j)ains to persuach; us be is prepared to do next smnmcr ; if war be liis object, there must be discussions, negociations, miinifestoes, previous to actual war, as customary among civilized nations. He is moreover said to be a calculating monarcb ; and if so, it will be dillicult to conjecture by what process he will arrive at the conclusion, that a war with England would be gain to Russia. The hirelings of the German press, "vvho arc well paid for depreciating England ami extolling Russia, may flatter him, as one of them has done, with the idea of his dictating a peace to England from the palace of Calcutta; but they carefully abstain from hinting that England, by a blockade of the Gulf of I'inland, and the occupation of Petersburg, may dictate; to Russia from the capital of Peter the Great — the one is about as likely to ha])pen as the other.* * An able pamphlet, published by Murray, under the title of " Progress and Present Position of Russia in the East," shows what have been, what are, and what will be, the views of this overgrown despotic power, which, if not soon checked, will prove an overwhelming NAVIES OF CHEAT HUITAIN, FilANCE, &C. 415 Tak* ^ lonvo of tl* s Flajr-OfTicor for the prosont, tho next p)int to bo cotisMloriMi is tliiil «>f tlio size of sliijw in the sovoral navies, wliicli appears to he carried by all the maritime powers, in imitation of each other, to a pre- posterous extent. The United States. hv'\\\^r a yoimu: •'">tl ambitious naval power, and ])erhaps a little pulled up by havinjj^ in the last short conflict obtaiiu'd a superiority by larjj^e and fully-manned ships over those? of a very inle- rior class, conceived the proud notion ofoutdoinu: the rest of the world, by building; a ship of enormous maj^nitudc — pro- bal)ly cm the ])rinciple of the builders of the tower of Habel — to "make themseUes known." It was a kin'ous at tho principal ports of tlie Utiitcd Kingdom may bo necessary for tin* reception of volunteers, l)ut not for Impressment ; this species of forced service should lui limited to men servinji^ ailoat. Kvery thinkiiip: man, however, must be fully sensible of the absolute micessity of havinjif recourse to iinpr(*ssnicnt on the first brc^akin^ out of war, if we wish to protect our short^s fnmi insult, our colonics from capture?, our commerce from plunder ; all other modes can only be slow and projj^ressivc ; and the party who strikes the first de(!isive blow has made a flfreat stride in winninp^ the battle. The " Inscriptum Ma- ritime'' of the French, which has much failed them of late, is a kind of militia. We, too, have a militia for the land service, to which all classes of landsmen within certain ages, with a few exceptions, are liable, but from which seamen are exempt. If wc are to give up the usual and efficient means of manninjf the fleet, why not esta- blish a maritime militia/ why not say to every mari- time province of the United Kingdom, Vou must furnish so many seafaring men for the navy — according to the regis- tered number in your county — and the rest shall be free from impress, from the moment that the stipulated con- tingent has been supplied / Why is a seaman to be exempt from serving his country, on that rude element, where alone he can be of essential service ? Every encouragement, however, should be given for voluntary enlistment ; and nothing, perhaps, would hold out greater encouragement to good seamen, and be more pro- ductive, than a well-appointed frigate, or sloop, with a sensible and discreet commander, stationed at each of the principal ports of the United Kingdom, for the voluntary entry of seamen. The Act of 6 and (J of William IV., i 'iV L » ijii I 460 SUPPLEMENTAL CHAPTER. cap. 24, brought in by Sir James Graham, seems to be well calculated for this end. It is entitled " An Act for the Encouragement of the Voluntary Enlistment of SeameUj and to make regulations for the more effectually manning His Majesty's Navy." It limits the naval service to volun- teers for five years. If abroad, the admiral under some special emergency may detain him six months longer, with one-fourth increase of pay ; after five years he may be discharged with certificates, on which protections will bo granted. On entry at any rendezvous, or on board ship, he will be entitled to double the ordinary bounty ; seamen already serving when the proclamation shall be issued, not to be discharged, but continue to serve, If required, fiv»» years, and will receive the ordinary bounty. Any seaman who shall, at the expiration of five years, signify to his com- manding officer his desire to continue in the service for another period of five years, shall be entitled to receive the single bounty offered by the Royal proclamation. In ad- dition to those encouragements, pensioners, who may be fit, and volunteer, will be allowed to receive their pensions while serving, in addition to their pay And, lastly, seamen wishing their discharge before the expiration of five years, will be permitted to find a substitute of one able seaman or two able-bodied landsmen ; and Avill be entitled to the same protection as if he had completed his five years himself. It may hero bo observed that, if able-bodied pensioners were now allowed to receive their pensions along Avith their pay, many valuable men would be preserved to the service, say from one hundred and fifty to two hundred .a-year of choice seamen. No additional expense would be incurred by his receiving both, as, if he does not re-enter, another, probal)ly not Jialf so good, must take his place. MANNING THE NAVV. 401 Couplinj^ these great benefits, secured to volunteers by Act of Parliament, with the encouragement which of late years has been given to seamen serving in the fleet, and very recently the increase of pay to that important class of men, the seamen-gunners, which will, no doubt, be extended to those valuable men rated as petty ofliccrs, it can hardly be doubted that, on the breaking out of war, these great advan- tages will induce seamen to volunte(;r for that service, in which they know they are l)etter treated than in any other. With regard to the petty officers generally, it is the opi- nion of a great many able and experienced captains, that it would be considered a great encouragement for these most useful men, and induce many to enter the service, if their pay were made equal in all rates ; and it seems rea- sonable it should be so, as the labour, the drudgery, and the attention, in the lower, are as great, and frequently much more so, than in the higher rates. Others, however, are disposed to consider the step from a lower to a higher rate to operate as an encouragement ; that there is a great difference between having three or four men to look after and thirty or forty, and that the share of prize-money is many times greater in small than in large ships. Prize-money, it is true, is much looked up to by seamen ; and it certainly ought to bear a much larger proportion to that of the officers than it does. Sir James Graham, satisfied of the propriety of this, took a little, and but a little, from the admirals and captains, and gave it to the able seamen : but it met with opposition from both classes of officers — from the captains with some show of reason — from the flag-officers, none. A captain is liable to all the expenses of lltio-ation in the case of a doubtful detcmtion, and must himself indemnify the owners for an illegal capture ; their 462 SLPPLEMENTAL CHAPTER; plea then was this — if our share is to be reduced, at least hear us harmless; if we^ in the prosecution of our duty, are led by plausible circumstances to commit an error, let us be indemnified, on the certificate of the judge, that appearances justified the detention. Nothing would appear more reasonable ; and it is much to be hoped that, on war breaking out, a very considerable increase of prize-money will be granted to petty officers and seamen of the fleet * After all a great deal must depend on the character of the captain, or commanding officer, in the successful man- ning of his ship : the seamen are made so well acquainted with this, that a favourite officer will man his ship in one- fifth part of the time that another will. Lord Howe never wanted men for the ships he commanded, because he was known in the navy as the " Seaman's friend." The other Act of Sir James Graham, 5 and 6 William IV., cap. 19^ for forming and maintaining a register of all merchant seamen of the United Kingdom, and for amending and consolidating the laws relating to them, is of the great- est importance to the commercial interests, and of mutual benefit to the owners and masters of ships, and to the seamen. Every one knows how many ineffectual attempts have been made to establish a general register of the ma- riners and seafaring men, on an idle supposition that it was an invasion of the liberty of the subject, and with the ulterior view of facilitatiiig impressment. It required, there- fore, no little tact to subdue this prejudice. An office is established at the Custom-house, in London; a registrar, * Even without these important 'advantages, and contrary to the assertion of the " Flag-Officer," that the men are disgusted and will not enter the service, it is a fact that, from the moment bills were issued, and a few lieutenants appointed to receive volunteers, more than a thousand men have entered in the month of Decerabor. MANNING THE NAVY. 463 with a proper number of clerks appointed, who corresponds with the customs at the out-ports, and makes periodical re- turns to the Admiralty, of the number of seamen rejnstered. By a return called for by the House of Commons, dated the 9th of June, 18i)8, the total number of registered seamen, up to that date, was 15(),872 ; * but among these is mixed a certain portion of river and coasting trade, the latter of which, by a Parliamentary return, is stated to consist of the enormous number of about half a million, f But, perhaps, the most important part of this bill, is that which relates to parish boys and others being put appren- tices to the sea service, and the number of apprentices which every ship is compelled to take, according to her tonnage. All former Acts on this subject were evaded ; but the regu- lations now in force, and the penalties attached to any defi- ciency in the numbers, bid fair to introduce into the mer- chant service a very considerable increase of seafaring men. By the same return as that above mentioned, there were in the merchant service, on the 31st July, 1835, when the Act passed, 5429 apprenticed seamen. Of this number, on the 9th June, 1838, there remained still under indentures 1740. From the passing of the Act to the same date, the indentures registered were . . 19)367 To which add 1,740 Total number of apprentices 21. 1071 Some regulations would still appear wanting, with regard * Increased in September to 167,013. t This return of 1829 for 1828, signed by the Registrar-General of the Custom-house, is thus stated : — " Coastingtrado, inwards, 51 2,000, outwards, 517,000 men ;'' a return, not worth the value of the paper. The same vessel and the same crew may have arrived and sailed inwards and outwards a dozen times in the year. % Increased in September to 21,450. < I '^l- ii«i III* 404 SUPPLEMENTAL CHAPTER. to the seamen apprentices. Since the establishment of docks, all hands are sent ashore, from the time the ship is ready to enter one. If the apprentice has no home to go to — which is generally the case — he is put into some moan lodging-house in the neighbourhood of Wapping, till his old ship, or some other belonging to the firm, is ready to leave the dock ; where, it may be supposed, neither his morals, habits, nor health, have been improved. The merchants of London, at a small expense, might provide a remedy for this evil. While speaking of apprentices, I may notice the great advantage which the navy will receive from the number of boys now introduced, and which it may be prudent to increase ; they are now about i)U0O, and might with advantage be extended to jOOO. Many of these boys, who enter at seventeen or eighteen years of age, return from their station fit for the rating of ordinary seamen, become attached to the navy, and prefer it to all other service. Too much encouragement cannot be given to this class of young and rising seamen. Another source for the supply of seamen, to a certain extent for the navy, has, within a few years back^ been lost to the naval service. The allusion here made is to the Coast-guard service, as at present constituted. Why it has been altered from its original establishment, when it sup- plied seamen on many occasions for the navy, instead of, as now, taking them away from it ; or by whose advice the change was made, is not material. The deed has been done, the concession has been made ; and the Treasury, the Customs, and the Comptroller of the Coast-guard, are probably satisfied that, being naval men, and under the control of naval officers, they are more efficient for the pro- tection of the revenue, than any other class of men. It may be so, and well-conducted enough, though not under martial MANNING THE NAVY. 4G5 certain en lost to the it lias it sup- of, as Ice the been lasury, (\, are |er the ,e pro- t may artial law ; but they are lost to the navy ; their habits being totally changed. No complaints of inefficiency, or want of subordination, were made against the men when borne on the books of a ship-of-war, stationed in the Downs, and of another in New Haven ; and the great advantage was, that on any pressure for manning a ship, forty, fifty, or sixty able seamen, were always at hand, and made avail- able. On one occasion of an important nature, two hun- dred and forty-one seamen were withdrawn from the coast- guard, then called blockade service, and at another time two hundred and eighty-three ; and the number borne exceeded three thousand men. The coast-guard has now about four thousand men on shore, and nearly one thousand in the re- venue cruisers. Many of the former of these are not only exempt from serving in the navy, whatever may happen, but are composed of the most effective able seamen drawn from the navy — seamen such as are in the vigoui of life, and of the best characters ; without a certificate of which they can- not be received into this favourite service. It was the old system to have a fifty or sixty gun-ship stationed as a guard- ship in the Downs ; and not a bad one, were she of no other use than to show to the foreign ships of all nations, passing through that anchorage, that we had at least one ship-of-war on the look-out. Formerly ten or twelve sail- of-the-line were kept at the three great ports, Sheerness, Portsmouth, and Plymouth; but the result of the revo- lutionary war, which placed Malta and the Ionian Islands in our possession, was to transfer these guard-ships to the Mediterranean, which from that time became the princi- pal station for our fleet. Still it appears to me it would impress foreigners with a higher notion of our navy on visiting our ports, which they all do, if a sec(md-class ship- of-the-line were stationed at each of the ports of Ports- 2 H ' I m 466 SUPPLEMENTAL CHAPTER. mouth and Plymouth, with the full peace complcinent, to exercise the officers and men for six or seven summer months, or be ready as a reinforcement wherever recjuired. Our ports at present, it must be admitted, wear but a gloomy and deserted aspect. It has been said by tliosc who look favourably on the present coast-guard system that " You will get them when the war breaks out." No such thing; while their land- service is allowed to tell as service at sea, why should they leave so comfortable a retreat ? Should a war break out to-morrow, there would not be left a man on the coast, fit for service, the following day, unless specially protected. Such men may be considered as lost to the naval service for ever ; yet there appears to be no reason why the coast-guard seamen should not be subject to martial law, as well as the men serving in the ordinary, and in the packet ser\ice, which is now the case in all the various branches wherein seamen are employed ; why should the navy, in their instance alone, be deprived of their services? why, with such exemp- tion, should their time be allowed to go for pensions? In- stead of this, why not establish a maritime police, composed of young and active landsmen, who would be just as much under the control of commanders and lieutenants of the navy, as seamen ? It must come to this in the event of war. There is, however, another and more serious drain of seamen, in time of war, by which they are protected from the impress, and abstracted from the naval service ; this is the privateer system, which is carried on to an enormous extent. The great number of letters of marque and re- prisal, granted to ships armed and manned, more for the sake of getting to an early market and avoiding convoy than fighting the enemy, occasion a heavy drawback from the entry of men in ships-of-war. A sailor joins a regular in of from lis is nous ro- the nvoy Tom ular MANNINGJ THE NAVY. 467 privateer, in the hope, almost the certainty, of makinf]^ liis fortune, which, however, frequently ends in disappointment ; but it is a speculation that he cannot resist. If, indeed, the whole system of privateering could be got rid of, by agree- ment of the belligerents, it would prove the greatest benefit to mankind in general, as well as to those engaged in it ; for it is frequently carried on in a manner little short of legalised and licensed piracy. It encourages a species of gaming, by which a few acquire great fortunes, while mul- titudes are ruined. The misery entailed by the system of plunder exercised by privileged privateers is incalculable ; and the demoralizi*tion of those engaged in it is of the worst description. But we are considering it here only, as it de- prives the navy of men to a very great extent, ^vllo would otherwise be employed with advantage to themselves, and benefit to the state. This will more satisfactorily appt;ar by a return of licences and protections issued from the A«l- miralty in the following years : — LETTERS OF MARQUE AND REPRISAL. Vessels. Men. Against the French republic from May, 1803, to May, 1804 680 27,960 Ditto, Batavian republic, from June, 1803, to June, 1804 670 28,758 Ditto, King of Spain, from January, 1805, to January, 1806 540 25,718 Those taken out against the French and Batavians are nearly for the same ships ; of those against Spain, about a fourth arc contained in the other two. The number of men thus protected may be about47,000, which with the addition of marines, landsmen, and boys, would be fully adequate to man a fleet of fifty sail-of-thc-line, with frigates, sloops, steamers, and small craft in proportion : this is a subject 2h2 HI i 468 SUPPLEMENTAL CHAPTER. which, I apprehend, will require to be more closely looked at, in the event of war. Important a;^ the inanninfj: of the fleet is, it is no less in- dispensable that it should be under the direction of active, able, and experienccul officers — such as arc g^enorally known to be so, and in whom the warrant and petty officers and seamen have confidence. There is perhaps in this more than is generally thought; Howe, St. Vincent, and Nel- son, with many of the brave officers who served under them, knew how to inspire into their men that degree of confidence, which never failed them in the day of battle : they exacted discipline, but never withheld indulgence, when it could be granted without detriment to the service ; and their people knew this. If tlie captain, on whom the heavy responsibility rests, instead of making his men comfortable, annoys and harasses them with trifles of no moment — such as employing his men in rubbing, and scrubbing, and polishing, when the time ought to be their own, they become disgusted, get sulky and discontented, and go with reluctance to the necessary work of the ship. But happily such captains now nre very rare ; they ceased gene- rally in the course of the long revolutionary war ; neither are there many of those who, on the other hand, " think those," as Captain Barnett says to Anson, "the best officers who have the least blocks in their rigging." It is related of the Duke of Wellington, that, " on being shown over a man-of-war in which the polishing system was established in full force, he observed that it was pretty to look at, but that it lacked one thing ; for he had not seen a smile on the countenance of any one man in the ship."* Satisfied that the Duke of Wellinsfton never uttered or made any such observation, yet being thus stated publicly in a work * Quarterly Review, on the "Life of Howe," No, 123. MANNING THE NAVY. 409 m a lade so jjonerallj read, the question was asked of his Grace, to which he immediately replied, with that courtesy so peculiar to his character, and in a manner so hijj^hly complimentary to the officers of the navv, that it well deserves to be re- corded — " Walmer Castle, September 29. " My dear Sir — I have received your letter of the '27th. I have no recollection of having used the expression to which you refer. I have sailed in many ships of war of all sizes and descriptions, probably more than some officers of the navy of my time of life ; certainly more than any officer of the army. The captains of all these ships were the most distinguished men of their rank at the time, I do not recol- lect to have had occasion to make such a remark upon any of them, or on the discipline maintained by any of them. " That which I always felt was, admiration for the pro- fessional science and seamanship disphayed by all the officers, without exception, in every ship in which I ever sailed. I firmly believe, and I have frequently stated my conviction, that I had not seen one, who could not at any time lay his ship in any situation, which he might be ordered to take in relation to any other ship, be the strength of the wind or the violence of the sea what it might ; and I have founded, upon this superior knowledge and seamanship of our officers, the confidence that the naval superiority of this country would be permanent. ... " Entertaining this opinion, I might have made remarks upon other matters. But I certainly do not recollect that I ever had occasion to make such a remark on the discipline of any ship in which I have sailed. " Believe me, &c. rr- sanel of the bVench navy, which has challenged the whole world ? We may safely and most assuredly answer. There are. But then they must not be taken from what Mr. Leggc calls "the seniority of inexperience." We have captains and commanders in abundance, fit and ready for any service, and not, as the " Flag-Oflicer" gratuitously says, "dispirited, and only expecting to be blockaded in their own i)orts " — a slanderous imputation on " our best officers." It must be admitted, however, that the list of flag-officers is not a promising one. Age and infirmities have invaded its ranks ; and if the present system be continued (contrary to the recoi. -inendation of a committee of the House of Commons), of promoting in masses, or, as is usually called, by brevet, it unquestionably will not improve. Why then not make it efficient, tas it soon would be, by applying the wholesome rule, to this class of officers, of promoting one in three ? — a question that has often been asked, and no other reason assigned for its not being so, except that it would be altering the old system. In these days of innovation, that would not seem to be a valid objection. Two parties are to be considered in this question — the public and the individual — first, for the public : if, on every three admirals going off" the list, a vice-admiral, of any colour, should be selected to take his place ; if three vice-admirals, a rear-admiral, of any colour ; if three rear-admirals, a young and efficient ca])- I'ULSlOUVATlUiN OF UKALTil OF TliF ^AVY. 171 tain j)r()in<)tnsiun while; serving. (). lOquali/ation of pay to i)etty oflicors in all classes of ships. 7. Increase of prize-money. 8. Entry of boys extended. [). Resumption of coast blockade. l(\ Restriction in granting letters of marj|uc. § 3. PRESERVATION OF THE HEALTH OF THE NAVY. It is not enough that every possible; means should be taken for manning and keeping up the efiiciency of the navy, it is the imperative duty of the naval administration to promote and establish such regulations, respecting ventilation, clean- liness, and discipline ; and of the medical department to exa- mine and recommend such professional oflicers, and to pro- vide such supply of proper drugs and instruments, as may promote and preserve the health of the seamen. The means of attaining this most desirable end are now so well asccr- 472 SirpPLEMICNTAL CIIAPTEn. taiiiod, ond so rasily accjuired, tliat no officer of the navy, in the command of a ship of war, can have any excuse for being; i}]:norant of them. It shouhl be ch'arly understood that, althoup:h every king's ship is supplied with one or more medical officers, generally well educated and skilled in thciv professional duties, yet, without the hearty co-operation cf the commanding officer, the medical gentlemen can do little towards the preservation of the general health of the (;rew. The responsibility of this rests much more — and a heavy re- sponsibility it is — on the captain than on the surgeon. lie must not conceive all that concerns the health of th(^ uwn is solely the business of the latter. To this oflicer, however, is committed the charge and cure of the sick ; but the pre- vention of disease must very much depend on the captain — on his judgment, attention, and enforcement of all such regulations as are established, or such as, from circumstances, ho may find necessary to establish, for the general good dis- clj)line of the ship, a proper degree of ventilation to secure fresh air, and a rigid attention to cleanliness. The following truth cannot be too forcibly impressed on the mind of every commanding officer of a ship of war. " There can be no situaticm in which there is more room for genuine virtue, praiseworthy conduct, and "ddress; — none to which there attaches more grave and s( lemn respon- sibility ; none on which there is a more imperious claim on the conscientious discharge of duty, than that of a naval commander. The men are cast on his humanity and dis- cerning judgment, under various aspects : a ship in the middle of the ocean is a little world within itself, at the ar- bitrary disposal of an individual. Seamen and marines are subjected by martial law to a more despotic exercise of power than the constitution of the state authorizes, or even in the army : naval officers can, at their single arbitrary dis- PHKSKRVATION OF HEALTH Ol' 'I'llV: NAVY 173 crction, inflict such a suminnry and severe punishment as cannot be infliclcd in the army without the solemnity of a court-martial : Knplislnnen surrendering^, i'roin considera- tions of piihHc expe the hos- pital ?— what, in time of war, to the rendering a ship's com- pany inefficient, from disease, when perhaps her services are most wanted ? Sound policy, as well as humanity, re- quires that every possible means should be employed for the PRESERVATION OF HEALTH OF THE NAVY. 479 preservation of the health of our seamen ; it is on them wc must depend in the day of need — in the hour of danger. The only objection against supplying soap is the great quantity of water required to make it of avail, and this is oLviated to a consideral^le degree by the supply afforded from the cooking-hearths, which distil fresh water (at least fresh enough for washing) with the same fire that prepares the men's dinner. And now to look on the bright side of the picture : let us see what has been the beneficial effect of adopting generally in the service dryness, cleanliness, ventilation, and salutary food, as recommended by Cook, and of that most valuable prevention and cure of scurvy, an abundant supply of lemon- juice. In the latter disease may also be recommended as a certain palliative, cheerfulness, or such means as can be resorted to, in order to raise the spirits of the invalid. " It is related," says Sir Gilbert Blane, '^that when the fleet under Admiral Mathews, in the year 1744, was off" Toulon, in the daily expectation of engaging the combined fleets of France and Spain, there was a general suspension of the progress of sickness, particularly of the scurvy, from the influence of that generous flow of spirits, with which the prospect of battle inspires British seamen." He says indeed that, even the invalids at the hospital (on hearing of Rodney's victory) manifested their joy by twisting shreds of coloured cloth on their crutches. On the contrarv, it is well known that a depression of mind and low spirits are favourable to the invasion of disease in every form, and most apt to produce a tendency to sea-scurvy. An increase of this disorder, to a great extent, was immediately the ccmsequcncc of the Cen- turion falling in with the snowy mountains of South America, when the sick were expecting to see the enamelled verdure 480 SUPPLEMENTAL CHAPTER. of Juan Fernandez. There is another point which officers in command should never lose sight of. The separation of those affected by fevers from those in health, by means of a commodious sick-berth, is of the greatest importance to check the progress of disease. It was not till the year 171)3 that lemon-juice was fir-t issued to the ships under Rear-Adiniral Gardner, at his request, for the purpose of serving it out to the men, made into punch; after which, but not till the year 1797, it was ordered to be generally supplied to the navy by the Board for the care of sick and wounded seamen. The result was most gratifying. When Lord St. Vincent commanded the fleet, which blockaded Brest from the 27th May to the '28th September, 1800 (one hundred and twenty-four days), con- sisting of twenty-four ships-of-the-line and smaller vessels, the crews amounting to about sixteen thousand men, none of them during that time entered a port, none of the crew had a fresh meal, and the number of hospital cases are stated to have been incredibly small. F»om documents in the Admi- ralty, some curious results appear of the progressive diminu- tion of sickness and death in the naval service. The followins: table is calculated on the number of one hundred thousand men : — Year. Sent sick to Tlusiiital. Deallia. In 1779 . 40,815 . . 2,654 1782 . 31,017 . . 2,222 1794 . 25,0-27 . . 1,164 1804 . 11,978 . . 1,600 1813 . 9,330 . 698 Tiius it appears that the diminution of sick and of deaths between the years 1779 and 1813 was in the proportion of four to one nearly. Ill order to ascertain the actual loss in men sustained by PRESERVATION OF HEALTH OF THE NAVY. 481 the British fleet in each year, commencing with 1810 and carried on to 1812, every captain and commandinj:^ officer was directed to transmit to the Admiralty a list, made up to the 1st of January of each preceding year, of all the deaths that had taken place, by disease, accident, or in battle. The result was as follows : — Years. No. employed. Dt'uths, 1810 . . 138,581 . . 5,183 1811 . . 136,758 . . 4,265 1812 . . 138,324 . . 4,211 About one-half of the above numbers died of disease, the other half in fight, by accidents in landing, boats upsetting, shipwrecks, &c., the numbers of each separately specified in the returns: |it follows then that, in the three years above mentioned, the proportion of deaths in 100,000 men, em- ployed afloat, was 330Q, annually ; and if to this number be added the number of seamen who died in hospitals in the following year 1813, namely, 698, the total loss of life in that year, out of somewhat more than 100,000 men, may be estimated at 4000 men, or a twenty- fifth part, or 4 per cent, or, by disease, the small proportion of 2 per cent per per annum. By a return of the sick and deaths in the squadrons on the South American and West India stations, it appears, that in The West Indies, on the average of seven years, ending with the year 1836, mean strength being 3362, the deaths were 61, bemg 1 * 83 per cent. South America, mean strength 246.5, deaths 19. being • 8, or less than 1 per cent. The only station, on which the loss of life is enormous, is that of the African coast, where the mortality is frightful. 2 I 482 SUPPLEMENTAL CHAPTER. We have seen, from Anson's voyage, that liability to scurvy does not depend on climate, its attacks having been equally felt within the tropics and the high latitude of Cape Horn. Those ships that have passed one, two, and even three winters, in the polar seas, by wise precautions as to dryness, ventilation, and cleanliness, and the adoption of measures for keeping up the spirits of the men, together with a proper use of lemon-juice, have succeeded in repel- ling all approaches to scurvy, and have returned to England without the loss of a man. We must notice however one solitary exception, in the Terror, commanded by Captain (now Sir George) Back. This gallant officer ascribes the disease to the failure of his heating apparatus, the tubes of which were choaked up : the consequence was, they were compelled to exclude ventilation to obtain a bearable tem- perature, and to live in an atmosphere polluted by their own breath, while, owing to the excessive cold without, differing sometimes from a hundred to a hundred and twenty degrees from that within, streams of water were constantly running down the sides of the ship and in the cabins. When, how- ever, by placing canvas tubes leading to the deck, they procured a thorough ventilation, the sickness gradually dimi- nished. This case of the Terror proved that anti-scorbutics, without thorough ventilation, are not sufficient either as curative or preventive. There is every reason to believe that neither the dreadful mortality, that took place in Anson's squadron, nor that degree of disease, which pre- vailed in the Terror, would have occurred, if a thorough ventilation, affording a supply of fresh air, could have been procured. We have now, I believe, for the first time, the means of giving a full supply of fresh air, and of getting rid of the foul, PRESERVATION OF HEALTH OF THE NAVY. 483 been i-ans of ^e foul, whether in ships, or ininps,()r prisons, or wherever crowds arc pent up in confined situations. A machine, invented by Cap- tain Warrinjjton of the Last India Company's service, pro- duces a constant and complete ventihition ; it is on the prin- ciple of an air-pump, and the vacuum is produced by one man turning a windlass, by which the foul air rushes out with a blast as strong as that from the waste-pipe or safety-valve of a cylindrical bellows in a forge or smithy. The simplicity and efficiency of this machine are its great recommendations. With the exception of the iron chamber, in which the vacuum is produced, the rest can be made by any common carpenter. Its efficiency might be implied from the principle of its con- struction alone, but it has been proved, by a trial on board the Ganymede, convict ship, at Woolwich, and Captain Superintendent Hornby says, " The trial of his (Captain Warrington's) machine is, to my mind, perfectly satisfactory, and I consider it to be an invention likely to be very bene- ficial to the health and comfort of seamen in tropical climates." Mr. Brunell has adopted it in the Tunnel, and says, " it has not ceased to work for eighteen months at least, and we find it very beneficial. It draws from a distance of 800 feet, where the shit .s completely ventilated. The number of men sent to tiie hospital affected by the delete- rious gases has greatly diminished." There can indeed be little doubt that, when better known, it will supersede all the safety-lamps now in use in mines, for, worked c . the mouth of the shaft, and the wooden tu )e, or trunk, carried to the very extent of the mine, be the distance what it may, all the foul air of every kind must immediately rush out. What a blessing must such a machine be in ships of war and troop- ships, crowded with regiments on board, when within the tropics, in the West Indies, or on the coast of Africa I How J 111 2i2 484 SUPPLEMENTARY CHAPTER. much more so to tho niiserablp negroes crammed together into the captured and accursed slave-ships ! Had every ship in Anson's South-Sea squadron been fur- nished with one of these foul-air pumps, the melancholy and disastrous results never could have occurred, to the frightful extent to which they did, among their ill-fated crews. THE END. I'l'iiiled by William Clowks :iud Sons, Staniford Street. Qth er fur- •holy ► tho fated "%