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the country, so that a gentleman was no longer permitted to hold his situation, excepting he acted agree ably to the dictates of these power ful families. Having shown this to be the state of representation, he begged to know what remedy there could be for these corruptions but reform? If we could not apply it, our fate was inevitable. Our most illustrious patriots, and the men whose names were dearest to Englishmen, had long ago pointed it out as the only means of redressing national grievances. Sir George Saville had been its most strenuous advocate, and the venerable Cambden was its steady supporter-nay, Mr. Burke himself acknowledged its propriety for correcting the abuses of our system. The advantages in the present case would be many we should ward off the evil of confusion growing out of accumulated discontent; we should save ourselves from the calamities which had befallen Ireland; we should satisfy the moderate, and detach from the violent their numbers and their converts. Pride, obstinacy, and insult, must end in concessions, and those concessions be humble in proportion to insolence: now was the moment to prevent degradation; the monarchy, the aristocraty, the people themselves might now be saved. Let those ministers

who had plunged us into our present state retire from the post to which they are unequal; and let us, with an earnest desire of recovering the country, pursue this moderate plan of reform under the auspices of men likely to conciliate the public mind. A new admini'! stration ought to be formed: but Mr. Fox solemnly avowed he had no wish of making part of it; and though he would readily and strenuously give his support to any measures which would restore our outraged privileges, his desire as to himself was retirement. He gave his vote to the proposition of his honourable friend.

Sir William Dolben expressed much satisfaction at the propriety of the motion, and the moderation of those who supported it. Something of the kind was absolutely necessary to save the country. He wished the plan might be adopted, and remain three months on the table for the consideration of members.

For the motion 63
Against it . 258

The parliamentary session was concluded on the 20th of July, in the usual manner, by a speech from the throne, for which see our Public Papers, (p. 237) of this volume.

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CHAP. VIII.

The War. French land a Body of Troops on the Coast of Pembrokeshire. Surrender as Prisoners without Resistance. Conjectures as to the Object of this Expedition. The Spanish Fleet defeated by Admiral Sir John Jervis, of Cape St. Vincent, and four Ships of the Line captured. The Dutch Fleet Completely defeated off Camperdown, by Admiral Duncan. The British Forces under Admiral Nelson defeated at Teneriffe. French Vessels captured and destroyed by the Squadron under Sir J. B. Warren. West Indies. Trinidad taken by the British Forces under Sir Ralph Abercrombie and Admiral Harvey. Unsuccessful Attack at Porto Rico. Proposal for raising Black Regiments in the West Indies-negatived.

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HE war between Great Britain and the French republic was, during this year, almost exclusively confined to naval operations; in which the skill and activity of the British seamen were eminently conspicuous, and almost invariably crowned with victory.

In one solitary instance, the French directory attempted to put in practice their pompous threats of an invasion of England; but the attempt appeared as if intended literally to burlesque the pro ject; and to assure the government of Great Britain that nothing serious was intended from their exten

sive preparations. On the 22d of February, that part of the coast of Devonshire which lies at the mouth of the British channel was alarmed by the appearance of an enemy's force, consisting according to report of three frigates, which, as was stated in a letter published by au thority, entered the little port of Ilfracombe on that coast, scuttled some of the merchant ships there, and attempted to destroy all the vessels in the harbour. Their stay was, however, not of long continuance, and they steered directly across the channel towards the Pem

broke side. They were first descried from the heights above St. Bride's Bay, and the squadron then appeared to consist of two frigates and two smaller vessels, steering from the Bristol channel round St. David's Head. They displayed English colours, but were soon suspected to be enemies. Atter turning St. David's Head, and sailing a few miles to the northward in Cardigan Bay, they cast single anchors to the north of a small promontory under Lanwnnwr. They remained there, however, but a short time, but moved farther up towards Fishgard, and finally anchored in a small bay near Lanonda church, when they hoisted French colous, and put out their boats. The cliff is here exceeding steep and rig ged, and a party of them were ob served by a countryman climbing up singly on their hands and knees, and throwing their muskets befor them. The spot which they made choice of for their landing, prov ed that they acted in concert with no party in the country, that they had no persons among them who were well acquainted with the coast. As soon as this

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party had gained the ascent, they set fire to the forze and other combustibles, to apprize their comrades of their success. The debarkation of the whole was completed before the morning of the 23d, when numbers of them dispersed over the country to procure provisions and apparel. In these predatory excursions they ransacked those houses which they found abandoned, but took very few things from those in which they found inhabitants; they committed no wanton murder. Two of the countrymen were killed, but they provoked their fate by their own rashness, and one almost deserved it; for, after the Frenchman had surrendered, and in fact resigned his musket, the Welch, man aimed a blow at him with the but end of it, when he drew his bayonet which he had not relinquished, and ran his antagonist through the body.

The alarm was at first general; but the numbers and situation of the enemy soon appeared equally Contemptible. They did not exfeed 1400 men; they were without feld pieces, though they had seventy cart loads of powder and ball, and a quantity of hand-grenades. The utmost exertions were made withput loss of time by the principal men in the country, and before night about 660 men were collected, who might be termed soldiers (though they had never been in action), consisting of militia, fencibles, and yeoman cavalry, besides a considerable multitude of colliers, and others who swelled the number without much increasing the force. Of this party lord Cawdor assumed the command; and, on approaching the enemy, he received at about ten o'clock at night a letter by a French officer, signed "Tate, chef de brigade," intimating, that the cir

cumstances under which the body of French troops under his command were landed, having rendered it unnecessary to attempt any military operation, he proposed a capitulation."-The reply of lord Cawdor was, that he could only treat on the terms of their surrendering prisoners of war; which was presently agreed to; and on the succeeding day, at noon, they laid down their arms. The frigates and other vessels, as soon as they had disem barked the men, set sail for France; but, as if every thing were adverse to this absurd and unfortunate expedition, the two frigates, la Resistance of 18 guns, and la Constance of 21, were captured on the 9th of the following month, as they were standing in for Brest harbour, by the St. Fiorenzo and Nymphe frigates, under the command of sir Harry Neale.

The conjectures had been various with respect to the object of this expedition. The troops which were landed were said by some to have consisted of a number of the Vendean insurgents, who had inlisted into the service of the republic, but could not be trusted in their own country. By others they' were represented as a band of galley slaves, and other criminals collected from the prisons of Brest, and landed in England merely to quar ter them upon the enemy. This report is most generally believed, and is countenanced by some debates in the French councils, in which Trugue:, the minister of marine, was vehemently censured for having planned so disgraceful a measure. In opposition to this opinion, however, it may be mentioned, that the commander of the party declared, that he had with him 600 of the best troops in France, veteran and experienced

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soldiers; nor is it very credible, that if the sole object was to quarter a set of banditti upon England, they would have sent with them such ample supplies. There are other causes, which to us appear more probable for this undertaking. It was, in the first place, of some importance to demonstrate to France, that the invasion of Eng land, in the face of her powerful marine, was practicable in any circumstances; and secondly, it is well known that the French have always been egregiously deceived with respect to the temper and sentiments of the British nation: we have lit tle doubt, therefore, but the French ministry flattered themselves that these troops would have been joined on their landing by considerable numbers of the lower classes of the people, and that at least a considerable alarm would be excited throughout the kingdom. It was, therefore, an experiment to try at once the temper of the people, and the practicability of a descent.

The marine of France, if we except this feeble and ill-concerted enterprize, lay, during the whole of the year, ignominiously confined within their own ports; but their allies the Spaniards and the Dutch were grievous sufferers in two naval engagements, which, consider ing every circumstance, were equal ly glorious to the British arms.

The first of these memorable actions took place on the 14th of February, off Cape St. Vincent. The British fleet, or, to speak moe correctly, the British squadron under the command of admiral sir John Jervis, amounted to no more than fifteen sail of the line, four frigates. a sloop of war, and a cutter, -Of these six were three-deckers, eight were of 74 guns, and one of 61. The Spanish fleet consist

ed of 27 sail of the line, one of which was a four-decker, and carried 136 six guns; were three.deckers of 112 guns each; two of 84 guns, and eighteen of 74.

The Spanish admiral, Don Josef de Cordova, bad sailed from Carthagena on the 4th of February, and passed Gibraltar on the following day, having left in that bay three line-of battle ships, supposed to be laden with military stores for the Spanish troops before that garrison. On the night of the 11th, this fleet had been discovered by the Minerva frigate, which carried the broad pendant of commodore Nelson, then on his way from the Mediterranean to join admiral Jervis. Captain Foote, of the Niger, also kept company with them for some days previous to the 18th, and that night they approached so near the British fleet, that their signal guns were distinctly heard. The signals were, therefore, made that night to the British fleet to prepare for battle; and at day-break on the 14th they were in complete order. The morning was dark and hazy; but about half-past six, the Culloden made the signal for five sail in the south-west quarter; at eight o'clock the squadion was or dered to form in close order, and in a few minutes after the signal was repeated to prepare for bat

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the first, to cut off these vessels from the enemy's fleet, before the main body could arrive to their assistance, and with this view, the fast-sailing ships were ordered to chase; but observing the near position of their main body, he after wards formed his fleet into a line of battle a-head and a-stern, as most convenient.

At about 26 minutes past 11, the admiral communicated his intention to pass through the enemy's line, and immediately after the signal was made to engage. At about half past 11, the action commenced by the van ship, the Culloden, commanded by captain Trowbridge, firing against the enemy's head-most ships to the windward; as the squadron advanced, how ever, the action became more general, and it was soon apparent that the British admiral had accomplished his design of passing through the enemy's line. In the mean time, the regular and animated fire of the British fleet was but feebly returned by the enemy's ships to windward, which were also completely prevented from joining their companions to leeward, and obliged to haul their wind on the larboard tack. Thus, a part of the Spanish fleet was effectually cut off from the main body, and they were reduced to the necessity of also forming on the larboard tack, apparently with the intention of passing through, or to the leeward of, the British line; but such was the reception they experienced from the centre of the British, that they were obliged to put about, and did not appear again in the action till the close of day.

The British admiral having thus fortunately obtained his first object, now directed his whole attention to the enemy's main body to wind

ward, which was reduced at this time by the separation of the ships to leeward, to 18 sail of the line. At a litle af er 12 o'clock, the signal was made for the British fleet to tack in succession, and soon after the signal for again passing the enemy's line; while the Spanish admiral's design appeared to be to join his ships to leeward, by wearing round the rear of the British line. The intention of the enemy was, however, soon perceived by commodore Nelson, whose station in the rear afforded him an opportunity of observing the manoeuvre. In order to frustrate the design, therefore, his ship, the Captain, had no sooner passed the Spanish rear, than he ordered her to wear and stand on the other tack towards the enemy. In executing this bold nanoeuvre, the commodore found himself along-side of the Spanish admiral, the Santissima Trinidad, of 136 guns, which is said to be the largest ship at present in existence. Notwithstanding this immense disparity (the Captain being only a 74), this brave officer did not shrink from the contest, though the Spaniard was also warmly supported by her two seconds a-head and a-stern, which were each of them three-deckers. While he sustained, however, this unequal conflict, his friends were equally pressing to his assistance: the enemy's attention, therefore, was soon direeted to the Culloden, captain Trowbridge, and the Blenheim, captain Frederick; and the able support afforded by these vessels to commodore Nelson, and the approach of rear-admiral Parker, with four others of the British line, determined the Spanish commander to relinquish his design of rejoining his ships to leeward, and to make the signal for his main body to haul

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