under his Command, and kept a pressed Sail the whole Night; but the Weather proving very hazey, he could not discover next Morning more than one Merchant Ship a-head, another Ship a great way to Windward, which he found afterwards to be the Tork, and three Sail more to Leeward, as far as it was poffible to discern them. The Admiral fending his Boats on board a French Merchant Veffel, which had been taken by the Affurance, the Master of her acquainted him, that the Ships which he had feen the Day before werc fourteen in the Merchants Service, bound for the Bank of Newfoundland and Martinica, under Convoy of the Superbe, a French Ship of War of 56 Guns, and the Concord of 30, the former whereof, after having feen them into the Sea, was to cruife in the Soundings, and the latter to proceed to Guinea; that upon difcovering our Ships, they feparated in the Night, the Concord with all the Merchant Ships proceeding on their Voyage, (which were the Ships to Leeward) and that the Ship a head which our Cruifers were in purfuit of, was the Superbe. Soon after this the Kent, commanded by Captain Robert Jobufon, came up with, and engaged her for the Space of an Hour, when fhe ftruck, in which Action the faid Captain Johnson behaved him- 4 French felf like a gallant Officer, and an experienced Seaman, for as he at- shp, the Sαtack'd this French Ship in a very handfom manner, fo was fhe taken perbe, taken. by him without any Affiftance, although the had a greater Number of Men than the Kent. Both of them were very much fhatter'd in the Fight, but fo good a Sailer was the Superbe, that had the not been three Months off of the Ground, fhe would in all probability have efcaped. This Ship had taken feveral valuable Prizes from us before, and our Cruifers had often chaled her without Succcfs; but becoming thus in our Poffeffion, the was regifter'd in our Royal Navy, being very beautiful, and not above eighteen Months old. There having been a Project formed about the beginning of this The ExpeditiYear,for taking from the French Port Royal, on the the Coaft of on against Port Royal. Nova Scotia, the feveral Ships hereafter mentioned were appointed to be employed on that Expedition, viz. the Dragon, commanded by Captain George Martin, the Falmouth by Captain Walter Ryddell, the Lowestoff by Captain George Gordon, the Feverfham by Captain Robert Pafton, and the Star Bomb-Veffel by Captain Thomas Rochfort, the two first of them of 50 Guns cach, and the other two of 32 and 36; but in regard the Lowestoffe and Feversham were bound to New England, Captain Martin, who was appointed to command them all, had Inftructions to proceed thither, and join them, as alfo the Chester of 50 Guns, commanded by Captain Thomas Matthews. And Colonel Nicholson being appointed General by Land for this Expedition, he, with his Servants, were carried to Boston from hence, as alfo a Body of Marine Soldiers, with proper Officers, and a Veffel loaden with Ordnance Stores. At Boston it was to be confidered what additional Troops might be proper, or could be added to the Marine Soldiers, by the Governors of the Provinces in thofe Parts, which was to be determined by a Council of War, to confift of Colonel Nicholson, the Governors Governors of New England and New Hampshire, Colonel Vetch, the eldest Colonel of the Land Forces raifed in thofe Parts, as also the Major of the Marines, and Captain Martin himself, with three others of the Senior Sea-Captains. And fince the Queen, by Her Majesty's Inftructions to Colonel Nicholfon, had been pleased to direct, that when the Quotas of the aforemention'd Provinces were ready to embark, it fhould be confider'd at a Council of War, how it might be moft proper to attack, and reduce Port Royal, the Lords of the Admiralty enjoined the Commadore of the Squadron carefully to put in Execution what fhould be fo refolved, by proceeding with the Ships accordingly, and giving his best Affiftance in the landing, and tranfporting the Troops, and in the taking them on board again when there fhould be occafion; and, if it fhould be found ncceffary, he was to cause the Marine Soldiers belonging to the Ships to be put on fhore, in addition to the four hundred carried from hence in the Tranf ports When the Place was reduced, or that it fhould be found that all was done which poffibly could be with the Ships and Land-Forces, he was to order the Chefter, Lowestoff, and Feverfham, to return to their proper Stations at New England and New York, and himfelf with the other Ships and the Star Bomb-Veffel to repair to Jamaica, together with the two Transports, and the Marine Officers and Soldiers, that fo the Commander in Chief of the Squadron there might endeavour by them to man the King fton and Coventry, with which, and the other Ships under his Cominand, he was to repair without lofs of time to England. Pursuant to thefe Inftructions Captain Martin failed on his Voyage, and all things being fettled at New England for the Attempt of Port Royal, he proceeded from Nantasket Road the 18th of September, with the Dragon, Falmouth, and Lowestoffe, Feverfbam, Star Bomb-Veffel, the Province Gally, two Hofpital Ships, thirty one Transports, and two thousand Land-Forces, having fent the Chefter before, to endeavour to intercept any Supplies which the Enemy might attempt to fend to Port Royal, and on the 24th in the Afternoon he anchored at the Entrance of that Harbour, from whence ftanding foon after nearer in towards the Fort, between Goat Inland and the North fide of the faid Harbour, a Council of War was called, and pursuant to what was agreed, the fmall Embarcations, and Boats were gotten ready to receive the Men, and put them on fhore. On the 25th, about Six in the Morning, Colonel Vetch and Colonel Reding, with fifty Men each, together with Mr. Forbes, the Engineer, went on fhore to view the Ground for landing the Troops, and foon after Colonel Nicholson himself was with the Body of the Men landed, the Enemy firing at the Boats in which they were, from their Cannon and Mortars, but with no great Success. Colonel Vetch, with five hundred Men on the North fide, fo lined the Shore, as that he protected the landing of the Cannon, Ammunition, and Stores; and the Mortar being fixed on board the Bomb Bomb Veffel, the driving up with the Tide of Flood within Cannonfhot of the Fort, both that Day, and the next, bombarded the Enemy therein, which did in a great measure induce them to capitulate fooner than otherwife they would have done, not but that they were very much gauled in the Attempts made on them, and the many Shot from the Artillery on fhore; but the 28th, 29th, and 30th the Bomb-Veffel was not able to throw any Shells, by reafon of the hard Gales of Wind. The 1st of October, at a Council of War held in the Camp, two Letters which were received from Monfieur Subercaffe, directed to Colonel Nicholson, were taken into Confideration, together with the Anfwers which he had made thereunto, and the Preliminaries being agreed on, the Governor marching out of the Fort with the Garrifon, our Troops took Poffeffion of it foon after, with Drums beating, and Colours flying, where hoifting the Union Flag, they, in Honour of Her Majefty, called the Place Annapolis Royal, and à fufficient Number of Men being left therein, the Ships and Troops proceeded to New England, as foon as all things neceffary were fettled; from whence Captain Martin departed not long after, in order to his putting in Execution the remaining part of his Inftructions for his return to England. And now we return to Vice-Admiral Baker. to Barcelona. That Officer having conducted the Transports to the feveral Ports whereto they were bound, and arriving with them loaden at Barce- Vice-Admiral lona, got Sight of four Ships off of the Phare of Meflina, and as Baker returns many Saétias, to which he gave Chafe, but could not speak with them that Night. Next Morning, being the 3d of May, the Fame, commanded by Captain Masters, took one of the Ships; the Suffolk, Two French Captain Cleaveland Commander, another of 56 Guns, called the Ships taken. Galliard, though the had no more than 38 mounted, but the other two, being small Gallies, with the Saetias, efcaped. The Vice Admiral having feen the Tranfports fafe to Barcelona, Vice-Admiral joined Sir John Norris at Tarragona the 24th of June, of whofe Baker joins Sir Proceedings from England, in order to his commanding in the Me- John Norris. diterranean, before this Junction, and after it, it is necessary in the next Place to give fome Account, CHAP. CHAP. XXXI. Containing an Account of Sir John Norris's Proceedings IR John Norris failed from Plimouth the 12th of January, and having feen the Virginia and Weft-India Trades, with their ConSir John Nor- Voys, well into the Sea, arrived at Port Mahon the 13th of March, ris arrives at where joining Sir Edward Whitaker and Rear-Admiral Somer sdyke, he Port Mahon found that feven of Her Majefty's Ships, and two of the States-Gefrom England. neral, were gone into the Arches with Vice-Admiral Baker, to protect the Merchant Ships and Veffels with Corn for Supply of the Army in Catalonia, as hath been before related, while others were appointed on various Services; and from hence he fent three English, with two Dutch Ships to Barcelona with the Publick Money, Recruits, &c. and to receive His Majefty's Commands, who had by Letter defired him to come with the whole Fleet to that Port. A Council of in the Streights. The 22d of March calling a Council of War, it was determined to fend home four Ships of the Third Rate, which were in the worst Condition to remain abroad, pursuant to the Orders he had received from the Lords of the Admiralty, as alfo to detach one Fourth and two Fifth Rates to fetch General Stanhope, and the Money for the Army from Genoa, fo that the Ships which would remain abroad under his Command were at this time difpofed of in the manner folThe Difpofiti- lowing, viz. two Fifth Rates were order'd to Lisbon to clean, and then on of the Ships to join him at Port Mahon; one Third Rate, and one of the Fifth were fent by Sir Edward Whitaker, before he arrived, to Oran in Barbary, to convoy from thence Veffels with Corn to Barcelona, and another Frigate on the like Errand to Algier. Five Third Rates, one Fourth, one Fifth, a Sixth, and a Firefhip were with Vice-Admiral Baker in and about the Arches, which, with two Dutch Ships, were to convoy Corn from thence. One Third Rate, and another of the Fourth were by Sir Edward Whitaker order'd to cruife in the Phare of Melina, and one of the Sixth fent by him to Genoa. A Fifth Rate was going to Sardinia, and a Fourth with two Fifths to Genoa for General Stanhope, (as is already mentioned) and four Third Rates, two of the Fourth, three Bomb Veffels, and two Hospital Ships were going with Sir John Norris himself to Barcelona. While he remained at Port Mahon, he had an Account that the Pembroke, a Ship of 64 Guns, and the Faulcon of 32, faw the 29th of December, seven Leagues to the Southward of Nice, five Sail of Ships, which their Commanders believing to be part of Sir Edward Whitaker's Whitaker's Squadron, they hauled upon a Wind, and stood towards them, but perceiving they had French Colours, and that two of them were standing in for Antibes, while the other three went away with an eafy Sail, our Ships made the Signal appointed by Sir Edward Whitaker, which they answered, one of them hoifting Dutch, and the other two English Colours, and bore down. Our People then judging them to be Ships belonging to the Enemy, the Pembroke edged towards the Faulcon, and as the French advanced nearer, they appeared to be large Ships, fo that Captain Rumfey of the Pembroke made all the Sail he could from them, but they having a fine Gale, and ours but little Wind, the 70 Gun Ship foon came up, and attack'd the Pembroke, and in lefs than half an Hour after the other two, of 60 and 54 Guns, came within Gun-fhot, and engaged her also, in which Action Captain Rumfey was killed. In the Pembroke there were one hundred and forty Men flain and wounded, and fince The French her Mizen-mast was thot by the Board, and all her Rigging torn in take the Pempicces, the Officers agreed to furrender. Captain Constable, who Faulcon from commanded the Faulcon, was wounded by a fmall Shot in the right Shoulder, but left not his Poft; and as fhe was alfo very much difabled, fo were many of her Men killed and maimed. About fixteen Days before this Accident happened, the Warpight and Breda, each mounted with 70 Guns, the former commanded by Captain Fofias Crow, and the latter by Captain Thomas Long, being about forty Leagues S. W. by W. from Cape Roxent, gave chafe to a Ship which was difcovered at a confiderable distance. The Breda getting up with her a little after eleven a Clock, had a fhort, but a very warm Difpute, in which her Commander was flain; but when the Warfpight came up clofe under her Quarter, and was ready to lay her on board, the furrendered. This Ship had 54 Guns mounted, was called the Moor, and by that Name fhe was register'd in the Lift of our Royal Navy. broke and sis. Barcelona. The 7th of April Sir John Norris failed from Port Mahon, and the 11th arrived at Barcelona, where having affifted at Council with Sir John Northe King of Spain, he was informed by his Majefty, that he had is arrives as Advice the Enemy intended to attempt Cagliari with twenty Gallies; five Ships, other fmall Veffels, and about three thoufand five hundred Men, and therefore defired him to do his utmost to frustrate them, or if, instead of Sardinia, they fhould have a Design on Naples. mine to pro ceed to A Council of War was called upon a fecond Letter from the King A Council of of Spain, and it was determined to proceed to Sardinia with the War deterVice-Roy, the Count de Cifuentes, and to land hin, with fuch o- mine ordi thers as his Majefty (hould appoint, at Cagliari, but if they found nia. not the Enemy there, to repair to Vado, in order to the convoying from thence to Barcelona the Imperial Troops ready to embark; and fince Vice Admiral Baker was fuddenly expected on the Coast of Catalonia, it was agreed that Orders fhould be left for him to act as might be most for the Service of the King of Spain, but first to repair to Port Makon to revictual. |