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fhips, having had a very tedious and bad paffage, were extremely fickly, their crews being much weakened and reduced by the fcurvy and its concomitant diforders; but the admiral, notwithftanding, confidered the fervice he was upon as too urgent, to admit of his returning to Madras for the mere purpofe of landing the fick and fcorbutic; for befides the neceffity of fecuring Trincomale against the defigns of an enemy now fo powerful by fea and land, he had another object no lefs immediately interefting and important in view, which was to cover and receive the convoy with troops and stores from England, only a fmall part of which had yet arrived, the reft having put into Morebat Bay fome weeks before, and being then on their way to join him at an appointed rendezvous. He accordingly kept on his courfe, with an intention of neither feeking nor fhunning the enemy.

But the fame object, though with different views, which affected the conduct of the English admiral, operated no lefs upon that of the enemy. For they likewife knowing the expected approach of the convoy, determined to ufe every effort to cut it off, or at leaft to prevent the junction. In the purfuit of this defign, the French fleet, amount ing to 18 fail, appeared in the north east quarter, and to leeward of the English, on the 8th of April. The British admiral held on his courfe, and the enemy continued in fight, and holding the fame relative pofition, during that and the three fucceeding days; but having made the coaft

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of Ceylon, about 15 leagues to windward of Trincomale, on the laft of them, Sir Edward Hughes, in purfuance of his original intention, bore away directly for that place. This change of courfe took place in the evening, and most unfortunately afforded an opportunity to the enemy of gaining the wind of the English fquadron in the night. With this advantage on their fide, they were difcovered at break of day crowding all the fail they could carry in purfuit, and their coppered bottomed fhips coming up fo faft with the rear, that the action became unavoidable.

At nine in the

morning, Sir Ed. April 12th. ward Hughes accor1782. dingly made a fignal for the line of battle a-head on the ftarboard tack, at two cables length diftance afunder, the enemy being then north by eaft, within about fix miles diftance, and the wind in the fame quarter. Nothing could have been more untoward to the English, whether with refpect to time, place, or circumftance, than this engagement. They were hemmed in upon a moft rocky and dangerous coaft, by an enemy much fuperior in every respect, with the wind full in his favour, fo that he had it in his power to choose the mode of his attacks, to direct them to thofe points he faw moft to his advantage, and to with-hold them as he liked. This leifure, and variety of choice, accordingly occafioned their spending about three hours in various manoeuvres, during which time they fo frequently changed the pofition of their fhips and line, as feemed to

indicate no small want of determination.

Having thus taken full time for deliberation, five fail, which compofed their van, ftretched along to engage that of the English, while the admiral, with the other feven thips of the line, bore down directly in a body upon Sir Edward Hughes, who, in the Superbe, was in the centre of his line, and upon his two feconds, the Monmouth, Capt. Alms, ahead, and the Monarca, Gell, a-ftern. The engagement began about half past one in the van, and within a few minutes after, M. de Suffrein, in the Heros, and his fecond a-ftern, the L'Orient, both of 74 guns, bore down within piftol fhot of the Superbe, and pouring in a torrent of fire, continued to engage her fo clofe, and with fuch extraordinary fiercenefs, that it was the general opinion, their intention was to board, and endeavour to carry her by a coup de main. The French admiral held this adventurous pofition, giving and receiving a moft dreadful fire, for about ten minutes; but he found the encounter fo exceedingly rough, and his fhip had fuffered fo much apparent damage in that fhort time, that making room for the fhips that were coming up to fupply his place, he fuddenly fhot away, and stood on to the attack of the Monmouth, which was already clofely and equally engaged. The battle continued to rage with great violence, particularly in the centre, where the odds, as to number and force, were conftantly and greatly against Sir Edward Hughes and his two brave feconds. At three o'clock,

the Monmouth, after long fuftaining, with unparalleled fortitude, the joint attack of two great fhips, one of equal, the other of fuperior force, befides frequently receiving the paffing fire of a third, had her mizenmaft fhot away, and, in a few minutes after, her main-maft meeting the fame fate, the underwent the neceffity of falling out of the line to leeward. The enemy ufed every effort to profit of her condition, and, from their number, made fure of carrying her off. Indeed fhe was in the greatest danger; but the admiral bearing down inftantly to her relief, and being speedily followed by the Monarca and the Sultan, they covered her with fuch a fire, that the enemy were glad to relinquish their expected prize.

The difadvantage which the English had hitherto experienced, of being obliged to fight clofe in with a rocky and dangerous leefhore, they hoped would have been remedied by the customary change of the wind in the afternoon; but this continuing fill unexpectedly to the northward, the admiral found himself under a neceffity, at 40 minutes past three, in order to prevent his fhips from being too nearly entangled with the fhore, to make a fignal for the fquadron to wear, and haul their wind in a line of battle a-head, fill fighting the enemy through the whole evolution. At length, towards the ap proach of night, finding himfelf in only fifteen fathom water, and being apprehenfive that the Monmouth, in her difabled condition, might drift too near the fhore, he made a fignal for the fquadron to 6

prepare

prepare to anchor; and the French quadron about the fame time, having drawn off in great diforder to the eastward, the action entirely ceased.

M. de Suffrein's fhip, Le Heros, had been fo torn, early in the action, that he had been obliged to fhift his flag to the French Hannibal, which was of the fame force; and foon after dufk, the frigate La Fine, of 40 guns, being either under orders to tow off and affift the difabled Heros, or elfe to difcover the ftate and fituation of the British fquadron, fell fo clofely on board the Ifis, that he was obliged to ftrike her colours to Capt. Lumley; but foon perceiving the weak and difordered ftate of the Ifis, which befides her lofs in the action, had been originally fo badly manned, that the defect was now vifible in the manner of repairing her damages, the French frigate feized the advantage afforded by this circumftance, and by the darkness of the night, fuddenly to get clear of the Ifis, and totally to efcape.

The condition of both fquadrons was fo nearly alike, and they had fuffered fo extremely in the action, that fimilar apprehenfions were entertained by each through the night, of being attacked by the other in the morning; Sir Edward Hughes, however, only founding that opinion on the difabled ftate of the Monmouth, which he thought might poffibly ftimulate the enemy to a bold and hazardous attempt in the hope of carrying her off. The morning light removed the deception. The enemy were perceived at anchor about five miles VOL. XXVI.

without the English fquadron; but they were in fuch apparent diforder and evident diftrefs, as fufficiently told that they were in no condition or temper for prefent enterprize. They had, however, the fortune of not lofing any of their lower mafts; a cir cumftance of great importance; as their damages, however great in other refpects, were ftill capable of fuch a repair at sea, as would render the fhips manageable, and capable of undergoing a certain degree of fervice; while, on the other fide, the Monmouth could only be restored, by length of time, new mafts, and a good harbour.

Both parties continued in this fituation for feveral days, each bufily employed in repairing their damages, placing their fhips in the best fituation for withstanding a fudden attack, and eagerly watching every motion of the other. At length, on the morning of the 19th, the enemy got under fail, and flood out to fea clofe hauled; but at noon they tacked with the fea breeze, and ftood in directly for the body of the English fquadron, with the apparent view of an immediate attack. This refolution was not lafting; for when they arrived within two miles of the British line, the countenance which they perceived, and the preparation made for their reception, were fo little inviting, that they fuddenly again tacked, and ftanding to the eastward by the wind, were entirely out of fight by the evening. The Monmouth being refitted with jury-mafts, in the best manner which the prefent fituation would admit, the admiral [D]

was

was enabled on the fourth day in that climate, and at that dif

after to proceed to Trincomale, where he ufed the utmoft diligence in repairing the fhips, and preparing the fquadron for fur. ther fpeedy fervice; the calls for their utmost exertion becoming now more frequent and urgent, than at any former time.

Such was the refult of this fierce and bloody naval conteft, in which the English fought under every difadvantage of wind and fituation. Capt. Alms had the fortune to be peculiarly diftinguished; and it was remarkable, that his fituation in the Monmouth on this day, fhould fo nearly resemble that of Commodore King, and of the Exeter, in the last action. The flaughter of his men was equal to the havoc of his fhip. No lefs than 45 were killed, and 10z wounded, in the Monmouth only; which was probably a full third of her crew. The extraordinary fortitude with which he fultained fo long and fo defperate a conteft, against a fuperiority that feemed to render courage fruitlefs, would have afforded room for the highest praife, and even for national exultation, if it had been difplayed in circumstances wherein that virtue was lefs general. It was much and generally regretted, that his recollection of fuch an action fhould have been embittered, as it was, by the lofs of his fon; a moft gallant youth, who having been juft made a lieutenant in the admiral's fhip, fell, on that day, in a noble emulation of his father.

The whole lofs fuftained in the fquadron, amounted to 137 killed, and to 430 wounded; the latter,

tance from home, being little lefs a detraction from the common ftrength than the former. The French not only directed their principal attack to the centre, but it was there only, that, after the example of M. de Suffrein, and immediately under his eye, they ventured upon bold exertion, and came into clofe action: our officers in the van complained, that they generally kept at a guarded long- hot distance; mode of action, which, from whatever caufe it proceeds, generally proves very pernicious in its effect upon the mafts and rigging of English fhips.

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The ftrong motives which induced Sir Edward Hughes rather to wish to avoid than to feek action, until he had landed the fupplies and troops, and got quit of the fick at Trincomale, proved extremely unfortunate in the event, having afforded the means for all thofe advantages which the enemy poffeffed in the engagement. Could he have forefeen or thought that they were really determined on fighting, he undoubtedly would have bore down upon them, and brought them to that point while the wind was in his favour; but more efpecially on the firft day of their appearance, when they are faid to have been fo much feattered that they could not eafily have recovered their order. either of these cafes, but particularly the latter, it may well be prefumed, that the action would have borne a very different colour, and produced confequences far different from what it did. But it is to be obferved, that the admiral could only form a judg

In

ment

ment of the enemy's prefent, by their general conduct, which at almost all times goes rather to evade than to feek, clofe and general action with the English at fea; at leaft without a very decided fuperiority; which, as they were ignorant of the weak ftate of the Sultan and Magnanime, was not at this time of fuch apparent magnitude, as might encourage any extraordinary deviation from the ufual practice. It feems then, confidering the effential objects which he had in view, that the admiral acted the part of a wife and able commander, in not abandoning them for a vain purfuit, or for the fake of fighting the enemy, when even that would have presented no confideration of equal value in return. It feems indeed, that the intention of fighting on the other fide, only fprung up with the unexpected occafion of advantage that offered, when the English fquadron was fo locked in by the wind and the land, that they might direct their attacks againft it, in whatever manner, and to whatever extent they pleased.

The French fleet proceeded after the action to Batacalo, a Dutch port on the island of Ceylon, about zo leagues to the fouthward of Trincomale, where they were detained until the month of June, in endeavouring to repair and equip their fhattered fhips. It is acknowledged in their own account, that the admiral's fhip the Heros, with her feconds, the L'Orient, and the Brilliant, had fuffered extremely; that M. de Suffrein had been obliged to fhift his flag from the former to the Ajax; that the condition and fi

tuation of these three fhips, occafioned his putting an end to the action, and making the fignal to caft anchor. It is farther acknowledged, and ferves to fhew more than any thing elfe, the diforder and confufion which then prevailed on the French fide, that the Heros had caft anchor in the middle of the English squadron, while the rain and darkness prevented their perceiving her fituation; until her captain at length difcovering his danger, feized a favourable moment to cut his cable and efcape: they likewife acknowledge, that the La Fine had been under orders to tow her off, when fhe fell on board the Ifis; but the fact of her ftriking is overlooked; and it is only coldly obferved, that fhe feparated from that ship without fighting.

The lofs of men on the French fide, as ftated in their published account, by no means accords with former experience, any more than with the nature and circumftances of the action, the acknowledged damage fuftained by their fhips, and the number of officers (whofe names could not well be concealed) which appear in both lifts of the killed and wounded. In this account, the flain are rated at 139, and the wounded at 364.

Though these actions neither were por could be decifive in favour of the English, yet they were, particularly the firit, of no fmall importance in their confequences. Every body knew the great force which France, at an immenfe expence, had been long collecting in her African islands; and all India was in expectation of the mighty blow which he was now to give, [D] 2

and

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