British line, the French fquadron had time to wear, and getting upon a new tack, to form with thofe ships which had fuffered leaft a-line to windward, in order to cover thofe which were difabled, In the intermediate time, Sir Edward Hughes feeing part of his fhips on one tack, and the more numerous on the other, while the Eagle, Worcester, and Burford, which had been able to continue on their former, were nearing the enemy's main body very fast, he attempted to remedy the diforder, by hauling down the fignal for the line, and throwing out another to wear, which he intended to follow with that for a general chace. But at this inftant he was hailed by Captain Gell, of the Monarca, who informed him; that not only all his ftanding rigging had been shot away, but that his fhip had otherwife received fo much damage as to be utterly ungovernable; and the admiral perceiving at the fame time, that the enemy, who had now worn, and were coming on the larboard tack, were endeavouring to cut off the Eagle, while at the other extremity of the line, his van fhip, the Hero, was getting in fo clofe with the land as to make a fignal of diftrefs, he found it neceffary to throw out the fignal for wearing only. During this operation, a partial engagement was continued between fuch of the English fhips and of the French as happened to come within reach of each other, and the Eagle was for fome time hard preffed by two of the enemy. At half paft one, the admiral made the fignal for the line of battle a-head, and was preparing to renew the attack; but at two o'clock, feeing that the enemy were standing in fhore, and collecting their hips in a clofe body, while his own were much dif perfed, and feveral of them ungovernable, he gave up that defign, and thought only of collecting his fhips, and preparing them for that fervice, which he hoped would be conclufive and final with refpect to its object, on the enfuing morning. The Britifh fquadron caft anchor at the approach of the evening between Negapatam and Nagore, and were bufily employed during the night in fecuring their lower mafts, as most of their standing rigging had been fhot away, and in ftretching ferviceable fails to their yards; but no exertions, in fo fhort a time, could render them capable of fresh evolutions and immediate fervice; they had been well able in the line, to continue the engagement, and to prefs upon their enemy to the laft; but when their already torn rigging had been trained and racked in the gale, and by the fubfequent movements, they could not but be crippled in fuch a manner, as muft require time, as well as application, for its cure. The French fquadron had anchored about three leagues to leeward; and it could not be without the moft unspeakable mortification, that the English admiral beheld them getting under fail in the morning, and proceeding on their way to Cuddalore, while his fhips were utterly incapable of preventing or purfuing them. Their frigates upon this occafion, [E] 2 as well as in all the late preceding circumftances, were of the moft fignal fervice to them. The enemy were completely beaten, although the fruits of the victory could not be gathered. If the English fhips had not been thrown out of action, in the fingular manner, and at the inftant they were, when the enemy's line was completely broken, fome of their fhips running away, and others too much difabled to run, it can fearcely be fuppofed that many of them would have efcaped to Cuddalore. The fore, or indeed the only real part of this action, ferves to throw great light upon the two former engagements; for it is from thence clearly evident, that if they had been general inftead of being partial, and that all the English hips could have been brought fairly up at once to the encounter, the refult of both would have been very different from what it was; unless indeed, that the first might have been fo decifive as to prevent any fecond trial. Upon the whole it may be truly faid, that the elements, without being abfolutely unfortunate, had been exceedingly perverfe to the English in these three actions. In the courfe of the diforder occafioned by the fea breeze, the Severe of 64 guns, one of the French admiral's feconds, had fuffered fo extremely, and was become fo totally ungovernable, that the fell along fide of Captain Watt, in the Sultan, and ftruck to him. But while Captain Watt was, under fignal, in the act of wearing, to join the admiral, the Severe, taking advantage of that fituation, fuddenly hoifted all the fail fhe could get up, and without fhewing any colours, and in defiance of the established laws of war and of nations, poured her fire into and raked the Sultan as the paffed. It is not a little to be regretted, that the efcaped the vengeance due to fuch an act, by getting in among a cluster of French fhips, whofe nearnefs undoubtedly gave life to the defign. Sir Edward Hughes dispatched Captain Watt on the following day with a letter to M. de Suffrein, complaining of this treatment, and demanding the furrender of the ship; but the French commander, not chufing to avow the act, alledged, (on what foundation every man will form his own opinion) that the colours had not been intentionally ftruck, but had come down through the halliards of the enfign being shot away. The refult of an enquiry into this tranfaction, which afterwards took place in Paris, and was there publifhed, totally overthrows M. de Suffrein's defence, and fubftitutes one which does not feem much better. By that it is acknowledged that the colours were really and intentionally ftruck; but this act is not attributed to neceflity, but charged to the cowardice of the acting commander at the time; a ftrange ftory is then told, that an auxiliary of ficer being diffatisfied with his ftriking, and fenfible of the motive, firft had the addrefs to perfuade him that he was dangeroufly wounded, and then, that it was abfolutely neceffary for his health to go down; that having by by thefe means obtained the command, he renewed the engagement, and bravely fought and faved the ship. The lofs of men on the English fide, amounted to 77 killed, and to 233 wounded; on the fide of the French, their acknowledged lofs was much more confiderable, the flain amounting to 178, and the wounded to 601; the comparative state being 779 to 310, or abové five to two. Among other brave officers, as well of the 98th regiment, as of the naval department who fell in this action, the gallant Captain Maclellan, of the Superbe, was fhot through the heart in its very commencement. It was remarkable, if not fingular, and fully fhews the warm service they were engaged in, that the admiral's two immediate captains fhould have been killed within fo fhort a time of each other. We are totally in the dark as to the motives which induced the admiral to keep the fea, to the windward of Negapatam, while the French were bufily employed in repairing their fhips at Cuddalore, for near a fortnight after this engagement; at the fame time, that the defire of information on this head is exceedingly excited, from its feeming, that the very unfortunate event which foon after happened, was, in a very confiderable degree, the confequence of this delay, in not proceeding directly after the action to Madras, where the ftores were, in order to refit the fquadron. It is not from hence even to be imagined, that this profeeding was not fully authorized by the motives, although they do not appear at this diftance; and it is as little to be fuppofed, that the admiral did not communicate them to government, however it might at the time be deemed inexpedient or unneceffary to lay them before the public. It might be imagined that he intended to cover the arrival of Sir Richard Bickerton's long expected fquadron, had not the French fleet been in a condition which feemed to forbid all prefent adventure. The probability feems to be, that the naval movements now, as at other times, were concerted with, and in a great measure governed by thofe of the army; and that the fituation of the latter at that time, or perhaps fome propofed fcheme of co-operation, made it appear neceffary for the fquadron to keep its ftation on that part of the coaft. However thefe things were, the neceffity of providing fome of the fhips with top-mafts, and other effential articles which had been loft in the late action, and of fupplying the whole with ammunition and provifions, both of which were nearly exhaufted, became at length fo urgent, that the ad. miral proceeded with the fquadron to Madras, where he arrived on the 20th of July. He was there joined by the Sceptre, of 64 guns, which had left England along with Sir R. Bickerton. The Sceptre having been feparated from the rest of the fquadron foon after clearing the Channel, had put into the Brazils, where meeting with the Medea frigate, they were proceeding in company, when falling in on their way with a large French fhip laden with naval ftores, Captain [E] 3 Graves Graves left the prize in charge of the Medea, that he might proceed himself with the greater expedition to join the admiral. While the fquadron were refit ting and taking in their fupplies, Sir Edward Hughes, anxious for the fecurity of Trincomale, difpatched the Monmouth and Sceptre, with fuch a reinforcement of troops, and fuch fupplies of provifions and ftores for that garrifon, as both the general and admiral expected, would have been fully competent to their repelling, at leaft, any defultory attempt which the enemy might make upon that place. In the mean time, M. de Suffrein ufed the utmoft induftry and difpatch in refitting his fquadron at Cuddalore, and having received advice from the Sieur d'Aymar, that he was arrived at Point de Galles, which lies on the fouth fide of the island of Ceylon, in his own hip the St. Michael of 64 guns, accompanied by the Illuftre of 74; and of their having under their convoy the fecond divifion of the Marquis de Buffy's troops and artillery, the French admiral was enabled to fail on the first of Auguft to join them at that ifland. So exceedingly difficult were the means of information at that time, that with an army in the field, garrifons every where difperfed, and in a country belonging to the Nabob of Arcot, no intelligence of a tranfaction of fuch importance and notoriety, and at the diftance only of Cuddalore, was received at Madras until about the middle of the month; and then only through mere accident, and from a direct,, ly oppofite quarter. For it hap pened, that Captain Mitchel, in the Coventry frigate, of 32 guns, being cruizing on the coaft of Ceylon, fell in with the Bellona of 40 guns, when a confidence in himself, and in the goodness of his fhip's company, on the one fide, and, in the weight of his fhip, and the great fuperiority of his force, on the other, drew on a moft defperate engagement of two hours and a half; at the end of which, Capt. Mitchel moft gallantly obliged his enemy to fly; and purfuing him with great, eagerness, was aftonished at finding himfelf led by the chace amidst a French fleet of 23 fail, when he did not imagine they had any fuch armament at fea; he, of courfe, was obliged to fly in turn, being chaced by two fhips of the line; and fortunately efcaping, brought the intelligence directly to the admiral. This intelligence, and his anxiety for Trincomale, urged the admiral to quicken his departure, and the fhips having received their fupplies, and -being rendered tolerably fit for fervice, he failed from Madras on the 20th of Auguft, and ufed every endeavour with the utmoft expedition to gain the island of Ceylon. But the ufual perverfenefs of the weather, not only now recurred, but operated with more mifchief in the effect than at any former time; the wind blew directly against him, and the extraordinary delay thereby occafioned, produced the intervening lofs. The French admiral having been joined by the hips of war and convoy at Point de Galles, proceeded directly to the attack of Trincomale, where he arrived. towards the end of the month, and and the fire of the batteries was incapable of preventing his fleet from anchoring in Back Bay. The landing of the troops, under the conduct of the Baron de Agoult, was effected the next Aug. 26th. morning before day, and the place was immediately invested. After two days work on the batteries, thofe on the left were opened early on the morning of the 29th, and foon gained fuch a fuperiority over thofe of the garrifon, that they were entirely filenced before night. This encouraged the French commanders, on the following morning to fummon the place. Some difficulties at first arofe about the terms of capitulation; but M. de Suffrein was too eager to gain poffeffion of the place, and too apprehenfive of the arrival of Sir Edward Hughes, to lofe much time in debating conditions. Captain Macdowal, the commandant, accordingly obtained every thing he demanded. The honours of war in the utmost extent; they being to carry off with them entirely, two field pieces and a mortar, with a certain number of charges, and all things whatever appertaining to them; the garrifon to be directly tranfmitted to Madrafs, and amply provided for, in fhips to be properly equipped for the purpose, at the French King's expence; and a particular ship appointed for the conveyance of the officers and ftaff. A particular and laudable attention was paid to the interefts of the Dutch inhabitants, although they were falling into the hands of their own allies; it being fpecially provided, not only that all private property, whether belong ing to the garrison or the inhabitants, fhould be fully fecured, but that all the rights, privileges, and prerogatives of the latter, fhould be preferved inviolate, Two of the articles feemed to indicate fome diftruft of the good faith of the enemy; for by one, the commander of the land forces was rendered perfonally refponfible for any diforders committed by his troops; and by the laft it was fpecifically prefcribed, that the capitulation fhould be executed, in all the eleven articles, with reciprocal good faith. It is obfervable, that there was not a fingle condition binding on the garrifon, excepting merely the delivery of the public magazines, and that there was not a poffibility of their evading. Fort Oftenburgh was given up on the following day, which was the laft of the month, upon the fame conditions. Nothing could have been more unfortunate, whether in its immediate effect, or in its fubfequent confequences, than the lofs of Trincomale; nor does it appear that any event through the war, fo grievously affected Sir Eyre Coote, and the admiral; who both feem likewife to have conceived, that the place was capable of a much longer and more vigorous defence. The garrifon undoubtedly was fufficiently numerous, and as they had been fo lately fupplied, it does not feem that they could have wanted either provifion or the means of defence; but as it does not appear that any blame has fallen upon the commandant or his officers, it may be fuppofed, that the natural or artificial defences were not fo ftrong as had been imagined, that there |