were fome defects in other refpects of which we are not informed, or, perhaps, that the enemy's artillery were more weighty and powerful than could have been apprehended.

When it was no longer of ufe, the wind fuddenly became favour. able to the English fquadron, and the French commanders had no more than time to poffefs and fe. cure their new acquifitions, when Sir Edward Hughes, on the 2d of September at night, arrived off Trincomale. Nothing undoubtedly could exceed the mortification and aftonishment, with which the admiral, at the opening of the morning, perceived French colours flying in all the forts, and a fleet of above 30 fail riding at anchor in the different bays. Of thefe, fifteen were of the line, including three fifties, (for they had been reinforced by an old company's fhip of 50 guns, as well as by the St. Michael and L'Illuftre) ten or eleven were frigates or firefhips, and the reft tranfports. Thus they had three fifties to fpare, while they prefented 12 hips of 64 guns and upwards to the English line of the fame number; but in which the Ifis of 50 guns, was of neceffity opposed to one of their fixty-fours.

The admiral might well have avoided an engagement, and the fuperiority of the enemy, together with the lofs of the place, which no fuccefs could now immediately recover, would undoubtedly have warranted his fo doing; but fuch was the general indignation fpread through the whole fquadron, that no fuperiority of force could ftand the way to their vengeance, nor induce a fufficient confideration '

of the confequences in its purfuit.

The enemy, fully fenfible of their fuperiority, as foon as they perceived the English in the morning, who were then within two leagues of them, got immediately under fail, and about fix o'clock, making their way through Back Bay, they stood out to fea to the fouth-eastward; by which they gained the wind, then blowing ftrong off the fhore. Sir Edward Hughes immediately made the fignal for the line of battle a-head at two cables length distance; and fhortening fail, edged away from the wind, in order that the fhips might the more speedily get into their refpective stations for completing the line. Soon after eight o'clock, the enemy began to edge down towards the Englifh line, and the British admiral, in order to render the action decifive, by drawing them as far as poffible from Trincomale before its commencement, flood off before the wind from the fhore until eleven o'clock. During this whole time, the enemy fhewed great indeci fion in their movements; fometimes edging down, as if difpofed to come to action, again bringing to; and keeping no regular order; as if totally undetermined how to act.

But towards noon they seemed to have fixed their refolution for action; and at half past two they began to fire upon the English line, which was in a few minutes returned, and the engagement foon after became general. The French, to derive Sept. 3d. the greater advantage from their fuperiority in number, directed the attack of their additional fhips

прод

upon the extremities of the Englith line, which were already in close action with an equal enemy. By this means the Worcester, which was the laft fhip of their rear, was most furiously attacked by two of the enemy, who feemed confident of entirely ruining, if not of taking her, as all her fel. lows in that divifion were fully engaged. But she made fo noble a refiftance, and the Monmouth, which was her fecond, throwing all her fails a-back, came up fo timely, and threw in fo clofe and powerful a fire upon the ene my, that the attack on that fide entirely failed of its expected effect. At the fame time, five of the enemy's fhips came down in a cluster, and fell with equal fury and greater powers, upon the Ex eter and Ifis, which were the headmost of the English van. It feemed peculiarly deftined to the Exeter, to be expofed to the encounter of great odds. In fo unequal a combat as the prefent, it could be no wonder, that he was fo much difabled, as to be at length obliged to retire from the line; while the weak and forlorn is was left, it might be faid, to run the gauntlet, under the fucceffive paffing fire of the five French ships before the could be fupported.

During these fierce attacks on the points of the English line, the centre divifions on both fides, were fairly and closely, fhip to ship, engaged; the rival commanders, in the Superbe and Heros, dealing out their rage with unremitting fury upon each other. At half past three o'clock, the French admiral's fecond a-ftern, had his mizen-maft fhot away; and his fecond a head loft his fore and mizen top-mafts. The battle was,

however, ftill defperately maintained at half paft five. At that time, the wind fhifting fuddenly from the fouth-weft to the eaftfouth-eaft, Sir Edward Hughes made the fignal for wearing, which was inftantly obeyed; and the evolution was performed by the whole fquadron with fuch alertnefs, and in fuch admirable order, that it feemed to be rather a naval exercife of parade, than a movement in the height of action and danger.

The enemy were engaged, 'during this time, in the operations of either wearing or staying their fhips, until the English renewed the engagement, on the other tack, with fresh violence. At 201 minutes paft fix, the French admiral's main-maft was fhot away clofe by the board; and foon after his mizen-maft met the fame fate. On the English fide, the Worcefter, about the fame time, loft her main top-maft. At feven o'clock, the body of the French fquadron hauled their wind to the fouthward, but were exposed to and received a moft fevere fire from the fhips in the English rear for about 20 minutes after, when getting clear off, the action entirely ceafed.

Thus ended, one of the beft fought actions perhaps recorded in naval history; and it terminated a naval compaign (if the word may be admitted) unequalled as to the number, the variety, the nature and the obftinacy of the actions by which it was diftinguifhed. Certainly we have no memorial, of the fame men, and the fame fhips, meeting and fighting, fo often and fo defperately, in fo fhort a space of time.

It cannot be fuppofed, after fo long

long and fo fevere an engagement, that the English fquadron could be in any condition for purfuing the enemy; but the darknefs of the night, and the nearness of Trincomale, would not have admitted the attempt, under any poffibility of effect, if things had even been otherwife. No part of the French fquadron was to be feen at day-light.

The lofs of men on the fide of the English, was, in point of number, fo fmall, as to be almoft below credibility; amounting to only 51 lain, and 283 wounded; but if confidered with refpect to the brave officers who fell, though included in that finall number, the lofs to their country, and to the naval fervice, was beyond eftimate. Among those who gloriously dedicated their lives on that day to the fervice of their country, were the three brave and diftinguished captains, Wood, of the Worcester, Watt, of the Sultan, and Lumley, of the Ifis. The laft, on account of his youth and noble family, as well as of his being an officer of the greatest hope and gallantry, was deeply and peculiarly regretted. Such a Laughter of captains, in fo fmall a number of fhips, and where the general lofs was fo moderate; was fingularly unfortunate. Indeed officers in general feemed peculiarly deftined to fuffer in this day's action; feveral other brave men, as well of the 78th and 98th regiments, as of the naval department, having fallen, and a very confiderable number being wounded. Too much could not be faid in praife of Colonel Fullarton, and of the other officers, as well as of the private men of

these two corps, who had, at their own defire, and at the liberal expence of their blood, continued, during fo many months, to encounter all the hardships and incommodities of fo exceedingly fevere and trying a fervice; and which was in fo many refpects contrary to their profeffional habits and duties.

It was highly to the honour of the British commanders, that thro' the whole courfe of this severe naval conteft, and through fo many days of hard, bloody, and doubtful trial, conftantly fighting too against a fuperiority of force, yet, that under all these circumftances, the breath of flander had not been able to leave the smallest foil on the character, or to cenfure the behaviour of any one of them; but that, in every action, each was acknowledged to have done every thing in the power of a brave and experienced officer; whilft, on the other fide, the French admiral was continually breaking or fufpending his officers, and actually fent feveral of them home prifoners to France for trial. Perhaps, in no feafon of the higheft naval fuccefs and glory in any country, could another inftance be produced, of an equal number of commanders, going through fuch a course of action, and being fo uniformly great in their conduct, as not to admit of any distinction in the claim of honour at the conclufion,

The French returned to Trincom ale on the very night of the action, and feem to have been fo much hurried on that occafion, that the L'Orient, of 74 guns, one of their beft fhips, was loft in the dark, in the act of getting in. M. de Suffrein gives no account,