Spanish admiral, La Santiffima Trinidada of 136 guns. He was most gallantly fupported by the captains Trowbridge and Frederick in the Culloden and the Blenheim, who loft between them no less than 118 men; fo that the whole preffure of the action rested on these three ships, chiefly from the noble eagerness which they displayed to compel the Spanish admiral to strike his flag; but, though reduced to a wreck, Don Cordova appeared determined to fink rather than submit. The honors of the peerage were most deservedly bestowed upon the admiral in reward of his fervices, and the title of Lord St. Vincent commemorated the place near which the battle was fought.

The laurels which this gallant commander acquired on this occafion were unfortunately something tarnished by an injudicious attempt made, on very fallacious intelligence, upon the town of Santa Cruz, in the island of Teneriffe. On the 15th of July, commodore, now admiral, Nelson, arrived before that port with a squadron of seven ships of war; from which a thousand men, under captain Trowbridge, were landed, who took poffeffion of the town, not, however, without confiderable resistance; but found themfelves utterly unequal to the attack of the fort, the strength of which, as well as of the military force of the island, now affembling, was far greater than they had been led to expect. Preparing therefore for a retreat, they had the misfortune to learn that the boats were stoven by the violence of the furge on the beach. In this situation they were fummoned by the Spanish commander to furrender; but this the gallant Trowbridge difdainfully rejected; saying, “he would not capitulate as long as he had a man left alive." On which the Spaniard informed the captain, by a polite meffage, that, to fpare the effufion of human blood, he, and what remained of his men, were at liberty to return to their ships-not only providing boats for the purpose, but, as foon as the convention was figned, generously furnishing them with supplies of biscuit and wine. The lofs of lives

in this wild attempt was equal to that fuftained in the battle of Cape St. Vincent. Admiral Nelfon himself loft his right arm by a cannon ball, two captains were killed, and a third wounded. And it is hard to fay by what figure of fpeech lord St. Vincent, in his official account of this difafter, could think himself authorized to affirm, " that, although the enterprise had not fucceeded, his majesty's arms had acquired a very great degree of luftre."

Early in the present year an expedition failed from Port Royal in Martinico, under the command of fir Ralph Abercrombie and admiral Harvey, for the Spanish island of Trinidad. On approaching the gulf of Paria, a Spanish squadron of four ships of the line and one frigate was discovered lying at anchor. The preparations made for an attack were, however, anticipated by the Spaniards themselves, who fet fire to their fhips in the middle of the night. One line-of-battle fhip only escaped the conflagration, and fell into the hands of the English; and the next day (February the 18th), a capitulation was figned by the governor for the whole of that valuable colony, the garrifon being made prifoners of war.

Encouraged by this fuccefs an attempt was made by the fame commanders, in the month of April following, on the large and important ifland of Porto Rico. But here they found themselves no lefs deceived in their calculations than lord St. Vincent at Teneriffe. After difembarking their troops, and approaching the town, it was found far too ftrong, in its natural and artificial defences, to be carried by a coup de main; and, not being in a condition to undertake a regular fiege, they contented themselves with a bombardment, which producing no effect, the troops re-embarked with the lofs of 200 men, without adding, in any refpect," to the luftre of his majesty's arms."

Great preparations had been making for many months in the Dutch ports, as was believed, with the intention of co-operating with the French in a fecond invafion of Ireland,

at

at a period far more critical than the first. But the fleet, when completely equipped, had been long blocked up in the Texel by admiral Duncan, who commanded a powerful squadron in those feas. In the beginning of October the British commander quitted his ftation, and retired to Yarmouth Roads to refit: on which a peremptory order was iffued by the Dutch government to admiral de Winter, the commander, to stand to fea. Admiral Duncan, having very early notice of this movement, got under weigh with his fquadron, confifting of fixteen fail of the line, with the utmost expedition; and, on the morning of the 11th, came in fight of the Dutch fleet, consisting of seventeen sfail of the line, but of inferior fize to the British. Shortening fail in order to connect the fleet, he faw the land, between Camperdown and Egmont, three leagues to leeward of the enemy; and finding there was no time to be loft, he threw out the fignal to engage to leeward, and break the enemy's line. By this bold manoeuvre, regardless of the danger of a lee-fbore, he prevented the retreat of De Winter, who, finding a battle inevitable, engaged with the utmost bravery. Unfortunately for him, admiral Story, who commanded in the centre, fheered off with the greater part of his divifion at the commencement of the action, entering the Texel the next day wholly uninjured. After this base desertion the Dutch were manifeftly overpowered by fuperior force. Vice-admiral Onflow, who began the attack, diftinguished himself most gallantly; and admiral Duncan was seen in the thickest of the action, in which, unlike the engagement off Cape St. Vincent, every ship found full and arduous employment-the Dutch fighting with a degree of courage which bordered upon defperation. Admiral de Winter ftruck, a mere wreck, to the Venerable, admiral Duncan's own fhip. The vice-admiral Reintjies alfo furrendered to admiral Onflow; and the whole fleet would probably have been captured, but, under favor of the night, two or three veffels escaped into the Texel. The fhips taken were ten of

VOL. III.

ions had taken place upon fubjects of e between the executive and legislative t legiflative council of Five Hundred gradually to abforb all the political tory into their own vortex. The manifeftly deftitute of the conftituining its conftitutional authority. giflative council were every thing; ointed by the Executive Directory back as the beginning of Deory had fent a meffage to the e financial diftreffes of the ftate, remedial measures as abfolutely adopted. This meffage being f finances, M. Camus, the prelarming and defperate state of

the meflage; that a fevere equilibrium of receipt and exrs contained in the statement prudence of the Directory in language, fo improper to be fame government to another, are and alarming diffenfions. 7, a meffage was tranfmitted of Five Hundred, announcconfpiracy. It appeared on ndant of the national guard, Counter-revolution had been , Brotier, &c. to be effected

by

ment which permits this political

!-and my foul aches

ACT UI.