It is needlefs, and, indeed, extraneous, to enter into a detail of the feveral circumstances attending this fiege, as Mr. Bofcawen could, from the very nature of his fitua tion, be only generally concerned in them*: but his diligence and attention, which were the most useful qualities he could difplay on fuch an occafion, were fo confpicucus, that the house of commons came, on the 6th of December 1758, to an unanimous refolution, that the thanks of the houfe fhould be given to him. Accordingly, Mr. Onflow, the Speaker, addreffed him in the following terms:

"Admiral Bofcawen, the house have unanimously refolved, that their thanks fhould be given to you for the fervices you have done to the king and country in North America; and as it is my duty to convey their thanks to you, I wish I could do it in a manner fuitable to the occafion, and as they ought to be given to you, now ftanding in your place, as a member of this houfe-but were I able to enumerate, and fet forth in the best manner the great, and extensive advantages accruing to this nation from the conqueft of Louisburg, with the islands of Cape Breton and St. John's, I could only exhibit a repetition of what has already been, and is the genuine, and uniform fenfe, and language of every part of the kingdom: their joy too has been equal to their fentiments upon this interefting event; and in their fentiments, and joy they have carried their gratitude also to you, fir, as a principal inftrument in these most important acquifitions: you are now, therefore, receiving the acknowledgments of the people, only in a more folemn way, by the voice, the general voice, of their reprefentatives in parliament: the most honourable fame that any man can arrive at in, this or

* Having detached fome fhips, with a fufficient body of troops under the command of Andrew lord Rollo, to take poffeffion of the ifland of St. John, and left a fquadron fufficient for the defence and protection of Nova Scotia, the admiral, together with fir Charles. Hardy, his vice-admiral, returned to England, having with them only four hips of the line, including those they were themselves on board of. Thus were they fituated, when, at the latter end of October, fome leagues to the weftward of Scilly, they fell in with fix large French fhips of the line but the enemy declined an action; and their ships being far better failers than his, Mr. Bofcawen was not able to overtake and force them to one.

any

any other country. It is on thefe occasions a national honour from a free people, ever cautiously conferred, in order to be the more esteemed, and be the greater reward, a reward which ought to be referved for the moft signal fervices to the ftate, as well as for the most approved merit in them, fuch as this houfe has ufually, and very lately, made their object of public thanks. The ufe I am perfuaded you will make of this juft teftimony, and high reward, of your fervices and merit, will be the preserving in your own mind a lafting impreffion of what the com mons of Great Britain are now tendering to you, and in a conftant continuance of the zeal, and ardour for the glory of your king and country, which have made you to deferve it. In obedience to the commands of the house, I do, with great pleasure to myself, give you the thanks of the houfe, for the fervices you have done to your king and country, in North America."

To which admiral Boscawen, with his usual modefty, made the following reply.

"Mr. Speaker, I am happy in having been able to do my duty, but have not words to exprefs my fense of the diftinguishing reward that has been conferred upon me by this houfe; nor can I enough thank you, fir, for the polite and elegant manner in which you have been pleased to convey to me the refolution."

Mr. Bofcawen having, by his conduct and fuccefs on the foregoing occafion, completely established that reputation which he had before fo defervedly acquired, and convinced the world that his judgement was as folid, as well adapted to cool deliberation, as his abilities in the heat of action were dazzling and fplendid, he was, by his majesty's command, fworn a member of the privy council on the 2d of February 1759, and took his feat at the board. He was immediately afterwards invefted with the command of a fquadron, confifting of fourteen fhips of the line and two frigates, ordered for the Mediterranean. He failed from St. Helen's on the 14th of April, and immediately after his arrival on his ftation repaired to Toulon, off which port he cruised for fome days, in hopes of provoking Mr. de la Clue, who lay there with a fquadron confifting of twelve large ships, and three frigates, to come out and engage him. The deftruction of this fleet was the principal object which caufed the equipment of that

Mr.

Mr. Boscawen commanded. It was a point of the moft ferious, and confequential national concern, Mr. de la Clue, being under orders to repair to Breft, and put himself under the command of the marquis de Conflans, whose operations were extremely difconcerted by the demolition of this formidable reinforcement.

Mr. Boscawen finding that no infult he had hitherto offered, proved fufficient to roufe or provoke the chef d'efcadre to hazard an action, refolved to try his temper and patience still farther, by fending the Culloden, Conqueror and Jerfey, clofe into the harbour's mouth, to attempt the deftruction of two French fhips which lay there. Captain Smith Callis, an officer who in the former war had fignalized himself extremely in an enterprise nearly fimilar, had the command; and though unfuccefsful in this his fecond attempt, yet the very spirited manner in which the attack was made, could not but impress the enemy with the most awful refpect, as well towards the admiral himself, who had the boldnefs to iffue the orders, as towards the officers who immediately attempted to execute them. The fire of several very heavy masked batteries, which were not known to the affailants till they felt the weight of their shot, compelled the British detachment to defift, after having in the moft fpirited manner perfevered in the attack for upwards of three hours. They attempted with equal gallantry to destroy two forts which defended the entrance, and cannonaded them for a confi derable time with the greatest vivacity; but finding at length the great fuperiority of the enemy rendered all attempts ineffectual, the feveral commanders were reluct antly obliged to abandon an enterprize, in which they could not be faid to have gained any thing but honour.

The fhips being, though not without fome difficulty, towed off from the very center of the enemy's fire, it be came neceffary for the admiral to repair to Gibraltar for the purpose not only of refitting those fhips which had on the above occafion fuftained damage, but recruiting the water and performing other neceffary fervices required by the fquadron in general. This was not perfectly completed when Mr. de la Clue, taking advantage of the abfence of the British fquadron, put to fea in hopes of being able to elude Mr. Bofcawen's vigilance, whom he knew, by good information, was bufily employed in the neceffary duties juft ftated.

2

fated. The extreme vigilance and care of the admiral rendered this attempt abortive, nearly half of the French fquadron was captured or deftroyed, and the founda

* Of this memorable difcomfiture the admiral gave the following

account.

"I acquainted you in my laft of my return to Gibraltar to refit. As foon as the fhips were near ready, I ordered the Lyme and Gibraltar (the only frigates ready) the first to cruife off Malaga, the laft from Eftepona to Ceuta point, to look out, and give me timely notice of the enemy's approach.

"On the 27th, at eight in the evening, the Gibraltar made the fignal of their appearance, fourteen fail on the Barbary fhore, to the eastward of Ceuta. I got under fail as fast as poffible, and was out of the bay before ten, with fourteen fail of the line, the Shannon frigate and Etna firefhip. At day-light I faw the Gibraltar, and foon after, feven large fhips lying to; but on our not answering their fignals they made fail from us. We had a fresh gale that brought us up with them faft till about noon, when it fell little wind. About half an hour paft two fome of the headmoft fhips began to engage, but I could not get up to the Ocean till near four. In about half an hour the Namur's izen-maft, and both top-fail-yards were shot away. The enemy then made all the fail they could. I fhifted my flag to the Newark; and foon after the Centaur, of feventy-four guns, ftruck.

"I purfued all night, and in the morning of the 19th faw only four fail standing in for the land (two of the best failers having altered their courfe in the night) we were not above three miles from them, and not above five leagues from the fhore, with very little wind. About mine the Ocean ran among the breakers, and the three others anchored. 1 fent the Intrepid and America to deftroy the Ocean. Captain' Pratten having anchored, could not get in, but captain Kirke performed that fervice alone. On his first firing at the Ocean, she struck, and Captain Kirke fent his officers on board. M. de la Clue having one leg broke, and the other wounded, had been landed about half an hour; but they found the captain, M. le compte de Carne, and feveral officers and men on board. Captain Kirke, after taking them out, finding it impoffible to bring the flip off, fet her on fire. Captain Bentley, of the Warfpight, was ordered against the Temeraire, of feventy-four guns, and brought her off with little damage, the officers, and men all on board. At the fame time vice-admiral Broderick, with his division, burnt the Redoubtable, her officers and men having quitted her, being bulged; they brought the Modefte, of fixty-four guns, off, very little damaged.

"I have the pleafure to acquaint their lordships, that most of his majefty's fhips under my command failed better than thofe of the enemy.

"Inclofed I fend you a lift of the French fquadron found on board the Modefte.

"Herewith

foundation laid for the total fubverfion of the vifionary fchemes, formed by the French court, for the attack of the British dominions in their most vital part.

"Herewith you will alfo receive the number of the killed and wounded on board his majesty's ships, referring their lordships for farther particulars to captain Buckle."

Lift of the French squadron under the command of M. de la Clue. L'Ocean, 80 guns, M. de la Clue; Le Redoubtable, 74 guns, M. de St. Agnan, burnt; Le Centaur, 74 guns, Sabran Grammont, taken; Le Souveraine, 74 Guns, Panat; Le Guerrier, 74 guns, Rochemore, efcaped; Le Temeraire, 74 guns, Caftillon l'Aine, taken; Le Fantafque, 64 guns, Caftillon Cadet, loft company; Le Modefte, 64 guns, Du lac Monvert, taken; Le Lion, 64 guns, Colbert Turgis; Le Triton, 60 guns, Venel; Le Fier, 50 guns, Marquifan; L'Ori flamme, 50 guns, Dabon, loft company coming through the Streights; La Chimere, 26 guns, Sauchet; La Minerva, 24 guns; Le Chev. d'Opede; La Gracieufe, 24 guns, La Chev. de Fabry, loft company coming through the Streights.

An abftract of the number of men killed and wounded on board his majefty's following ships under my command, the 17th of Aug. 1759. Killed. Wounded. 16

Ships.

Namur

Prince

Culloden

Killed. Wounded.

Ships.
America

3

Edgar, in charge of the prize ship
Centaur, loft company

13

44

Jerley

32

5

10

Warfpight
Swiftfure
Newark
Intrepid
Conqueror

St. Alban's

2

"EDWARD BOSCAWEN.

The tranflator of the Treatife on Evolutions and Naval Tactics, written in French by monfieur De Morigues, makes the following remark on the above action.

"We might have been able to have illuftrated the above method by an opportunity that offered to our fleet of putting it in practice laft war, as we were double the number of fhips to the French; which, by fome ill judged feparation the night before, was reduced only to feven fail the next day, when we engaged them, after a long chace off Lagos, in the month of Auguft 1759. Had we divided our fhips (about fourteen in number) into three fmall divifions, the better to furround the enemy, we fhould, in all probability, have prevented any of them from escaping, or running a fhare at laf, as they did on the coaft of Portugal, or rather, had our headmoft fhips refolutely continued on their courfe, and not flopped from executing what was impatiently expected from them by the admiral, that of bringing to the headmoft of the enemy, whilft the reft of the fleet was coming up with all the fail they could crowd, we should have equally fucceeded.".