the lives and properties of all those inhabitants who 1798. might choose to remain. These terms being agreed to and properly ratified, the troops, stores, and such of the inhabitants as were desirous to quit, were embarked on board the Thunderer 74, Abergavenny 54, and other british ships of war; and on the 9th of May the republican French were put in possession of the ceded places. The ships then proceeded to Cape Nicolas-Mole, where the troops and french refugees were safely disembarked. Shortly after this the three french 36-gun frigates Bravoure, Cocarde, and Sirène, arrived at Cape François from Europe with supplies, and on the 4th of December got safe back to Lorient. In the month of August the Spaniards evinced a disposition to attack the british settlement at the bay of Honduras. The regular force on shore at the post was composed of small detachments of the 63d and 6th West-India regiments and of the royal artillery, under the command of lieutenant-colonel Thomas Barrow; and the naval force consisted of only one british vessel of war, the 16-gun ship-sloop Merlin, captain John Ralph Moss, lying at anchor in the port of Belize. Besides the Merlin, however, the following colonial gun-boats had just been fitted up : the Towzer, Tickler, and Mermaid, sloop-rigged, the latter with one long 9, and each of the others with one long 18 pounder, and 25 men; the schooners Swinger and Teazer, the one with four 6 and two 4 pounders, and the other with six 6-pounders, and 25 men each; and eight gun-flats, with one 9-pounder in the prow and 16 men each : making, with one supernumerary, 254 men, including officers. The Towzer and Tickler were commanded by two masters of merchantmen, and partly manned with their sailors: the remainder of the officers and men belonging to the flotilla consisted of volunteers from the colonial troops. The force with which the Spaniards were pre Aug. Aug. 1798. paring to make the attack consisted of about 20 schooners and sloops, armed, the greater part of them with one long 24-pounder in the bow, and two long 18s in the stern, besides from eight to 22 swivels along the waist. There were, also, 10 or 11 transports or victuallers, schooner and sloop rigged, each armed with heavy bow and stern guns, and swivels on the sides. The seamen employed on board this flotilla numbered, as was understood, about 500, and were under the orders of captain Bocca-Negra: the troops amounted to about 2000, and were commanded by field-marshal Arthur O'Neil. Sept. On the 3d of September the Spaniards endeavoured to force a passage over Montego-key shoal, with five vessels, two of which carried long 18 or 24 pounders, and the provisions and stores of all of which, in order to lighten them, had been shifted to other vessels. The Tickler, Swinger, and Teazer, instantly proceeded to annoy these five spanish vessels, and, by dark, compelled them to retire. This afforded to the commanding officer of the british vessels the opportunity of drawing and destroying all the stakes and beacons which the Spaniards had placed in the narrow and intricate channel, and without the use of which none but vessels of a very light draught of water could pass. On the following day, the 4th, the attempt to pass the shoal was renewed, and defeated in a similar manner. On the 5th the same spanish vessels, accompanied by two others, and by several launches filled with troops, endeavoured to get over the same shoal by another passage, but were repulsed, apparently with loss. On this, as well as on the two preceding days, the Spaniards expended an immense quantity of ammunition to no manner of purpose; while the British fired comparatively little, but with a steady precision that produced a sensible effect. Having no doubt that the next effort of the Spa niards would be against St.-George's key, from 1798. which they might easily go down to the Belize, only Sept. nine miles distant, and there destroy the town and harass the inhabitants, captain Moss, in the night of the 5th, weighed, and, by noon on the following day, worked up to the key. Twelve of the heaviest among the spanish vessels were then under way, for the purpose of making the attempt; but, on seeing the Merlin and the flotilla of gun-boats so near, the Spaniards hauled to the wind and returned to their former anchorage, between Long-key and Keychapel. The spanish vessels continued working and anchoring among the shoals, at the distance of four or five miles from the Merlin and gun-boats, until the 10th; when, at 1 P. M., nine sail of armed sloops and schooners, each with a launch astern full of men, bore down through the channel that led to the Merlin. Five smaller vessels, also with troops on board, were at anchor to-windward, at the distance of about a mile and a half; and the remainder of the spanish flotilla lay at Long-key Spit, as if awaiting the issue of the contest. The spanish vessels approached, in line abreast, using both sails and oars; and, on arriving within long gun-shot, dropped anchor. It seeming to be their intention to board the Towzer and Tickler, which vessels lay much nearer to them than the bulk of the flotilla, captain Moss, at 1 h. 30 m. P. м., made the signal to engage. The British immediately opened an animated and apparently destructive fire, which was returned by the Spaniards, and the cannonade lasted two hours and a half. At the end of that time the Spaniards, in evident confusion, cut their cables, and sailed and rowed off, assisted by a number of launches, which took in tow the greater part of their vessels. No man was hurt on the part of the British; but the Spaniards, from the hasty manner of their retreat, appeared not to have been so fortunate. Owing to Sept. 1798. the shoal-water, the Merlin was unable to follow the spanish vessels; and the remainder of the british flotilla, without her support, would have been no match for them. The whole therefore effected their escape. The Spaniards remained under Key-chapel until the night of the 15th, when they moved off with a light southerly wind. Some of the vessels went to Baccalar, and others to Campeachy; nor did the Spaniards again venture to attack the british possessions in Honduras bay. 367 BRITISH AND FRENCH FLEETS. WITH respect to the state of the british navy at 1799. the commencement of the present year, it will suffice to refer to the usual abstract of its numbers and strength. We may notice, however, that two fine line-of-battle classes, L and M, have more than doubled themselves since the beginning of the preceding year. Indeed all the principal columns in the abstract exhibit an increase of numbers; arising, in part, from newly-built vessels, but chiefly from captures made at the expense of the french, dutch, and spanish navies respectively. The number of british ships of war, wrecked and foundered during the year 1798, is still of considerable amount; but fewer of the crews, it is gratifying to observe, perished, than amidst the similar mishaps of the preceding year. We may here remark, in passing, that, as respects the french, dutch, and spanish navies, the foundered, wrecked, and burnt cases do, in all probability, fall short of the real number, no nation but England publishing any list of the losses that her navy sustains. The number of commissioned officers and masters, belonging to the british navy at the commencement of the year, was, Admirals 21 36 superannuated 19 Commanders, or sloop-captains 386 * See Appendix, Annual Abstract No. 7. + See Appendix, Nos. 15, 16. See Appendix, No. 17. |