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^Hap.XII. from the Revolution, to the Death of .AT. William. 673
CHAP. XII.
The Transitions of the Fleet, under the Command of Henry Killegrew, Esq ;Sir Cloudefly Shovel, and Sir Ralph Delaval, joint Admirals, with Jome otherOccurrences of the Tear, 1693.
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H A V E chosen to continue myRelation of the Voyages in the fore-going Chapter, without Interrup-tion ; T ho’, for that Reason, I amnow obliged to go back, in the Orderof Time, to relate what happened atand nearer Home. At the Conclusionof the ninth Chapter, I just hinted, thatAdmiral Rujfel was set aside in the No-mination of Sea-Officers for this Year’sService. His Majesty being intent, a-bout the latter End of January , uponpreparing His Fleet, for the next Sum-mer’s Expedition, thought sit to put thechief Command of it into the Hands ofHenry Killegrew Esq; Sir Ralph Dela-val, and Sir Cloudefly Shovel, ( a) andconstituted them to be Admiral, by ajoint Commission : And on the eighth ofFebruary,Hk Majesty was pleased to ap-point George Rooke Esq; to be Vice-Admiral or the Red ; John, LordBerkeley , Vice-Admiral of the Blue ;Colonel Matthew Aylmer, Rear-Admi-ral of the Red, and Captain David Mit-ches Rear-Admiral of the Blew.
On the sixteenth, the King came toPort[mouth ,as well to view the Fortifica-tions and the Dock Yard, as to see theMen of War at Spithead, and, goingon Board of Vice Admiral Rooke, con-ferred the Honour of Knighthood onhim. The last Day of March, theKingset sail from Gravefend ,with a fairWind,for Holland, being attended by severalYachts, and a Squadron of Men ofWar, under the Command of Rear-Ad-
miral Mitchel, and was accompanied by 1693.the Duke of Onnond, the Earl of Ejjex,and other Persons of Quality. Fie ar-rived in the Maefe, on the second of A-pril, and, after a short Stay at theHague and Loo, repaired to the Armyin Flanders, where we shall leave HisMajesty exercising his Martial Genius,and return to the Fleet.
The eighteenth of March, HenryKillegrew, Elq; Sir Cloudefly Shovesand Sir Ralph Delaval (who were, as Ihave said, jointly appointed Admiral ofthe Fleet) received Orders from theLords of the Admiralty, to proceed toSea, and (without expecting particularInstructions, by which Opportunities ofService might be lost,) to use their ut-most Endeavours to annoy the Enemy,and protect the Trade. ( b) There was,at this Time a great Want of Sea-men,and for the more speedy raising them,general Orders were istued, (but soonafter contradicted) for taking half theSeamen from all Privateers. However, ^sentfoF"that the Fleet might be put into as early Foot put ona Condition for Service, as possible, five Board.Regiments of Foot were ordered to em-bark at Portsmouth ; And that the Pro-visions might last the longer, as therewas not a sufficient Quantity ready, theShips Companies were put to the Allow-ance of six to four, of every Species, ex-cept Beer.
When the Fleet arrived at St.ffelenS,the seventh of May, the Admiral form-ed
in Guinea. I arrived there, with the Ships, onthe first of February , and continued to alarm theCastles 'till the fourth, when, in the Night, Ilanded, with a Hundred Men, under the OldFort , within two Hundred and fifty Yards of theNew Castle, called St. Michael, and commandedfy Mr. Felix, situated on a riling Ground, andmounted with eight and twenty Guns. I mettvith no Resistance 'till Break of Day, but thenthey fired furiously upon us, with great and smallShot.
About Noon, I sent them a Summons to sur-render, before ourCannon could be landed. Theyimmediately desired a Capitulation, which beinggranted, and Articles agreed on, they marchedout, the eighth, with tneir Arms, Bag and Bag-gage, and Colours flying, and were carried to theCompany’s Fort at J^m-Island, whence theyare to be transported, on theCompany’s Shipping,and at their Charge, for Europe.
(a) Bishop Burnet fays, the two first were Burnei.thought so inclinable to King James’s. Interests,that it made some intimate, the King was inthe Hands of those, who intended to betray himto His Enemies: For tho' no Exception lay agamstShovel, yet it was said, he was only put with theother two, to give some Reputation to the Com-mission, and that he was one against two, so thathe could neither hinder nor do any Thing. Thechief Blame oJ? this Nomination was thrown onthe Earl of Nottingham.
{b) The Number of Ships (besides Dutch )appointed for the Body of the Fleet, were SixFirst-Rates; Ten Second-Rates ; Eight and twen-ty Third-Rates ; Six Fourth-Rates ; Four Fifth-Rates, besides Fire-ships, a Bomb-Vessel, andfour Hospitals.