mup XIY. from the Revolution, to the Death os K. William. 63 z
^1694. The thirteenth, at Night, as he wasfcver Vers Ending East by South, the Wind North^'Enemy's East, about ten Leagues from Cape" St. Vincent, he saw four large Ships,and immediately made the Signal, forsome of his Squadron to endeavour tocome up with them ; But, they bearingaway, and it being foul Weather, ourswere called off, to prevent losing Com-pany. The next Morning,he discoveredsix Sail a-stern of him, about sevenLeagues N. of Cape St. Vincent, forwhich he lay by with little Wind, thatif they were some of his own Ships,they might come up, or if Enemies, hisShips have Time to get together.
Th* fifteenth, at Night, the Windwas contrary ; But veering about in theMorning, to the N. N. W. he madeSail. Soon after, he saw four FrenchMen of War, about three Leagues toWindward of him, near Lagos, andtwo more, at a Distance, under thep Shoar. For the better Security of the
Merchant Ships,he ordered them to thehis” Leeward, and commanded Vice Admi-ral Hopfbn, and five Sail more, to chafeto Windward; But the Enemy’s Ships,^ being clean, and at a Distance, escaped.
Admi -It was, therefore, concluded, in a Coun-/e^ evil cil of War, that Rear-Admiral Nevil,fch 0 f with the PVarspight, Tori, Chatham,cj’ off and two Dutch Men of War, of seventyhric e S? ' Guns each, together with twoFirefhips,should stand away towards Cape St.Vincent, in Search of them ; And afterhaving cruised there six Days, shouldjoin the Lisbon- St. Ubes- and Oporto-Convoy, and bring them to Cadiz.
Sir Francis, himself, arrived there, 1694.the nineteenth of January, having part- Sir Francised with the Canary Convoy, at a con- ^ e ^ rar *venient Station. He found the Spanijh Cadiz.Armada, being about sixteen Sail, in Finds theCadiz-Bay, all unrigg’d; But their Ad- Ar 'miral assured him they should be readyabout the latter End of March. Fromth eDutch, he had no great Assistance tohope, (no more than from the Spanijh )
For tho’ seven of their Ships accompa-ny’d him from England, two more werefound at Cadiz, and four others werequickly, expected as Convoy to theirMerchants; Yet the like Number wereto return home in the Room of them ;
So that, considering the Convoys he wasto appoint, and the Smallness of hisSquadron, he was not a little doubtfulof the Success of the Expedition.
He found the Flat a in Cadiz-Bay, sothat he had no farther Care for them ;
And, the five and twentieth of January,
Rear Admiral Nevil returned fromcruising off of Cape St. Vincent, wherehe fortunately joined the Convoys Imentioned above, when they were inSight of the Enemy. After he had ap- Vice-Admi-pointed two Third-Rates, two Fourth- r f ntRates and a Fire-ship, with four Dutch with theMen of War, two of which were of Merchant-seventyGuns, to convoy the homeward- Ships.bound Trade, under the Command ofVice Admiral Hsy-/o?r, he put to Sea, onthe tenth of February ; But, when he s - r p ranc j shad got the Entrance of the Streights Wheeleropen, he was forced to bear up again, J ails; Butisfor the Bay of Bulls, where he anchored ^gait ^the next Day. He departed from
8 L thence,
ralty, in their Orders, bearing Date, the twen-tieth of November, to proceed to Cadiz , withsixteen Third-Rates, seven Fourth-Rates, oneFifth-Rate, one Sixth-Rate, six Fire-slips, twoBomb-Vessels, an Hospital-Ship , and a Store-ship, in Company of several Dutch Ships of War,appointed to join him, and to take, under hisConvoy, all Merchant-ships bound to Turky, orany Port in Spain or Italy.
If he arrived at Cadiz, before the SpanijhPlate-Fleet, he was to cruise in such Station asshould be agreed on, at a Council of War, notexceeding thirty Days, to secure them in theirPassage ; And when the said Fleet came intoPort,or if they did not so do, within the aforesaidTime, he was to proceed into th ^Mediterranean,With seven Third-Rates, as many Fourth-Rates,one Fifth-Rate, one Sixth-Rate, four Fire-ships,two Bomb-Vessels, and the Hospital-ship andStore-ship, together with the Dutch, The Reftof the Squadron he was to leave at Cadiz, withOrders to the Senior Officer to remain one andtwenty Days there, and then to return to Eng-land, with all the Trade that should be ready toaccompany him ; And, if the Spanijh Ships ofWar arrived at Cadiz', before Sir Francis Whee-ler's Departure thence, he was to concert with
their Admiral, where to join him at his Returnfrom convoying the Turky- Trade.
He had particular Instructions, what Convoysto fend to Turky, and to other Ports up theStreights, which he was to accompany as high asthe Channel of Malta ; But was cautioned (asusual) not to block up any of the Grand Signor’sPorts, and if he took any Ships, wherein werethe Persons, or Effects, of that Prince, or HisSubjects, he was ordered to set both one and theother on Shoar, at the first convenient Place.
When he had thus sent forward the smallConvoys, he was to return with the Englijh andDutch Ships of War, and join the Spanish Squa-dron, and with their Assistance to endeavour toannoy the Enemy, and protect the TradeAndwhen he judged the Turky Convoys might be ontheir Return, he was to repair to the appointedRendezvous for joining them, and accompanyingthem to England, bringing with him the severalTrades, from the Ports in the Streights and Ca-diz.
He was also farther directed, when he shouldbe in the Mediterranean, to send two or threeShips before Algiers, Tunis, and Tripoli , to con-firm the Peace with those Governments, and todeliver His Majesty’s Presents to them.