748 Ann.

Naval Expeditions ? &c. s/' the Engliih, Book V.

1702.

Arrives onthe Coafl of

Portugal.

A Council ofWar.

Several

French

Pnzestaken.

Prince came the next Day, and the Dayfollowing reviewed the Forces whichlay encamp’d in the IJle of Wight. Thefourth, he took a View of the wholeFleet, and honoured Sir George Rooke,with his Presence, at Dinner, on Boardthe Royal Sovereign. The nineteenth,the Fleet weigh’d from Spitkcad, andcame to an Anchor at St. Helen's, (e)The twenty-second Rear-Admiral Fair-born, and Rear-Admiral Gray don, weredetach’d, with thirty English and DutchShips, first to look into the Groyne, andif they saw any Squadron of French Shipsthere, to block them up ; But, if theyfound none, to cruise off of Cape Fini-ferre, at ten or twelve Leagues Dist-ance, Northwest ; But the Body of theFleet did not reach the Start , ’till thetwenty-first of July. (f)

The next Day, they got off of theDeadman, from whence continuing theirCourse cross the Bay of Biscay, withlittle Wind, Northerly, they reachedthe Station for joining Rear-AdmiralFair born, on the thirtieth. The last ofJuly, the Lime-Fright was sent to theGroyne, in Quest of Admiral Fair born,and returned, the third of Auguf, withAdvice, that neither he, nor any ofthe French Fleet, were in the Groyne,(g) Sir George hereupon made a Sig-nal for all the Flag-and Land-Gen eral-Officers, to come on Board him to aCouncil, (h)

About one, in the Afternoon, theybore away, and, about two, the Ply-mouth came into the Fleet, with Advice,

2.

that Admiral Fairborn, with his Squa- 170

dron, was about nine Leagues, S. W.from thence, and that Captain Norris,in the 'Orford, had taken three FrenchPrizes, and the Dutch two. The se-venth, the Admiral made the Signalfor all the Cruisers to come in, and sentoff the Lime- Frigat for Intelligence.

The next Morning, the Orford cameinto the Fleet, from Admiral Fairborn, Adm - }ra las the Admiral himself did, with his FairbornTSquadron, about Noon, after having Squadronbeen reduced to great Streights for ^Want of Provisions. Soon after, thewhole Fleet made the Rock of Lisbon,towards which Place, Sir George sentthe Kent and Pembroke- Frigats. On theninth, they returned, and the Admiraland General having received all theAdvice they could from Mr. Methuen,

Her Majesty’s Envoy at Lisbon, andthe Prince of Hejfe, (the latter ofwhom, together with the Son of theformer, arrived the tenth, with the Ad-venture, D Ays off ^' and Lime ) concerningthe State of Cadiz, a Council of War,of Land and Sea-Officers, was called,the eleventh, (i) The next Morning, More ftissthe Cruisers brought three Tartans into \ a hen.the Fleet, and the Isabella- Yacht broughtAdvice from Lisbon, that four FrenchMen of War and four Gallies were inthat Harbour. (Æ)

The fame Morning, Sir George made The fl eeihis Signal to draw up in a Line of Bat-tie, and steer’d away for Cadiz, which,by Noon, he had about six Leagues di-stant. About five, the same (Mr. Bur-

chett

( e ) We have the following Account of theFleet, at this Time.

Sir George Rooke , Vice-Admiral of England ,&c. Chief Admiral, in the Royal Sovereign , withthe Union Flag , at her Main-top-mast Head.

Vice Admiral Hepfin , in the Prince George,with a Red Flag , at her Fore-top-maft-Head.

Rear-Admiral Fairborn, in the St. George,with the White Flag, at her Mizzen-top-mast-Head.

Rear-Admiral Graydon , in the Triumph,with a Blue Flag, at her Mizzen-top-mast-Head-

Five Dutch Flags, viz- two Admirals, twoVice-Admirals, and a Rear-Admiral.

Fifty Ships, of the Line of Battle, the Flag-ships included, viz. thirty English and twentyDutch.

Besides Fire-lhips and Cruisers, Bomb-Shipsand Hospitalers, Yachts, Transports, Victu-alers, Tenders, &c. about one Hundred and sixty

Sail in all. . , T .

The English Ships of the Line were: lheAssociation, Monmouth, Essex, Cambridge, PrinceGeorge, Oxford, Tar mouth, Grafton , Cumberland,Lenox, Berwick, Triumph, Torbay, Pembroke,

Northumberland, Barfleur, Sterljng-Cafile,Bur-ford, St. George, Expedition, Chichejler, Swtjt-

fure, Kent , Boyne, Bedford, Royal Sovereign , Ra-il e lag b, Plymouth, Eagle and Sommerfet.

(f) They were, for some Time (fays BishopBur net) stop'd by contrary Winds, Accidents and Burnet-Pretences, many of which were thought to bestrained and sought for.

(§•) He Had been driven from Cape Finisterre,by contrary Winds, and was working up to it a-gain. ' c

(h) At this Consultation, the Dutch, being ap- Life 7prehensive that, by this Time, the French Toulon- R00WSquadron might be come into the Ocean, werefor continuing in this Station, 'till Admiral Fair-born bad joined them ; But, in the End, they a-greed to the Opinion of the English , which wasto bear away towards Lisbon, in Order to meethim.

(0 It was determined to put, that Night, aDetachment of Grenadiers on Board two or threeFrigats, to be set on S hoar near Rota, on a Disco-very.

(k) They had ask’d Leave of the Governour,to fink t wo of Her Majesty's Ships, the Adventureand the L’Ayftoss, which were then lying there;

But were anfwer'd ; That, as the English were nottheir Enemies, they were obliged to proteii thenhbeing under their Cannon.