Ann.

Naval Expeditions , &c. oj the Englilh,

Book

1703. was now ordered to go without theEarl, and was appointed Commander inchief in the Weft-lndies. (d) He wasordered at first [to proceed from hencewith the Resolution, Blackmail andSheerness only; But the latter not prov-ing fit for the Voyage, it was afterwardsthought proper, that the Montague, ofsixty, and the Nonsuch, of fifty Guns,which were then at Plymouth, shouldaccompany him, a Hundred and fiftyLeagues into the Sea.

The eighteenth of March, being ingue engages the Latitude of seven and forty Degreesa French and thirty Minutes, the Vice-AdmiralSh! F having with him the aforesaid Ships, andthe Transports with Brigadeer Colum-bine’s Regiment, together with someStore-ships and Merchant-men, they

( d ) Vice-Admiral Graydonst Instructi-ons-

First, To fail to Plymouth, in the Sheerness,a Fifth-Rate , and from thence to Barladoes,with her, the Resolution and Blackmail, the for-mer a Third-and the other aFourth-Rate. Therehe was to take under his Command the aforemen-tioned Ships with Captain Walker, and such ci-thers as he should find at that Place i But if theywere failed from thence, to repair to Mevis, orany other of the Plantations, where they might bemet with, and thence proceed, in such Manner,as should be found most for the Service, upon 'itsbeing considered at a Council of War, of the Sea-Captains, and the Chief, and other properOilicers,of the Land-Forces - And if he attempted anyThing in the Leeward Islands, that might occasi-on his making any considerable Stay there, hewas to fend a Frigat to Rear-Admiral Whetstone,with Orders to get himself ready, in all Relpects,to fail against his Arrival at Jamaica.

Secondly, He was not to stay longer in at-tempting any of the French Plantations, than thetwentieth of May, and then, (or before if pos-sible) to proceed, with all the Ships of War, andthe Tranfport-Ships, with Soldiers, Ammunitionand Stores, and such Forces as the Commander inChief of the Land-Forces should appoint, to PortRoyal, in Jamaica ; And this he was forthwith todo, if he found that Captain Walker, with theShips and Troops, had done what they were a-ble against the said French Plantations, and goneto Jamaica before he arrived.

Thirdly, When he came to that Island, he wasto put the Ships of War and other Vessels, intothe best and most speedy Condition, for their Re-turn home j To cause to be received on Boardthem, so many Land-Soldiers, as the Command-er in Chief should desire, and to bring also to En-gland suchPrifoners, as should be taken during theExpedition.

Fourthly, He was to consider what two Shipsof the Fourth-Rate, one of the Fifth, and anotherof the Sixth, might be most properly left at Ja-maica, and accordingly leave them there, with theFire-ships provided by the Inhabitants, for the De-fence of the Island..

Fifthly, Three other Ships he was to fendwith the Trade bound from Jamaica to England,as soon as they should be ready to sail, and he wasordered to leave two at the said Island, to bringhome the latter Trade, the Beginning of Au-

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saw four French Men of War to Lee- i 7 ° 3 ’ward, two of about sixty, one of fifty,and the other of forty Guns, which lat-ter being not only the smallest but thesternmost, the Montague, commandedby Captain Cleveland, bore down to,and engaged her. The Vice-Admiral,hereupon, made the Signal for a Line ofBattle, and consequently for the Mon-tague’s coming off; But her Fore-top-sail being shot to Pieces, she could notbe so quick in tacking, but that the ci-ther three Ships wore, and bearingdown to the Ship that had been engag-ed, each of them gave the Montague aBroad-fide, tho’ without doing hermuch Damage. The French Ships(which were Part of Monsieur Du Case’sSquadron that Captain Bembow had pur-sued,

Sixthly, Besides these Detachments, he wasto fend two Fourth-Rates to Virginia, to joinsome others at that Place, and to accompany theTrade from thence to England, at the Time pre-fixed for their Departure.

Seventhly, This being done, he was, with theRest of the Squadron, and all the Tranfport-Shipswith Soldiers, Victualers, Store-ships aud others,to make the best of his Way to Newfoundland, butto leave at Jamaica the Hulk and Stores, forthe Use of such Ships as might be sent thi-ther.

Eighthly, When he came to Newfoundland,he was to consider, at a Council of War, ofSea- and Land-Officers, how the French mightbe best attempted and destroyed at Placentia ,with the Assistance of the Land-Forces, as well asat their other Settlements in those Parts, and togovern himself accordingly ; And if he found,that any of the Ships could be conveniently sparedto attack the French Fishery on the Bank, he wasto fend them on that Service. But he Wasyet farther enjoined, to repair to Boston, in NewEngland, if he judged, when he failed from Ja-maica, he should be too early at Newfoundland,and to take from that Government such Soldiersas it might be able to furnish, provided they couldget Embarkations timely ready, not only to trans-port the said Soldiers to Newfoundland, but backagain.

Ninthly, When he had done his utmost atNewfoundland, and on the Bank, he was to ap-point two Ships to convoy the Fishing-Vesselsbound to Portugal ; But to caution their Captainsnot to go into any Port, still they were thorouglysatisfied there was not a Rupture with that Crown;

And having given these necessary Orders, he wasto repair toEngland,with the Rest of the Squadron,without Delay.

A Squadron (fays Bp Burnet ) was sent to the BufNWest-Indies ,commanded by Graydon ; A Man bru-tal in his Way, aud not well affected to the pre-sent State of Affairs. The Design was to gather-all the Forces that we had scattered up and downthe Plantations, and with that Strength to go andtake Placentia, and so to drive the French out ofthe Newfoundland Trade: But the Secret of thiswas lo ill kept, that it was commonly talked ofbefore he failed: The French had timely Noticeof it, and sent a greater Force to defend thePlace ? than he could bring together to attackit.