j 26 Ann. Naval xseditions ,
1704. under his Command a Squadron of Ships,which were particularly appointed forhim. His Instructions for this Expedi-tion, being prepared by Order of HisRoyal Highness, and read at a Com-mittee of the Council, the five and twen-tieth, were agreed to, signed and dis-patched, the lame Evening.
Resets fail. Pursuant to his Orders, sailing
from St. Helen's, he arrived off of Ply-mouth, the twelfth of May, (ni) Andthe fifteenth was between Fourn-headA Council of and the Lizzard, his first Rendezvous.War. Here he called a Council of War, uponIhtelligence sent him from the Admiral-ty Office, that the Count de Thouloufe,would be ready to Sail, the Beginningof this Month, and other Advices, thathe actually did fail the second. («) Atthis Council, some were for having theAdmiral take the whole Squadron withhim ; But as he was confined, by hisInstructions, to two and twenty, he re-Alved to fend back two Third-, fiveFourth-, and a Fifth-Rate, under Com-mand of Sir Stafford Fairborn, with Or-ders to call in at Kingfale, in Ireland,for the home-ward-bound Trade, andhaving convoyed them to Plymouth,there to wait the Lord High Admiral’sOrders.
(m) The Line of Battle.
The St. George to lead with the Starboard,and the Revenge with the Larboard Tacks onBoard.
Fr ’jhipl' Bate. Ships. Men.Guns.Divistons.
2 St. George. 680 pd
Bridgwatcr. 4 Moderate. 365 60
Lightning- 3 Torbay. 300 80 Vice Adm.
Fire-ship. 3 Shrewsbury. 540 80 of the Red,
1 error- Bomb. 3 Effex. 440 70 Sir Staf-
4 Glocester. 363 do ford Fair-
3 Royal Oak. 500 76 bom.
4 Monk. 365 do
% 3 Boyne.
500
80
3 Warfpight-
340
70
Roebuck. 4 Triton.
280
5°
Admiral
Vulcan-YsxoVn.^ Orford.
44 0
70
of the
William and 2 Barfleur.
710
p<5
White,
Mary-Yzcht.z Namur.
680
p<5
Sir Clou-
Princess Ann. 4 Medway.
3 6 5
do
desiy
Hospital. 3 Swiftfure.
440
70
Shovel .
3 Lenox.
440
70
3 Nassau.
440
70
3 Rupert.
440
70
Rear-Ad.
Vuliure-Firo- 3 Norfolk.
500
80
of the
ship. 3 Ranelagh.
535
80
Red,
Sfar-Bomb. 3 Dorsetshire.
500
80
George
4 Kingftone.
3 6 5
do
Byng,FS<\
4 Assurance .
3 6 5
do
4 Revenge.
440
70
&c of the Engiisti, Book
Going out of the Channel, he took x 7 ° 4 * ;four Prizes, of which two were small Four 'P fi ^'Privateers: And the eight and twenti - taken 'eth of 'May, being about a Hundred andforty Leagues, S. W. by W. fromScilly,' he called another Council of jf gC ond rWar, (0) and, pursuant to a Resolution Council °Jthere taken, made the best of his Way War-to Lisbon, in Order to join Sir GeorgeRooke, to whom I shall now return.
Sir George Rookest Proceedings from
Lisbon, 'till joined by Sir Cloudesiy
Shovel-
Sir George, setting Sail from Lisbon, sir Geort*for the Mediterranean, came, on the Rooke ^nine and twentieth of April, off of CapeVincent, with seven and thirty Sail, ofthe Line of Battle, and four Fire-ffiips.
(p) He had on Board the Prince ofHejfe-Darmfladt, with two Companiesof Foot, made up of Spanish Desertersand as many Spanish Officers, who hadleft the Duke D'Æjou' s Service, aswere sufficient to command two Regi-ments. The Prince of Hejje was verypressing with the Kings of Spain andPortugal, that two Thousand Land-menmight be put on Board, and Sir George
waited
(») It was determined to leave the Stationthey were in immediately, and to fail to the se-cond Rendezvous , which was in the Soundings „
W. S. W. or S. W. by W. about twenty-Leaguesfrom Scilly , and, leaving a Ship there, eight andforty Hours, to give Notice to thole wanting,forthwith to proceed, with the Fleet, to a StationWeft, or W. S. W. a Hundred and forty, or aHundred and fifty Leagues from Scilly , if theycould get thither; Or, if not, to part with theWeft-fndra-Squzdron, then under Command ofCaptain Kerr, a Hundred and fifty Leagues fromScilly , as also with Sir Stafford Fairborn, and theShips with him, and each Squadron to make thebest of their Way, according to the Instructionsthose Officers had received.
(0) It was resolved, that fince the Fleet hadbeen traversing in the Soundings , and the Mouthof the Chanel , near a Fortnight, with Southerlyand South-West Winds, and that they had notseen the French Squadron, for which Reasonthey judged they might be gone Southward, theAdmiral should, the next Morning, send SirStajford Fairborn home, the IVst India Squadronforward, and, with the Reft of his Squadron,make for Lisbon.
C p) He had with him two Second-Rates, fifteenThird-Rates, four Fourth-Rates, one Fifth-Rate,one Sixth-Rate, and four Fire-lhips, English, andfourteen Sail, all of the Line of Battle, Dutch iAnd Orders were left at Lisbon, for anotherFourth-Rate, and a Fifth-Rate to follow.