8 i 6 Anjsl Naval Expeditions, dec. os the English, Book V.
1706.
The Lee-ward-I-slands j
Jndjzmakz.
1707.
Of-fer to theGovernouros Garthage-na;
Which is re-ject ed,
Goes thitherwith hisSquadron :
But, meetingwith a De-nials
Returns.
her, for the Leeward IJlands. (p) Onhis Arrival at Monferat he ordered theMary, Roebuck, and Faulcon, to rundown the Spanijh Coast, as low as Car-thagena, and to joyn him at Jamaica,with what Intelligence they could getof the Gallions. Having touched at o-ther of the Leeward IJlands, and detach-ed some of his Ships to the Rest, withthe necessary Supplies, he arrived atJamaica, the second of January , 1707.where he found Commadore KerVssmall Squadron refitting, but very de-stitute of Men, and got Information thatthe Gallions were still at Carthagena un-rigged.
From Jamaica, Sir John sent theMary, with a Letter, and an Accountof the Success of Her Majesty’s Arms,and of those of Her Allies, in Spain, toinduce him to a Sub million to KingCharles, offering, in that Cafe, HerMajesty Protection, and to convoy theGallions to Spain ; But he received thefame Answer as had been given- Com-madore Kerr, with the Addition, thathe had fresh Advices from Spain, whichassured him the Scale was turned in Fa-vour of King Philip, who was returnedto Madrid, and had regained all theTowns which were in Posseffion of hisEnemies.
Upon this Refusal, it was determin-ed, in a Council of War, the seven-teenth, that the whole Squadron,excep-ting the Northumberlend , a third Rate,which was disabled by the Sickness ofher Men, should proceed to the Bay ofCarthagena, which they did according-ly ; But the Governour and General ofthe Gallions, persisting in their Resolu-tions, Sir John departed thence, andhaving watered and fitted, in Blewfield’sBay, at Jamaica, set Sail, the five andtwentieth of February, and palling theGulph of Florida, with a favourableWind, arrived at Spithead, the twenty-fecond of April ; Being, likewise, fol-
lowed, by Commadore Kerr, who was 1707
succeeded by Commadore Wager, of I 5 s°! loVJ l
’el
by' Comma-
whose Proceedings I am next to give an Kerr .Account. (7)
Commadore Wager’s' Proceedings in theWest-Indies.
The Beginning of January, of thisYear, Commadore Wager received aCommission from His Royal Highness,the Prince, to command a Squadronordered for the WJl-Indtes ; But, theShips designed for this Undertaking notbeing all ready, did not go on Boardthe Expedition, the Ship he proposedto sail in, ’till the twentieth of Fe-bruary, at Blackjteakes, and, the Windbeing contrary, did not come, ’till theseven and twentieth, to the Nore.The ninth of March, he failed from theNore, and, the eleventh, anchored inthe Downs.
The latter End of March, the Com-madore having received his Instructions,and going, the nine and twentieth, onBoard the Expedition, at Spithead, hehoisted his Pendant, (r) The secondof April, he gave out sailing Orders,unmoored the next Day, and, havinganchored and brought to several Times,to give the Trade from the WesternPorts an Opportunity to join him, de-parted from the Ram-head ,the eleventh.
The six and twentieth, he arrived atMadera, and having taken in Wine forthe Use of his Squadron, set Sail again,the third of May. (f) The seven andtwentieth, the Commadore detached theSevern, Lynn and Dolphin, to give No-tice to the Governour of Barbadoes oftheir Approach with the Fleet, and thefirst of June, anchored with the wholeFleet in Carliste-Bzj. Having watered,the Fleet failed again the fifth; (t) An-chor’d in Five Ijland-Road in Antegoa ,the tenth; Watered, the eleventh, at
Montferat ;
CemmttiT s
Wager re-ceives aCommiJfi° nto go to tVWest-IiW”
HoistsPendant 0Board JExped*^
(p) Here, as well as at Barbadoes , he put onShoar the Guns and Ordnance-Stores appointed fortheir better Security.
(q) Before Commadore Kerr left Jamaica ,he had Advice by Letters found in a Prize, thata strong Squadron was expected in those Parts,from France, under Command of Messieurs Coet-logon and Du Cajfe , to convoy home the Gallions,which were, however, in no Readiness to accom-pany them.
(r) The Ships then bound for the West-Indies,under Commadore Wager's Command, were, theExpedition , Kingston , Portland, Severn, Scarbo-rough, Dolphin,Greenwich, Lynn and Deal-Caftle ;The three latter being Convoy to a Fleet of aboutfifty Merchant-lhips, bound to Barbadoes, Virgi-
nia, 8cc. And, the first of April, his Tenderjoined him from the Downs, under the Convoy ofthe Bedford and the Berwick. Mr. Burchett,without naming the Ships, fays he had under hisCommand, one Third-Rate, four Fourth-Rates ;two Fifth-Rates and a Firessiip.
si) Mr. Burchett, by Mistake, fays the fifthof fune, and supposes him to arrive at Antegoa,in four Days; But he should have said, as above,from Barbadoes-
(t) The Commadore had then with him eightMen of War; viz. the Expedi tion, KingstonPortland , Severn, Dolphin and Scarborough, forJamaica, the Deal-Caftle to clean at Antegoa, andto return to Barbadoes, and the Swan to attend,the Leeward Isiands, and obey Orders there.