842 Ann. Naval Expeditions, &c. of the English, Book V.

J 7°9-

Sir George Byngff Proceedings to theMediterranean.

an Account of what

Sir George Having givenoverthe'gL happened in the Soundings, and nearc/PortugaL Home, I must now go back to the lat-ter End of the Year, 1708. when SirGeorge Byng, Admiral of the Blue, wasappointed to carry the Queen of Portu-gal to Lisbon. Her Majesty being ar-rived at Portsmouth, from Holland, un-der Convoy of a British Squadron, com-manded by Rear-Admiral Baker, wenton Board the Royal Ann, the sixth of0 slob er, and the next Morning, theFleet, commanded by Admiral Byng,failed from Spithead, arrived the four-teenth at Cafcais, and, the sixteenth,went up the River of Lisbon, whereHer Majesty was received with greatState and Magnificence.

The Accounts we have of the Pro-ceedings of Sir George Byng, in the Medi-terranean, containing nothing very mate-rial, I shall but just hint at the Headsof them, in their proper Order. Thefirst thing the Admiral did was to or-der Cruizers in proper Stations, to pro-tect the Portugal-Brazil- Fleet, and ourTrade, in and about the StreightsMouth ; And then to fend some Britishand Dutch Ships, (/) to convoy Homethe Transports arrived from the Medi-terranean. About the Middle of No-vember, he received Orders to proceedto Port Mahon, and to winter in theMediterranean, leavihg Sir John Jen-nings at Lisbon, (m). The seven andtwentieth of December, he got underSail, (n) and the twelfth of January,

Cruisers appointed.

1709. after having suffered much bytempestuous Weather, which had sepa-rated his Squadron, he arrived at PortMahon, where he found the most of hisShips arrived before him. Here he dis-patch’d Order to Sir Edward IVhitaker,who was on the Coast of Italy, to joinhim, which he did, on the nineteeth ofFebruary, with about three Thousand,five Hundred Men, Land-forces; Gene-neral Stanhope being arrived, the four-teenth. With these Troops, and theGeneral, he put to Sea, (0) with a De-sign to relieve the Castle of Alicant.The fifth of April, he arrived in thatBay ; But, after some Attempts, findingthe Relief of that Place impracticable,the seventh, the General sent a Flag ofTruce on Shoar, with Proposals for sur-rendring the Castle, which being agreedto, the Garrison was embarked.

The Admiral now proceeded towardsBarcelona , (p) and, in his Way, landedGeneral Stanhope, with the Troops, atTerragona ; At Port Mahon, he wasjoined by Sir John Jennings, whom hehad ordered to meet him there. (7) Hav-ing dispatched some Ships for Genoa andFinal, (r) he ordered Sir John Jenningsto guard the Corn-lhips to Barcelona ,where Sir George joined him, the eighthof June, with the Rest of the Britijhand Dutch Men of War, And there SirEdward Whitaker likewise arrived withhis Squadron from Italy, and above twoThousand Recruits for the Army.

The whole Fleet being now together,a Council of War was called, to considerhow it might be best employed ; Andthe Resolution was, that Sir John Jen-nings should return to guard the Coast of

Portugal ;

1709.‘The Admiralarrives atPort Mahon*

Attemptsvain to re-lieve theCastle ofAlicant.

Sails forBarcelona*

as

The wholeFleet joifat BarceW'na j

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had thirteen Men killed, and six and fifty wound- Rates, and a Fifth-Rate, a-head to Alicant , toed; The Captain himself was wounded in his assure the Governour of the Castle of his Assist-Right Leg, and had several other Hurts; And ance.

the second Lieutenant, and Mr. Law/on, a Vo- (0) He took eleven Ships of the Line of Battlelunteer, were shot thro’ the Body- The Fal- with him, left some to clean and refit, and em-mouth had twenty Thousand Pounds, New Eng- ployed others on Services desired by the King ofland Mony, on Board her, at the Time of the Spain So that he was not yet able to send anyEngagement. f Ships to Sir John Jennings.

Burchett. (/^They were three Third-Ratfes, which {p) He first detached some Ships to cruise forwere in the worst Condition for continuing abroad, the TarÆy-Fleet, and others with Transports forwhich were joined by four Ships of War, of the Corn to Barbary.

States General. / (?) SiR John was off of Gibraltar the twenty-

<• (m) He was ordered to leave witp Sir John first of May, with sixteen Men of War, Britijh

Jennings two Third-Rates, and one Fifth-Rate, and Dutch , and about forty Transports laden withand to fend to him such Ships as were over and Corn, as also with Provisions and Stores for the

above the sixteen, which were to remain under his Fleet, and arrived at Fort.Mahon the eight and

Command. twentieth.

(») He had with him one First-Rate, five Third- (r) They were the Suffolk, Humber, and lp-Rates, two Fire-ships, an Hospital-lhip, a Store- fwich, with some others, under Command of Sirship, and the Arrogant- Hulk. He left Orders Edward Whitaker, and their Orders were first towith Sir John Jennings to appoint the first Ships proceed to Leghorn , for a Supply of Provisions,

he should have clean, to guard the Mouth of the and then to transport the German Recruits from

Streights , and sent two Third-Rates, two Fourth- those Places for Barcelona.