goo Geo; I. Naval Expeditions, &c. oj the English, Book VI-
About the Middle of June, Advice 1722*came, to London, that Captain Ogle, Pirats tak? nCommander of His Majesty’s Ship, the the
Swallow, had, by Stratagem, taken the coastShip of Roberts, the great and notorious nea.
Pirat, and two other large Ships his Con-sorts, one of which was of forty, ano-ther two and thirty, and the third offour and twenty Guns. (r) The Begin-ning of the next Month, came Advice,that the Greyhound Man of War, Cap- ey reaC iery°ftain JValround, had met with barbarous she Sp ast '*'Treatment from the Spaniards , at Cuba , ards-who killed the Captain, and the Ship’sDoctor, with seven or eight Men more,wounded the Lieutenant, and severalothers, and then robbed the Ship, to the
Value
1722.
The Parlia-ment dissolv-ed, and ano-ther called, r
A Rewardgranted theCaptors ofthe SpanishShips, in theMediterra-nean.
that their Trade was almost at a Stand,or, at best, so hazardous, that veryfew cared to be concerned in it. (7)
The tenth of March, a Proclamationwas published, for distolving the firstSeptennial Parliament ; And, the thir-teenth, another for calling a New Par-liament, to bear Lejle, the fourteenth,and returnable, the tenth of ■ May. (r)TheBeginning of May, a Warrant pass’dthe Seals for the Payment of two andtwenty Thousand, five Hundred andtwelve Pounds, two Shillings and eightPence, to the Captors of the SpanijhPrizes, taken by His Majesty’s Fleet,und r the Command of Sir George Byng,in the Mediterranean, in the Year, 171S.
of Portugal having thought fit to grant these Gen-tlemen their free Pardon, and wink at the Exportof Gold, as before, the Design was laid aside.
AT the Conclusion of the Year 1721, the Ro-yal Navy of Great Britain consisted of the fol-lowing Ships, in the following Condition.
Rates. Guns.
1
2
3
100908 a706050
Line of Battle.
5 40
3 °
6 20Fire-ships.Bombs.Hospital-ship,Store-ship.Sloops.
Yachts.
Total.
Ships in goodRepair.
4
5
9
16
12
33 '
79
14
5
152211
12
7
AbftraB, Dec. z r.In Hand, Building,Rebuilding, or undera Thoro’ Repair.
3
2
3
5
4
19
1 721.
In Want of aMidling Rep.
4
In Want of aThoro’ Repair,or Rebuilding.35
53
6
22
6
2
8
1
x
138
40
Total.
7
13
id
241846
124
23
7
25
3
3
1
r
12
7
2 06
(q) About the fame Time a List was handedabout', of all the Ships, which had been taken ordestroyed by the Pirats for five Years before, a-mounting to near two Hundred.
(r) By a List of the Royal Navy, published a-bout this Time, it appeares to have consisted ofSeven First-Rates; Thirteen Second-Rates ; NineEnd thirty Third-Rates; Sixty-fix Fourth-Rates ;Three and thirty Fifth-Rates; Two and twentySixth-Rates; Four Fire-ships; Four Bomb-Vessels;Fourteen Yachts ; Six Sloops ; One Store-ship ;One Hospital-Ship ; Twelve Hoys ; One Smack ;And five Hulks ; Together two Hundred andeight and twenty Bottoms.
As there is some Difference between these twoLists, especially in the small Craft, I think it pro-per to inform my Readers, that the first came tomy Hands warranted by the most unquestionableAuthority.
(s) The Swallow, sailing off of Cape-Lopaz,in Search of these Pirats, they perceived that twoof them were upon the Heel, scrubbing; Uponwhich Captain Ogle acted the Part of a Trader.Roberts , being desirous of a Prize, ordered theShip of two and thirty Guns, and a Hundred twoand thirty Men, commanded by one Skyrm, imraediately to flip his Cable, and run out after him.The Swallow keeping her fame Course and Sail,
decoyed him to so great a Distance, that the otherShips could not hear the Noise of their Guns ;And then, suddenly tacked about, and run outhis lower Tire. With the first Broad-side, Skyrtttwas wounded, and upon this his Men were so dil-heartned, that after an Hour and a half's Engage-ment, they surrendered. Captain Ogle afterwardshoisted the King’s Colours, under Robert’s blackFlag, having a white Skeleton in it, and so wentinto Cape LopaZ , to fetch out the other two Ships.The Pirats, seing the Man of War coming in, witha black Flag uppermost, began to rejoice ; Buttheir Joy was short ; For the Swallow , aster hav-ing engaged Roberts’s Ship of forty Guns, and aHundred and two and fifty Men, for near twoHour’s, and kilfdthis Arch-Pirat, took them. Itwas believed they hadgreat Riches on Board ; Butaccording to Captain Ogle’s Account to the Admi-ralty, dated April, £ ■ the Gold they found amount-ed to but about three Thousand Pounds. TheThree Ships were carried to St. Thomas’s, andtheTrisoners, to the Number of one Hundreand sixty (several having made their Escape.; oCape-Coast-Castk ; Where being tried, sejenty-four were sentenced to Death, two and fifty whang'd, and many of them in Chains, tn cm-ferent Places,