HISTORY OF MARINE ARCHITECTURE.

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was assumed a tone of more boldness than on this occasion ; and the temper withwhich it was endured by those elevated personages who were more materiallyaffected by it, stands as no slender proof that the complaint was just.

With

tlieir convoy should be one fourth and two fifth-rate ships. Upon their representing their fears ofdanger from the Dunkirk squadron, it was told them from the board, they need not be under any ap-prehension on that score, for the Dunkirk squadron was gone to the westward, which proved untrue;for, on the Thursday following, the Hampton Court, Grafton, and Royal-Oak, sailed out of theDowns with the ships under their convoy, and the next day, being the second of May, fell in withthe Dunkiik squadron.

Seventhly, the merchants instanced in the convoy which went with the king of Portugal’s horses ;and many other merchants ships, which were attacked the 10th of October last by the Dunkirk andBrest squadrons joined together, who burnt one of our men of war, and took three others, withabout thirty of our merchant ships.

To shew this, the merchants produced the Gazette of the 3d ofNovember, 1707.

These several convoys having been thus attacked in the Soundings and Channel in less than a yearand a half, the merchants insisted was a convincing proof of their insufficiency.

The second general head of complaint was, of the great discouragement and prejudice to trade bythe merchants being under a necessity of waiting so long for convoys, whereby their charges vvereex-ceedingly increased, great damages happened to their cargoes, and their markets were lost.

The 25th of March, 1707, a fleet sailed for Portugal, but there was then a prospect given thatthere fhould soon go another convoy. This encouraged the shipping of great quantities of corn andwoollen manufactures, and the heat of the weather coming on, pressing applications were made forthat convoy, but without success.

The 10th of August the grand fleet sailed from Portsmouth, but took no merchant ships under theirconvoy.

Another instance insisted upon was, that a great number of merchant ships having gotten intoPortsmouth from Jamaica, Virginia, New-England, Antigua, Lisbon, and other parts, in Decem-ber, 1706, as also many coasters, all these were detained there for want of convoy to the Downs, fromthat time to the 24th of April following, between four and five months, although frequent applicationswere made to the prince’s council for convoy to the Downs, from the masters there, and the ownersat London, and many promises given ; and yet, during that time, many of her Majesty’s ships laythere in harbour, and several men of war passed by from Plymouth, without calling for the merchantships which lay there.

Sir Thomas Hardy, with the Eaft Indian ships, and other ships from Ireland, passed by withoutcalling in.

When these merchant ships came into Portsmouth, the Southampton lay ready fitted at Spithead,and continued there two months at least; and the Anglesea lay there a considerable time ready fitted.

During this time, several frigates sailed from Portsmouth, and cruized up as far Dungeness, withinseven leagues of the Downs, but, for want of orders, took no ships with them.

While these ships lay there for want of convoy, there were at Spithead the following men of war,many of which lay there a considerable time:

Anglesea,