HISTORY OF MARINE ARCHITECTURE.

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fla'Vue might have been thought sufficient to have preserved them -from the.fury,eyen of a petty corsair. The comparative view between the events of the, ty,'p,

reigns

one of "G guns, and the other two of 70 guns each, were judged a sufficient convoy between theDowns and Spithcad ; nor were there then any ships within reach to have strengthened them.

10 . It is also alleged, that the Russia ships, outward bound the last year, were attacked by theenemy, and sixteen of the merchant ships taken.

Sir William Whetstone, with the squadron under his command, did conduct them into the latitudeof 63 degrees, and then leaving them to their proper convoy, none of the merchant ships did fall intothe enemies hands, but those whose masters did actually leave the said convoy ; and that not till theywere in the latitude of ?8 degrees; about three weeks after Sir William Whetstone parted withthem.

11 . Complaint is also made, that the convoy which was conducting the ships with horses for theking of Portugal, and the trade to Lisbon, was attacked the 10 th of October last.

This convoy consisted of her majesty’s ships Cumberland, Devonshire, Royal-Oak, Ruby, andChester; being two of SO guns, one of 76, and two of 50 guns each, and was thought a suf-ficient convoy to Spain in the opinion of the merchants, till the misfortune happened by the acci-dental junction of two French squadrons : but, on this occasion, the queen’s ships behaved themselvesso well, that very few of the merchant ships were taken.

12 . The merchants also complain, that they waited long for convoys, and of the prejudice theyreceived when their ships returned from foreign parts for want of convoys to the river Thames. Thishead being general, their lordships are desired to refer to what hath been already faid on this subjectin the beginning of this paper.

13. They further allege, that they had orders, in July, 1704, to buy great quantities of corn forthe king of Portugal’s use; and that in July and August they did so; but that notwithstandingtheir frequent applications, they could not obtain convoy till the StU of February following.

This seems to be somewhat extraordinary, for they say their ships were ready to sail in July andAugust; whereas in the latter of those two months there were orders given to her majesty’s ships thePembroke, Canterbury, Greenwich, and Gloucester, to convoy the trade to Lisbon -. and on the6 th of September Sir William Whetstone was ordered, with the squadron under his command, -to fea100 leagues, South South West from Scilly, which he did ; but why the ships that were ready inJuly and August, as is alleged, did not proceed with their convoy, the masters, or the owners of.them, or both, can give the best account; besides, there were several ships belonging to tfieStates-Ge-neral, which called at Spithead in their way to Lisbon, and, as it had been concerted afthe Hague, took■our merchant ships under their convoy. Here it may be observed, that although it hath beenfound impossible to furnish convoys for the trade to Portugal at the immediate times the merchantshave applied for the same; yet there have been twenty-nine convoys, between England and that king-dom, from the month of April, 1 70S, to October last; and some of those convoys have beenmo lessthan great part of the fleet; and, at other times, considerable squadrons; particularly .in tlje year1706, there were five convoys in one year, which makes it very improbable that the king.of Portugal’smagazines and armies have been furnished from the Baltic.

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