7 *

HISTORY OF* Marine' 'ARCHITECTURE/

mighty plunder without molestation, 'or an attempt 'at reprisal; yet these unfor-tunate accidents will be found, on close scrutiny, by no means affording so

glaring

22. The Virginia merchants' allege, that in October, 1705, some of their ships sailed fromlienee under convoy of the Woolwich and Advice, which were ordered to stay till reinforced fromEngland; that they were promised the Greenwich and Hazardous should sail the first fair wind inJanuary following j but that they did not sail till May, which occasioned their not reaching Virginia•till August.

The Greenwich and Hazardous were ordered for this service the 26th of February, 1705-6, butcould net get clear from Plymouth till the 24th of April; and on the 27th they were forced, by badweather, into Falmouth ; but the Hazardous sailed soon after, for the Greenwich was disabled, andforced to come to Greenwich to refit: however, the said ship Greenwich sailed from Plymouth the1st of June, and arrived at Virginia the 11 th of August j and the 17th of September sailing fromthence, with the Hazardous, Woolwich, and Advice, and 182 merchant ships, arrived with themjn the Channel the November following.

03. The said Virginia merchants have farther represented, that in the hope of convoys proceedingfrom hence to Virginia the last Spririg, many ships that .carried stores from hence to Lisbon, andothers from London, proceeded to Virginia, but remained there till September last, expecting con-voy, and must now come home without, in the winter season. That although in the last Spring hermajesty in council ordered a convoy to be ready in August, yet the said convoy remains at Ports-mouth.

The delays and misfortunes which have happened this year to the Virginia traders are, in a greatmeasure, to be attributed to the different interests and opinions of the merchants and planters con-cerned in that trade ; to the different westerly wands which have hindered their departure ; and tothe delays occasioned by several merchants chartering their ships to the Portugueze convoys for trans-porting horses to Lisbon.

24. They farther declare, that for some years past there hath not been a frigate appointed to takecare of the Virginia coast; for want of which many ships have been taken going in, and comingout.

The ships of war which convoy the Virginia ships have usually orders to cruize betweenthe capes while the trade is loading. The Strombolo had those particular orders; the Gosport,which was taken in her passage, and which may occasion this complaint, had the same; theGuardland is now upon that service; and the ships going out to Virginia have the same directions.

25. Complaint is made by Mr. John Wood of the difficulties he met with in September, 1706, andsome time after, in getting a ship of his, called the Union frigate, to Portsmouth.

This ship took in her cargo of corn at Shoreham, one of the most difficult ports to get out from:but, when the ships of war are ordered, either Eastward from Portsmouth, or Westward along theDowns, they have always directions to call at the several ports in their way ; but several have been■unsuccessfully appointed to get the ships and vessels out of this lutrbour.

26. The said board doth also affirm, that in the months, of April, May, and June last, there wereseveral ships freighted at Shoreham, which could not proceed to Spithead by reason of the enemy’s

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