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news was circulated by the telegraphs throughout the whole of the French empire: not a word of the batteries on shore. The 5th of July was called the naval Maringo. The destruction of the modern Carthage was predicted, in an epigram greatly admired in Paris, because it had lost its Hannibal. From the result of the engagement at Algeziras, the French nation, at large, inferred, without the smallest doubt, that their navy would soon be enabled, with proper attention, to contest the empire of the seas. "Honour and glory," exclaims one of their journalists," to the brave Linois, and the seamen who fought under him on the 5th of July! may an action so memorable form the epoch of the resurrection of the French navy, and prove to Europe, that it is not true that our navy is, from the nature and force of circumstances, destined to be inferior to that of England! Whence is it possible that the adage can have arisen, repeated sometimes even by Frenchmen, that on land we are superior to the English, but that we must admit all their advantages by sea? Most certainly we must admit them, on all occasions, when our marine, neglected and forgotten, receives neither encouragement nor pay, when no movement is seen in our ports, and our sailors are left in a state of humiliating and fatal inactivity. It was by actual service that our armies learnt to combat. They had courage, and experience gave them skill. The same result would infallibly take place, if, commencing with the elements of our marine, the same care and the same solicitude were extended for its restoration. To infer, from the great advantage given to our enemies, by

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a total neglect, to place our navy on a respectable footing, as well as our army, that this advantage is, in a manner, the natural inheritance of the English, and to form this conclusion into a kind of prejudice, is a

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proceeding the most unjust and absurd.-England is an island, and necessity makes the Englishcomplete seamen; but, though France is not an island, has she not numerous ports in the channel, and on the coasts of the ocean and Mediterranean? Does any one think that it is on board the packet-boats, between Dover and Calais, that English seamen formed? And can our French mariners go to both the Indies, the seas of the North, and the Pacific and Southern Oceans, by the stagecoach? These few observations show how easily the most absurd opinion may obtain circulation. Happily the present government well know it. It has not been discouraged by obstacles of any kind. It now reaps the fruits of its providence, patience, and zeal. The great example, which has just been exhibited, will add to the means which it developes. It will encourage our seamen, show our enemies what we can do, and prepare new triumphs."

It rarely happens, indeed it does not seem to be in human nature, that men should form an accurate and candid judgment concerning each others merits and character, independently of all accidents of fortune, whether prosperous or adverse. The judgment may labour, by a very up-hill operation, to come to, and to form such a decision, for a time; but the imagination is sure, sooner or later, to deface the work of the understanding, by the bril liant colours of a prosperous, or the gloomy shades of an unfortunate is

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sue. While the French, in the estimate they made of their own glory in the naval engagement at Algeziras, did not make a just account of the advantages they enjoyed, and the formidable obstacles and accidents encountered by sir J. Saumarez; the English nation, on whom, after defeat, all these made their full impression, could not, for a short time, refrain from accusing the admiral of imprudence. His gallantry was acknowledged. The bravery of his officers and seamen were also acknowledged; but the attack on the French ships, moored so near the gun-boats and batteries at Algeziras, was considered as imprudent. The most skilful naval commanders did not make this charge. The plan, they admitted, to be as well conceived as it was Courageous. It might have been executed with success and glory, but for the failing of the wind, and the stop that was put to the course of the Venerable. In the general estimation, however, the admiral's courage was carried to the full length of temerity: and, even in the judgment of the most experienced seaInen, the wisdom of his design, was probably somewhat diminished, by the failure in the execution.

Such was the temper and tone of the public mind in France and England, when intelligence was received of a second action fought by the squadron under sir J. Saumarez, in which he obtained a victory, not inferior to any of the most brilliant exploits that adorn our naval annals. The three French line of battle ships, disabled in the action of the 5th of August, were, on the 8th, reinforced by a squadron of five Spanish line of battle ships, under the command of don Juan de Moreno,

the same Moreno, who commanded the Spanish gun-boats, in 1782, in the attack on Gibraltar, and a French ship of 74 guns, wearing a broad pendant, besides three frigates, and an incredible number of gun-boats and other vessels. They got under sail on the morning of the 12th, together with the English ship, the Hannibal, which they had succeeded in moving off the shoal on which she had struck. Sir J. Saumarez almost despaired of getting a sufficient force in readiness to oppose to such numbers; but through the greatest exertions of the officers and men, the Cæsar, which was the admiral's ship, as already mentioned, was in readiness to warp out of the mole of Gibraltar, also, in the morning of the 12th; and immediately after the whole squadron got under weigh, except the Pompey, which ship had not had time to get in her masts. The English admiral determined, if possible, to obstruct the passage of so powerful a force, as that of the enemy, to Cadiz. Late in the evening, he observed the combined squadron to have cleared Cabareta Point, and, at eight, he bore up to stand after them. His majesty's ship, the Superb, a seventy-four, being stationed ahead of the Cæsar, he directed captain Keats to make sail, and attack the sternmost ships in the enemy's rear, and to use his endeavours to keep in shore of them. At eleven, the Superb opened her fire close to the enemy's ships, and, on the Cæsar's coming up, and preparing to engage a three-decker, that had hauled her wind, she was perceived to have taken fire, and the flames having communicated to a ship to the leeward of her, both were soon in a blaze, and presented

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a most awful sight. As there was no possibility of offering the least assistance to the enemy in so distressing a situation, the Cæsar passed on to close with the ship, engaged by the Superb; but, before the Cæsar could come up, that ship, the St. Antonio, of 74 guns, and 730 men, was completelysilenced, and hauled down her colours. The Venerable and Spencer having, at this instant, come up, the English admiral bore after the enemy, who were carrying a press of sail, and standing out of the straits; but lost sight of them during the night. It blew excessively hard till day-light; and in the morning, the only ships in company were the Venerable and Thames, ahead of the Cæsar, and one of the French ships at some distance from them, standing towards the shoals of Conil, besides the Spencer astern, coming up. All our ships immediately made sail with a fresh breeze, but, as they approached, the wind suddenly failed, and the Venerable alone was able to bring the French ship to action, which captain Hood did in the most gallant manner; and had nearly silenced her, when his mainmast, which had been before wounded, was unfortunately shot away, and thus the enemy's ship was enabled to get off,without any possibility of following her. The particular circumstances of the Superb's services, communicated to sir J. Saumarez, at his request, by the captain, were these: captain Keats, in consequence of the admiral's directions to make sail up to and engage the sternmost of the enemy's ships, at half past eleven found himself abreast of a Spanish three-decked ship, on which he opened his fire at not more than three cables' length, which produced

good effect not only in that ship, but in the other two, which laynearly in a line abreast of her: all which ships soon began firing on eachother, and at times on the Superb. The three-decker was the Royal Charles, carrying 112 guns. In about a quarter of an hour, he perceived the ship he was engaging, and which had lost her foretopmast, to be on fire. On this he instantly ceased to molest her, and proceeded on to the ship next at hand, the St. Antonio, above mentioned, under French colours, and manned, nearly in equal proportions, with French and Spanish seamen, and which, after some action, the chief being wounded, struck her colours. From the very few survivers of the ships that caught fire, and blew up, and who, in an open boat, reached the Superb, at the time she was taking possession of the St. Antonio, captain Keats learned, that, in the confusion of the action, the St. Hermenegildo, also 112 guns, mistaking, in a dark night, the Royal Charles for an enemy, ran on board her, and shared her melancholy fate.-The other Spanish ships, were the St. Ferdinando, of 9+ guns; the Argonaut, of 80; and the Wanton, a lugger of 12 guns.

The escape of the French ship, the Formidable, from the Venerable, was represented as a great naval victory, and a signal instance of the reviving glory of the French marine. Tronde, the officer who commanded the Formidable, which was the admiral's ship, while his flag was hoisted on board a frigate, said, that he was attacked by no less than three English ships of the line, and a frigate all of which he obliged, by well-pointed broadsides, to sheer off. They left him, he said,

in possession of the field of battle, where he expected they would renew the engagement; but, as they judged it prudent to retire, and as he was not in a situation that admitted of his pursuing them, captain Troude determined to continue his route to Cadiz, where he arrived, July 13, about two o'clock

in the afternoon. Here also the other crippled remains of the combined squadrons found shelter. Sir J. Saumarez went with his squadron to refit at Gibraltar: from whence, in a few weeks, he returned to blockade the enemy in Cadiz. Sir J. Saumarez was honoured by his majesty with the order of the Bath.

CHAP.

CHA P. XV.

Operations of the French at Land, as usual, more successful than those at Sea.-Combined Attack on Portugal, concerted between France and Spain, in which the Concurrence of Spain is not sincere, but intended as a Measure for the Prevention of greater Mischief.-Portugal deserted by England. Mutual Declarations of War between Spain and Portugal.— Sham War; and Peace between Portugal and Spain. The Preliminaries of that Pacification refused to be acceded to by the French Government.-French Army advances through the Pyrennees to the Portuguese Frontier, and sits down before Almeida.-The Portuguese Government, alarmed, prepare seriously for Self-defence, but unable to raise an effective Army of sufficient Strength.-The Portuguese Island of Madeira occupied by the English.-Pacification between France and Portugal.

TH

HE operations of the enemy were, as usual, more successful at land than at sea; in the interior of the great peninsula of Spain and Portugal, than on the shores.

The connexion between Great Britain and Portugal had been of so long standing, so intimate, and of so great mutual advantage, especially to Great Britain, that Portugal was considered and spoken of by the French, and men of their faction in Spain, as being, in fact, as a colony in the hands of England. It was, in truth, of greater value to this country than any of her foreign settlements, India alone excepted. An attack on Portugal, therefore, naturally occurred to the French government as a mode in which they might severely wound Great Britain, and induce her, for the safety of that kingdom, to make, in a general pacification, important

concessions to France. The Portuguese, our old and faithful allies, were not more disposed to continue in habits of close intercourse and friendship, than proud and confident in the protection of the English. If the English government would have supplied them with an army, as well as with a navy, the general voice of the court and nation, as in the war terminating in 1763, would have cheerfully embarked the fortune and fate of Portugal with that of Britain. Our ministers appeared, for some time, to have embraced the resolution of defending Portugal, and so late as October, 1801. The cabinet of Spain, unwilling to be dragged by the French into a contest with a kingdom, with which it was so nearly connected by the ties of blood, and which was destined, one day, to return within the busom of the

Spanish

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