voiles, bois, fers, et generalement tout autre sorte de peleterie agrets, et apparaux necessaires pour la construction, equipement, armement et entretien desdits vaisseaux, fregates, ou hourques seulment, bien entendu, que, sous quelque pretexte que ce soit elle ne pourra vendre ni debiter lesdits apparaux en tout ou en partie, sous peine de confiscation, et de tel autre chatiment qui sera juste, tant contre les vendeurs que les acheteurs, et d'etre privée sur le champ et pour toujours de ladite permission, à la charge aussi qu'apres l'accomplissement du present Traité, ladite Compagnie ne pourra se servir desdites fregates, hourques, ou navires, ni les faire repasser en Europe, a cause des inconvenients qui en pourroient arriver; mais qu'elle sera obligée de les vendre, trocquer, ou donner, comme bon lui semblera." Mr. Grey, the governor of Barbadoes, was obliged to leave that island for the benefit of his health. This year, not more than 100 sail of merchant ships were employed by the French in the whole trade to their colonies. A society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts was incorporated this year (the 13th of William III.) by letters patent under the King's privy seal. The state of the colonies is thus described in the first article: "Whereas we are credibly informed, that in many of our plantations, colonies, and factories beyond the seas, belonging to our kingdom of England, the provision for ministers is very mean, and many other of our plantations, colonies and factories are wholly destitute and unprovided of a maintenance for ministers, and the public worship of God; and for lack of support and maintenance for such, many of our loving subjects do want the administration of God's word and sacraments, and seem to be abandoned to atheism and infidelity: and also, for want of learned and orthodox ministers to instruct our said loving subjects in the principles of true religion, divers Romish priests and jesuits are the more encouraged to pervert and draw over our said loving subjects to popish superstition and idolatry, &c.: therefore his Majesty, considering it as his duty to promote the glory of God by the instruction of his people in the Christian religion, ordains certain provisions to be made for the sufficient maintenance of orthodox clergy to reside in such colonies, and for the propagation of the gospel in those parts. And for accomplishing these ends, the king engages, for himself, his heirs and successors, to erect, settle, and permanently establish a corporation, authorized to receive, manage, and dispose of the charity of his loving subjects, as divers persons will be induced to extend their charity to the uses and purposes aforesaid." Coke's West Indies, vol. i. p. 201. vol. ii. p. 118. Long's Jamaica, vol. i. p. 518. This expectation was realized. Large sums were subscribed and bequeathed to it. The scene of action which this society chose for its operations, at first, was the British colonies in North America. This charter was obtained through the exertions of Archbishop Tenison, who annually subscribed £50 to the society. There were also several sums of money sent to the society by persons who desired their names might be concealed. 1702. Upon the 8th of May, 1702, the Dutch published a manifesto, containing their reasons for declaring war against France and Spain. May the 4th, 1702, Anne, Queen of England, declared war against France and Spain. The Declaration, among other things, complains "de l'entrée dans la Mediterranée, et des ports de l'Espagne, dans les Indes Occidentales, par la moien de ses flotes, dans le dessein d'envahir par tout les libertez de l'Europe, d'empêcher la liberté de la navigation et du commerce.' July the 3d, 1702, Louis XIV., King of France, declared war against the Emperor, England, the States General of the United Provinces, and their allies. July the 15th, the English appeared off St. Christopher's with a fleet of twenty sail, with troops on board, under the command of Major-General Hamilton, who immediately sent a flag of truce to request the French governor, the Comte de Gennes, with six of his officers, to meet an equal number of English upon the frontiers, there to receive some important information. After some hesitation, the Count de Gennes consented, and found General Hamilton waiting to receive him. General Hamilton told him that war was declared between their two countries, and that General Codrington had orders from the Queen of England to summon him to deliver up the French possessions in St. Christopher's, and that he would be allowed two hours to consider of the proposal. De-Gennes immediately summoned his officers, laid before them General Hamilton's demand, and requested their opinion. The council consisted of seventeen persons: out of these, twelve gave it in writing as their opinion, that as they had only two hundred and forty-five men carrying arms, it was most advisable to surrender upon the best terms that could be obtained. Harris's Voyages, vol. ii. p. Articles of capitulation were accordingly drawn up, and General Hamilton received the four officers who brought it in a house upon the frontier. The garrison were allowed to march out with the honors of war; and the Irish who had settled in the French quarters were to embark with the French unmolested. They were all to be sent to Martinico in vessels furnished by the English. The number of slaves which the officers desired to take with them were reduced one-half. The post of Guillon was to be delivered up that evening, and Basse Terre the next morning, instead of the next day at noon. In consequence of this capitulation, the post of the ravine Guillon was delivered to the English; but the Count de Gennes, because the articles had not been accepted exactly as he had offered them, and because the post of Guillon had been given up without his orders, refused to sign the capitulation, until all the principal officers and inhabitants sent a petition requesting him to do so. At eight o'clock next morning, July the 16th, the English took possession of Basse Terre; and Captain Lambert, of the French Militia, was allowed an escort of a trumpeter, and one of General Hamilton's aides-de-camp, to recall the inhabitants who had retired to the mountains. On the road they fell into an ambuscade, laid by the English to prevent the passage of M. de Courpon, with a French force from Sandy Point. The aide-de-camp was mortally wounded, and the trumpeter killed, before the mistake was discovered. Courpon, with his detachment, had passed in the rear of the ambuscade without being discovered, and arrived at Basse Terre some hours after the English were in possession of the town. The Count de Gennes was kept as an hostage for the safe return of the vessels which carried off the French inhabitants. Edward Vernon, Esq. afterwards Admiral of the White, was in the fleet under Commodore Walker. Upon the 7th of August, Admiral Benbow, with seven sail of the line appeared off Leogane in St. Domingo, and succeeded in taking or destroying a store-ship and four merchant vessels in Esterre roads, and another under the batteries, near Petite Reviere: from thence he stood over to Santa Martha, after a French squadron of four sail of the line, and six smaller vessels, under the command of M. du Casse, who was carrying the governor, the Duke of Albuquerque, to Mexico. Upon the 19th of August, the two squadrons came in sight of each other, twelve leagues Labat, tom. vii. pp. 485. 488. Naval Chronicle, vol. ix. p. 169. from Santa Martha. The action continued at intervals until the 24th, when, at 2 A. M., Benbow, in the Breda, came alongside the sternmost of the French, and soon afterwards lost his right leg by a chain shot: he refused to remain below, but was laid upon the quarter-deck until the action was over. At day-light the French took the ship which had engaged Admiral Benbow in tow, and stood away before the wind. The Breda was disabled in her rigging, but continued to chase them, keeping the signal for action flying; but Captain Kirby, of the Defiance, went on board the Breda, and pressed the admiral to desist from any further engagement. Most of the other captains being of Kirby's opinion, the admiral was obliged to give up the pursuit, although he was very near the enemy.' Tindal's History of England, vol. iii. book 26. pp. 592, 593, 594. 1 The following extract is from a jourhal kept on board the Breda :— "On the 24th, at two in the morning, we came up within hail of the sternmost. It being very little wind, the admiral fired a broadside with double and round below, and round and partridge aloft, which she returned. At three o'clock the admiral's right leg was shattered to pieces by a chain-shot, and he was carried down; but presently ordered his cradle on the quarter-deck, and continued the fight till day, when appeared the ruins of a ship of about seventy guns; her main-yard down and shot to pieces, her fore-top-sail-yard shot away, her mizen-mast shot by the board, all her rigging gone, and her sides bored through and through with our double-headed shot. The Falmouth assisted in this matter very much, and no other ship. Soon after day, the admiral saw the other ships of the enemy coming towards him, with a strong gale of wind easterly at the same time the Windsor, Pendennis, and Greenwich, ahead of the enemy, ran to leeward of the disabled ship, fired their broadsides, passed her, and stood to the southward; then the Defiance followed them, passed also to leeward of the disabled ship, and fired part of her broadside. The disabled ship did not fire above twenty guns at the Defiance before she put her helm a-weather, and ran away right before the wind, lowered both her top-sails, and ran to leeward of the Falmouth (which was then a gunshot to leeward of the admiral, knotting her rigging), without any regard to the signal for battle. The enemy seeing our other two ships stand to the southward, expected they would have tacked and stood with them. They brought to with their heads to the northward; but seeing those three ships did not tack, bore down upon the admiral, and ran between the disabled ship and him, firing all their guns; in which they shot awayhis main-top-sail-yard and shattered his rigging much. None of the other ships being near him, nor taking any notice of the battle signal, the captain of the Breda hereupon fired two guns at those ships ahead, in order to put them in mind of their duty. The French, seeing this great disorder, brought to and lay by their own disabled ship, re-manned and took her in tow. The Breda's rigging being much shattered, she lay by till ten o'clock; and being then refitted, the admiral ordered the captain to pursue the enemy who was then about three miles distant, and to leeward, having the disabled ship in tow, steering N. E. the wind at S. S. W. admiral, in the mean time, made all the sail after them he could; and the battle signal was always out. But the enemy taking encouragement from the behaviour of some of our captains, the admiral ordered Captain Fogg to send to the captains to keep their line, and to be- have themselves like men, which he did. Upon this Captain Kirby came on board the admiral, and pressed him very earnestly to desist from any farther engagement, which made the admiral desirous to know the opinion of the other captains. Accordingly he ordered Cap. tain Fogg to make the signal for all the The Upon his arrival at Jamaica, Admiral Benbow ordered Admiral Whetstone to hold a court-martial, and try Captains Kirby, Wade, Constable, and Hudson, for cowardice, breach of orders, and neglect of duty. Kirby and Wade were found guilty, and sentenced to be shot; Constable to be dismissed his Majesty's service, and Hudson died some days before the trial. The sentence was executed upon Kirby and Wade immediately upon their arrival at Plymouth, the 14th of April, 1703. Admiral Benbow was so distressed by the conduct of the captains, that in a letter to his wife he says, "The lop of his leg did not trouble him half so much as the villainous treachery of some of the captains, which hindered him from totally destroying the French squadron." He died on the 4th of November, aged 50.9 M. Deslandes was appointed Chief Justice of the French in St. Domingo, Commissaire Ordonnateur, and Intendant. Before this time, the governor's authority sometimes degenerated into despotism. William Selwin, Esq. succeeded Sir William Beeston as governor of Jamaica. Charlevoix, tom. iv. p. 210. other captains to come on board, which they did; and most of them concurred with Captain Kirby in his opinion: whereupon the admiral perceiving they had no mind to fight, and being not able to prevail with them to come to any other resolution, though all they said was erroneous, he thought it not fit to venture any farther. At this time the admiral was abreast of the enemy, and had a fair opportunity of fighting them; the masts and yards in a good condition, and few men killed except those on board the Breda.". Naval Chronicle, vol. xx. pp. 186. 187. Du Casse, after his arrival at Carthagena, wrote to Admiral Benbow-the following is a translated copy: "Yours, "DU CASSE." Naval Chronicle, vol. xx. p. 189. 2 Admiral Benbow was buried in Kingston Church, Jamaica, near the altar. The following inscription is on a "blue stone, laid horizontally:" "Here lie the Remains JOHN BENBOW, ESQ. A true pattern of British Courage, who |