tained 800 Whites and 3000 slaves, and its exports were estimated at £63,625 per annum. Soon after the English had taken possession of Martinico, a French fleet was seen for two days to windward of the island. Admiral Rodney endeavoured in vain to bring them to action. On the 9th of November, Captain Tonyn, in his Majesty's ship Bruné, off Carthagena, captured L'Oiseau, a French frigate of twenty-six guns, commanded by the Chevalier de Modene, after a severe action. On the 24th of February, the Honourable Captain Hervey, in the Dragon, seventy-four; with the Norwich, fifty, Captain William M'Cleverty; Penzance, forty, Captain Boyd; Dover, forty, Captain Chaloner Ogle; and Basilisk, of eight guns, Captain Brice, was detached by Admiral Rodney, with orders to attack St. Lucia, if his force was sufficient; if not, to report to the admiral. Captain Hervey sent an officer to summon the governor, M. Longueville, to surrender, and went himself in a midshipman's uniform, to obtain correct information of the enemy's strength, and act as interpreter. They were conducted to the governor, who declared his resolution to hold out to the last extremity. Captain Hervey, having ascertained that ships could come very near the fort, resolved to enter the harbour. Upon the approach of the ships, M. Longueville surrendered, the following terms: upon "ART. 1. The troops of the Most Christian King, which are in the island of St. Lucia, shall be allowed the same capitulation with the island of Martinico. They shall be supplied with a vessel and provisions to remove to the said island. They shall leave St. Lucia with the honours of war, their arms and baggage, drums beating, matches lighted, and a field-piece, and so proceed to Martinico, with ten rounds for said field-piece, and be allowed two days to bring their baggage from the redoubts. "ANSWER. The troops of His Most Christian Majesty shall march out of their garrisons and posts with the honours of war, and be allowed a field-piece of cannon, with four rounds and lighted match. They shall be allowed forty-eight hours to take their baggage from the redoubts, and then be embarked, at His Britannic Majesty's expence, for Martinico, and from thence to France as soon as possible. "2. The inhabitants of this island ask the same terms which have been granted to those of Martinico, by the late capitulation made with M. le Vassor, our general. "ANSW. The inhabitants of St. Lucia shall immediately surrender up their arms, send in their names, with the places of their abode, and submit themselves, at discretion, to His Britannic Beatson's Memoirs, vol. iii. p. 383. Majesty; but they shall not be obliged to take up arms against His Most Christian Majesty. "3. All forts, garrisons, posts, cannon, mortars, magazines of ammunition and provisions, and implements of war, shall be delivered up, bonâ fide, to such persons as shall be appointed to receive them. "ANSW. Granted. "4. The inhabitants shall have free exercise of their religion the priests and nuns shall be preserved in their curés and convents, until His Britannic Majesty's pleasure is known. "ANSW. Granted. 5. All archives and papers which may be necessary and relative to the government of the island to be faithfully given up, as also all plans of the island, fortifications, harbours, bays, &c. "ANSW. Granted. ❝6. All vessels whatsoever, that have been employed on any other voyage, or on any other account, than merely transporting the produce of the island from one place to another in this island, or carrying such produce from this island to the island of Martinico only, shall be seized by his Majesty's ships at St. Lucia. "ANSW. Granted. "Dated on board his Majesty's ship Dragon, at St. Lucia, February the 26th, 1762. "A. HERVEY. Captain Clarke, in his Majesty's sloop Ferret, attacked a valuable ship from the Caraccas, bound to Cadiz, armed with twenty-four guns, in a small bay in Porto Rico, behind a reef of rocks and a sand bank. In the night, the Ferret's boats found a channel of fifteen feet water—through this the sloop entered the next morning, and grounded within point-blank shot of the enemy. After an action of two hours, the Spaniards struck, and abandoned the ship, of which the Ferret's boats took possession: she proved a very valuable prize. Captain Joseph Mead, in his Majesty's ship Fowey, of twentyfour guns, off Tiburon, engaged the Ventura Spanish frigate, of twenty-six twelve-pounders. After engaging an hour and a half, both ships sheered off to repair damages; and next morning, at day-light, the Fowey brought her to action again, and succeeded in taking her. She had forty killed, and several wounded: the Fowey had ten killed, and twenty-four wounded. On the 3d of April, Captain Carket, in his Majesty's ship Hussar, attacked four ships at anchor, under a fort in Tiburon Bay. He burnt one of sixteen guns, sunk one of fourteen, and cut out the other two, one of sixteen, the other of twelve guns, both laden with flour and indigo. In May, the Hussar was wrecked on a rock near St. Domingo, and three of her crew drowned. The rest were sent to Jamaica. His Majesty's ship Chesterfield, of forty guns, was lost in the Old Straits of Bahama. Upon the 23d of May, the fleet under the command of Sir George Pococke, with troops on board, under the command of the Earl of Albemarle, were joined, off Cape Nichola Mole, by a squadron under the command of Sir James Douglas, from Martinico. The whole force now amounted to 19 sail of the line, 18 smaller ships of war, and about 150 transports, having on board 12,041 troops. A detachment from North America, Beatson's Memoirs, vol. ii. p. 585.; vol. iii. p. 428. Smollett, vol. vii. p. 238. A List of His Majesty's Ships in the West Indies, July the 12th. under Brigadier-General Burton, and another from Jamaica, which together amounted to upwards of 2000 men, joined the army during the siege. The admiral, with this fleet, proceeded through the difficult passage on the north side of Cuba. Captain Elphinstone, in his List of His Majesty's Ships in the West Indies, with Sir George Pococke-continued. Majesty's ship Richmond, led the fleet: he had been down the Straits to Cayo Sal, returning the same way, and had taken sketches of the land and cayos on both sides. "The whole fleet then stood through the Old Straits of Bahama, on the 27th of May, led by the Richmond frigate, Captain Elphinstone, on the starboard bow, and the Alarm frigate, Captain Alms, on the larboard: they passed the narrowest part, between Cape Lobos and Cayo Confites, in the night, keeping good fires on each for their directions. June the 2d, the Alarm, and Echo, 28, Captain John Lendrick, were ordered ahead, to lie on the Cayo Sal bank, and make signals for avoiding danger to the ships as they advanced. June the 3d, the Alarm discovered five sail ahead in the north-west, and the admiral made signal to chace: it fell calm. Captain Alms, in the Alarm, rowed up, and at two P.M. attacked and captured the two largest vessels, the Thetis, Spanish frigate, 22 guns, 180 men, and the Sphynx, 18 guns, 75 men. The action lasted three-quarters of an hour. The Alarm had fourteen killed, twenty-six wounded. The other three sail escaped." On the 6th of June, Admiral Pococke lay to, five leagues to windward of the Havana. Having given his directions for the disembarkation of the troops, and left Commodore Keppel to superintend that service, he, with the rest of the fleet, proceeded off the harbour, where twelve sail of the line and several merchant vessels were at anchor. Beatson's Memoirs, vol. ii. p. 540. Memoirs of Captain James Alms, sen., Naval Chronicle, vol. ii. p. 560. List of His Majesty's Ships in the West Indies continued. At the Leeward Islands. - |