galleons and men of war at Carthagena. Having CHAP. received information that an Avizo and two VI. Dutch fhips, richly laden with quick filver and other Spanish effects, had failed from Cadiz with 1740. a vice roy of Mexico on board, bound for La Vera Cruz; the admiral, fuppofing they would probably pafs by the Havannah, on the 4th of June ordered the Worcester and Falmouth to cruize off Cuba, for intercepting them, till the middle of July; who foon after arriving on their ftation, discovered the Avizo and the two Dutch fhips, and chafing, came up with and took the Avizo; but the vice roy had just before, very fortunately for himself, got on board one of the Dutchmen and make his escape. Admiral Vernon had now a great deal of reafon to fufpect the Spaniards were bringing a large fleet into the Weft Indies from Cadiz and Ferrol; he therefore, on the 8th of June, got to fea in the Burford, with the Windfor, Strafford, Hampton-Court, Greenwich, Success, and Brig tender, to cruize in the way; for though he imagined the Spaniards would be greatly fuperior to him in force and numbers, he was in hopes of meeting fome of them separated, and to procure intelligence of their intentions. After cruizing for fome time off the high land of St Martha, and leaving Capt. Dent in the Hampton-Court, and Lieutenant Broderick in the Brig tender, to cruize in that: station to the 24th, on the 17th the admiral returned for Jamaica, where he arrived on the 21ft, and from time to time continued his cruizes to watch the arrival of the expected Spanish fquadrons, and to attend the motions of the galleons; and Commodore Brown having reprefented his ill state of health to the admiral, on the 27th of June,

PART June the Greenwich was ordered to carry him to

I.

England.

On the 5th of September, the ftore ships from 1740. England, under convoy of the Defiance and Tilbury men of war, arrived at Jamaica; and the admiral impatiently expecting the arrival of the fleet under Sir Chaloner Ogle, with the land forces, commanded by Lord Cathcart, and a body of troops from North America, in hopes of meeting them, on the 3d of October he failed from Port Royal in the Burford, attended by the Worcester, Tilbury, Windfor, Defiance, Princess Louifa, and Hampton-Court; Eleanor and Succefs fire-fhips, and Alderney bomb, on a cruize off the coast of Hifpaniola: but on the 12th he received advice by a floop from Falmouth, bound to the bay of Honduras, that the wefterly winds had detained the fleet and tranfports with the foldiers. at Spithead. This gave great inquietude to the admiral, he well knew the uncertainties and difficulties of getting fo large a fleet of tranfports out of the channel in a latter part of the year; he deeply dreaded the confequence; and heartily lamented that Lord Cathcart was not fent out in the fpring of the year, the only certain feason for easterly winds. It is certain, even beyond difpute, Sir Chaloner Ogle and the land forces might have as well failed for the Weft Indies in a much earlier and more convenient part of the year; but many difappointments were thrown in the way, to retard the timely progress of an expedition that promised fuch visible appearances of a fuccessful event; efpecially as it was to be conducted by fo prudent and refolute a commander as Admiral Vernon; and probably for this principal reafon of the miniftry, that as the war was begun without their concurrence, fo it fhould

end

end without their affistance. And to back this CHAP. difappointment, the admiral difcovered the fame VI. day, upon examining a Spanish lieutenant, that

the Ferrol fquadron, under de Torres, arrived at 1740. Porto Rico on the 9th of September, and that they failed from thence on the 25th for Carthagena.

THE admiral ftill continued his cruize, and on the 20th, off cape Donna Maria, was joined by eight fail of tranfport fhips under convoy of the Wolf, having on board part of the North American forces from Virginia and Philadelphia, under Colonel Gooch; the fame day the admiral proceeded with them to Jamaica, leaving the Windfor to cruize for the remainder of those forces expected under Colonel Blakeney; but on arriving at Port Royal, the admiral found they had got there before, being convoyed by Capt. Cufack fo that the whole body of troops from North America were now arrived, and confifted of three battalions. These troops had been little acquainted with difcipline, and were fent with a view to affift in taking poffeffion of fome of the Spanish fettlements, where they intended to refide.

THOUGH this was an augmentation of the Bri tish force, it was too inconfiderable for the admiral to attempt any extraordinary enterprize. His fhips were over-mafted, and the fhrouds and rigging in a very bad condition; neither could he keep the fea for want of ftores, and grew very impatient at lofing the most proper part of the feafon for action. The arrival of Admiral de Torres at Carthagena, with fo confiderable a reinforcement for putting that town in a good pofture of defence, and ftrengthening the Spanish provinces, together with fo potent a fleet as the VOL. I. Spaniards

P

PART Spaniards then had in the American feas; and I. no certain advice when to expect the fleet and

transports under Sir Chaloner Ogle, to oppose 1740. the return of the Spanish golden fleece, made fo melancholy an impreffion on the active Admiral Vernon, and fo vifibly altered the scene of his affairs, that he hardly knew what refolution to take most conducive for the advantage of his country especially as the Breft and Toulon fquadrons, under the Marquis d'Antin, had joined at Port Louis, and had brought down with them 1,800 men raised in Martinique, with fome mention of further reinforcements expected. The British admiral apprehended by the marquis ftationing himself to windward of Jamaica, and the French collecting all their forces there, that their views were calculated against that island, whenever the British fleet fhould fet out on any expedition against the Spanish territories: in this opinion the admiral was confirmed, by fending Capt. Mayne to Leogane with a letter for his Excellency Monfieur Larnage, the French governor of Hifpaniola; for the captain dined with the commandant in the governor's abfence, was well received, but had not the leaft, intimation that the fquadron under the Marquis d'Antin was at Port Louis; and as the French covertly affifted the Spaniards in every thing, added to the great fecrecy they endeavoured to preferve, this fixed the admiral in his opinion that their defigns were against Jamaica.

ADMIRAL VERNON, with the greatest fhew of reason, made ftrong and repeated complaints to the British miniftry, of his inability to ferve his king and country in that effectual manner he defired; but as he could undertake nothing of moment, he detached fuch part of his squadron

as

as was fit for cruizing, to protect the British CHAP. trade and destroy the Spanish privateers; in VI. which they were very ferviceable and fuccefsful. The admiral alfo communicated his thoughts to 1740. his Excellency Edward Trelawny, Efq; governor of Jamaica, of his apprehenfion of the defigns of the French against that ifland; to fruf trate which, he formed a difpofition for fecuring his fquadron and the harbour of Kingston, and having properly posted his fire-fhips and difabled fhips there, he made little doubt of defending it against the Spaniards and their auxiliaries, were they all there; but as to the harbour of Port Roy al, the admiral had no opinion of its conveniency to repel the fuperior force of an enemy.

AFTER an increase of impatience, Admiral Vernon at laft received advice, that the fleet and forces under the command of Sir Chaloner Ogle and Lord Cathcart, arrived at Dominica on the 19th of December; where, on the next Day, a great lofs happened to the fervice in the death of Lord Cathcart, occafioned by a bloody flux: he was taken ill on the 8th of December, and bore it, though very painful, with the greatest patience and refignation, feeming only to regret, that he was deprived of an opportunity of exerting his zeal and abilities for the service of his king and country. The death of this nobleman was a very fenfible loss, as he went determined to co-operate with Admiral Vernon, and to be guided by him in every thing that should be judged for the honour and intereft of the British arms. His lordship was a very able commander, with great fpirit, honour and judgment, and had been formerly extremely commended by the illuftrious Duke of Marlborough, as a good and gallant foldier; and as it is natural for one brave