PART on the 29th by the Windfor Capt. Berkely, and the Anglesea Capt. Reddish.

I.

THE principal engineer in the mining work 1739. was Capt. Knowles of the Diamond, affifted by Capt. Bofcawen; (who defired he might ferve in this expedition as a volunteer, his ship the Shoreham not being fit for the fea,) and by Mr Barnes, Purfer of the Worcester, who having been an officer in the army was very useful on this occafion. Commodore Brown had the chief direction of what was neceffary to be done at Gloria Castle and St Jeronimo Fort; and Capt. Watson, captain of the admiral's fhip took care of the execution of all that was to be done at the Iron Fort, where the walls of the lower battery which confifted of twenty-two guns, were nine feet thick, and of a hard ftone, cemented with such a fine mortar, that it was a long work to make any impreffion in it to come to mine at all.

On the 6th of December Capt. Stapylton returned from his cruize off Carthagena, having taken two veffels going to that place with ftores and provifions.

DURING the admiral's ftay at Porto Bello; he fent a letter to the prefident of Panama, demanding the releafment of the factors and fervants of the South Sea company who were confined at that place; in confequence of which, the prefident of Panama fent an officer with Mr Humphrys and Dr Wright factors, and also with the fervants of the South Sea company, who were delivered to the admiral at Porto Bello.

THUS fell the walls of Porto Bello; and though the admiral was incapable of pushing his conqueft further up the country, yet the nati

onal

onal benefit was very great, as the traders of CHAP. Jamaica had now a fair opportunity to open an III. extenfive commerce with the Spaniards, who were fond of creeping their money over from 1739. Panama. Mankind are at a lofs to determine whether the conduct, the courage, or humanity of the admiral is most to be admired, all which he fo peculiarly exerted, that it greatly added to the glory of his enterprize. Nor was his behaviour in his private ftation, as a kind and compaffionate friend, lefs to be admired, which was exemplarily inftanced to Commodore Brown; this commander had rendered himself highly culpable by an improper ufe of his Britannic majefty's orders for making reprizals on the Spaniards; but the admiral on his arrival at Jamaica, notwithstanding the late imprudence of the commodore, ftill retained a good opinion of his abilities as a faithful and experienced naval officer: incited therefore by a defire to reinftate him in his former reputation, and influenced through that natural generofity ever infeparable from the brave and honeft man, and by a regardful indulgence to an antient friend, the admiral permitted him to continue his rank in the fquadron, bestowed on him the second place in command in the expedition against Porto Bello, and after giving him an opportunity of re-establishing his character by his fervices there; the more effectually to corroborate him in the public efteem, the admiral alfo permitted him to fign the articles of capitulation, which he was no otherwife privileged to do than by the indulgence of the admiral.

THE principal point next in view was to distress the galleons even in Carthagena, by preventing their being supplied with any naval ftores and provifions, of which they ftood in great neceffity. VOL. I. H

The

I.

PART The admiral therefore on the 11th of December, ordered Capt. Knowles in the Diamond "To "accompany the fquadron till their arrival as far 1739." to windward as Carthagena, and to cruize "there for intercepting any fupplies, and ob"ferving the galleons." On the 13th the vice admiral with his fquadron failed from Porto Bello on his return for Jamaica and having reafon to appprehend, from the intelligence brought by Capt. Reddifh, that the Ferrol fquadron might be in thofe feas; on the 15th the admiral gave orders to all the captains, "Not on any confideration to hazard lofing company with the flag; and that in cafe of feparation, the first place of general rendezvous for twenty-four «hours would be under Point a Canoe; but "not feeing any thing of the admiral in that "time, they were to make the best of their way

1740

for the next general place of rendezvous at "Port Royal.' Being off Carthagena, on the 28th the admiral fent Capt. Renton in the Spanifh fnow called the Triumph, for England, with the agreeable news of his fuccefs at Porto Bello; the fquadron was afterwards difperfed by hard gales of wind, but after fuffering in their mafts and rigging, they at laft all joined the admiral at Port Royal.

HAD Admiral Verhon made no further progrefs in fupporting the honour of the British arms no one could blame him, but those persons only were culpable who ought to have fent fome land forces with him, nay did not give him fo much as any command over the few troops that were difperfed in feveral parts of the Weft Indies. Whatever difficulties were thrown in his way to retard the fuccefs of his victorious fquadron, the admiral with a magnanimous refolution endea

voured to furmount them all; for on his return CHAP. to Jamaica, the principal care of the admiral was III, to equip his fleet with the utmoft expedition for another enterprize. Having made the neceffary 1740, preparations for putting to fea with the fhips fit for fervice, and leaving the Hampton-Court, Worcester, Diamond, and Torrington at Jamaica, under the command of Commodore Brown, for the fecurity of the island and shipping, with the neceffary orders in cafe of their coming to be attacked by any fuperior force of the enemy, in what manner to defend them; and alfo orders to refit the Burford, and send her to join his fquadron as foon as poffible; on the 25th of February the admiral, having a defign to bombard Carthagena and afterwards to difturb the Spaniards in Fort Chagre, a little to the S. W. of Porto Bello, failed from Port Royal in the Strafford, with the Princefs Louifa, Windfor, Norwich, Falmouth, and Greenwich men of war; Succefs, Cumberland, Eleanor, Alderney, Terrible, Brig, Pompey, Goadly frigates, fire-fhips, bombs, and tenders; having a favourable wind on the 1ft of March, he got fight of the high land of St Martha on the Spanish main, and ordered Capt. Windham in the Greenwich "To ply up in the night, and lie to windward "of the port, for intercepting any thing that "might be coming in there the next day." The admiral then bore away with an eafy fail for Carthagena. On the 3d in the evening, he anchored with the fquadron before the town in nine fathom water, in the open bay called Playa Grande; and on the 6th he ordered in all the bomb. ketches, and the small ships and tenders for co., vering and affifting them, and continued bombarding till nine in the morning. The fquadron. received no damage from the town, but the H 2 fhells

I.

PART fhells fell there pretty fuccefsfully, particularly into the principal church, the jefuits college, the cuftom-house, beat down feveral houses between 1740. them, and a shell that fell into the fouth bastion filenced a battery of ten guns there for a long time. The inhabitants were in the utmoft confternation; but the fquadron was too inconfiderable to attempt giving them any further annoyance: the admiral therefore on the 4th gave orders to the several captains, "That in cafe of "feparation after leaving their present station off

Carthagena, they were to make the beft of "their way to the next general place of ren"dezvous, either in the harbour of Porto Bel

lo, or off the mouth of the river Chagre, "in the bay to the eastward of it;" and on the 9th drew off his bomb ketches and fmall craft, weighing with his fquadron on the 10th in the morning. After making the fignal for the line of battle, he coafted the fhore towards Boca Chica, and at this time made proper obfervations to regulate any future defcent intend-ed against Carthagena, while the Spaniards fired at him from the three small caftles without Boca Chica, but none of their fhot reached him. Hav ing received intelligence that Don Jofeph de Herrera in the Vizara, a Spanish man of war, had rereived orders from Don Blafs to come and join him at Carthagena, together with the St Juananother Spanish man of war, and a fnow; the admiral on the 9th ordered Capt. Berkley in the Windfor, with the Greenwich Capt. Wyndham, • To cruize off the port of Carthagena for twen

ry days, to intercept, take or destroy the faid"men of war, but principally to watch the mo *tions of the galleons." The admiral madefail for Porto Bello, to repair there the damage received