From fucceeding to the admiral's expectations; CHAP. for though he discovered feventeen fail of fhips in IL the port of Laguire, they were fo well defended by three regular forts, that after receiving con- 1739. fiderable damage to the fhips, he was obliged to retire and rejoin the admiral without effecting any thing fignally detrimental to the Spaniards. On the 15th of October the admiral in the Burford with the Worcester arrived at Port Royal in Ja maica, where he was joined by Commodore Brown in the Hampton-Court and the fquadron under: his command, fo that on this augmentation the fleet confifted of the following fhips;

The admiral immediately detached several of the best cruizers on different ftations for the protection of the island trade, and dispatched the Worcester to cruize off Cape Tiberon, and the Blandford to cruize to windward as high up as Cape Alta Vela, both on the coast of St Domingo, to fecure the arrival of feveral fhips exVOL. I."

F

pected

PART pected from Great Britain and Ireland, laden L. with naval ftores for the use of the squadron.

THE factors of the South Sea company, on the 7139. declaration of war, were detained as prifoners by the governor of Carthagena, and the admiral intending to attack some of the Spanish settlements, and wanting to procure the neceffary and beft intelligence to promote the fuccefs of his designs, apprehended if he could get the releasement of the company's factors he might obtain information of the ftrength of the Spaniards in those parts, the prefent condition of their fortifications, what motions their fhips were likely to be making, the courfe of their trade, and in general, every thing the factors could think of to affift the admiral in diftreffing the Spaniards in their opulent provinces. For this purpofe the admiral on the 18th of Oct. dispatched his first lieutenant Mr Percival in the Fraternity tender for Carthagena with two Spanish gentlemen on board, with orders" To land Don

John Almandares before the town and port Canoa, and to deliver to him two letters from the admiral, the one for Don Pedro Fidalgo "governor of Carthagena, and the other for "Don Blafs de Lefo general of the galleons; but for the other Spanish gentleman Don Pedro "Elliftagaritta the lieutenant was not on any confideration to part with him, unless the condition in the letters were complied with; which ઠંડ was, by the South Sea company's factors being fent on board the Fraternity to return with the lieutenant, in which cafe he was to put him on fhore; but in failure of that, or fending the lieutenant no anfwer within twenty"four hours, he was then, after having ranged "near enough on the back of the town to dif

cover what fhips there was in the harbour, to

6 return

"return immediately to Port Royal." But the CHAP. Spanish governor refused to release the English factors.

11.

THE admiral with the greatest vigilance and 1739. conduct commenced hoftilities against the Spaniards by taking many of their fhips; but having no land forces, nor a difcretionary power to raise them in the American colonies, he was retarded from undertaking any memorable expedition till he was furnished by his excellency Edward Trelawny, Efq; governor of Jamaica with 200 foldiers. On receiving this weak but neceffary reinforcement, the admiral made the neceffary preparations for putting to fea on an expedition against the Spaniards. His principal view was to fail for and directly enter the harbour of Porto Bello, and endeavour to deftroy all the fortifications, so as to leave it an open defenceless bay, in order to prevent the Spaniards holding their fair at all, or laying them open to future attacks if they fhould attempt it. Admiral Vernon, thoroughly fenfible what advantages the Spaniards would reap by his delaying to attack them, was fo intent on his defign, that he was obliged to go to fea much weaker than he thought neceffary for the service intended, by fo many of his cruizing ships being kept out of the reach of his orders fo long. He therefore communicated his defign to the feveral captains, and on the 3d of November ordered Commodore Brown to wear his diftinguishing pendant on board the Hampton-Court, and to be ready to proceed to fea with the other captains on the 5th in the morning: the whole fquadron employed in this expedition confifted of only fix fhips of the line, in the following difpofition

PART

I.

LINE OF BATTLE.

THE Hampton-Court to lead with the ftar 1739 board, and the Princefs Louifa with the larboard tacks aboard, and the commodore to repeat fignals.

THERE were 2,495 failors on board, with 200 land forces under Capt. Newton: on the 5th the admiral failed out of Port Royal harbour with the fquadron, and proceeded towards Porto Bello, having left orders for the Diamond, Windfor and Anglesea to compleat their provisions to ten weeks and follow him to Porto Bello, off of which place, in cafe of feparation, the admiral had appointed the general rendezvous.

THE fquadron being at fea, on the 7th the admiral delivered his orders to the commodore and captains, appointing the following difpofitions for the attack; "That upon making the land of "Porto Bello, and having a wind to favour them

and day-light for the attempt, to have their "fhips clear in all refpects for immediate fervice, aud on the proper fignal to form themfelves into the line of battle above directed, and be"ing formed to follow in the fame order of battle to the attack in the manner hereafter di"rected.

"rected. And as the north fhore of the har- CHAP. "bour of Porto Bello was reprefented to the ad

II.

miral to be a bold steep fhore, on which at "the first entrance ftood the caftle de Ferro, or 1739. Iron Castle; Commodore Brown and the fhips "that followed were directed to pass the faid fort " within less than a cable's length, for giving the Spaniards the warmer fire both from the muf "ketry as well as their cannon, and then Com "modore Brown was to steer away for the Gloria "Castle, and anchor as near as he could to the

66

eaftermoft part of it for battering down all the "defence of it, fo as to leave room for Capt. "Mayne in the Worcester to anchor aftern of "him against the westermoft bastion of it to do "the fame there, who was to follow fuch further "orders as the commodore fhould give him for "attacking the faid caftle: and Capt. Herbert "in the Norwich, after giving his fire to the "Iron Castle as he paffed it, was to make di"rectly up to the castle St Jeronimo lying to "the eastward of the town, and anchoring as

near as he could to it, to batter it down; and

Capt. Trevor in the Strafford following the ad"miral was to come to an anchor against the "eaftermoft part of Caftle de Ferro, and far

enough to the eastward to leave room for "Capt. Waterhous in the Princefs Louifa to an

chor aftern of him for battering the wefter"most part, being to continue on that service to "make themfelves mafters of it, and the young"eft officers to follow the farther orders of the

elder in the further profecution of the attack; "and if the weather was favourable for it, on "their going in each fhip was directed, befides "having his long boat towing aftern, to have "his barge alongfide to tow the long boats away

"" with