with a general report of my pro ceedings, in execution of my orders, to that period. A duplicate of that report went in the Buffalo, ordered for England the next day, on account of the itate of her wounded mafts; and I enclose a triplicate of the fame by this conveyance, to connect the relation of the different circumstances refpecting the employment of the fleet, which have fince occurred. Some of the fhips having futained more damage in their mafts and yards by the fire of the enemy on the 20th than was at first observed, the neceffary repairs were not completed until the 22d. But as it was moftly calm, in the mean time no advantage could have been made of an opportunity to follow the enemy (who, when laft feen on the 21ft, were standing off to N. N. W. by the wind on the ftarboard tack) if the masts had been earlier fecured. A lift of the killed and wounded will likewife accompany this difpatch. I have only to exprefs my regret, that the little confidence the enemy fhewed in their fuperiority, by keeping always as near as they could haul to the wind, prevented the full effect of the animated exertions which, 1 am fure, would have been made by every officer and feaman in the fleet under my command, if they could have clofed with their opponents but as I judged fuch nearer approach could not then be feafonably attempted, I made no fleet on the fame occafion, being certain they would difregard any commendations of their efforts againft an enemy who declined giving them an opportunity to dif charge the duty of their stations, in repelling a more serious attack: but at the fame time I am reminded of the advantages derived to his Majefty's fervice, from the extenfive knowledge of the difficult navigation within the Straits acquired by and the unremitting affiduity of my first captain, Levefon Gower. Having had but very little wind from the N. E. chiefly fince the 21st, I cannot much longer, with prudence (under the reduced state of the water and stores in many of the fhips) make the pursuit of the enemy's fleet (which I fuppofe are on their return to Cadiz) the first object of my attention. Capt. Duncan of the Victory, taking his paffage in the Latona, is charged with this difpatch; and as Capt. Curtis, who was fent off to me for the last time the 19th, with Gen. Eliott's confidential fentiments, could not be put on fhore again, in confequence of the return of the eneiny from the eastward that morning, I have ap pointed him to command the Victory for the time being, until their lordships pleasure is fignified for his future conduct. Return of the Killed and Wounded from the Fire of the Combined Fleets, O. 20, 1782. LINE OF BATTLE change in the difpofition of the Fan Squadron, or of Commander in 2d pf, fhips as formed at firft to receive the enemy. For fimilar reafons I do not dwell more particularly on the merits of the flag officers of the Firft or Starboard Divifion. Seam, or Mar. Officers. killed. wyd. killed. wd. Ships Names. Goliah Ganges Extract of a Letter from Captain Curtis, of his Majefty's fhip Brilliant, to Mr. Stephens, dated Camp at Europa, Gibraltar, September 15, 1782. BE pleafed to acquaint my Lords Commiflioners that the combined fleet of France and Spain, confifting of thirty-eight fail of the line, arrived in this bay on the 12th infiant; fix fail of the line were here before. At eight o'clock in the morning of the 13th, the ten battering fhips of the enemy lying at the head of the bay, under the command of Admiral Moreno, began to get under fail, in order to come against the garrifon : every thing was tion. The boats of the enemy durft not approach; they abandoned their fhips and the men left in them to our mercy, or to the flames. The day-light now appeared, and two feluccas, which had not yet elcaped, endeavoured to get away; but a hot from a gun-boat killing five men on board one of them, they fubmitted. The fcene at this time before me was dreadful to a high degree: numbers of men crying from amidst the flames, fome upon pieces of wood in the was in readiness for their recepAt ten the admiral's thip was placed about one thoufand yards from the King's Baltion, and commenced his fire. The others were very shortly afterwards posted to the north and fouth of him, at fmall diftances aiu der, and began their cannonade. They were all fixed to the ftations allotted them, in a masterly manner. Our batteries opened as the enemy came before them: the fire was very heavy on both fides: the redhot hot were fent with fuch pre-water, others appearing in the cifion from the garriton, that in the afternoon the fmoke was feen to iffue frorn the upper part of the admiral, and one other, and men were perceived to be ufing fire engines and pouring water into the holes, endeavouring to extinguifh the fire. Their efforts proved ineffectual; by one o'clock in the morning the two before mentioned were in flames, and feveral others actually on fire, though as yet not in fo great a degree. Confufion was now plainly obferved among them, and the numerous rockets thrown up from each of the thips, was a clear demonftration of their great diftrefs: their fignals were anfwered from the enemy's fleet; and they immediately began to take away the men, it being impoffible to remove the fhips. I thought this a fit opportunity to employ my gun-boats; and I advanced with the whole (12 in number, each carrying a twenty-four or eighteen-pounder) and drew them up fo as to flank the line of the enemy's battering hips, while they were annoyed extremely by an exceffive heavy and well directed fire from the garrifon. The fire from the gun-boats was kept up with great vigour and effect. fhips where the fire had as yet made but little progrefs, all expreffing by fpeech and gefture the deepeft diftrefs, and all imploring affittance, formed a spectacle of horror not eafily to be described. Every exertion was made to re lieve them; and I have inexpref fible happiness in informing my lords, that the number faved amounts to 13 officers and 344 men. One officer and 29 wounded (fome of them dreadfully) taken from among the flain in the holds, are in our hofpital, and many of them in a fair way. The blowing up of the fhips around us as the fire got to the magazines, and the firing of the cannon of others, as the metal became heated by the flames, rendered this a very perilous employment; but we felt it as much a duty to make every effort to relieve our enemies from fo fhocking a fituation, as an hour before we did to allift in conquering them. The lofs of the enemy must have been very confiderable. Great numbers were killed on board, and in boats. Several launches were funk. In one of them were fourfcore men, who were all drowned, except an officer and twelve of them, who were floated floated under our walls upon the wreck. It was impoffible that greater exertions could have been made to prevent it; but there is every reason to believe that a great many wounded perifhed in the flames. All the battering fhips were fet on fire by our hot fhot, except one, which we afterwards burnt. The admiral left his flag flying, and it was confumed with the fhip. A large hole was beat in the bottom of my boat; my coxfwain was killed, and two of the crew were wounded by pieces of timber falling on her when one of the battering fhips blew up. The fame cause funk one of my gunboats, and damaged another, Two of the enemy's bombketches were brought forward, and continued to throw fhells into the garrifon during the attack of the battering fhips. A confiderable detachment of feamen did duty as artileryills upon the batteries, and gave great fatisfaction. The officers and men of the brigade of feamen under my command, in whatever fituations they were placed, behaved in a manner highly becoming them. I have the honour to enclofe herewith a lift of the battering fhips. They were of different fizes, from 1400 to 600 tons burthen. Their guns, in all 212, were brass twenty-fix pounders, and entirely new. The enemy had collected, from different ports, between two and three hundred large boats, befides a vaft number belonging to this vicinity, to be employed in carrying troops, or any other fervices connected with their operations. against this fortreís. 5 Befides frigates, zebecks, many fmall cruizers, a great number of gun and mortar-boats, and a multitude of other boats. ROGER CURTIS. A Lift of the Spanish battering ships burnt before Gibraltar, on the 14th of September, 1782. Paftoro, the admiral Guns. Gans. in ufe. in referve. 21 10 Total of guns 212 The proportion of men on board them was thirty-fix for each of the guns very fine fhip, and was commanded by Don Juan Moreno, a Chef D'Efcadre, and had on board about 650 men. guns in ufe, exclufive of officers fible, landed the prifoners, and and marines for working the hips. carried out anchors to prevent her ROGER CURTIS. going further on fhore. I have Extract of a Letter from Captain no doubt of faving her: fhe is a Curtis, of his Majefty's fhip Brilliant, to Mr. Stephens, dated Camp at Europa, Oct. 16, 1782. ON the evening of the 8th inft. it being deemed proper to ule all means to fend home an account of the late events at this place, which had hitherto been impoffible, the Governor purchafed a fmall veffel, and he was fent off for Leghorn, or any other port in Italy, with our difpatches. On the afternoon of the roth, it blew very fresh from the fouthweft. The enemy made many fig. nals along fhore; and two frigates and a cutter arrived from the weftward. Towards the following morning the gale increafed, and the guns of dittrefs were heard from the combined fleets in the bay. Juft at the break of day, the St. Michael, a Spánifh fhip, mounting 72 guns, was discovered very near the garrifon in a crippled ftate; and after having two men killed and two wounded from the fire of our batteries, fhe fell on fhore near to the fouth baftion. As the day advanced, the fleet of the enemy appeared to have fuffered confiderably by the gale. A fhip of the line and a frigate were on fhore near the Orange Grove; a French fhip of the line had loft her fore-mat and bowfprit; a flip of three decks and another of the line were forced from their anchors, and ran to the eastward; feveral others were driven far over towards the garrifon, but withal to the northward. I took poffeffion of the St. Michael as foon as pof At three in the afternoon of the 11th, the fignals made by the enemy indicated the approach of the British fleet. The Latona anchored in the bay foon after funfet. Only four of the convoy fetched into anchorage, the remainder were driven to the back of the rock, to which place the fleet alfo repaired. Extract of a Letter from Captain Curtis, to Mr. Stephens, dated on board the Victory, at fea, Ollober 22, 1782. THE Admiral, Lord Howe, having conducted the remaining, fhips of his convoy into the Bay of Gibraltar on the evening of the 18th, and landed the troops at the fame time, General Eliott charged me with the final communications his Excellency had to make to his lordship; and I embarked on board the Latona frigate, for the purpofe of repairing to the Victory,, and left the Bay about midnight. The fituation of the enemy's flect the next morning, cut off my return to Gibraltar, and I was put on board this fhip in the evening, when the fleet brought to, after it had gained the Atlantic. I have great pleasure in acquainting my lords, that the St. Michael, a Spanish man of war of 72 guns, which being driven from her anchors in a gale of wind very early on the morning of the rith, and captured under the walls of Gibraltar, |