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as well as in all the late preceding circumftances, were of the most fignal fervice to them.

The enemy were completely beaten, although the fruits of the victory could not be gathered. If the English fhips had not been thrown out of action, in the fingular manner, and at the inftant they were, when the enemy's line was completely broken, fome of their hips running away, and others too much difabled to run, it can fcarcely be fuppofed that many of them would have efcaped to Cuddalore. The fore, or indeed the only real part of this action, ferves to throw great light upon the two former engagenients; for it is from thence clearly evident, that if they had been general inttead of being partial, and that all the English fhips could have been brought fairly up at once to the encounter, the refult of both would have been very different from what it was; unlefs indeed, that the firft might have been fo decifive as to prevent any fecond trial. Upon the whole it may be truly faid, that the elements, without being abfolutely unfortunate, had been exceedingly perverfe to the English in thefe three actions.

In the course of the diforder occafioned by the fea breeze, the Severe of 64 guns, one of the French admiral's feconds, had fuffered fo extremely, and was become fo totally ungovernable, that the fell along fide of Captain Watt, in the Sultan, and ftruck to him. But while Captain Watt was, under fignal, in the act of wearing, to join the admiral, the Severe, taking advantage of that

fituation, fuddenly hoifted all the fail the could get up, and without fhewing any colours, and in defiance of the eftablifhed laws of war and of nations, poured her fire into and raked the Sultan as the paffed. It is not a little to be regretted, that fhe efcaped the vengeance due to fuch an act, by getting in among a clufter of French fhips, whofe nearness undoubtedly gave life to the defign. Sir Edward Hughes difpatched Captain Watt on the following day with a letter to M. de Suffrein, complaining of this treatment, and demanding the furrender of the fhip; but the French commander, not chufing to avow the act, alledged, (on what foun dation every man will form his own opinion) that the colours had not been intentionally ftruck, but had come down through the halliards of the enfign being shot away.

The refult of an enquiry into this tranfaction, which afterwards took place in Paris, and was there published, totally overthrows M. de Suffrein's defence, and fubftitutes one which does not feem much better. By that it is acknowledged that the colours were really and intentionally ftruck; but this act is not attributed to neceflity, but charged to the cowardice of the acting commander at the time; a firange ftory is then told, that an auxiliary of ficer being diffatisfied with his ftriking, and fenfible of the motive, firft had the addrefs to perfuade him that he was dangeroufly wounded, and then, that it was abfolutely neceflary for his health to go down; that having

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by these means obtained the command, he renewed the engagement, and bravely fought and faved the hip.

The lofs of men on the English fide, amounted to 77 killed, and to 233 wounded; on the fide of the French, their acknowledged lofs was much more confiderable, the flain amounting to 178, and the wounded to 601; the comparative ftate being 779 to 310, or above five to two. Among other brave officers, as well of the 98th regiment, as of the naval department who fell in this action, the gallant Captain Maclellan, of the Superbe, was hot through the heart in its very commencement. It was remarkable, if not fingular, and fully fhews the warm fervice they were engaged in, that the admiral's two immediate captains thould have been killed within fo fhort a time of each other.

We are totally in the dark as to the motives which induced the admiral to keep the fea, to the windward of Negapatam, while the French were bufily employed in repairing their fhips at Cuddalore, for near a fortnight after this engagement; at the fame time, that the defire of information on this head is exceedingly excited, from its feeming, that the very unfortunate event which foon after happened, was, in a very confiderable degree, the confequence of this delay, in not proceeding directly after the action to Madras, where the ftores were, in order to refit the fquadron. It is not from hence even to be imagined, that this proceeding was not fully authorised by the motives, although they do

not appear at this distance; and it is as little to be fuppofed, that the admiral did not communicate them to government, however it might at the time be deemed inexpedient or unneceffary to lay them before the public. It might be imagined that he intended to cover the arrival of Sir Richard Bickerton's long expected fquadron, had not the French fleet been in a condition which feemed to forbid all present adventure. The probability seems to be, that the naval movements now, as at other times, were concerted with, and in a great measure governed by thofe of the army; and that the fituation of the latter at that time, or perhaps fome propofed fcheme of co-operation, made it appear neceffary for the fquadron to keep its ftation on that part of the coaft.

However these things were, the neceffity of providing fome of the thips with top-mafts, and other effential articles which had been loft in the late action, and of fupplying the whole with ammunition and provifions, both of which were nearly exhaufted, became at length fo urgent, that the admiral proceeded with the fquadron to Madras, where he arrived on the 20th of July. He was there joined by the Sceptre, of 64 guns, which had left England along with Sir R. Bickerton. The Sceptre having been feparated from the reft of the fquadron foon after clearing the Channel, had put into the Brazils, where meeting with the Medea frigate, they were proceeding in company, when falling in on their way with a large French fhip laden with naval ftores, Captain

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Graves

Graves left the prize in charge of the Medea, that he might proceed himself with the greater expedition to join the admiral. While the fquadron were refitting and taking in their fupplies, Sir Edward Hughes, anxious for the fecurity of Trincomale, difpatched the Monmouth and Sceptre, with fuch a reinforcement of troops, and fuch fupplies of provifions and ftores for that garrifon, as both the general and admiral expected, would have been fully competent to their repelling, at Jeaft, any defultory attempt which the enemy might make upon that place.

In the mean time, M. de Suffrein ufed the utmoft industry and difpatch in refitting his fquadron at Cuddalore, and having received advice from the Sieur d'Aymar, that he was arrived at Point de Galles, which lies on the fouth fide of the ifland of Ceylon, in his own fhip the St. Michael of 64 guns, accompanied by the Illuftre of 74; and of their having under their convoy the fecond divifion of the Marquis de Bully's troops and artillery, the French admiral was enabled to fail on the first of Auguft to join them at that island.

So exceedingly difficult were the means of information at that time, that with an army in the field, garrifons every where difperfed, and in a country belonging to the Nabob of Arcot, no intelligence of a tranfaction of fuch importance and notoriety, and at the diftance only of Cuddalore, was received at Madras until about the middle of the month; and then only through mere accident, and from a directly oppofite quarter. For it happened, that

Captain Mitchel, in the Coventry frigate, of 32 guns, being cruizing on the coaft of Ceylon, fell in with the Bellona of 40 guns, when a confidence in himself, and in the goodness of his fhip's company, on the one fide, and in the weight of his fhip, and the great fuperiority of his force, on the other, drew on a moft defperate engagement of two hours and a half; at the end of which, Capt. Mitchel moft gallantly obliged his enemy to fly; and purfuing him with great eagerness, was aftonifhed at finding himfelf led by the chace amidft a French fleet of 23 fail, when he did not imagine they had fuch an armament at fea; he, of course, was obliged to fly in turn, being chaced by two fhips of the line; and fortunately efcaping, brought the intelligence directly to the admiral.

This intelligence, and his anxiety for Trincomale, urged the admiral to quicken his departure, and the fhips having received their fupplies, and being rendered tolerably fit for fervice, he failed from Madras on the 20th of Auguft, and ufed every endeavour with the utmost expedition to gain the ifland of Ceylon. But the ufual perverfenels of the weather, not only now recurred, but operated with more mischief in the effect than at any former time; the wind blew directly against him, and the extraordinary delay thereby occa fioned, produced the intervening lofs.

The French admiral having been joined by the fhips of war and convoy at Point de Galles proceeded directly to the attack of Trincomale, where he arrived towards the end of the month,

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and the fire of the batteries was incapable of preventing his fleet from anchoring in Back Bay. The landing of the troops, under the conduct of the Baron de Agoult, was effected the next Aug. 26th. morning before day, and the place was immediately invested. After two days work on the batteries, thofe on the left were opened early on the morning of the 29th, and foon gained fuch a fuperiority over thofe of the garrifon, that they were entirely filenced before night. This encouraged the French commanders, on the following morning, to fummon the place. Some difficulties at first arose about the terms of capitulation; but M. de Suffrein was too eager to gain poffeffion of the place, and too apprehenfive of the arrival of Sir Edward Hughes, to lose much time in debating conditions.

Captain Macdowal, the commandant, accordingly obtained every thing he demanded. The honours of war in the utmost extent; they being to carry off with them entirely two field pieces and a mortar, with a certain number of charges, and all things whatever appertaining to them; the garrison to be directly tranfmitted to Madras, and amply provided for, in fhips to be properly equipped for the purpofe, at the French King's expence; and a particular fhip appointed for the conveyance of the officers and ftaff. A particular and laudable attention was paid to the interefts of the Dutch inhabitants, altho' they were falling into the hands of their own allies; it being fpecially provided, not only that all private property, whether belong

ing to the garrifon or the inhabitants, fhould be fully fecured, but that all the rights, privileges, and prerogatives of the latter, fhould be preferved inviolate.Two of the articles feemed to indicate fome diftruft of the good faith of the enemy; for by one, the commander of the land forces was rendered perfonally responsible for any diforders committed by his troops; and by the laft it was fpecifically prefcribed, that the capitulation fhould be executed, in all the eleven articles, with reciprocal good faith. It is obfervable, that there was not a fingle condition binding on the garrifon, excepting merely the delivery of the public magazines, and that there was not a poffibility of their evading. Fort Oftenburgh was given up on the following day, which was the laft of the month, upon the fame conditions.

Nothing could have been more unfortunate, whether in its immediate effect, or in its fubfequent confequences, than the lofs of Trincomale; nor does it appear that any event through the war fo grievously affected Sir Eyre Coote and the admiral; who both feem likewife to have conceived that the place was capable of a much longer and more vigorous defence. The garrifon undoubtedly was fufficiently numerous, and as they had been fo lately fupplied, it does not feem that they could have wanted either provifion or the means of defence; but as it does not appear that any blame has fallen upon the commandant or his officers, it may be fuppofed that the natural or artificial defences were not fo ftrong as had been imagined; that there

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were fome defects in other re- of the confequences in its purfpects, of which we are not informed; or, perhaps, that the enemy's artillery were more weighty and powerful than could have been apprehended.

When it was no longer of ufe, the wind fuddenly became favourable to the Englith fquadron, and the French commanders had no more than time to poffefs and fecure their new acquifitions, when Sir Edward Hughes, on the 2d of September at night, arrived off Trincomale. Nothing undoubtedly could exceed the mortification and aftonishment with which the admiral, at the opening of the morning, perceived French colours flying in all the forts, and a fleet of above 30 fail riding at anchor in the different bays. Of thefe fifteen were of the line, including three fifties, (for they had been reinforced by an old company's fhip of fifty guns, as well as by the St. Michael and L'Illuftre) ten or eleven were frigates or fire-fhips, and the reft tranfports. Thus they had three fifties to fpare, while they prefented twelve thips of 64 guns and upwards to the Englith line of the fame number; but in which the Ifis or fifty guns was of neceffity opposed to one of their fixtyfaurs.

The admiral might well have avoided an engagement, and the fuperiority of the enemy, together with the lofs of the place, which no fuccefs could now immediately recover, would undoubtedly have warranted his fo coing; but fuch was the general indignation fpread through the whole fquadron, that no fuperiority of force could ftand in the way to their vengeance, nor induce a fufficient confideration

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The enemy, fully fenfible of their fuperiority, as foon as they perceived the English in the morning, who were then within two leagues of them, got immediately under fail, and about fix o'clock, making their way through Back Bay, they flood out to fea to the fouth-eastward; by which they gained the wind, then blowing ftrong off the fhore. Sir Edward Hughes immediately made the fignal for the line of battle a-head at two cables length distance; and fhor ening fail, edged away from the wind, in order that the hips might the more speedily get into their refpective ftations for completing the line. Soon after eight o'clock, the enemy began to edge down towards the Englith line, and the British admiral, in order to render the action decitive, by drawing them as far as poffible from Trincomale before its commencement, food off before the wind from the fhore until eleven o'clock. During this whole time, the enemy fhewed great indecifion in their movements; fometimes edging down, as if difpofed to come to action, again bringing to, and keeping no regular order, as if totally undetermined how to a&t.

But towards noon they feemed to have fixed their refolution for action; and at half paft two they began to fire upon the English line, which was in a few minutes returned, and the engagement foon after became general. The French, to derive Sept. 3d. the greater advantage from their fuperiority in number, directed the attack of their additional fhips

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