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Cotlogon; that there were between 20 and 30 more in the harbour disarmed; and in the Road four ships of war and two privateers, ready to sail. Upon this a council of war was held of Flag Officers and Captains, the 12th of May, to consider of the Queen's Instructions, and the intelligence they had; and they concluded to sail as far as Belle Isle, and that a detachment should be sent to St. Martin, or elsewhere, for further advice, Belle Isle being appointed the rendez-vous from the 16th to the 20th of May, and afterwards in the latitude of 46 and 47 degrees, S.S.W. from Ushant.

The 15th, the Medway took a prize. Two days after, the Winchester, Dover and Lichfield joined the fleet, which was prevented getting into the Bay by southerly winds, fogs, and calms. Nevertheless, the 19th they got as far in as the Seames, but the wind flying out fresh at S.S.W. and S.W. obliged them to stand out again. The next day the wind coming northerly, the Admiral stood into the Bay with the fleet, and a Dutch galliot informed them that they saw the Tuesday before 26 French men-of-war standing westward, the land about Bordeaux then bearing E. by S. near 15 leagues off. Upon this, at a council of war the 23rd, it was judged convenient to proceed to Belle Isle, according to the resolution of the 12th, and that the detachment designed for St. Martin should not be sent thither, until it could be certainly known whether the enemy's ships were in those parts, or gone to sea.

The 24th the fleet arrived at Belle Isle, where there was not anything to be seen but some

1 'Cotlongon,' Burchett; Troude spells it Coëtlogon. * (?) I. de Seins.

fishing-boats. Upon their going in, a detachment was made to the south-east end of the island to intercept any vessels that might attempt coming out that way, and another detachment to the Isle of Groix (or Grouais) lying off Port Louis,1 to surprise any shipping which should be found riding off that port. Which last detachment brought into the fleet two small barks (taken from amongst twenty) that were bound southward from Brest. But the remainder (except some which were stranded) with their convoy of 14 guns, got into Port Louis. Hereupon, and upon what the prisoners related, a council of war of Flags and Captains was held in Belle Isle Road the 27th of May, and they resolved, it was not advisable to divide the fleet; and also resolved to put in execution the orders which the Admiral had received, by repairing to the station S.S.W. from Ushant, in the latitude of 46 and 47 degrees, the better to meet with any of the enemy's ships, bound in or out of the Bay. The 27th the Dragon took a privateer of 16 guns; at the same time a sail with French colours coming into the fleet, a signal was made for the boats to chase, and she stood in for the island, and run on shore.

From the time the fleet came to an anchor in Belle Isle Road, until the 1st of June, it blew very hard; but two days after, the fleet sailed and stood towards the appointed station. The 4th, the Lichfield brought in a French prize from Martinique; and the next day the Lyme joined the fleet with another prize; and the 19th of June, the Medway brought in another prize. And it having been resolved to stay no longer than the 10th of June on that station, they shaped

1 Lorient.

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their course homewards accordingly, and the fleet arrived at St. Helens, after a tedious passage, the 21st of the aforesaid month. Two days after, they came to Spithead, and soon after Sir George Rooke left the fleet, having, by his order of the 26th of June, put the ships at Spithead and Portsmouth harbour under the command of ViceAdmiral Leake.

CHAPTER III

The campaign of 1703 continued. He goes with a reinforcement to Lisbon. Proceedings of the Fleet in the Mediterranean. Their return to England. The great storm, and Mr. Leake's wonderful preservation therein, &c.

THE King of Portugal at length having acceded to the Grand Alliance, a treaty between the Emperor, the Queen of Great Britain, the King of Portugal, and the States General, was signed at Lisbon, and being brought to London on the 24th of May, the ratification of it passed the Great Seal of Great Britain the 14th of July following. Sir Clowdisley Shovell was thereupon ordered with a fleet to the Mediterranean in great haste, as well to hinder the enemy's fleet from passing the Straits, as to prevent any attempts they might make to insult the Portuguese, for deserting their engagements with the crown of France.1

Sir Clowdisley sailed from Spithead the Ist of July; but as several of the ships appointed for that expedition could not be got ready time enough to proceed with him, he desired that the strictest orders might be given for their proceeding after him to the Rock of Lisbon, so that the service might not be delayed by his staying there in

1 Shovell's Instructions are printed in full by Burchett, pp. 646-9.

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expectation of them. This Sir Clowdisley particularly recommended to the care of Vice-Admiral Leake, well knowing his zeal and diligence for the public service; and soon after he received orders from the Lord High Admiral to the same effect. Accordingly he used his best endeavours to forward those ships for the service they were intended, being eight sail, viz. two Second, and six Third Rates. But he found this service much more difficult than was expected; for upon examination, those eight ships had above a thousand men sick on shore, besides a considerable number on board that could not be received into sick quarters for want of room; so that it was impossible they should be ready in a short time, if he was to wait for their recovery. This he represented to the Lord High Admiral, with the necessity therefore there was of turning men over from other ships upon this emergency, a practice he was otherwise much averse to. And His Highness having signified his consent, he ordered men to be turned from other ships, so as with their marines to make up the complements of five of the eight, in order to leave the other three to follow after him as soon as possible, judging it to be more for the service to proceed with five ships than to stay till the whole eight were completed, which would take up a considerable. time to do, there being such a scarcity of seamen.

The 9th he gave out the rendez-vous to the ships, which was off the Rock of Lisbon, or at Cascaes; but if they did not find the fleet there, then to enquire of Her Majesty's Envoy at Lisbon, or the Agent at Cascaes, for further directions. And having now by his unwearied application, got the ships in a readiness to proceed, on the Ioth instant he sailed from St. Helens with the