DILECTA 579

they made sail from us. We had a fresh gale, and came up with them fast till about noon, when it fell little wind. About half an hour past two some of the headmost ships began to engage, but I could not get up to the Ocean till near four. In about half an hour my ship the Namur’s mizen-mast and both topsail-yards were shot away; the enemy then made all the sail they could. I shifted my flag to the Newark, and soon after the Centaur, of seventy-four guns, struck.

15. “I pursued all night, and in the morning of the 19th saw only four sail of the line standing in for the land.... We were not above three miles from them, and not above five leagues from the shore, but very little wind. About nine the Ocean ran amongst the breakers, and the three others anchored. I sent the Intrepid and America to destroy the Ocean. Capt. Pratten, having anchored, could not get in; but Capt. Kirk performed that service alone. On his first firing at the Ocean she struck. Capt. Kirk sent his officers on board. M. de la Clue, having one leg broke, and the other wounded, had been landed about half an hour; but they found the captain, M. Le Comte de Carne, and several officers and men on board; Capt. Kirk, after taking them out, finding it impossible to bring the ship off, set her on fire. Capt. Bentley, of the Warspite, was ordered against the Téméraire, of seventy-four guns, and brought her off with little damage, the officers and men all on board. At the same time, Vice-Admiral Broderick, with his division, burnt the Redoubtable, her officers and men having quitted her, being bulged; and brought the Modest, of sixty-four guns, off very little damaged. I have the pleasure to acquaint their Lordships, that most of His Majestie’s ships under my command sailed better than those of the enemy.”...

From the Gentleman’s Magazine for September, 1759.¹

“I could not resist copying this letter in full.-R. L.”

16. “I have just read the appendix to your Art of England, and was particularly interested in the account of how you felt that cold south-west wind up in Lancashire.² This is the second, if not third season, that we have remarked them here in the south of England, though I think the south-westers of this spring were more bitter than usual. I told you, I believe, that my wife and I started away for Spain this April. Now, on all this journey, down the west coast of France, across the north of Spain, to Barcelona, in lat. 41, and up through Central France again, I watched and noted day by day the same strange sky that we have with us, the same white sun, with that opaque sheet about him, or else covered by dark dull vapours, from which now and then something fell in unexpected drops, followed by still more unexpected clearing-ups. There were one or two days of intense sunshine, followed always by bad pale sunsets, and often accompanied by driving storms of wind and dust. But, returning to the cold south-westers, I don’t suppose you care much for the why of them, even if I am right, which is, that I think we owe them to the very great and early break up for the last year or two of the northern ice,* which in the western ocean was met with before March this year, several steamers being in collision with it, while one report from Newfoundland spoke of an iceberg aground there I am afraid to say how many miles

* Yes; but what makes the ice break up? I think the plague-wind blows every way, everywhere, all round the world.-J. R.

¹ [Vol. 29, p. 435.]

² [See Vol. XXXIII. p. 399.]

[Version 0.04: March 2008]