Page images
PDF
EPUB

NAVAL BATTLES, continued.

The earl of Sandwich took 12 men of war
and 2 India ships

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

1666

1667

1671

Sept. 4, 1665
A contest between the Dutch and En-
glish fleets for victory, maintained
for four days. The English lose 9,
and the Dutch 15 ships, June 1 to 4
Decisive engagement at the mouth of
the Thames, when the English gain a
glorious victory. The Dutch lose 24
men-of-war, 4 admirals killed, and 4000
officers and seamen. Fought July 26, 1666
The English fleet of 16 sail, defeat the
French of 30, near Martinico
Twelve Algerine ships of war destroyed
by Sir Edward Spragg
The fleets of England and France engage
the Dutch in Southwold-bay; an ob-
stinate and bloody action. The earl
of Sandwich was blown up; several
ships and some thousands of men were
destroyed; and though no decisive vic-
tory was gained, the Dutch fled, pur-
sued by the duke of York (afterwards
James II.) to their own coasts May 28, 1672
Coast of Holland; by Prince Rupert,
May 28, June 4, and Aug. 11, D'Etrees
and Ruyter defeated
Several actions to the disadvantage of
the Dutch. They agree to strike to the
English colours in the British seas,
25 Charles II.
Off Tangiers, battle between the English
and Moors, which lasted 11 days
Off Beachy-head; the English and
Dutch are defeated by the French,

[ocr errors]

.

. 1673

1673

1679

June 30, 1690
The English and Dutch combined fleets
gain a signal victory over the French
fleet, near Cape La Hogue; 21 of their
largest men-of-war were destroyed.-
See La Hogue
May 19, 1692
Off St. Vincent; the English and Dutch
squadrons, under admiral Rooke, de-
feated by the French
June 16, 1693
Off Carthagena, between admiral Ben-
bow and the French fleet, com-
manded by admiral Du Casse, fought

Aug. 19, 1702
The English and Dutch fleets, under
sir George Rooke, defeat the French
fleet (having the Spanish galleons in
convoy) in the port of Vigo. They take
9 out of 13 galleons, laden chiefly with
silver, and six men-of-war; the other
4 galleons, and 14 men-of-war, destroyed,
fought
Oct. 12, 1702

[ocr errors]
[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

*In the engagement the other ships of admiral Benbow's squadron falling a-stern, left this brave commander alone to maintain the unequal battle. In this situation a chain-shot shattered his leg, yet he would not be removed from the quarter-deck, but continued fighting till the morning, when the French sheered off. He died in October following, of his wounds, at Jamaica, where, soon after his arrival, he received a letter from the French admiral, of which the following is a literal translation: "Carthagena, August 22, 1702.

"SIR, I had little hopes on Monday last, but to have supped in your cabin; yet it pleased God to order it otherwise. I am thankful for it. As for those cowardly captains who deserted you, hang them up, for by G-d they deserve it. DU CASSE." Two of those unworthy cowards, captains Kirby and Wade, were shot on their arrival at Plymouth, having been previously tried by a court-martial.

NAVAL BATTLES, continued.

Dogger-bank, between adm. Parker and the Dutch adm. Zoutman; 400 killed on each side Aug. 5, 1781 Adm. Rodney defeated the French going to attack Jamaica, took 10 ships of the line, (1 sunk, and 3 blown up) and sent the French admiral, count de Grasse, prisoner to England April 12, 1782 The British totally defeated the fleets of France and Spain, in the bay of Gibraltar.-See Gibraltar Sept. 13, 1782 East Indies; a series of actions between Sir Edw. Hughes and Suffrein, viz.: February 17, 1782, the French had 11 ships to 9; April 12, they had 18 ships to 11, yet were completely beaten. Again, July 6, off Trincomalee, they had 15 to 12, and were again beaten with the loss of 1000 killed, Sept. 3, 1782. Again June 20, 1783 Lord Howe signally defeated the French fleet, took 6 ships of war, and sunk several June 1, 1794 Sir Edward Pellew took 15 sail, and burnt 7, out of a fleet of 35 sail of transports March 8, 1795 French fleet defeated, and 2 ships of war taken, by admiral Hotham, fought

.

March 14, 1795 Adm. Cornwallis took 8 transports, convoyed by 3 French men-of-war, fought June 7, 1795 Eleven Dutch East Indiamen taken by the Sceptre, man-of-war, and some armed British Indiamen in company

June 19, 1795 L'Orient; the French fleet defeated by lord Bridport, and 3 ships of war taken

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

June 25, 1795 Dutch fleet under adm. Ducas, in Saldanha bay,of five men-of-war and nine frigates, surrenders to sir Geo. Keith Elphinstone Aug. 17, 1796 Cape St. Vincent; the Spanish fleet defeated by sir J. Jervis, and 4 line of battle ships taken Feb. 14, 1797 Unsuccessful attempt on Santa Cruz; admiral Nelson loses his right arm, July 24, 1797 Camperdown; the Dutch signally defeated by adm. Duncan, and 15 ships of war, with the admiral (De Winter), taken Oct. 11, 1797 Nile; Toulon fleet defeated by sir Horatio Nelson, at Aboukir; 9 ships of the line taken; 2 burnt, 2 escaped, Aug. 1, 1798 Off the coast of Ireland; a French fleet of 9 sail, full of troops, as succours to the Irish, engaged by sir John Borlase Warren, and 5 taken Oct. 12, 1798 The Texel fleet of 12 ships and 13 Indiamen, surrenders to the British admiral, Mitchell Aug. 28, 1799 Copenhagen bombarded; when the Danish fleet of 23 sail is taken or destroyed by lord Nelson. 1800 Danish seamen killed April 2, 1901 Gibraltar Bay; engagement between the

[ocr errors]

French and British fleets; the Hannibal of 74 guns lost July 6, 1801 Off Cadiz; Sir James Saumarez obtains a victory over the French and Spanish fleets; 1 ship captured, fought July 12, 1801 Sir Robt. Calder with 15 sail, takes 2 ships (both Spanish) out of 20 sail of the French and Spanish combined fleets, off Ferrol July 22, 1805 Off Trafalgar; memorable battle, in which lord Nelson defeated the fleets of France and Spain, and in which he received his mortal wound.-(See Trafalgar) Oct. 21, 1805

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

marcz

Sept. 3, 1808 Basque Roads; 4 sail of the line, and much shipping, destroyed by lord Gambier April 14, 1809 Two Russian flotillas of numerous vessels, taken or destroyed by sir J. SauJuly 1809 French ships of the line driven on shore by lord Collingwood (2 of them burnt by the French next day) Oct. 25, 1809 Bay of Rosas, capt. Hallowell takes or destroys 11 war and other vessels, Nov. 1, 1809 Basseterre; La Loire and La Seine, French frigates, destroyed by sir A. Cochrane Dec. 18, 1809

[ocr errors]

.

The Spartan British frigate gallantly engages a large French force in the bay of Naples May 3, 1810 Action between the Tribune, capt. Reynolds, and 4 Danish brigs, fought May 12, 1810 Isle of Rhé; 17 vessels taken or destroyed by the Armide and Cadmus July 17, 1810 Twenty-two vessels from Otranto taken by the Cerberus and Active. Feb. 22, 1811 Amazon French frigate destroyed off Cape Barfleur March 25, 1811 Lazone Bay; 3 French frigates burnt by capt. Barrie's ships May 1, 1811 The British sloop, Little Belt, and American ship President, their rencontre, May 16, 1811

Off Madagascar; 3 British frigates under capt. Schomberg, engage 3 French, larger sized, laden with troops, and capture 2 May 21, 1811

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors]

Aug. 19, 1812
British brig Frolic captured by the
American sloop Wasp
Oct. 18, 1812
British frigate Macedonian taken by the
American ship United States, large
class
British frigate Java, taken by the Ame-
rican ship Constitution, large class,

Oct. 25, 1812

Dec. 29, 1812

British frigate Amelia loses 46 men killed
and 95 wounded, engaging a French
frigate

Feb. 7, 1813

British sloop Peacock captured by the
American ship Hornet; she was so
disabled that she sunk with a part of
her crew

Feb. 25, 1813 taken by

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]
[ocr errors]

.

Jan. 15, 1815

Aug. 27, 1816

Algiers bombarded by lord Exmouth. See Algiers Navarino; the British, French, and Russian squadrons, defeat and annihilate the Turkish navy. See Navarino Oct. 20, 1827 Action between the British ships Volage and Hyacinth, and 29 Chinese war junks, which were defeated Nov. 3, 1839 Bombardment and fall of Acre. The British squadron under admiral Stopford achieved this triumph with trifling loss, while the Egyptians lost 2000 killed and wounded, and 3000 prisoners-See Syria Nov. 3, 1840 NAVAL SALUTE TO THE BRITISH FLAG. This mark of honour began in Alfred's reign, and though sometimes disputed, it may be said to have been continued ever since. The Dutch agreed to strike to the English colours in the British seas, in 1673. The honour of the flag-salute at sea was also formally assented to by France in 1704, although it had been long previously exacted by England.

.

June 1, 1813
Eagle,

American frigate Chesapeake,
the Shannon, captain Broke
American ships Growler and
taken by British gun-boats
American sloop Argus, taken by the
British sloop Pelican
Aug. 14, 1813

[ocr errors]

June 3, 1813

NAVAL UNIFORMS. The first notice of the establishment of a uniform in the British naval service which we have met with, occurs in the Jacobite's Journal of March 5, 1748, under the head of "Domestic News," in these terms :-" An order is said to be issued, requiring all his majesty's sea-officers, from the admiral down to the midshipman, to wear a uniformity of clothing, for which purpose pattern coats for dress suits and frocks for each rank of officers are lodged at the Navyoffice, and at the several dock-yards, for their inspection." This is corroborated by the Gazette of July 13, 1757, when the first alteration in the uniform took place, and in which a reference is made to the order of 1748, alluded to in the journal above-mentioned, and which in fact, is the year when a naval uniform was first established. Jas. I. had indeed granted, by warrant of 6th April, 1609, to six of his principal masters of the navy, "liverie coats of fine red cloth." The warrant is stated to have been drawn verbatim from one signed by queen Elizabeth, but which had not been acted upon by reason of her death. This curious document is in the British Museum; but king James's limited red livery is supposed to have been soon discontinued.Quarterly Review.

NAVARINO, BATTLE of, between the combined fleets of England, France, and Russia, under command of admiral Codrington, and the Turkish navy, in which the latter was almost wholly annihilated. More than thirty ships, many of them four-deckers, were blown-up or burnt, chiefly by the Turks themselves, to prevent their falling into the hands of their enemies, Oct. 20, 1827. The species of policy which led to this attack upon Turkey, was that of Mr. Canning's administration. This destruction of

the Turkish naval power was characterised, by the illustrious duke of Wellington, as being an untoward event "-a memorable phrase, applied to it to this day. NAVIGATION. It owes its origin to the Phoenicians, about 1500 B.c. The first laws of navigation originated with the Rhodians, 916 B.C. The first account we have of any considerable voyage is that of the Phoenicians sailing round Africa, 604 B.C.Blair. On the destruction of Thebes by Alexander the Great, 335 B.C., its commerce passed to Alexandria, and subsequently the Romans became the chief masters of commerce. It passed successively from the Venetians, Genoese, and Hanse Towns to the Portuguese and Spaniards; and from these to the English and Dutch. Plane charts and mariner's compass Logarithmic tables applied to navigation used about by Gunter

[ocr errors]

Variation of the compass discovered by
Columbus

That the oblique rhumb lines are spirals,
discovered by Nonius

[ocr errors]

A.D. 1420

Middle latitude sailing introduced

[ocr errors]
[blocks in formation]

A.D. 1620 1623 . 1631

[blocks in formation]
[ocr errors]
[blocks in formation]
[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors]

.

1600

See Compass, Latitude, Longitude, &c.

Davis's quadrant, or backstaff, for measuring angles, about NAVIGATION, INLAND, OF THE UNITED KINGDOM. The share which inland navigation has had in England has been among the great features of her commercial prosperity.-J. C. Williams. Mr. Nimmo, in his evidence before the Committee on the state of Ireland, in 1824, said, "we have more inland navigation in Britain than in all the rest of the world put together." America has, however, made too great a progress in inland navigation to justify Mr. Nimmo in this statement; and that gifted man must have forgotten the canals of China. The total length of the inland navigation of England, including as well the navigable rivers as canals, is 5300 miles.-See Canals.

NAVIGATION LAWS. The laws of Oleron were decreed, 6 Richard I. 1194. See Oleron. The first navigation act was passed in 1381. Another and more extensive act was passed in 1541. Act relating to the trade of the colonies passed in 1646; and several acts followed relating to navigation. The act regulating the navigation of the river Thames was passed in 1786. Navigation Act, for the encouragement of British ships and seamen, passed 4 William IV., August 1833. NAVY OF ENGLAND. The first fleet of galleys, like those of the Danes, was built by Alfred, A.D. 897. The number of galleys had increased under Edgar to 350, about A.D. 965. A formidable fleet was equipped by the public contribution of every town in England, in the reign of Ethelred II. 1007, et seq., when it rendezvoused at Sandwich to be ready to oppose the Danes. From this period fleets were occasionally furnished by the maritime towns, and the Cinque ports, and were usually commanded by the king, or an admiral under him: such was the fleet of Edward III. at the siege of Calais in 1347; it consisted of 40 ships, badly equipped, under no public fixed regulations. The date of the commencement of the Royal or British navy, may therefore be placed 4 Henry VIII. 1512, when the first Navyoffice was appointed, with commissioners to manage naval affairs, and a number of stout ships of war began to be permanently kept on foot by the crown.-Gibson's Camden. In the time of Henry VIII. the navy consisted of 1 ship of 1200 tons, 2 of 800 tons, and six or seven smaller; the largest was called the Great Harry. Elizabeth's fleet at the time of the Spanish Armada, in 1588, consisted of only 28 vessels, none larger than frigates. James I. added 10 ships of 1400 tons each, and 64 guns, the largest then ever built.-Gibson's Continuation of Camden.

Yr. Ships.

521

16

no account.

[blocks in formation]

ACCOUNT OF THE PROGRESSIVE INCREASE of the ROYAL NAVY OF ENGLAND, FROM HENRY VIII.'S REIGN TO THE CLOSE OF THE LAST WAR, 1814. Tons. Men voted Navy estimates. 7,260 10,506 6,700 17,055 8,346 57,000 21,910 101,892 42,000 159,020 40,000

[blocks in formation]

In 1814, Great Britain had 901 ships, of which 177 were of the line; and in 1830,

1808 869
1814 901 966,000 146,000

892,800

143,800

17,496,047

she had 621 ships, some of 140 guns each, and down to surveying vessels of 2 guns only. Of these 148 sail were employed on foreign and home service. On Jan. 1, 1841, the total number of ships of all sizes in commission was 183.

SHIPS TAKEN OR DESTROYED BY THE NAVAL AND MARINE FORCES OF GREAT BRITAIN IN THE FRENCH REVOLUTIONARY WAR, ENDING 1802.

[blocks in formation]

NUMBER OF SHIPS TAKEN OR DESTROYED IN THE WAR AGAINST BUONAPARTE, ENDING 1814.

[blocks in formation]

It thus appears that, in the two last wars, extending over a period of about twentyone years, our navy had taken or destroyed 1110 ships of the navies of our enemies. NAVY OF FRANCE. It is first mentioned in history A.D. 728, when, like that of England at an early period, it consisted of galleys; in this year the French defeated the Frison fleet. It was considerably improved under Louis XIV. at the instance of his minister Colbert, about 1697. The French navy was in, perhaps, its highest splendour about 1781; but it became greatly reduced in the late wars against England. NAVY-OFFICE. A navy-office was constituted in 1512; and a board with twelve commissioners, subordinate to the Board of Admiralty, was established 1 Charles I. 1625.-Rymer's Fœdera. The Navy-office was organised in a manner somewhat similar to the present in 1644. This office comprehends a variety of officers. Among others is the treasurer of the navy, secretary, comptroller, &c. Upon the reform of various departments in the state in 1782, this office came in for its share, and increased salaries were given to its chiefs in lieu of perquisites, &c. See Admiralty. NECTARINES. The Amygdalis Persica is the nectarine tree. It originally came from Persia. Previously to the introduction of the fruit here, in 1562, presents of nectarines were frequently sent to the court of England, from the Netherlands; and Catherine, queen of Henry VIII., in her turn distributed them as a peculiar rarity among her friends. This queen gave the greatest encouragement to the cultivation of delicate fruits in this country; and to her we owe some of those that are now produced in the highest perfection in our gardens.

NEEDLES. They make a considerable article of commerce, as well as of home trade in England. German and Hungarian steel is of most repute for needles. The first that were made in England were fabricated in Cheapside, London, in the time of the sanguinary Mary, by a negro from Spain; but, as he would not impart the secret, it was lost at his death, and not recovered again till 1566, in the reign of Elizabeth ; when Elias Growse, a German, taught the art to the English, who have since brought it to the highest degree of perfection.-Stowe. The family of the Greenings, ancestors of lord Dorchester, established a needle manufactory in Bucks, about this time.— Anderson.

NEGRO TRADE. See Slavery. This species of commerce with human beings was first undertaken by the Spaniards, A.D. 1508: and by the English in 1563; and to the dishonour of our country, notwithstanding the progress of civilization, education, and religion, and their consequent blessings and enlightenment, this traffic continued up to the commencement of the present century, 1807. By a judgment in our courts, in 1772, it was determined that negroes who were purchased abroad, and were brought to England by their masters, were free-free the moment their feet touched the British soil. This judgment, to the honour of Mr. Granville Sharpe, was obtained by his carrying on the suit on behalf of Somerset, the black.

« PreviousContinue »