apparent caufe. After lying to eight hours, there was a fignal to make fail. On the 20th, about three after noon, the fleet made the ifle of Oleron. Soon after a French man of war stood almost in the middle of the fleet; but at laft perceiving her mistake, fhe bore away right before the wind under all the fail fhe could croud. Upon a fignal at length made, four British men of war ftood after her, but she escaped.

On the 21ft, the fleet beat to windward of the ifle of Oleron till evening, and then stood in for the land; but the wind coming fuddenly ahead, it came to an anchor.

On the 22d it stood in for the land again; but anchored about noon, there being no wind. It made fail about three after noon, fteering between the ifles of Rhe and Oleron, and anchored again about ten at night.

About this time the following orders were iffued, dated the 21ft, on board the Ramilies.

"By Sir John Mordaunt, LieutenantGeneral of his Majesty's forces, &c. Whereas his Majefty has, by his royal fign-manual, authorifed me to publifh fuch rules and orders as are proper to be observed by all officers and foldiers under my command; as alfo to punish any offenders or tranfgreffors, by death or otherwise, according to the nature of their offence: and whereas the fuccefs of this important defcent upon the coaft of France, may greatly depend on the good order and difcipline to be obferved by the officers and foldiers: I judge it quite neceffary, for the juft execution of his Majefty's orders, and for the fafety and honour of the troops under my command, to establish the following rules and ordinances; and at the fame time to declare, that no offender against them will meet with any pardon.

No foldier fhall país, either by day or by night, beyond the centries of the camp, but with an officer. Every man that attempts it will be immediately shot. Whenever the army marches, the ftricteft order to be observed; and if any foldier leaves his platoon without the

permiffion of his officer, upon any occafion, he fhall fuffer death.

When any private man has leave from his officer to quit his platoon or division, a non-commiffioned officer to be left to bring him up.

All maroding and plundering, without the permiffion of the commander in chief, will be punished with death; and all other irregularities and mifbehaviour of any kind, with extreme feverity. On the other hand, the General will make it his ftudy and endeavour to reward the deferving.

Drunkennefs will be punished with the utmoft rigour, efpecially on those who are found drunk upon duty.

Men who are fent for wood, water, provifions, ftores, tools, or otherwise, are to be commanded by an officer, or non-commiffioned officer, in proportion to their number; and fuch officers and non-commiffioned officers are to be anfwerable to the General for their conduct.

Officers, non-commiffioned officers,

and men upon duty, are to be very exact and diligent, and none are to abfent themselves from their guards or detachments, without leave of their commanders, upon any pretence whatsoever.

Soldiers of all corps are to obey the officers of every regiment without diftinction; and all are to do their best endeavours to forward his Majesty's fervice upon this important occafion.

The rolls to be called four times by an officer of a company in twenty-four hours; two of which fhall be between tattoo and reveille.

Officers commanding upon any advanced pofts, or outguard, fhall have their rolls called every two hours; and whatever non-commiffioned officer or foldier fhall be abfent at the calling of the roll, fhall immediately be brought, to a court-martial, and suffer death, or fuch other punishment as a court-martial fhall think proper to inflict.

Any foldier who fires away his ammunition without order, will be counted a difobeyer of military command, and punished accordingly; and any man who flies from his colours, under pretence of

wanting

wanting ammunition, or for other caufes, will be put to death.

A foldier is not to commit acts of barbarity or brutal inhumanity upon the inhabitants of the country, under pain of the fevereft punishment. Whatever works the troops are employed upon, must be executed with all poffible care and diligence. Both officers and men muft engage heartily in every thing that tends to the public good.

The General does not doubt, but that every part of the fervice will be carried on chearfully and refolutely by the troops; that, from their behaviour and conduct, his Majefty and their country may be fatisfied, that nothing has been wanting, on their part, to procure fuccefs.

Officers who diftinguish themselves on any particular occafion, may be affured of the General's approbation and regard; and he will most certainly recommend them in the ftrongest manner to his Majefty and the Duke: and that he may have the fatisfaction of doing this piece of juftice to the officers under his command, he expects, that what he himself does not obferve of this fort, may be told him by the commanding of ficers of corps, with all the circumftances of advantage to the officers.

Whatever detachment, party, or battalion, shall behave with uncommon refolution, may expect all the credit that arifes from fuch behaviour, and that a juft account will be given of their performances."

These orders were received with univerfal acclamations.

On the 23d, about eight in the mornîng, the van of the fleet made fail, and food towards the isle of Aix, which lies in the mouth of the river that leads to Rochefort, the reft of the fleet anchoring about two leagues from the ifland. Capt. How, in the Magnanime, led the van, and in a fhort time filenced the fort; the Barfleur coming up after him, and pointing a few guns, but at too great a diftance to do much execution. Our foldiers and failors, as foon as they had taken poffeffion of the island, were fuffered to get drunk, and cruelly to in

Even th

fult the poor inhabitants. church was pillaged; the poor prie was robbed of his little library, and h robes became a masquerading habit the drunken tars. This fort, if th works now adding towards the sea ha been finished, would have been remark ably ftrong; but in its prefent fituatio was in a manner defencelefs. The i fland is about five English miles in cit cumference, and produces nothing bu a poor kind of wine. Several boat-load of the grapes were carried on boar every fhip in the fleet.

This conqueft, of however little in portance, was confidered as an omen o further fuccefs, and gave such spirits to the whole fleet, that if the men had been landed that night or next morning, it was thought they would certainly have done every thing within the power of their numbers. But on the 24th, 25th, 26th, 27th, and 28th, they did nothing, but hold councils of war, and fend their small craft to found all along the coaft.

On the 28th, in the afternoon, the Admiral made a fignal for the commanding officers of the regiments to come on board the Ramilies; and about eight o'clock the fame night the following orders, dated, Ramilies, Sept. 28. were read on board every tranfport.

"The troops are to be ready to go from the transports into the boats at twelve o'clock at night. A number of men of war's boats will be appointed to every regiment, under the com mand of a lieutenant: thefe, with the tranfport boats, (who are to be unde the direction of a lieutenant of foot) are to receive the grenadiers, the pique companies, one, two or more compa nies, as the boats can contain them The commander of every regiment land with the firft detachment, if it amount to three companies.

Particular care to be taken that the foldiers be not too much crouded in the boats.

The crews of the boats that row the tranfports long-boats, are to be chiefly compofed of foldiers, who are to return to the corps after the firft landing, and row backwards and forwards till the

whole

whole difimbarkation is completed, and till the provifions, tents, baggage, &c. are landed,accordingto the orders of Sept. 15. When the first part of every regiment is imbarked, it is to proceed filently and quietly to the place of rendezvous appointed for the divifion, and there the whole divifion receives their orders from a captain of a ship of war, which orders they are in every particular ftrictly to obey.

The troops have had a great example before their eyes, and the General is confident that they will endeavour to imitate the coolness and determined valour that appeared in the attack of the ifle of Aix.

No foldier is to fire from the boats upon any account, but to wait for the moment to join the enemy with their bayonets.

Eight mantlets per regiment will be diftributed, and the commanding officers will difpofe of them, fo as to cover the landing boats and rowers from the mufquetry, in cafe it be neceffary.

The troops are to land filently, and in the best order the nature of the thing allows of.

The companies to form, and be ready to attack whoever appears before them. The chief engineer, the quartermafter-general, and his deputies, are to go on fhore with the firft body that lands. All the intrenching tools are to be landed immediately after the fecond imbarkation.

Mr Boyd, the comptroller of the artillery, is appointed to carry orders to the chief engineer, captain of the artillery, and to every branch of the ordnance, and is to be obeyed.

Each regiment to fend a return immediately of the number of tents they have remaining after the calculating a tent for eight men, as ordered on the 15th.

Col. Kingfley to be ready to march with the grenadiers upon their landing; with two field officers, Major Farquhar, and Lt. Col. Sir William Boothby.

The regiments are each of them to receive from the ftorekeeper of the ordnance, ten chevaux-de-frize, and to fend for them forthwith." VOL. XIX.

When thefe orders were iffued, the fleet was four miles from the shore, the whole length of which was now lined with cannon, and crouded with troops. The party firft ordered to land, which did not amount to more than 1200 men, muft have maintained their ground fix or feven hours before they could have been fupported by a fecond difimbarkation; and that without a poffibility of retreat, as the boats were immediately to row back to fetch the rest of the troops. However, desperate as the undertaking feemed to be, every one prepared to execute thefe orders without the least appearance either of fear or discontent. The men were in the boats an hour be fore the time appointed; and continued in them thumping each other, and beating against the fides of the ships, for four hours. Then they were ordered to return to their ships till further orders.

The two following days were spent in blowing up fome unfinished fortifications on the isle of Aix. On the 1st of October the fleet fet fail for England, and arrived fafe at Spithead on the 6th.

Hitherto we have for the most part followed a pamphlet which was published at London a few days after the return of the fleet, intitled, A genuine account, by a volunteer in the expedition.Two days before this pamphlet appeared, the following account was published in the London gazette.

"Whitehall, Oct. 8. Yesterday an account was received, that the fleet, and tranfports, under the command of Sir Edward Hawke, were arrived at St Helen's, having failed from Bafque road on the 1ft inftant. On the 23d of Sep

tember Sir Edward Hawke ordered the Vice-Admiral, with his division, compofed of the Magnanime, Barfleur, Neptune, Torbay, and Royal William, frigates, bomb-vefiels, fire-fhips, and cutters, to attack the isle of Aix, between the islands of Rhe and Oleron. The Magnanime led; and about twelve the fire began from the fort, with fhells and great guns, and continued while our hips approached, till about ten minutes after one, when the Magnanime brought up within lefs than forty yards 4 D

of

fpicion of the expedition having been originally intended only as a fham armament, or that we were influenced by Hanoverian confiderations, it may not be amifs to inform the public upon what ounds the expedition was founded. Know then, that some three years ago, the gentleman who accompanied us in the capacity of chief engineer, had, in his travels through France, an opportunity, by the complaifance of the governor of Rochefort, of taking a deliberate view of that place. He faw feveral fhips then upon the stocks, and a confiderable quantity of naval ftores; he likewife obferved the fortifications to be extremely weak, and in many places unfinished. This he lately communicated to the miniftry; and gave it as his opinion, that Rochefort was in no condition of defence; that it might ea fily be taken by affault; and the fhipping and stores as eafily deftroyed. He confeffed, that for fear his papers might be fearched, he had not dared to take a plan of the works; but that he could fufficiently depend upon his memory, to affert pofitively the truth of what he had faid. There needs no extraordinary fkill in politics, to conceive how much our fuccefs in such an enterprife would have diftreffed our enemy. The miniftry gave ear to his defign, and the neceffary preparations were accordingly made; which, though they were undoubtedly expenfive, yet, if we had done our duty, I am convinced the defign would have been found fufficiently adequate.

I have indeed fo great an opinion of our naval power, that I have often been furprised we do not more frequently employ it in this manner. I am fure, at leaft, we might keep their armies at home to guard their coafts, if we did but use our ftrength fo as to make them more afraid of our fleets. We have, in general, too dreadful an opinion of forts and batteries; I fcarce believe there is a fea-port in the world that might not be taken by naval force. Suppofe, for inftance, inftead of failing down to the bottom of the bay, we had dared to attack Breft; might not the land-forces have been difimbarked at a distance

from the place, fo as to have formed it at the fame inftant that the fhips began to fire? Is it not almost certain, that in the furprife they would have furrendered? I own it would have appeared a daring enterprise. So much the better, fo much greater the astonishment, and, confequently, fo much greater our profpect of fucceeding. How many inftances have we not in hiftory, of great attempts fucceeding, merely because they were thought impracticable by the enemy? Thus much I know, at least, that a defperate fituation, like ours, requires defperate means of relief. And let not any one imagine, from what he shall read in this pamphlet, that we have no feeds of true valour left among us; on the contrary, I am convinced from what I have feen, even upon this expedition, that our army in general is equal to any undertaking; nor am I lefs certain, that there might be found commanders that would answer our most fanguine expectations.

I fhould be glad to ask the generals upon this expedition, whether, when they come to reflect coolly upon what paffed, they do not recollect their having imprudently admitted a certain gentleman into their councils (I do not say he is an Englishman), who had no command? Are they now fatisfied with having liftened to him?”

-tt

According to advices from Bath, of O&t. 26. the following letter was then handed about there. "Dear Sir, I have this morning a letter from Mr P which. he begins with faying that his heart was broke. It appears that the confternation in France, upon the approach of our fleet, was not to be imagined; that, notwithstanding the boaft of the French, there were only 4000 regular troops upon the whole coaft, whereas the number we fent was 10,000 ;. that, upon the arrival of the fleet off Rochefort, the King's own guards were fent away by forced marches, who however could not have arrived till the 10th of this month at the very foonest, which would have been fixteen days after our men ought to have landed; that the ter-ror was fo great among the French, that 4 D 2.

the