1782.

LORD SHELBURNE PRIME MINISTER.

185

"years I had imbibed from my master in politics, the "late Earl of Chatham. That Noble Earl always "declared that the country ought not to be governed by "any oligarchical party or family connection; and that "if it was to be so governed, the Constitution must of "necessity expire. On these principles I have always "acted. They are not newly taken up by me for "ambitious purposes; and your Lordships may recollect "one particular expression that in referring to them I "used some time ago. I declared that I would never "consent that the King of England should be a King "of the Mahrattas ; for among these Mahrattas the custom is, it seems, for a certain number of great lords "to elect a Peishwah, who is thus the creature of an "aristocracy, and is vested with the plenitude of power, "while their King is in fact nothing more than a Royal "pageant."

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Lord Shelburne's new appointments were quickly made. Thomas Townshend and Lord Grantham became Secretaries of State, while the place of Lord John Cavendish as Chancellor of the Exchequer was much more than filled by Mr. Pitt. Lord Temple went to Ireland as Lord Lieutenant, taking with him as Secretary his brother William, afterwards Lord Grenville. But, on the other hand, Lord Shelburne had great difficulties among his old remaining colleagues. Some who had never belonged to the Rockingham connection were yet perplexed and grieved by the sudden disruption of a party so lately reunited. Lord Camden would only pledge himself to continue for three months, and the Duke of Grafton went into the country in no contented mood. Of the Rockinghams, Lord Keppel especially had been most reluctant to separate from Fox, but could not conscientiously, he thought, desert the naval service in the midst of the campaign.

Our naval service was indeed once again in a perilous streight. The French Admiral De Guichen had formed a junction at Cadiz with the Spanish fleet under Don Luis de Cordova; and their united force, amounting to twenty-five sail of the line, approached the British Channel, capturing on their way eighteen merchant-men of the outward-bound Quebec trade. Just fears were felt

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for the safety of the convoys then on their return from both the East Indies and the West. At a Cabinet dinner given by the Duke of Grafton, "nothing," he declares, "could exceed the anxiety and uneasiness of both Lord Keppel and General Conway on this state of things, though they declared that their consolation was great "when they saw the spirit everywhere which brought "forward so great a naval force infinitely sooner than it "could have been expected." Early in July Lord Howe, who had just performed another important service by confining the Dutch to their harbours, was directed to issue forth from Portsmouth against the combined fleet. He had no more at his first departure than twelve sail of the line, but aid was sent out to him as soon as possible in single ships; and the Ministry placed a well-founded reliance on his judgment and skill. So effectually indeed did he exert these qualities, that while he restrained the enemy from bringing his inferior force to a general engagement, he protected from them the arrival of the Jamaica convoy under Sir Peter Parker, and compelled them (the Spanish ships, moreover, being as usual illprovided and unready), to steer back to the southward with all their objects unachieved.

Lord Howe had no sooner come back from this successful cruise, than with equal spirit he pressed the re-equipment of his fleet for another expedition in aid of Gibraltar. But the return of our ships to Portsmouth, joyful as at first it seemed, was dashed by a grievous disaster which, though occurring in a peaceful harbour, equalled the worst calamities of war. The Royal George, of 108 guns, commanded by the gallant Admiral Kempenfeldt, was deemed the first ship in the British navy. It had borne a conspicuous part in the celebrated action of Lord Hawke on the coasts of Brittany, and since that time had been repeatedly the flag-ship of nearly all our great commanders. In order to stop a slight leak previous to a new expedition, it became necessary to lay this vessel slightly on her side. But so little risk was anticipated from the operation, that the Admiral with his officers and men remained on board. Nay more, as is usually the case on coming into port, the ship was crowded with people from the shore, especially women

1782.

LOSS OF THE ROYAL GEORGE.

187

and children; and the number of the women only has been computed at three hundred. Such was the state of things at ten o'clock in the morning of the 29th of August, the Admiral writing in his cabin and most of the people between decks, and it is supposed that the carpenters in their eagerness may have inclined the ship a little more than they were ordered, or than the commanders knew, when a sudden squall of wind arising threw the ship fatally upon her side, and her gun-ports being open she almost instantly filled with water and went down. A victualler which lay alongside was swallowed up in the whirlpool which the plunge of so vast a body caused; and several small craft, though at some distance, were in the most imminent danger. About three hundred, chiefly sailors, were able to save themselves by swimming and the aid of boats, but the persons that perished-men, women, and children though they could not be accurately reckoned, amounted, it is thought, almost to a thousand. Of these no one was more deeply and more deservedly lamented than Admiral Kempenfeldt himself. He was held both abroad and at home to be one of the best naval officers of his time; the son of a Swedish gentleman, who coming early into the English service generously followed the ruined fortunes of his master, James the Second, but who after the death of that monarch was recalled by Queen Anne, and who has been portrayed by Addison in his excellent sketch of Captain Sentry.*

--

Of a similar kind, and at nearly the same period, was the disaster that befell the best of Rodney's prizes. They were on their way to England manned by English crews, when, shattered as they were already, a violent tempest assailed them, and they foundered at sea. Thus did we lose the much-desired sight of the noblest sign of our late successes, our great maritime trophy, the Ville de Paris. Yet the public concern at this mischance did not impair the burst of gratitude and joy with which Rodney was welcomed on his own return. Such enthusiasm, it is pleasing to record, was by no means confined to the rich and great. Thus Rodney having arrived at the

*Spectator, No. 2. Ann. Regist. 1782, p. 226.

Bush Tavern, Bristol, and being sumptuously entertained with his retinue, called next morning for his bill. ❝ Your "Lordship forgets that you paid it beforehand, on the "12th of April," was the answer of the worthy landlord.*

On the 11th of September, Lord Howe having repaired his ships and increased them by divers reinforcements to thirty-four of the line, set sail for the relief of Gibraltar. During upwards of three years already had the rock-fortress been blockaded or besieged. In the summer of 1779, on the declaration of war with Spain, the Spaniards had sent out a squadron to intercept the supplies by sea, and had formed a camp at San Roque for their attack by land. But the time was long past when, as in 1704, the place might be reduced in a single day. Now the works were strong; the garrison was vigilant and numerous, exceeding 5,000 men; and approaches could only be made by a long and narrow strip of sandthe "Neutral Ground"-stretching from the foot of the almost perpendicular rock to the less towering heights that circle the bay of Algesiras. The Governor General Elliot was a gallant veteran, who, like the Duke of Wéllington at a later period, had received his education at a Military Academy in France. Ever resolute and ever wary, and prevailing by example as much as by command, he combined throughout the siege the spirit to strike a blow at any weak point of the assailants, with a vigilant forethought extending even to the minutest measures of defence. For example, the first month of the investment did not pass away without an order that henceforth, contrary to the usual practice, the troops should mount guard with their hair unpowdered,- an order which might be deemed trifling at the time, but which afterwards proved of great value in husbanding the stores.

Before the close of the year, as Elliot had anticipated, the garrison, and still more the inhabitants, were reduced to great distresses for provision. Thistles, dandelions, and wild leeks were for some time the daily nourishment of numbers. But in January 1780, they were relieved by the arrival of Sir George Rodney and his victory over

* Life by Mundy, vol. ii. p. 334.

1782.

SIEGE OF GIBRALTAR.

189

Don Juan de Langara. Don Juan himself was brought a prisoner into the bay of Gibraltar, and conducted to lodgings in the town. One day, as it is recorded, the captive Spaniard went out in a boat to visit Admiral Digby, in whose ship was serving one of the young Princes the same who in after years became King William the Fourth. When Don Juan de Langara first came on board, he was presented in due form to the English Prince. But when the conference between the chiefs had closed, and it was intimated that Don Juan desired to return, His Royal Highness appeared in his character of midshipman, and standing before the two Admirals as they sate, announced in the respectful tone becoming an inferior, that the boat was ready. The Spaniard, surprised at seeing the son of a monarch acting as a petty officer, immediately exclaimed: "Well does England deserve her superiority at sea when the hum"blest stations in her navy are filled by Princes of "the Blood!"*

On the departure of Rodney and his squadron, the Spaniards resumed their blockade, and in the course of a few months again reduced the garrison to streights of various kinds. The English were, however, relieved from time to time by the opportune arrival of some small trading vessels which contrived to elude the enemy's cruisers. Thus, in May, there came in a Moorish sloop from Malaga, freighted with butter, raisins, and leather. So scarce had the last of these become at Gibraltar, that several of the officers, and most of the men, had been obliged to wear shoes made of canvass with soles of spun yarn. But in the autumn, they lost the prospect of any further Moorish supplies. The gold of Spain wrought so far with the Emperor of Morocco, that he prohibited the commerce with us in the strongest terms, even banishing Mr. Logie the Consul, and all other English, from Tangiers. The prices of provisions at Gibraltar rose in consequence to an extravagant height. A goose

Some doubts having ben expressed as to the truth of this story, as related in Drinkwater's Siege of Gibraltar (ch. iii.), it was referred to King William himself. In reply, a letter from Sir Herbert Taylor, written by his Majesty's command, and dated March 24. 1835, declares that "the anecdote is correctly stated in every respect."