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ships, that had already engaged, and tacked in succession, standing to the south east, on the larboard tack, towards Dominica, which is seen in perspective. In shore is the numerous convoy of the French, keeping to windward, in order to effect their escape to Guadaloupe.

Lieutenant J. Matthews, in his valuable explanations of different actions in the West Indies during the last war, says :-" By seven, part of the van division had got the sea breeze, and stretched on to the northward, forming the line, but the centre, and rear were still becalmed, and a considerable distance astern; in the mean time several of the enemy had cleared the island, by favour of light airs off the land, and were forming their line on the starboard tack; about half past nine, the enemy finding our centre, and rear, mostly becalmed and sepa rated, bore down to attack the Van. Forty five minutes past nine, the signal was made to engage, and three minutes after, the action began with the Alfred, then the headmost ship, and about the centre of the enemy. Soon after the British Van brought to, to prevent a greater separation from the centre, and rear; and the French engaging under sail, tacked, when they had passed the headmost ship, and formed again in the rear. In the mean time, the British centre had, by favour of a partial breeze from the northward, got much nearer in shore, and about eleven the sea breeze reached them, when they immediately tacked, and stood to the northward to join the Van; and the enemy hauled their wind close, ceased firing, and tacked to the southward to join the rear, and prevent the British centre, from getting to windward of them. About half past eleven the enemy veered, and again formed their line on the starboard tack, and our centre brought their rear to distant action, which ceased at noon, and commenced again in the Van, in the same manner as before: the Van continued to be very hotly pressed till fifteen minutes past one, when the French, finding the whole of the British line coming up, hauled their wind close and tacked in succession. Before two, the signal for action was hauled down, the enemy shewing no wish to renew it, but carrying all the sail they possibly could to keep to windward, and their convoy, under escort of two fifty gun ships, were out of sight early in the afternoon; the British Fleet kept plying to windward all this day."

Twenty-one plans with explanations of different actions in the West Indies during the late war, (1784) Chester. Printed for J. Fletcher. Dedicated to

Lord Hood.

NAVAL ANECDOTES,

COMMERCIAL HINTS, RECOLLECTIONS, &c.

NANTES IN GURGITE VASTO!

No. V.

COMTE DE GRASSE'S FLEET, from his sailing from Brest, 1781-1782.

FIV

"IVE ships of the line went with M. de Suffrein for the East Indies. The Comte de Grasse arrived within sight of Martinique, April 28th, having had an extraordinary quick passage.

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With the above fleet he engaged Sir Samuel Hood on the 29th of April; during the engagement the following five ships stood out of Fort Royal Bay, and joined him:

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Sir Samuel Hood had only eighteen sail of the line against twentysix, and was to leeward of the port, therefore he could not prevent Comte de Grasse from carrying his large convoy safe into Fort Royal Harbour; who after this took Tobago, and, then sailing for Cape François, arrived there the 16th of July, and joined the

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On this junction the Chev, de Monteil hoisted his flag on board the

Languedoc.

LORD HOOD'S LINE OF BATTLE on the 29th of April 1781.

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LINE OF BATTLE on the 25th of January 1782, going into Basseterre,

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This gentleman, we believe, was brother to the present learned professor of Modern History in the University of Cambridge.

Mol. II.

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LINE as they lay at Anchor off Basseterre, and were attacked on the

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AS you request information and hints from professional men, I send you the following extract from the letter of an officer of

rank:

The late Captain Sir William Burnaby gave a Dutch Compass to Mr. Ramsden, the optician, which I saw about a year ago. This compass was of great weight, and would either stand in a ship, or even a boat, in an heavy sea. Whether Mr. Ramsden obtained a patent for it, or not, I cannot tell; but last war he made a great many very light compasses, after the plan of the Dutch compass, and most of the ships of the navy were supplied with them. These would not stand either in a boat, or a ship, and being useless were exploded. It was said his light compass would stand on an horse's back at full gallop. When Mr. Ramsden proposed making these light compasses, I recommended his making them like the Dutch compass, the card excepted: for as it answered in every respect, an

improvement was unnecessary. Every ship in the navy ought to be supplied with one of these Dutch compasses; they are the best I ever met with. An account of this compass in the Naval Chronicle might draw attention towards it; you are therefore at liberty to send this to the Editor. It is of great consequence to the service to have compasses which will stand in boats in blowing weather.-A captain of a Dutch man of war gave this compass to Sir William Burnaby, when he commanded the Zephyr sloop in the Downs; and Sir William shewed it me at Jamaica in the year 1772. It is therefore an old acquaintance."

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The Chunam used in the East Indies to cover the bottoms of ships is found to be superior to copper sheathing, as it secures the bottom from all injury, and will last twelve years at least.

Many of the most valuable products of the eastern climes might be successfully cultivated in our West India islands. It has been proved by experience that the cinnamon tree will thrive there as well as in its native soil; and there is no doubt but that nutmegs, cloves, and other spices, would also flourish in the tropical regions of the west. The Society for the Encouragement of Arts is making this a subject of its particular attention.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NAVAL CHRONICLE.

MR. EDITOR,

IF you are in want of any interesting naval intelligence, you need only look into the Liverpool papers during the present war, where you will find the relation of many a brave action performed by men, the greater part of whom were never at sea before: witness what has been done by the Thomas, James, Tyson, Betsy and Susan, Agreeable, Barton, Cicero, Benson, Astrea, Cottrell, Lovely Lass, Battalion, Henry, Scipio, Mary, Wilding, Nereus, Brooks, Elizabeth, Swallow, Indian Trader, &c.

I am, Sir,

Your obedient humble servant,
C. W. E. P.

A Correspondent wishes to know whether it would not be a desirable plan, instead of breaking up our old ships, to send them off Brest, and sink them in the Passage du Raz, which thus would soon be choked up as an outlet for the French fleet, through which they have often eluded the vigilance of our cruisers, and put to sea.

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