166 Major-Gemral Sir Howard Do^iglas 



in execution long before Clerk was born. That the evolution 

 was practised by the ancients, we have shown in our introduc- 

 tory remarks, and that this mode has been followed in more re- 

 cent naval actions, is proved by Sir Howard Douglas, by quo- 

 tations from history, some of which may be here subjoined. 



" On the 16th of August 1652," says Sir Howard Douglas, " Sir George 

 Ayscue, with nine sail of his headmost ships, charged through the Dutch fleet, 

 and got the weather-gage." 



Again, in the Annales des Provinces Unies, in the battle of 

 the 14th of June 1665, it is recorded, — 



" That L'Amiral HoUandois, qui etoit au dessous du vent, prit le parti de 

 percer au travers de laflotte Anglaise, et Le Due d'York, au lieu de I'arreter sur 

 son passage, en lui opposant ses gros vaisseaux, le laissa passer, et perca a son 

 tour au travers des vaisseaux HoUandois. C etoit une faute considerable i car le Due 

 pouvoit aisement separer une partie de laflotte de V autre ^ et la battre separement.^^ 



We may add from Paul Hoste, his remarks relative to this 



battle : — 



" Cette ordre (I'ordre de battaille) fut exactment garde pour la premiere 

 fois, dans le fameux combat du Texel, ou Le Due d'York a present Roy 

 d'Angleterre defit les HoUandois le 13 Juin I'an 1665, et c'est a sa Majeste' 

 Brittanique que nous en devons toute la perfection. Les HoUandois avoient 

 pris un vaisseau Anglois, qui par une bravoure temeraire voulut seul traverser 

 leur ligne." 



Again, Paul Hoste devotes a chapter principally to the va- 

 rious methods of cutting an enemy's line. See Evolutions Na- 

 vales, page 388. At page 47, he suggests that, " Si Tarmee 

 qui est au-vent est plus nombreuse, elle pent faire un detach- 

 ment qui venant fondre sur la queue des ennemis, les met in- 

 Jailliblement en disordre.'''' Hence the merit of discovering the 

 method of cutting off a few ships in the rear of an enemy's fleet 

 with a superior Jbrce, and taking or destroying them before as- 

 sistance can be given them by the van, is incontrovertibly not 

 Clerk's, though, on this manoeuvre, his advocates mainly rest 

 the importance of his discoveries in naval tactics. 



" Again, at the battle of Malaga, on the 1 5th and 16th of August O. S. 

 1704, the (British) Admiral Shovel, still bearing down upon the enemy, in- 

 sensibly found himself in the line a-head of them ; which the French, judging 

 to be a favourable oppoitunity, resolved to make their advantage of it by 

 keeping their wind, and crowding all the sail they were able, in order to cut off 

 the van of the confederates from the rest of their line ; hoping, with reason, that, 

 if it grew calm, which usually happens in a sea fight, their gallies might tow 



