118 FRAGMENT OF AN INTENDED ACCOUNT 



tance, till the whole of the one line was abreast of the other, 

 and each ship ready to engage her antagonist. 



If the first of these methods was pursued, each ship, on co- 

 minor down, had a very sharp fire to sustain from the broad- 

 side of that opposed to her, which she could only return fee- 

 bly from the guns on her bovi>. The rigging, of consequence, 

 which presented the best mark when seen endwise, was likely 

 to be so much cut, that the ship must be nearly disabled be- 

 fore she arrived at the fighting distance. 



If the second method was pursued, the headmost ship had 

 to endure the fire of the whole line before it arrived in its 

 place ; the second, the fire of all but one ; the third, of all but 

 two, and so on : so that it was not likely that any but the 

 sternmost ships could reach their station without having re- 

 ceived considerable damage. This gave to the enemy, who 

 quietly remained on the defensive, a great advantage over the 

 attacking squadron, and enabled him, almost to a certainty, to 

 come off, if not with victory, at least with very little loss. 



The disadvantages, however, arising from these two modes 

 of attack, either had not been duly considered, or had been 

 set down among the unavoidable evils necessarily involved in 

 a determination to force the enemy to fight. Perhaps, too, 

 the desire of complying literally with the instructions always 

 given to our admirals, of doing their utmost to take, burn, and 

 destroy, contributed to make it be thought, that a direct and 

 immediate attack, such as has just now been described, was 

 the only means that could properly be resorted to. 



Mr Clerk had the merit of pointing out the evils now enume- 

 rated, in a manner most clear and demonstrative, and of describ- 

 ing a method by which the attack might be made, without incur- 

 ring any of the disadvantages that have been mentioned, and 



almost 



