| 
| 
| 
! 
| 80 unequal an encounter, 
| up in compact order, not doubt- 
_ ing of vigorous efforts, on the part 
} of the enemy, to retake his lost 
| vessels: but the countenance and 
| position of the British squadron 
- 
4 
~ 80 powerfully reinforced, did not 
HISTORY OF EUROPE. 
“them three deckers: he was happily 
relieved from this dangerous posi- 
tion, by the coming up of two ships » 
to his assistance, which detained the 
Spanish admiral, and his seconds, 
till he was attacked by four other 
_ British ships ; when, finding that he 
could not execute his design, he 
made the signal for the remainder 
of his fleet to form together for 
their defence. The British admiral, 
before they could get into their sta- 
tions, directed the rear-most of 
them, some of which were en- 
tangled with each other, to be at- 
| tacked. This was dene with so 
much judgement and spirit, that 
four of them were captured, one 
of which struck to his own ship. 
In the mean time, that part of the 
Spanish fleet which had been sepa- 
rated from its main body had nearly 
rejoined it, with four other ships, 
- two of which were not in the en- 
gagement. This was a strength, 
"more than equal to that which re- 
_ mained of the British squadron, fit, 
after so severe a contest, for a fresh 
| ‘action. Had it been renewed, the 
_ Spamiards had still thirteen ships 
unhurt, while of the fifteen, of 
which the British squadron con- 
sisted, every one had suffered in 
It drew 
_was such, that the Spanish, though 
_ dare to come into close action. Its 
fire was distant and ineffectual, and 
~ it left the British squadron to move 
leisurely off with the four captured 
_ vessels, two of them carrying one 
) ‘hundred and twelve guns, one 
eighty-four, and the other seventy= 
[os 
four. The slain and wounded, ow 
board of these, before they struck, 
amounted to six hundred, and on | 
board of the British squadron toe 
half that number. The amount 
of the killed and wounded 11 the 
other Spanish ships was computed 
equal to that in those that were 
taken. 
The superiority of naval skill, dis- 
played in this celebrated action, 
sttuck all Europe with astonishment. 
Nothing less indeed could have pro= 
cured.a victory over an enemy so 
much superior in strength and num- 
bers, and no ways deficient in cou- 
rage. The people in Spain were 
loud in their complaints, that their 
countrymen were impressed inte-a 
service for which they were un- 
qualified, and against a nation with 
which they had no reason to guar= 
rel. The upper classes, and the 
government itself, were looked up- 
on, by the generality, as acting 
_ under constraint: but the remon= 
strance of the recent victories of 
the French, over their best treops 
and commanders, and of the danger 
to which the monarchy had beea 
exposed, effectually silenced all de- 
grees of men, while the majority 
bore, with secret indignation, the 
ignominy of a yoke which they 
were ashamed to avow., The an- 
cient and noble kingdom of Spain 
was, at this time, ina situation not 
more humiliating than odd and 
whimsical. The Spaniards, in ge- 
neral, detested the French, and par-~ 
ticularly the French infidels: the 
throne of Spain was occupied by 
the second -branch of the house of 
Bourbon ; and which, in-i792, had 
manifested an anxious’ solicitude for 
the life of Lewis XVI. yet the 
king and people of Spain were 
leagued with the regicides rue 
the 
