138 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1804. 



lie presided at the admiralty ; and, 

 so great were his fears of incurring 

 this censure, that although sufficient 

 grounds existed (which, by subse- 

 quent failures, have been too fatally 

 conlirmed) for the removal of some, 

 very improper appointments, yet 

 he did not take advantage of his 

 power, but continued those men in 

 office and situations, much to the 

 disadvantage and discredit of the 

 country. It may also be asserted, 

 with truth, that during his admini- 

 stration, mutual confidence, har- 

 mony, and satisfai^tion, wee, in a 

 considerable degree, restored to the 

 navy. 



To all those points of service, 

 (on which we have endeavoured to 

 render lord Melville every credit) 

 the talents of tlie new first lord of the 

 admiralty were perfectly competent; 

 and his indefatigable turn for busi- 

 ness, enabled him to apply them 

 with ease to himself, and satisfac- 

 tion to others. But here liis merits 

 end. Far other qualities did it re- 

 quire, than he was known to pos- 

 sess, to wield the power of the Bri- 

 tish fleets, and direct their thunder 

 in awful vengeance against the cnc. 

 my. The few warlike events we 

 have to detail, which took place uh- 

 der his dired^ion, shew him to hare 

 been manifestly incapable of con- 

 ducting a naval war. They exhibit 

 as much deficiency in judgment 

 and imbecility in execution, in the 

 military department of his office, as 

 he Mas intelligent and vigorous in 

 its civil branch : and another inac- 

 tive and inglorious year sunk the 

 British nation in her «»wn eyes, and 

 in those of Kuropc. 



On the 16th of May, an unsuc- 

 cessful attempt was made by com- 



modore sir Sydney Smith, in the 

 Anteloi)e frigate, and some sloops 

 of war, to prevcntthe jundtionof the 

 enemy's tlotilla from Flushing with 

 that atOstend. Tiicfailareofsuccesi* 

 principally arose from the want of 

 gun-boats, which, from the depth 

 of water in which these vessels move, 

 could alone art against the enemy 

 V, ith eli'crt. Fifty-nine sail of the 

 Flushing division reached Ostend in I 

 safety, and the English force, on 

 the falling of the fide, were obliged 

 to haul oft' into deep water, after 

 being nearly a whole day engaged, 

 ami the loss of about fifty men in 

 killed and wounded*. 



Intelligence of a far more flatter- 

 ing nature was received by Govern- 

 ment on the 22d of June, in dis- 

 patches from the commander-in- 

 chief of the laud and sea service in 

 the l^ccward islands, announcing 

 the capture of the Dutch colony of 

 Surinam, with very little loss 6n the 

 part of his majesty's troops. This 

 expedition sailed from Barbadoes, 

 under the command of Majur-gene- 

 ril Sir Charles Green, and Commo- 

 dore Samuel Hood, wiio hoisted his 

 broad pendant on board the Centaur. 

 On the '25th following, the squadron 

 came to anchor about ten miles off 

 the mouth of the river Surinam. On 

 the next day a corps of 600 mcn^ 

 under the command of brigadier 

 general Mailland, was detached to 

 ellccl a landing at the Warappa 

 creek, about ten leagues to the east- 

 ward of the Surinam river, where 

 the enemy occupied a post. The 

 same day brigadier-general Hughes, 

 with the 64th regiment, took pos- 

 session of Braam's Point, after some 

 slight rcMStance from the fort which 

 defends the entrance of the river Su- 



Vide " Appeudis," page 540. 



rinami 



