fjgi. political progrefs of Britain. 235 



heroism. ■ If we are disposed to reject general afser- 

 tion, the prospect is not improved by a particular 

 detail of circumstances. 



In April 1726 admiral Hosier, with seven fliips of 

 war, v.as dispatched for the Spanifh West Indies. 

 His orders were to intercept the Spanifh galleons in 

 their way to Europe. The plot was discovered and 

 disappointed. By the unaccountable tenor of Hosier's 

 instructions, he was condemned to continue inactive 

 upon his station, till his squadron had become the 

 ^est of the Spaniards. In the end both his fhips and 

 tlieir crews were destroyed by the climate, and Hosier 

 himself died of a broken heart. In the pathetic 

 ballad composed on this event, three thousand men 

 are said to have perilhed in this inglorious and dis- 

 astrous expedition. " It seems to have been a mean 

 " piratical scheme to rob the court of Spain of its 

 " expected treasure, even while a peace subsisted he- 

 " tuiten tlye two nations* .''"' 



On the i8th of September 1740, commodore Ansou 

 set out on his memorable voyage to the south seas. 

 The first chapter of his narrative is chiefly employed 

 in describing the ignorance and stupidity of the board 

 of admiralty ; and if this great iTian had not been as 

 much above, as their lordlhips were below, the com- 

 mon measure of human understanding, the difiiculties 

 which they cast in liis way mus/ have overwhelmed 

 both himself and his squadr0h. For example, he- 

 was ordered to take on board, under tJie title of Icinii 

 forces, five hundred oiit-pensiuners of Chelsea Hospi- 

 tal. "But instead of /\v hundred, there came 011 



• Smollvrj HIst-ry. 



