LOSS OF A BRITISH FLEET. 121 



proceed to try and give a picture, so far as we can 

 do, in mere words, of one of these terrible scenes. 



One of the most terrific and destructive hurricanes 

 upon record in the West Indies, is probably that which 

 occurred in October 1780: the British Navy seems 

 upon that occasion to have suffered more severely at 

 the hands of the Storm King than ever she did from 

 the united efforts of the fleets of France and Spain, 

 and the rebellious colonists in America, with all of whom 

 she was at that time at war; for on the day in question 

 a splendid fleet \vas sent to the bottom, and 15 ships, 

 mounting 482 guns, were lost to the Navy of England. 

 It comprised the following vessels: Thunderer, 74 guns- 

 Stirling Castle 64 Defiance 64 Phoenix 44 La 

 Blanche 32 Laurel 28 Shark 28 Andromeda 28 

 Deal Castle 24 Penelope 24 Scarborough 20 Bar- 

 badoes 14 Chameleon 14 Endeavour 14 and Victor 

 10 guns.* 



It is probable that this is the greatest naval disaster 

 ever recorded as due to storm, except that of the 

 Spanish Armada, in August and September 1588, 

 whose loss was computed at about 35 ships and 13,000 

 men.f A medal was afterwards struck by order of 

 Queen Elizabeth, commemorative of this event, which 

 bore this significant motto "AFFLAVIT DEUS ET DIS- 

 SIPANTUR " and the same words may with equal 

 justice be applied to the catastrophe which over- 

 took our own fleet two centuries afterwards. When 

 these mighty winds go forth upon their destructive 



* Haydn's Dictionary of Dates and Universal Information Article 

 "Wrecks." 



f Ibid. Article "Armada." 



Collection of Medals in the British Museum. [N.B. "The Opposition 

 motto" of Spain was " Exsurge Deus, et Vindica Causam Tuam"~\ 



