MEMOIR OF DR WRIGHT. '53 



found herself under the wake of a line of battle ship, 

 bearing Spanish colours, and a Vi(£-AdmiraPs flag. At 

 a short distance they could descry several French men- 

 of-war, one of whom was distinguished by a Rear-Ad- 

 miral's flag ; and it soon became obvious that the whole 

 of the transports and merchantmen had fallen into 

 the hands of the combined fleets of France and Spain, 

 — a loss, perhaps, the greatest which the mercantile 

 navy of Great Britain had ever sustained. The force 

 of the enemy was so overwhelming that any attempt 

 at resistance on the part of the Commodore would have 

 been quite unjustifiable. The return of the fog af- 

 forded the only chance of escape ; and in this they 

 were disappointed. The ships, however, were cleared 

 for action : Cabins and catheads were knocked away : 

 the soldiers were placed under arms ; and such guns 

 as they had on board the Morant were cleaned and 

 prepared for the reception of the enemy. These pre- 

 parations having been observed on board of the 

 Spanish Admiral, the Morant was saluted with a 

 broadside, which being directed chiefly to the rigging, 

 cost them the life only of one poor woman, the wife 

 of a sergeant of the regiment. The Adjutant and 

 his family were permitted to remain on board the 

 Morant ; but the other officers were transhipped to the 

 Bourgogne, a French 74 ; and having been permitted 

 to carry with them their personal luggage, Dr 

 Wright had the address to secrete the colours of his 

 regiment in one of his trunks, and two days afterwards, 

 when on board the Bourgogne, to get them thorough- 

 ly destroyed. 



