460 A. D. 1798. 



guns, and a brig of 14. Contrary to the expedation of the French 

 admiral, about one half of the Britifli fliips got between him and the 

 land, and attacked the imguarded and lumbered fides of his fhips, 

 which were thus placed between two fires (Auguft 1''). The battle was 

 long and defperate. The French admiral fliip of 1 20 guns was blown 

 up ; a fliip of 74, and u frigate of t,6 guns, were burnt ; a frigate of 

 36 was funk ; two fliips of 80, and feven of 74, were taken ; and of 

 all the fleet only one (hip of 80, one of 74 guns, and two frigates of 

 48 and 44 guns, efcaped. 



In confequence of this fplendid vidory the Britifli admiral was load- 

 ed with honours and riches *. 



As foon as the news arrived in London, the underwriters at Lloyd's, 

 a fociety not incorporated, nor in any way fupported by, or conneded 

 with, government, immediately fubfcribed a handfome fiun for the re- 

 lief of the widows of thofe brave men who had fallen in the engage- 

 ment ; and the fame generous fpirit pervading the whole community, 

 the contributions for that benevolent purpofe, received at Lloyd's, 

 amounted to ^^32,423 : 19: 9. It is proper to notice here, once for all, 

 that fuch fubfcriptions are made by the merchants, traders, and others, 

 in confequence of every diflinguiflied naval battle. 



The navies of all the hoftile powers were now almofh completely an- 

 nihilated : and thenceforth the Britifli conimercial fhipping enjoyed, al- 

 mofl: without competition, the undiflurbed navigation of every part of 

 the Ocean. 



Marfhal O'Neil, governor of the Spanifh province of Yucatan, with 

 a flotilla of thirty-one armed veflels, carrying 2,000 foldiers and 500 

 feamen, made an attack (or rather attempted to make an attack) upon 

 the fettlements of the Britifli wood-cutters on the Bay of Honduras. 

 His arrival being expeded, the fettlers were tolerably well prepared for 

 him : a fleet of gun-boats was in readinefs, manned by the crews of 

 the merchant veflels and volunteers of the colony, who, with the afiift- 

 ance of Captain Mofs in the Merlin floop of war, bravely repulfed, and 

 completely baffled, every attempt of tlie enemy ; who, after hanging 

 upon the coafl from the 3* to the 16'" of September, without being 

 able to effed a landing, or having hurt a fingle man of the fettlers or 

 the feamen, or having even done any damage to their veffels or other 

 property, moved off with his whole fleet. 



The difafFeded party in Ireland, called United Irifhmen, who had for 

 feveral years been growing up into ftrength, and had adually entered 

 into an alliance with the government of France, broke out in open re- 

 bellion in many parts of the country in the fpring of thisU'ear : but 



* His own fovereigii created him Lord Nelfon fums : the king of Naples made him a duke, and 



«f the Nile, and compofcd a coat of arms for him. gave him an cilate in Sicily : and the Tuikifli 



The Britifh and Irifh parliaments, and the Eail- emperor fent him magnificent prefents. 

 India company^ beftowed penCons and capital 



