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gave fuch fignal marks of courage and conduft, that when 

 the king came to Portfmouth, he was pleafed, on the re- 

 commendation of admiral Herbert, who for that aftion was 

 raifed to the dignity of earl of Torrington, to confer on 

 him the honour of knighthood ; a title which was, by being 

 more feleft, of much more worth than it now is. In June, 

 l6go, fir Cloudefley Shovel was employed in convoying the 

 king and his army into Ireland. William, for his good 

 conduft on this occafion, appointed him rear-admiral of the 

 blue, and delivered to him the commiffion with his own 

 hands. 



In the following year fir Cloudefley Shovel attended the 

 king to Holland; and in 1692 he was declared admiral of 

 the red, and again accompanied his majelty to Holland ; 

 and on his return he joined admiral Ruilel with the grand 

 fleet, and had a large (hare in the danger and glory of the 

 celebrated battle of La Hogue. When it was thought re- 

 quifite that the fleet (hould be put under command of joint 

 admirals in the iucceeding year, he was one ; and, fays the 

 judicious and cautious Campbell, " if there had been no- 

 thing more than this joint commiffion, we might well enough 

 account from thence for the misfortunes which happened in 

 our affairs at fea, during the year 1693." The joint ad- 

 mirals were of different parties ; but as they were all good 

 feamen, and probably meant well to their country, though 

 they did not agree in the manner of ferving it, it is molt 

 likely «' that, upon mature confideration of the pofture 

 things were thpn in, the order they had received from court, 

 and the condition of the fleet, which was not either half 

 manned or half viftualled, the admirals might agree that a 

 cautious execution of the inllruclions which they had re- 

 ceived was a method as fafe for the nation, and more fo for 

 themfelves, than any other they could take." On this oc- 

 cafion fir Cloudefley Shovel was at firft an objeft of popular 

 odium ; but when the affair came to be Itriftly invelUgated 

 in parliament, he gave fo clear and fatisfaftory an account 

 of the matter, that it fatisfied the people that the com- 

 manders were not to blame ; and that if there was treachery, 

 it muft have originated in perfons in office at home. The 

 character of fir Cloudefley remaining unimpeached, we find 

 him again at fea, in 1694, under lord Berkley, in the ex- 

 pedition to Camaret-bay, in which he diflinguiflied himfelf 

 by his dextrous embarkation of the land forces, when they 

 failed on that unfortunate expedition ; as alfo when, on 

 their return to England, it was deemed neceflary to fend 

 the fleet again upon the coaft of France, to bombard 

 Dieppe, and other places. From this time till 1702, Shovel 

 was not engaged in any expedition of moment, when he was 

 fcnt to Vigo, after the capture of that place by fir George 

 Rooke, to bring home the fpoils of the Spanifh and French 

 fleet. He arrived on the 16th of Oftober, and carried oft 

 whatever could poffibly be brought home, burnt the reft, 

 and arrived fafely in the Downs on the 7th of November ; 

 which was confidered as fo remarkable a fervice by the 

 court, that, though he was no favourite at court, it was 

 refolved to employ him in affairs of the greateft confequence ; 

 and he fo effeftually crufhcd the power of the French at fea, 

 that they did not afterwards dare to meet the Britifh fleet ; 

 and on account of the great fhare which he had in the vic- 

 tory obtained the 13th of Augull 1704, he was appointed 

 rear-admiral of the fleet of England in the January fol- 

 lowing. He performed many other afts, which were ufeful 

 to his country, and important to the caufe in which it was 

 then engaged. His lall a£l was the defence of the coalls of 

 Italy, of which, when he had taken due care, he left a fuf- 

 ficient force at Gibraltar for the purpofe, and fet fail with 

 ten ftiips of the line, five frigates, four fire-fhips, a floop, 



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and a yacht, for England. On the 22d of OAober, 1 707, 

 he came to foundings, and in the following morning he had 

 ninety fathom water. About noon he lay by, but at fix 

 in the evening he made fail again, and ftood away under 

 courfes, believing that he faw the hght on St. Agnes, one 

 of the iflands of Scilly. Soon after this feveral of his fhips 

 made fignal of diftrefs, as he himfelf did. It was with dif- 

 ficulty that fir George Byng, in the Royal Anne, faved 

 him.felf, having one of the rocks under her main chains. 

 Several others run the raoft imminent rilks ; but the ad- 

 miral's fhip, and fome more, pcrithed with all aboard. 

 How this accident happened has never been properly ac- 

 counted for. The body of fir Cloudefley Shovel was 

 thrown afliore the next day upon the illand of Scilly, 

 where, falling into the hands of fome filhermen, he was 

 ftripped and buried. Among their plunder was an emerald 

 ring of great value, which, being fliewn about, made a 

 great noife all over the iflaud, and led to the difcovery of 

 the body. This was now taken up, and conveyed to Lon- 

 don, when it was interred with great folemnity in Weil- 

 miniler Abbey. To his memory an cxpenfive monument 

 of white marble was erefted, by diredlion of her majefty, 

 on which was the following infcription : " Sir Cloudefley 

 Shovel, knt., rear-admiral of Great Britain, admiral and 

 commander-in-chief of the fleet ; the jufl rewards of long 

 and faithful fervices, he was defervedly beloved of his 

 country, and elteemed, though dreaded, by the enemy, 

 who had often experienced his condudl and courage. Being 

 fhipvvrecked on the coafts of Scilly, in his voyage from 

 Toulon, on the 22d of Oftober 1707, at night, in tlie 57th 

 year of his age. His fate was lamented by all, but efpe- 

 cially the fea-faring part of the nation, to whom he was a 

 very worthy example. His body was flung on the fhore, 

 and buried with others in the fands ; but being foon after 

 taken up, was placed under this monument, whicii his royal 

 millrefs has caufed to be ercfted, to commemorate Heady 

 loyalty and extraordinary virtues." See Stockdalc's edition 

 of Campbell's Lives of the Admirals. 



Shovel, in ylgricuhure, a well-known implement, con- 

 fiiling of a long handle, and a broad blade, with raifed 

 edges. 



Shovel, Cajilng, a tool fomewhat of the wooden fhovel 

 kind, which is fometimes employed in cleaning or dreffing 

 corn. It is very ufeful in this mode, where the wind is 

 trufted to for managing the bufinefs. 



Shovel, Draining, a fort of tool of this nature, fre- 

 quently employed for the purpofe of clearing out the loofe 

 crumbly earthy materials from the bottom parts of drains. 

 It is formed with a crooked handle, the edges of the fhovel 

 part being turned up on the fides, in order to prevent the 

 materials which are fcraped up from falling off. In confe- 

 quence of the crookednefs of the handle, the workman is 

 prevented from ftooping fo much as would otherwife be the 

 cafe, in performing the work. There are different con- 

 ftruftions of this implement made ufe of, in managing bufi- 

 nefs of this fort. 



A fcoop is likewife fometimes made ufe of, both with 

 and without this implement, for the purpofe of fcooping up 

 and clearing out all the crumb":, loofe mould, and other 

 fimilar materials, from the bottom parts of drains, before 

 they are laid or filled with fpray, brufh-wood, or any other 

 fubftance, in order that they may be quite clear and free of 

 any fort of obftruftion. The tool is formed in a crooked 

 fcoop-like manner at the head, and of different fhapes, fizes, 

 and breadths, according to the nature of the drains and 

 openings in which it is to be employed ; being, in working, 

 drawn or puftied along the bottoms of the cuts or drains. 



