Ill 



among the fliipplng at Spithead, led to very 

 painful apprehenfions concerning the fleet 

 which had fo lately gone to fea. The wind 

 having fliifted to an unfavourable point, and 

 blowing witli great violence, it was manifefl: 

 that the convoy could not proceed ; and 

 but too evident, that many of the flilps muft be 

 damaged or loft ; and I am ferry to add that 

 we are, already, wit neffing the melancholy con- 

 firrnation of our fears, for the fleet not having 

 cleared the channel, was unable to weather 

 the ftorm, and, daring the v/hole of this day, 

 difFerent ihips have been dropping in at St. 

 Helen's, in a fadiy difabled ftate, bringing fl:ill 

 worfe tidings of thofe left behind. A fl:orm. 

 fo violent and deftrudive has feldom been 

 known in this climate ; indeed, many who 

 had been in the Weft Indies, remarked, that it 

 was fcarcely inferior to a tropical hurricane. 

 Even the admiral's ihip was in extreme peril, 

 and, with great difEcuky, wccithered the gale. 

 She is now brought back in a much injured 

 condition, being very leaky, and having a con-, 

 fiderable depth of water in her hold. So 

 alarming was l)er fituation, during the ftorm, 

 that if the boifterous elements had raged on 

 but a little longer, fbe had, probably, gone to 



