882 BEN 
fure, either on the fcoreof negligence, timidity, or difaf- 
feflion. In 1697, he protected the Weft-India and Vir¬ 
ginia fleets from the attack of the French privateers; for 
which efiential fervice he received the thanks of the mer¬ 
chants. When the peace of Ryfwick took place, rear-ad¬ 
miral Benbow was fent, with a fmall fquadron, into the 
Weft Indies. At the time when the general peace of Eu¬ 
rope was reftored by that treaty, king William forefaw 
the fliortnefs of its duration ; he therefore determined to 
fend an experienced and active officer into that part of the 
world, with private inftruflions to acquaint himfelf, as 
perfedlly as poflible, v.’ith the condition of the Spanifh fet- 
tlements there,- whilft he maintained a friendly intercourfe 
with the refpeftive governors, and rendered them every 
alliftance which might lie in his power. He continued in 
this employment two years, and executed every thing that 
could be expetled from him with the fmall force which 
he carried out. The Britifti Weft-India iflands were re¬ 
lieved, and the intereft of the merchants and planters pro¬ 
moted; but his circumfcribed ftrength procured him no 
civilities from the Spanilh governors. Parliament ar¬ 
raigned the conduct of the miniftry, for fending out fo 
fmall a fquadron, and fo late in the feafon, it being the 
month of November before he left England ; at the fame 
time they gave great praife to the admiral’s conduct while 
on that ftation. 
By the time admiral Benbow returned to Europe, the 
deligns of Louis XIV. to procure the crown of Spain for 
one of his grandfons became more apparent, and king 
William had already taken preparatory fteps to defeat that 
fclieme. As he forefaw another general war ready to 
break out in Europe, he made a promotion of naval offi¬ 
cers, by which Mr. Benbow became vice-admiral of the 
blue. In order to difappoint the French in their views 
upon the Spanifh fucceffion, it was thought necefiary to 
fend out a llrong fquadron to the Weft Indies. The choice 
©f an officer to comthand, in this.important fervice, greatly 
embarrafted the miniftry. Our admiral indeed was named 
as foon as the defign was formed; but the king thought it 
was exacting too much from his gallant admiral, to fend 
him back to a ftation where he muft continue a conlide- 
rable time, and was likely to encounter nothing but diffi¬ 
culties and hard fervice; he therefore rejected the pro- 
pofal, and bade them name fome other officer. Others 
were accordingly pitched upon, but none could be found 
so relifh the appointment; each urged fome reafon for de¬ 
clining it. Naval commands were, at that time, too much 
entrufted to men as little fkilled in the duties of their pro- 
feffion as warmed with a zeal for the fervice, both of which 
are neceflary to conftitute an ufeful officer. Court favour 
brought forward a let of well-bred gentlemen, who had 
no relifh for the hardy toils, and the familiar acquaintance 
with danger, which ought to be infeparable from the pro- 
feffion. The king hereupon faid, jocularly, “'Well, I 
find we muft fpare our beaus, and fend honeft Benbow.” 
Accordingly, his majefty afked him if he was willing to go 
again to the Weft Indies ? at the fame time leaving it to 
his own choice, to'accept or refufe the offer. The blunt 
Jar replied, that he did not underftand fuch compliments; 
that he knew of no right he had to choofe his ftation; and 
that, if his majefty thought fit to fend him to the Eaft In¬ 
dies, or to the Weft, or even to the Antipodes, he would 
cheerfully and faithfully execute his orders, as was his 
duty to do.” Hereupon vice-admiral Benbow received 
the unenvied command of the Weft-India fquadron. Ben- 
bow’s rough manners were not relifhed by the captains who 
ferved under him whilft they continued at Jamaica, there¬ 
fore they determined to facrifice the interefts of their coun¬ 
try, to gratify a private pique againft their commander; 
for which purpofe they entered into a confederacy, that if 
they fhould happen to fall in with any part of the French 
fleet, not to fight, but to leave their admiral to bear the 
brunt of the adlion as well as he could. Admiral Benbow, 
with fix fliips, fell in with a fquadron under M. Du Cafle, 
m the 19th of Auguft, 1,701, confiding of ten fail in all 
BEN 
only four of the enemy, however, were fliips of force ; fb 
that the Engliffi admiral was in a fair way of taking or'de- 
ftroying them, if he had not been deferted during the 
adhon. The admiral had one of his legs (battered to 
pieces during the engagement by a chain-(hot; and, find¬ 
ing it impoftible to make the reft of the men-of-war do 
their duty, lie was compelled to give over the chacc, and 
ieturn to Jamaica; where thofe captains,who deferted him 
were tried for cowardince and breach of orders ; and cap¬ 
tains Kirby and Wade were fentenced to be (hot ; captain 
Hudfon died before his trial, and captain Conftable was 
fentenced to be caftiired. Wade and Kirby were executed 
according to their fentence, on their arrival at Plymouth, 
without being fuftered to come on-ftiore; and it was thought 
that queen Anne could not have done a piece of ju(Hce 
more l'erviceable, or more acceptable at that time to the 
kingdom, than by ordering theie wretches for execution 
immediately on their return home, and without differing 
them to fet foot upon their native ffiore. The vice-admu 
ral took this mifcariage fo much to heart, that he became 
melancholy ; and grief, co-operating with the fever occa- 
fioned by his wounds, put a period to his life, on the 4th 
of November, 1702. 
B EN'BRICK, a mountain of Scotland, in the county of 
Perth : twelve miles north-north-weft of Crieff. 
BENBUL'BEN, mountains of Ireland, in the county 
of Sligo : feven miles north of Sligo. 
BENCH, f. \_benc, Sax. banc, Fr.J A feat, diftinguiftied 
from a Jlool by its greater length. A feat of juftice; the 
feat where judges lit: 
To pluck down juftice from your awful bench-. 
To trip the courfe of law. Shakcfpeare. 
The perfons fitting on a bench ; as, The whole bench voted 
the fame way. 
Bench, or Banc, in law. See the articles Free-BencH 
and King’s-Bench. 
Amicable Bench. See Amicable Benches. 
D Bench, ti.a. To furnifh with benches. To feat up¬ 
on a bench. r 
BENCHAL'LIN, a mountain of Scotland, in the coun¬ 
ty of Perth, eighteen miles fouth of George Town. 
BENCH'ER,/. Thofe gentlemen of the inns of court 
are called benchers , who have been readers; they, being ad¬ 
mitted to plead within the bar, are alfo called inner barrif 
ters. The benchers, being the feniors of the houfe, are 
intruded with its government and direftion, and out of 
them is a treafurer yearly chofen. 
BENCOO'LEN, a fea-port town of Afia, in the ifland 
of Sumatra, on the fouth-weft coaft. The Englifh fettled 
here in 1685, and in the year 1690 the Eaft-India compa¬ 
ny built a fort here, calling it Fort York. A convenient 
river on its north-weft fide brings the pepper out of the 
inland country ; but there is great inconveniency in (hip¬ 
ping it, by reafon of a dangerous bar at the river’s mouth. 
The place, which is almoft two miles in compafs, is known 
at fea by a high (lender mountain, which rifes in the coun¬ 
try twenty miles beyond it, called the Sugar Loaf. In 
1693, there happened a great mortality here, the govern¬ 
or and council all dying, one after another, in a (liort time ; 
the town (landing on a (linking rnorafs, not agreeable to 
European conftitutions. Wherefore, in 1719, a new fort 
was eredling in a more wholefome part, and fitter for re¬ 
gular fortifications; but no fooner did the walls begin to 
rife, than the natives rofe and fet fire to the fort and mod 
of the Englifh buildings; the governor, garrifon, &c. 
thought bed to embark for Batavia w ith all (peed, leaving 
fome chefts of money, artillery, arms, ammunition, &c? 
behind. But the natives a year after fuffered the Engli(h 
to return, and encouraged them to poffefs again their°new 
fettlement, and proceed with building their fort, which 
has the name of Marlborough Fort. This fettlement and 
fort were taken by the French, in 5760, and the fort de- 
ftroyed; but it has been fince repaired. The adjacent 
country is mountainous and woody, and there are many 
volcanoes 
