/ 
, 
p 
84 
thipwreck, reached Breft and Rochfort to- 
wards the middle of January, 1797, in a 
ynoft wretched condition. Though fuccoured 
‘by Providence, as the arms of Britain ap- 
peared to be on this occafion, it certainly re- 
quired confummate intelligence and ability to 
énable a commander, atthe head of no greater 
force than that which was commanded by 
Mr. Kingfmill, to hofd-himfelf in readinefs 
to oppefe even the fhattetred remains of that 
armament, which, after all its misfortunes, 
fill threatened him with attack. The dif- 
comfiture of this’ expedition naturally pro- 
cured a ceffation from any fimilar attempt 1 for 
feveral months; and Mr. Kingfmill’s cruifers 
were of necefiity compelled to be content 
with refuming their former lefs interefting 
eccupation againf privateers, or fuch cafual 
eruifers, asin defpite, not only of their want 
of fuccefs, but the fill more ferious misfor- 
tunes that attended them of being almoft con- 
ftantly captured, {till maintained. fufficient 
 hardinefs to attempt a continuance of their pre- 
datory war. The duties and attention of 
Vice-Admiral Kingfmill did not, however, 
ecafe or relax in confequence of the lately 
impending danger being completely averted; 
Fepeated captures continued ftill to add as well 
to the reputation of the commander in chief, 
" as of thofe who immediately a€ted under tiie 
initru€tions.—-For a period of more than 
twelve months, public affairs continued to 
flow in the fame regular channel ; at length 
the perturbed and feditious fpirits of thefe 
Bomeftic enemies whofe ‘hopes had.on the 
former oceafion been crufhed, having acquired 
new vigour from the extenfive 
affittance heid forth to them by France, burft 
forth’ at once with all the violence of a vol- 
wano, the effe&s of which appeared as threat- 
ening to fhake the whole country even to its ° 
very fgundatien. Dithculties and political 
dangers appeared confequently to rife, in dread- 
ful climax, above each other.—-Although no 
force belonging to the enemy was fufficient to 
contend even with the eight cruifers of w hich 
Mr. Kingfmill had the dire€tion,. yet his fi- 
tuation was evidently more irkfome than it 
would have been provided he had been under 
the néceflity of entering into a fair and re- 
gular confid againit a foe far fuperfor to him 
in iorce. «In the latter inftance, his own 
abilities might have been’ called into action 
in theic fullef “extent 5 2 
bravery of his followers, might have promifed 
every reafonable hope of effeCting the moft 
‘extenfive fucceis, which, allewing for the 
difpropettion of force,’ could poiiibly have 
been gained; but, circumitanced as he ftood 
at that awful’ moment, he had to contend~ 
numerous and treacherous hoft of 
againgt a 
foes, not formidable, perhaps, in point of real 
ftrength, but capable of effecting the deepeft 
mifchief. Aided as the arrival of fuccour was 
expected from the ‘encouragement which the 
difcontented held forth, it became neceflary to 
guard ‘with the ni fcrupulous attention 
every creck, every inlet, throughout a long 
Account of the late Admiral King fail. 
promifes of 
d, aided by the 
(Feb. t, 
extent of coaft; and the cafual or unavoidable 
emiffion with refpect to any of thofe points 
at which it was pofhible to introduce fupport, 
might have ovcafioned the long, if not the 
fatal, prolongation of that fyftem of warfare. 
which a€tually deluged a confiderable part of. 
the country, and appeared to threaten the 
defolation of the whole. Sixteen months, 
afterwards, however, France refumed her 
project, and expofed herfelf a fecond time to 
the gallantry ofthe Britith navy. The Hoche, 
-a fhip of the line, eight frigates, a fchooner, 
and a brig, found an opportunity of clearing 
Breft harbour. ‘They had on board nearly 
five thoufand troops, together with great 
quantities of arms and ftores of all kinds, fo 
that they were well prepared to make a 
powerful effort. Captain Countefs, in the 
Ethalion, to whofe judicious management the 
fortune of the day ought, perhaps, ‘in-a great 
meafure to be attributed, kept the enemy 
continually in fight, from the moment of 
leaving port, on the 17th of OGober, 1798, 
‘when lord Bridport was driven off his ftation. 
On the rith of November Captain Countefs 
himfelf fell in with Sir John Borlafe Warren, 
whom he acquainted with the approach of the 
enemy. Happily, meanwhile, the vigilance of 
the board of admiralty had procured the mioft 
accurate information of the ultimate deftina- 
tion of the Breft fquadron, and nothing could 
have been better directed than the ftations of 
the Britith feet. No fooner had the enemy’s 
fhips appeared off the Irith coaft, than Ad- 
miral Kingfmill was made acquainted with — 
their fituation, and hiscruifers difplayed the ut- 
mof activity in intercepting fuch of the French 
as efcaped from the pene attion, the glory 
of which fell to the fhare that gallant officer 
Sir John Borlate Warren.—When that aétion 
Con imeaeey the wind was at N. W. As the 
frigates that had troops on board, though 
they fought valiantly when once engaged, 
avoided coming into a€tion as much as lay in 
their power, no regular line was preferved 5 
and as the Britifh fhips were very much dif 
perfed in the chafe of the enemy, only a part 
of them could get into a€tion. The Robuft, 
of 74 aie captain Thornborough, bore the ~ 
brunt ef the enga gement with he Hoche, 
which iad: was fought in a very gallant man- 
ner for upwards of three hours. “She was the 
fineft. fhip of her rate in the French navy, 
almoft newj and fitted out with uncom- 
mon cate. Hefides the Hoche, four frigates 
Were taken, two of which were the Immor- 
talite and the Coquille. Three frigates that 
efcaped anchored in Donegal Bay on the 
following day, and one of them fent a boat 
on thore with fixty men, who, in attempting 
to Jand, were repulfed by the Mount Charles 
"yeomanry, -commanded.by captain Montgo- 
mery. At the time thele frigates efcaped, 
they, fteering to the fouthward, were chafed 
by the Canada, Foudroyant, and the Melam- 
pus, which: fhips, however, except one cap- 
tured by .the Melampus, they out-failed. 
“Warned by experience, intimidated by faéts, 
and 
