patch shall be used to put his Majesty's further commands into execution. Extract of a Letter from Sir George Brydges Rodney to Mr. Stephens, dated Gibraltar Bay, 4th of February, 1780. AS the wind continued to blow hard westerly, I thought it forwarding his Majefty's service to make fure of the convoy's arriving safe at Minorca, by sending three copper-bottom ships of the line to fee them in fafety off that island, where I am fure they must have arrived before this time, as the wind has continued to blow hard westerly ever since they failed. Sandwich, Gibraltar Bay, Feb. 7, 1780. SIR, I must defire you will please to acquaint their Lordships, that every attention pofTible has been paid to the Spanish Admiral and his Officers; they are all extremely defirous of returning to Spain upon their parole of honour; but as I am informed that a great number of his Majesty's subjects are now prifoners in Spain, I have declined giving them any assurances till the British fubjects are released; and having received yesterday by the Shrewfbury from Lifbon a letter from his Majesty's Conful General in Portugal, acquainting me, that he had released 626 Spanish prifoners; and though frequent promises had been made, he had not as yet received one in return. This letter from Sir John Hort has confirmed me in the resolution I had before taken, viz. not to release any prifoners, but upon the Spaniards delivering up all the British fubjects at present in Spain, and then only man for man. However gratifying or convenient it may prove to individuals, the great and general line of hottility is never to be forgot: in vain we may conquer, if unconditional promiffory notes can forthwith put new arms into the enemy's hands, and they openly avail themselves of the British generosity, without making a just return, and detain the British seamen in their prisons. The great anxiety of the Spanish Admiral and his Officers to return is such, and their afsurances that my Officers and feamen, that had boarded their ships, and were forced on shore near Cadiz, should be forthwith restored, as likewise all other British fubjects having been delayed upon frivolous pretences, I lent this morning the pote I have the honour to inclose for their The Admiral, whose inclination is ever to alleviate the misfortunes of war, by shewing every respect and attention to those brave men who have done their duty to their King and country, is under the necessity of informing Sr. Don Juan de Langara, that the release of himself and the Spanish Officers entirely depends upon Spain's immediately releasing all the British prifoners now in her power. An equal number of prisoners will be returned for those sent by Spain. Humanity obliges the Admiral to offer those prisoners who are now fick, if they may be received by the Spanish General; but this shall be the last time, unless an exchange takes place. DON JUAN DE LANGARA presents his respects to his Excellency Adıniral Rodney, and returns thanks for his offer of releafing the three Ecclefiaftics, whose President's Memorial was tranfmitted to him. He observes what his Excellency says respecting the Spanish Officers release: also what relates to the sick, on which fubject he can only inform his Excellency (as he has done before through Admiral Digby) that he has written to Spain, communicating what was imparted to him by that Gentleman, and believes he will very shortly have an answer, of which he will give notice to his Excellency. The Spanish General again repeats his respects to his Excellency Admiral Rod ney. Gibraltar, Feb. 6, 1780. Extract Extract of a Letter from Sir George Brydges Rodney to the Earl of Sandwich, dated Gibraltar Bay, Feb. 7, 1780. I HAVE the fincere fatisfaction to af fure your Lordship, that the five Spanish men of war are as fine ships as ever swam; they are now completely refitted, manned, and put in the line of battle; and, I will anfwer for them, will do their duty as Englith men of war, should the enemy give them an opportunity. St. James's, February 28. THE Right Hon. General Elliot, Go D vernor of Gibraltar, in a letter to the Earl of Hillsborough, dated January 28, 1780, and received early this morning, gives an account, that the additional regiment, together with the several stores of provifions, ammunition, and money, convoyed by the fleet under the command of Admiral Sir George Brydges Rodney, were then landing with all expedition; by which the garrifon will be compleatly relieved, and that fortress put in a state of perfect security from the enemy. Authentic Anecdote of Sir GEORGE RODNEY. URING Sir George Rodney's late refidence in Paris, fo great was his indigence, that he frequently knew not where to apply for a dinner. Monf. de Sartine, no stranger to his professional abilities, thought this a proper time to wean his affections from his country, and there. fore employed the Duke de Biron to make him an offer of the command of the French West India fleet, with a fum of money that should restore him to independence. The Duke, in consequence of this, invited Sir George to spend a month at his houfe, and in the course of that time frequently founded him with great delicacy on the fubject; but not being able to make himself properly understood, at last openly declared to him, that 'as his Royal Master meant the West-Indies to be the theatre of the present war, he was commiffioned to make the handsomett offers to Sir George, if he would quit the English service, and take upon him the command of a French squadron.'- Sir George, after hearing him with great temper, spiritedly made him this answer: Sir, my distresses, it is true, have driven me from the bosom of my country, but no temptation whatever can estrange me from her service; had this offer been a voluntary one of your own, I should have deemed it an infult; but I am glad to learn that it proceeds from a quarter that 'can do no wrong!" The Duke de Biron was so struck with the public virtue of the old British Tar, that he instantly exclaimed,-' It is a pity so gallant an Officer should be loft to his country: will a thoufand Louis d'ors enable you to re-vifit it, and to tender your services to your Sovereign? The other replied they would; the Duke immediately advanced him the fum, with which Sir George set out the next day for England, where he had not arrived a week, before he returned the Duke's loan, accompanied with the most grateful letter, for the fingular obligation he had so politely conferred upon him.This man may be trusted by his country! ANECDOTES of Sir CHARLES WAGER; with an elegant W View of his Monument in Westminster-Abbey. HEN Commodore Wager was fent to Jamaica in 1707, he made fuch difpofitions, that all the attempts of the enemy were rendered abortive; the feveral English settlements were fafely protected, and fuch convoys granted to the merchants as placed the trade in that part of the world in a much better condition, than had been before fince the break ing out of the war: all which was very honourably acknowledged by the planters and merchants. In the beginning of the year 1708, that part of the world was much alarmed with the news of M. Du Caffe's arrival with a French fiquadron of great force, which was supposed to be intended for fome attempt against Jamaica. This apprehenfion was however difpelled upon certain intelligence that Du Caffe had failed for the Havannah to convoy the galleons home. These galleons had all the probability of being fate under bis protection, as his strength was double that of the English in those seas: so that we may well admire that Commodore Wager should have formed a design on these treafure fhips, and fill more that he mould furceed sgainft the vigilance of the most able Officer in the French service. The late Sir Charles Wager valued his reputa reputation as much, and his fortune as little as any man that ever engaged in the naval service. Avarice therefore had no share in this enterprize, which was founded only in a defire to do his duty in restoring the reputation of the British arms, which had been tarnished in that part of the world by the misbehaviour of some of the preceding Commanders. The Commodore knew perfectly the rout of the galleons; he knew they were to fail from Porto Bello to Carthagena, and from thence to the Havannah: and being senfible it was to no purpose to attempt them after they had joined Du Caffe, he determined to intercept them in their passage from Porto Bello to Carthagena. With this view he sent Captain Pudner in the Severn to watch the enemy's motions in Porto Bello; from whom he received advice, May 23, that on the 19th the galleons had failed. The Commodore had then with him the Expedition, Kingston, Portland, and Vulture fire-ship; with which he cruized to the 27th, when he began to fear they had intelligence of his being on the coast, and had escaped him. This was an affair of prodigious confequence, for the galleons had not returned to Europe for feveral years, and were of course extremely rich: this squadron had on board 48,000,000 of pieces of eight. The Spaniards and French depended intirely on this fupply, their cash and credit being absolutely exhauffed so that their mint bills were at 30 and 40 per cent. difcount. On the 28th at noon, however, the galleons, in all 17 fail, were discover ed from his top-mast head; but they, de spising his small force, determined to proceed. He chaced them till the evening, when finding they could not weather the Baru, a small island that lay in their pafsage to Carthagena, they refolved to difpute the matter there therefore stretching to the northward under an easy fail, they drew up as well as they could, in a line of battle. Of the seventeen, two were floops, and one a brigantine, which stood in for the land; two others of them were French ships, which running away had no share in the action; the rest were Spaniards. The Commodore instantly made his difpofition, refolving to attack the Admiral himself: and as there was no immediate occafion for the fire-ship, the plied to the windward. The fun was jutt setting, when Commodore Wager came up with and engaged the Admiral, which in about an hour and half's time, in the dark, blew up; not without great danger to the Expedition, from the burning planks that fell on board her, and the heat of the blast. Hereupon the Commodore put a broad his fignal lights for keeping company, and endeavoured to keep fight of the enemy's ships. About ten o'clock he discovered one, which was the Rear-Admiral; this he engaged, without being able to judge, which way her head lay: but finding he had disabled her from making fail, he tacked, and got to windward of her. The Kingston and Portland, following his lights soon after, afsisted in taking this ship, which called for quarter about two in the morning. Before the rifing of the fun, he faw one large ship on his weather bow, and three fail on the weather quarter, three or four leagues diftant. These he ordered the Kingston and Portland to chace, being disabled himfelf; and as great part of his men were in the prize, so he had no less than 300 Spanish prifoners on board his own ship. These ships, from some misconduct, for which the Commodore afterwards called the Captains to account, joined him a gain without fucceeding; when he fent them to take or destroy a galleon of 40 guns, which had taken shelter in the island of Baru: the crew of this vessel ran her athore, and blew her up, so that nothing ng was got out of her. He put his prifoners ashore, at their request, on the island of Baru, as his provisions and water ran short; and conducted his prize to Port Royal in Jamaica. According to the account given by these prifoners of the strength and value of the squadron, the Admiral, called the St. Jofeph, carried 64 guns and 600 men, and had on board about 7,000,000 in gold and filver: seventeen only of her men were faved; the Vice-admiral mounted 64 guns, and had between 4 and 500 men, with about 6,000,000: the Rear-admiral mounted 44 gons, but carried more in her hold; the had only 13 chests of pieces of eight, and 14 sous of filver: the rest of the galleys were loaded, for the most part, with cocoa. It is very remarkable, that the Commodore had but two men killed and nine wounded in this action. He took care to dispatch proper intelligence to England, that ships might be sent out to cruite for the galleons that escaped. A few days after this exploit the Commodore received a commission appointing him Rear-admiral of the Blue, the date of which was prior to the taking of the galleon. Nothing more particular occurs relating to him, until the year 1726; when |