defencelefs Bahama islands. Col. Maxwell, the governor of Providence, had only about 170 invalids, to oppofe to an armament, amount. ing by fea and land to above 5.000 men; and the native ftrength of the ilands were mofly difperfed at fea; the bold and adventurous part of the inhabitants purfuing their favourite occupation of privateering. In fach circumstances a capitulation was all that could be hoped for, and every pretence or appearance of refiftance, any farther than as it tended to that object, would feem futile and dangerous.

The governor, however, endeavoured to defer the evil as long as poffible, hefitating for two days before he agreed to a forrender; perhaps refting upon the folitary hope, that the enemy not being ftrong at fea, fome unforeseen chance or accident might bring a few Britifh fhips or frigates of war to his refcue. Though the Spanish commander's fummons peremptorily required the capitulations to be figued within fix hours, and that he was fully acquainted with the weakness of the garrifon and defence, yet he bore this delay with great moderation and temper; and the conditions were, May 8th, notwithstanding, as faMay 8th, vourable, both to the 1782. garrifon and inhabitants, as they could have been afked for or wifhed. Indeed it would feem as if the humanized and polished conduct of Don Galvez upon former occafions, (which we have heretofore had much fatisfaction in acknowledging and applauding) had been confidered by Don Juan de Cagigal as the model by which to regulate his own through the whole of this tranfaction, were it

not that fimilar minds will purfue fimilar lines of action without the aid of example.

The capture of thefe iflands, what. ever their value might be, was not to be eftimated as a real lofs, as, from their nature and fituation, they could not be long retained from their former poffeffors.

The Dutch, who were deftined to pay heavy and ruinous fines in every quarter of the world, for the ill-judged, and unnatural part which they took in this war, were about the fame time ftripped of most of their fettlements on the coaft of Africa, by Capt. Shirley, in the Leander of 50 guns; who, without any land forces, and the affiftance only of the Alligator floop of war, took Acra, with four other of their forts, mounting 124 pieces of cannon. And to compleat their ruin on that coaft, Lieut. Cartwright of the Argo frigate, having landed with a detachment of feamen, to fupport fome land forces which were under the direction of the African company, he moft gallantly attacked, and had a principal fhare in taking, the ftrong and well-garrifoned Dutch fort of Commenda; which, befides two mortars and as many howitzers, had 32 pieces of cannon mounted for its defence.

On the other fide, as if it had been to vent fome part of the ill-humour excited by the late defeat in the Weft-Indies, M. de Vaudreuil, fome time before his departure with the remainder of the beaten fleet from Cape Francois to North America, concerted expedition, purely predatory, against the remote pof feffions and property of the Hudfon's Bay company, fhut up as they were among the frozen regions of [H] 2

an

the

their bread.

Western Islands, which they eftimated as lying about 260 leagues to the fouth east of the fhip at the time they quitted her. On the 5th morning, they made the doleful difcovery, that the falt water had fpoiled almoft the whole of From this time they were reduced to the neceffity of the whole company living upon the miferable pittance of two bifcuits for the twenty four hours; one being divided and diftributed, with out favour or refpect of perfons, in twelve equal portions, at each of their forrowful meals. The want of water was ftill more diftreffing; the neck of a bottle, broken off with the cork in it, being the meafure allotted to the fupport of each individual during the twenty-four hours.

A most fortunate accident, and which could only have originated from perturbation and diforder of mind during the confufion which prevailed in the fhip, afforded the happy means, which could alone have preferved them from perish ing for want of water. A pair of fheets were found in the boat, which fomebody had thrown in without obfervation; and fome rain coming on, they were enabled, by alternately fpreading and wringing them, to catch and to fave a few quarts of water. But this fupply, happy as it was, could not prevent their being extremely enfeebled through the want of food; nor was the quantity of water taken fufficient to prevent their being again reduced to the greatest diftrefs for that article. The Captain, rightly judging how deftructive gloom and defpair were to the animal faculties, fuccefsfully endeavoured to divert the atten

tion of the people from their fita ation and diftreffes, by inducing them, during the heavy and penfive hours of the evenings, to amufe each other, by every one relating a ftory, or finging a fong, in turn; which was, undoubtedly. an admirable expedient in such circumftances.

On the 15th day after their de parture from the hip, they had a melancholy inftance, that good fpirits were of much more avail in withstanding difficulty and diftrefs, than great bodily ftrength; for the quarter-mafter, who was by much the ftouteft man in the boat, was the only one who funk under the extremes of cold and hunger. They were on that evening reduced to the laft day's bread, and to ond bottle of water; and though they were in continual expectation of fee ing land, yet defpondency became fo prevalent, that all Capt. Inglefield's endeavours could not procure a story or a fong.

On the 16th day, after diftribut ing the laft bifcuit and water, they had the unfpeakable pleasure of de fcrying land; and after fome ftill intervening difficulties, their miferies were on that night brought to a conclufion, by their happy arrival in the harbour of Fayal.

Such was the fate of the Cen taur! Nor was that of others lefs deplorable; although the circum ftances of their diftrefs can never be fo perfectly known. The Villa de Paris (the grand trophy of the war, and long the pride of the French navy) commanded by Captain Wil kinfon, with Le Glorieux (one likewife of the prizes) of 74 guns, Captain Cadogan, were both equally deftined to become vic tims to the rage of this mercile

hurricane,

The Company poffefs fix of thofe buildings, which are called forts, in Hudfon's Bay; being in reality factories, erected at the mouths of the principal rivers; the buildings being neceffarily ftrong, as well to guard against the climate as against other dangers, and furnished with artillery to command refpect with the various nations of favages, who come from the remoteft parts to difpofe of their furs and peltry; but they had not a fingle foldier in all thefe forts; and the whole number of ftorekeepers, clerks, and fervants of every denomination, which they maintain at fo many ftations, does not exceed 120, at the utmost.

The French, incapable of ima. gining the defenceless ftate of thefe forts, took a wonderful deal of unneceffary trouble, in landing their troops and artillery at guarded distances, and proceeding with the utmost caution in their approaches, under a full perfuafion of meeting with that formidable refiftance, which was fo well to be expected in an attack upon Englith fortreffes and garrifons. When they had proceeded in this manner within cannon fhot of Fort Prince of Wales, aftonifhed at the filence and folitude which prevailed, not a fingle man appearing in any direction, they made a halt, and fent an officer to fummon the fortrefs to furrender; in anfwer to which the gates were immediately thrown open, and, M. de la Pe roufe gravely informs us, that the governor and garrifon furrendered at difcretion. The fort, he obferves, was built of free ftone, the artillery in excellent condition, and the magazines were covered with lead. They found here a great

quantity of different kinds of merchandize; but the feafon admitting of no delay, they were under a neceffity of burning and deftroying every thing, excepting fome of the most valuable furs, which, with the garrifon, they carried on board.

Having fpent about two days at this place, they failed on the 11th for York Fort, which lies farther down the bay, and on the fame weftern fhore with the former, being fituated at the point of a long ifland, which, dividing a vaft river into two great branches, that in the front of the fort is called Hayes's, and that on the back of the island Nelfon River. In this part of the enterprize they encountered natural difficulties, which feemed pretty well to fupply the place of human refiftance. The coaft was full of rocky fhoals; the depth of water not above fix or feven fathoms, at beft; and the bottom every where foul and bad. In this dangerous navigation they were, as before, without any chart for their guidance, and the prifoners obftinately refufed to give them the fmalleft information or direction whatever. Through these circumftances, befides great and continual danger to the hips, they fpent nine days in a navigation of not many leagues; nor could they probably have at all fucceeded, if it had not been for the useful affiftance of fome large, decked boats, which they had found at Fort Prince of Wales, and which, leading the way, under the direction of fome of their most able officers and feamen, with great caution and difficulty traced out a paffage through the numberlefs rocks and fhoals with which they were environed.

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Nor

with the Eagle and La Gloire, two of the largest and fineft frigates in the French fervice, on the night of the 5th of September. Thefe frigates were fresh from France, mounted above 40 guns each, had about 600 feamen between them, and, befides being well commanded, manned, and appointed, had on board feveral of the moft diftinguifhed land officers, with fome hundreds of the best troops in France, whom they were conveying to the Chesapeak.

The frigates, foon perceiving by her manner of working the weak fate of the Hector, bore down upon, and furiously attacked her, one upon her beam, and the other upon her quarter; and being ftill encouraged by the flacknefs of her fire, and by the opportunity which the flowness of her movements afforded of.continually raking her, they continued the action clofely, and with great vigour, between three and four hours. The lofs and damage fuftained by the Hector during this time was prodigi ous. Her originally weak crew had been greatly reduced by ficknefs; 46 of the remainder were already killed or difabled; and the nobleft exertions both of men and officers, feemed infufficient to fupply the defect of strength and number, under the rapid decrease of both which was continually taking plate. Captain Bourchier was defperately wounded; but Captain Drury of the navy, who was a paflenger on board, bravely fupplie his place, and fought the fhis with no lefs intrepidity. He was most gallantly fupported, to the laft, by all the officers without exception, who animated the crew in fuch a degree, as rendered them

in a great meafure infenfible to their weaknefs. The frigates, confiding in the number of their men and in the bravery of their land officers and troops, who were eager to fignalize themfelves in fo new a fcene of action, attempted to board the Hector; but failing in this at tempt, (which could not otherwife but have been decifive in the event) and finding the refiftance ftill to continue, far beyond what they could have expected, they, to the aftonishment of the English, (who could fcarcely hope to hold out much longer) abandoned their enterprize; and in full day-light when they must have had a perfect view of the wretched condition of the Hector, they thought prope to fheer off.

In the account of this action published at Paris, it was pretend ed, that the appearance of feveral Thips in the morning, which were fuppofed to be an English fqua dron, had obliged the frigates to relinquish their enterprize, and make the best of their way to escape the fuppofed danger. But, to the unspeakable misfortune and calamity of the Hector, no fhips what ever, of any nation, came in fight; for pirates or Algerines would have been foon deemed good company by her, and their meeting moft joyfully hailed. It would have been indeed the greatest happiness to the officers and company of that unfortunate fhip that he had been then taken by the enemy; and it was furely a moft grievous as well as fingular circumftance, that their courage and conftancy in her defenec fhould have operated upon them in its effects as the higheft punishment, and fubjected them to undefcribable calamities.

The