Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 49.djvu/213

 and smaller vessels. They arrived off Barcelona on 18 May, but only to find that measures had been taken to prevent any demonstration in favour of the archduke. The marines of the fleet were landed; but they did not number more than sixteen hundred, a force utterly inadequate to effect anything against the town without support from the inhabitants. They were therefore re-embarked, and Rooke, learning that the French fleet from Brest had come into the Mediterranean, and being unable to prevent it joining that at Toulon, judged it expedient to return to Lisbon to meet the reinforcement which he expected. He fell in with this, under Sir Clowdisley Shovell, off Cape St. Mary, on 17 June.

The fleet then consisted of fifty-nine sail of the line, English and Dutch, and in a council of war it was debated whether they should attempt Cadiz or Barcelona, or content themselves with waiting on the united French fleet under the command of the Count of Toulouse. Orders from home prohibited their undertaking anything on the coast without the approbation of their majesties of Spain and Portugal, and as these had no troops to spare for any joint enterprise, it was finally resolved to go into the Mediterranean, ‘and keep those at Toulon from going to sea or making any attempt upon the coast of Italy.’ On 7–10 July the fleet watered near Malaga, and a few days later Rooke had a request from the titular king to make an attempt on Cadiz. In a council of war held on 17 July it was resolved that this was impracticable without the co-operation of an army; but at the same time it was suggested that Gibraltar might be attacked with a fair prospect of success; and, Rooke approving of it, the determination was at once come to.

During the next few days the plan was agreed on and arrangements were made. On the 21st Rear-admiral George Byng was detached with twenty-two ships, but was followed in a few hours by Rooke with the rest of the fleet, which anchored on the 22nd in Gibraltar Bay, where Byng was already in line before the town. The Prince of Hesse, in command of all the marines, English and Dutch, landed on what is now known as the neutral ground, and early the next morning, on the governor's refusing to surrender the town, the attack began. Byng's detachment, which Rooke had strengthened with five more ships, was ranged from the New to the Old Mole, as close in shore as was possible; the Ranelagh, Byng's flagship, had not more than eighteen inches water under her keel. The heavy fire from the lower-deck guns silenced the battery on the New Mole, and the seamen, landing, succeeded—notwithstanding the explosion of a magazine—in gaining possession of a redoubt on the south of the town, where they hoisted the union jack. They thus cut the communication between the town and Europa Point, where—in the chapel of Our Lady of Europa—‘many of the most considerable women of the town’ had taken refuge. The anxiety to secure the safety of these weighed heavily on the governor, and he surrendered on the assurance of honourable terms, the garrison marching out the next morning with their arms and baggage, and the inhabitants being permitted to remain unmolested, on taking ‘an oath of fidelity to Charles III, their legitimate king and master.’ The marines then took possession of the town, and the same evening the seamen re-embarked.

Some six ships were then sent away to Lisbon and England, and Rooke, having watered at Ceuta, was intending to remain in the neighbourhood of Gibraltar till he knew whether Cadiz was yet to be attacked, when, on 9 Aug., the French fleet was sighted to the eastward. On the 10th about half the marines were brought off from Gibraltar, and during the 11th Rooke worked to the eastward in search of the French, who were no longer in sight. It was supposed that they had retired, and Rooke himself would seem to have taken this view, though he was fully alive to the danger of their slipping past him, and getting between him and Gibraltar. The enemy actually succeeded in performing this manœuvre on the night of the 11th, and on the forenoon of the 12th were sighted to the westward. Rooke at once determined to engage them before they could attempt anything against the half-armed fortress; and though, in consequence of the lightness of the breeze, he did not succeed in bringing them to an immediate action, the two fleets were still in sight of each other at daybreak on the 13th, the English being to windward, with a fresh easterly breeze. The numbers were practically equal; but the English ships wanted part of their marines and were short of ammunition, having furnished a magazine at Gibraltar. Rooke repeated the order which had come to him, through Russell, from the Duke of York [see ]: the fleet, being to windward of the enemy, was to range itself in a line parallel to theirs, and engage along the whole length, van to van, rear to rear. On this unsatisfactory plan the battle was fought from half-past ten in the forenoon till day closed. On both sides the loss of men was very great, and several of the ships were disabled; many