The National Register.
London, England, 1809-08-06 00:00:00

4011

distant from the Isle of Aix, and close on the edge of the bank
that extends from the isle d'Aix, to the N. W. foist of
the Pallas Shoal, the Foudroyant also lay rime to that bank,
and, I suppose, about three cables distant frost the Cassard ; the
three-deckers lay with their broad-sides flanking the passage,
and would have fired with complete effect ;many ships that might
approach.—Q. After the enemy's ships had runup the Charente,
could they have been approached by any Alf the British ships ?
A. No.—Q. Is the navigation of Aix Roads difficult for large
hips, and much limited in sprt.tce t A. Very diißcult for large
ships, deep water, mr4chlim ited. —Q. had three or four line of bate
tie ships beet; advanced towards the Isle MA ix, and laid during
the night at single anchor, could they, by vceighing when Lord
Cochrane made the signal, about five A. 111, at that time of tide,
have gone into the road d'A ix, without the greatest danger, to
.have attacked any part of the enemy ? A. Had four sail of the.
line gone into Alt Roads, w lien Lord Cochrane !nude the
signal, they wonl I there have met a force equal to them-
selves; they would have made an attack under every disad-
vant:ize ; the fire of Isle d'A:v, as well as the fire of
the Fottdro:,aut, the Cassard, and Ocean, would have heen
directed on them, they had no place to retreat to, and their only
safety remained in the destrnctiun of the enemy's ships, and in
silencing the batteries from the Isle d'Aix, which l am sure it
world have been impossible for them to accomplish.—Q. Were
the ships and vessels sent in to attack the enemy as soon as it
could have been done with propriety, conside;ing the hate of
the wind and tide. A. They were, in my oltinioa.

Captain Bligh called In and sworn.
Q. Do you recollect the telegraph signal being made from
the Imperieu4, on the 12th of April; and vi hat was that signal?
A. I think that half the fleet could destroy the enemy's ships.
—Q. unit I sent in line of battle ships that day to Aix [toads,
early in the morning, or sGon after, w ere any of the enemy's
ships in a situation to have enabled them to take or annoy oar
ships as they advanced ?—A. Two of them were lying with
their broadsides towards the entrance, and would have consider-
ably annoyed any ships scat against thetu.....44. Were any of
the enemy's ships that were aground capable of annoying our
Clips? A. Early in the morning they lay with their Isrpadsides
towards the entrance, rand I think were capable of annoying the
-hip4.--Q. What number of guns were there on the batteries al
Aix Island ? A. W her, at anchor in Aix Roads, I counted fifty;
there might have been more ; but I am certain there were not iris.
Q. I f any of our lioe of battle ships bad advanced and bad becson•
crippled, could they have returned that day befnre night; or
what would have been the consequences ? A. Ido not think,
under all the circumstances, that if the line-of-battle ships had
been sent in, they ever would have rettrrned; I think it would
have been sending them to irretrievable destruction.—Q. When
1 sent you into Aix [toads, what were the orders, in the after-
noon of the 12th, I gave you ? were they discretionary or not ?
A. To use my utmost endeavours to destroy the enemy's ships :
considered them discretionary, i I the same measure, as the
sole responsibility rested on the a ,ptain, the Pilot having re-
fused to take the ship in.

SIXTH HA V.
Captain filigh, examined by Lord Gambier.
Q. Did you hear Lord Cochrane express to Captain
Beresford, when at Ai% Roads, the probability of three or four
of our. line of battle ships being last in attacking the enemy, and
what passed on that subject ? A. When Capt. Beresforit asked
Lord Cochrane his reasons for snaking tln signal to the Coln-
minder in Chief in the morning, that half the Hee( could destroy
the enemy, he said, that he calculated on our lining three or
four of our ships if the Commander in Chief had sent the squa-
dron in.—Q. If the two line of battle ohipi of the cnenty,
which had remained at their anchorage on tae ,inorning. had ,•
moved towards the C harante, at half past eleven o clock, (wild
the frigates alone, assisted hy the smaller vesseli, have succeeded
in their attempt to de.troy the w hole of the seven ships of the
enemy that were onshore on the Palais ? A. No, I am confi-
dent they would not have made any impression on the enemy's
ships; but on the contrary, I think it would have been attended
with the lon of some of our own ships.—Q. Did it appear ti
you on the morning of the 12th April, or at any time when she
enemy's ships were on shore, that a signal had been made
that they could be destroyed, that there was, on my
part any neglect or unnecessary delay, in taking effectual
measures for destroying them ii A. I have not the least dot ..t
that If our ships had been sent in on the morning of the 12th, t
would have been wading them iligU their inev 4441 e debtructivii.