The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1805-07-12
G5e Gnqnlrfr.
RICHMOND, lat6 JUN, 1905.
WEST INDIA FLEETS.

accounts, and nave followed each
other in fuch rapid ficceiiion, that it is almnft
inpo(lible for any reader who runs over the
newspapers as they regularly come out to catch
4 correct and confident view OF the whole hifto-
ry. Let Us attempt TO remove this inconveni.
enoe by fketching out rapid narrative OF thefcl
events, dveiled of every thing that is uninter-
citing and every thing that has been contradict
ed by more accurate reports. Should fuch
review prelent us with no memorable achieve
ment, no rencounters ut fsa aud no invafions
upon land, it may perhaps feryc TO fled 4 faint
CLEAN upon the important revolutions oefuturi-
~.
The genius of Bonaparte had long fince refu-
ted one very popular maxim, that the nation
which was matter at fea, could command the
land. The fime genius was now to demontrate
that even the Rrongef nation at iea, was not al
ways mater upon it. To what purpofe did
England pride herteif upon the extent of her ma
Wy; upon b!ockadinc the ports of the Texel,
Brett, terrol, Cadiz and Toulon, By her trum-
plant iqnadrons? The French were ready to
iuPply by Kill, what they wanted in force ; and
on the 18th. of Jan. the Rochfort feet efcaped
out Of port. But this was only one of the events,
which the French government had reditated.
About the fame tirne, the Pref feet came ont
OF lis barbour. On the 25Jh. Of jan. the Ton
Ion feet ventured into the Mediterranean, but
was driven back through frefs of weather.
And the feet in the Texel attempted an efcape
about the iirft of March. Thefe contem pora.
ry movements of the French navy feem 10 il,ow
beyond doubt that they were directed by
fome grand and uniform plan of operations;
whether that plan was to make formidable
attack upon the Biitfh Hands in the Victim
dies or TO draw the Britiih feet from Europe.
he RoChefort fgGatiron coniiitng of five
hips o. the line, frgatcs and briggs, under
the command of Admiral Mniiiis, purfuet, its
route TO the WeftIndies ard arrived at Port
Royal in Martinique or the 10Th February.
Its acheve;nents were irregular and inglorous:
and their principal Object feemed to be either
to make the enemy pay the expences of the e.
Equipment by leyying contributions and FIXING
MERCHANT vei{tls wherever they Appeared, or TO
makca deiCent upon no place which they were
unable to matter by a corr de main. In
few hours after their arrival at Martinique, they
made iail for Dominique, attacked the town of
Roneau, reduced amoft every houfe to alhes,
and at length concluded b. Ievying contribu
ton of 6o00E. upon the Inhabitants. Enriched
by this booty, and the capture of 8 or Q fail of
Britiih merchantmen which they fent to Barba-
does, they failed to st. Kits; where they burnt
ftveral fhips and levied contribution of 1900.
A. Nevis, they collected about $4,000. On the
4th. of April they at length arrived before the
city of 81. Domingo, at the very moment when
the brave general Fenand was engaged in
bloody battle with Deiialines & landed 1000 Of
their troops, who marching in the rear of the
Hay'ian army ovrrpowered and defeated them.
Having remained orly fhcrt time before 81.
Domingo, they directed their courfe once more
towards their native c3u:try, and arrived at
Nan'z about the ojth. of May. Meanwhile
Admiral Cochrane, redo he'd the w Indies with
fail of the line and fligate, and found the
emery far beyond the reach of his purfiiit.
The French government had not however re-
hnqai red It's original deiigns, nor was the de.
parture of Admiral Minifis from the Wef-Tn-
dies satisfactory iignaI of the peace and fecu-
rty of the Britiih Hands. The Toulon feet
once more appears on the Theatre of action, TO
bewilder and difurb the cabinet ofSt Janers.
Having efcaped from port, il repaired to Cadiz,
compelled the Bfitinl Ailnira Sir. John Orde
to re,ire and Joined the Spa1ih a-et
Sir John Crde was certainly unable to conc
with the French in point of numbers; but he
certainly mad it in his power by coming to an
engagement withthem, 70 cripple and dfnaG
their ihIps 20 much as 10 give a rlomertarv
check TO the prctecntion Of their deiigns and
the fnp'c fact that the Fren,h in fDite of the
iup"riority offheir force would not fcek an en-
g7gcnnent might have been Efficient 70 convince
him that they had foale great object in view
which rcquredsthe utmot expedition. Let us
not however heap diigrace upon the diferaced
head ofthe Bntifh Admiral. Sir John Orde,
the late EngliGi papers inform us, has been al
ready ordered 10 ftrike his flag and return to
England to give an account of his conduct.
Let us rather 60 in fe5rch OF the combined
French and Spanifh fleets.
This feet amounting 10 II fail of the line,
trie1tes, corvettes, briggs and containing
az unknown number of troops, fon1e report
5000 and others 10000 arrived at Martinique
on the l5th Of May.
hwasuowth7twe expected torcccive the mott
wonderful accounts of the achievements of the
French. Trinidad, Antigua. Jamaica, eschinand
OF Grcat-B9it1in was ftIccefIively to fr~render
TO their arms. How much then were we
flirprifed TO hear Of their protraSted inactivity!
whether this was to be attributed TO the fckly
Rate of ihe crew, to- the dfenti0hs b,tc1een the
opanlih ard French adr1irale, or TO their pecu-
liar plan Of operators, VIC are unable to de-
termre: certain it -, that in theimportant inter-
val OF 90 days, the French asct did nothing, ex-
cepf embracing 5000 artilIcrifs al G1udalaupe
with bombs and il,elie, and taking pofItGion of
Diamond Rock. That their plan comprehend
ed iome important movements in the Ten-In-
dies IS fcarccly to be dfputed. That this fyftem
or operations WAS prevented by the arrival of
Lord Melton At BIrb8d0cs, appears probable
from the intelligence of that event having reach
ed Martinique before they left it.
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