for the 1st of June, in which action he declared he had equally done his duty: the medal was accordingly sent to him, with an apology for its having been delayed. *

Of the first lieutenants of the different line-of-battle ships present in this action, the following, we believe, is a correct list : William Selby, Victory ; Valentine Collard, Britannia ; John Bligh, Barfleur ; Robert Campbell, Blenheim ; Robert Williams, Prince-George ; James Nash, Namur ; Edward Berry, Captain ; William Collis, Goliath ; John Mortimer, Excellent ; James Barker, Orion ; Richard Prater, Colossus ; Anselm John Griffiths, Culloden ; William Bevians, Irresistible; George Burdett, Egmont ; and Henry Edward Reginald Baker, Diadem. The whole of these, we believe, were promoted to the rank of commanders. If we speak doubtfully in this case, it is to be attributed to the strange custom, prevalent in those days, of omitting to make public the promotion of any naval officer unless it be to the rank of admiral ; while an ensign, belonging to the most insignificant militia regiment or volunteer association in the kingdom, had the satisfaction of seeing his name recorded in the first London Gazette after the date of his commission.

The four Spanish prizes were commissioned and retained in service on the Lisbon station, and did not arrive at Plymouth until October. Only one of them, the San-Josef, became of any value as a cruising ship. She was built in 1783 ; the Salvador-del-Mundo, in 1787 ; the San-Nicolas, in 1769 ; and the San-Ysidro, in the year previous. The following are the principal dimensions of the two three-deckers ; to which are subjoined those of the Ville-de-Paris, as the largest English built ship of the period, and those of the Victory, as the largest English ship present in the action:

Having given a summary of the honours bestowed upon the conquerors for their victory, we will here briefly relate in what manner a weak government, notwithstanding it was their own fault in sending a fleet so badly manned to sea, punished the vanished for their defeat. Don Josef de Cordova was deprived of all his offices, declared incapable of ever serving in any rank, and prohibited from appearing at court, or in any of the chief towns of the maritime coasts. The second in command, Count Morales de los Rios, was deprived of his rank.

* Brenton, Vol. ii, p. 155.

^ back to top ^