apprehenfion from this danger; and the English troops penetra- A. D. ted into the town without meeting with any oppofition until they 1764. came to the royal gate, where there was a guard-house defended by 100 Spaniards and Indians. Here major More was tranffixed with an arrow, and about twenty of our men fell. The guard refufed quarter, and were cut to pieces. In proceeding forward the troops were galled with fhot from the galleries of lofty houfes, furrounding the great fquare. But the Spanish foldiers every where gave way before them. Three hundred perifhed in endeavouring to escape by paffing a deep and rapid river. The governor and principal magiftrates imprudently retreated to the citadel, which was by no means a tenable post; and as the English general had no offer of capitulation either on the part of the garrifon or inhabitants, it was impoffible to prevent fome of the calamities which usually happen to cities taken by ftorm, from the cruel rapacious licenfe of the common foldiers. Thofe who had retired into the citadel dreading to be expofed to equal fufferings, furrendered at difcretion. The marquis of Villa Medina, with the rest of the Spanish officers, were admitted as prisoners of war on their parole of honour; and all the Indians were difmiffed in fafety. At the fame time admiral Cornish and general Draper, influenced by a generofity familiar to our commanders, though able to command every thing by force, admitted the inhabitants to a capitulation, by which they enjoyed their liberties, lives, properties, and the administration of their domeftic government. In confequence of this agreement the town and port of Cavite, with the islands and forts depending upon Manilla, were furrendered to his Britannic majefty; and four millions of dollars were promifed as a ransom for faving the houfes and effects of the inhabitants. The admiral took poffeffion of feveral large fhips, with a vast quantity of military and naval ftores; and the English found here every refreshment to recruit the men, and every neceffary to refit the fquadron. The Eaft India company were intitled to one third of the ranfom, and the conqueft according to agreement was delivered up to Dawson Drake, Efq; and the other individuals appointed to receive them in behalf of that company.

As this ranfom never paid, commanders in future will do well to take hoftages,

A. D. This important acquifition was rendered complete by another 1762. fortunate event. During the siege admiral Cornish received intelligence by the capture of an advice-fhip, that the galleon from Acapulco was arrived at the ftraits which form the entrance into the Archipelago of the Philippines. This intelligence was not to be neglected, as fo rich a prize would greatly enhance the value of the conqueft, and not a little compenfate the difadvantage of a repulfe. Two fhips of war, the Panther a fhip of the line, captain Parker, and the Argo frigate, captain King, were immediately dispatched in queft of the galleon. After twentyfix days cruizing they defcried on the 30th of October, being off the ifland Capul, a fail ftanding northward. The Panther being driven by the current among the Narangor, was obliged to anchor; but the Argo coming up with the chace, engaged her for near two hours, during which the English frigate was roughly handled, and even obliged to defift, until his damage could be repaired. The current flackening, captain Parker was enabled to get under fail, and about nine next morning came up with the enemy, who after having been cannonaded near two hours at a very small diftance, ftruck her colours. The English captain was not a little furprized to learn when the Spanish officers came on board, that instead of the Sancta Philippina, which was expected from Acapulco, he had taken the Sanctiffima Trinidad, which was bound for that port. This veffel had left Manilla theft of Auguft, and had failed 300 leagues to the eastward of the Embocadero; but meeting with a hard gale of wind, and being difmafted, was obliged to put back and refit. In the first engagement with the Argo this galleon mounted only fix guns, though fhe was pierced for fixty. In her engagement with the Panther, fhe mounted but thirteen. The English captains had both been furprized to find fo obftinate a refiftance with fo little activity of oppofition. But their wonder ceafed when they examined the galleon with attention. She was a huge veffel that lay like a mountain on the water, and her fides fo exceffively thick that the fhot had made no impreffion upon any part, except her upper works. She had 800 men on board; and the value of her cargo was registered at one million and a

half

half of dollars; that which was unregistered in order to be A, D. fmuggled amounted to full as much; fo that this capture was a 1762. valuable addition to the conqueft, and a fresh wound to the enemy.

At no period of time had the Spanish monarchy fuffered fuch mortifying difafters as in the courfe of this war, of which there was no conqueft more advantageous in itself, or more honourably atchieved than that of the Philippines. The British forces effected their landing before Manilla on the 24th of September; their battery of cannon was not completed until the 3d of October, and on the 6th they were masters of the city. In this short time, notwithstanding the tempeftuous season of the year which prevented the communication between the land and fea forces, a territory was acquired confifting of fourteen confiderable iflands, which from their extent, fertility, and convenience of commerce, furnished the materials of a great kingdom. The conqueft of the Havannah had in a great measure interrupted the communication between the wealthy American colonies of the Spaniards and Europe. The reduction of the Philippines now excluded them from Asia. The two together fecured all the avenues of the Spanish trade, and cut off all intercourfe between the parts of their vaft but unconnected empire. Never indeed were aný people more to be pitied than the Spaniards. They were plunged precipitately into a war against every principle of found policy and caution, merely to gratify the private inclinations of their fovereign, in favour of the interests of his family, which stood in direct oppofition to thofe of his people. Unfortunately for the happiness of mankind the former interefts will always be preferred under the government of an abfolute prince. Whatever conclufions, therefore, may be drawn, at any future period, in favour of the pacific intentions of the Spaniards from the national advantages that would refult from a pacific conduct, ought not to have great weight on the councils or measures of Great Britain. We ought in this cafe to diftruft appearances, The advantage, at leaft the fuppofed advantage of a king of Spain and of his fubjects, are not always the fame. The national advantage is moft obvious to ftrangers, but that of the king will prevail in the cabinet; and Spain will undertake another VOL. IV.

Gg

war

A. D. war against Great Britain, though more ruinous than the for1762. mer, whenever the interefts or honour of the house of Bourbon

demand her affiftance. We may be permitted another obfervation at this particular time. The fuccefs of the last war against Spain, than which none more brilliant is recorded in history, depended in a great meafure on the rapidity with which all our measures were carried into execution. The garrifon at the Havannah was in no flate of defence; the inhabitants of Manilla were unacquainted with the declaration of war. The dominions of Spain from which the draws her principal resources, lying at an immense distance from the capital and one another, renders it more neceffary for her than for any other power to tempo rize, until the can infpire with activity all the parts of her extenfive but disjointed empire. For this reafon Great Britain cannot be too much on her guard to watch the first symptom of approaching hoftility. To take the advantage of the first stroke, without waiting for the formal declaration of war, may expofe her to the cenfure of minute politicians; but to wait patiently till the herself receives it, will render her the fcorn of her enemies.

The reduction of the Manillas will be handed down as a memorable event to the latest pofterity. Another expedition, which was much celebrated at the time, and which adorned the luftre of the British arms in the course of this autumn, was the recovery of the island of St. John in Newfoundland. About the latter end of May, intelligence was received by the admiralty that a French fquadron under the command of M. de Ternay had failed from Breft under cover of a fog. The deftination of this fquadron being uncertain, Sir Edward Hawke, with the duke of York as rear-admiral, were immediately ordered from Spithead with feven fhips of the line, and two frigates, in hopes that they might fall in with the enemy. They vifited the coaft of France; and after cruizing for fome time in the chops of the Channel for the protection of our trade, returned to Portsmouth not having feen M. de Ternay's fleet. It was defcried, however, on the 11th of May, about fifty leagues to the north

* October, 1778.

ward

ward of the Lizard by captain Rowley, who had failed with A. D. three fhips of war, the Superbe of 74 guns, the Gofport of 44, 1762. and the Danae of 38, as convoy to a fleet of merchantmen bound to the Eaft and Weft Indies, and the continent of America. Captain Rowley no fooner perceived them than he made a disposition for battle, though greatly inferior in ftrength. The French fhips bore down upon him; when he hoifted British colours, and fired at the nearest, when she was within little more than random fhot. The enemy immediately hoisted English colours, and tacked to the northward. He gave them chace till three in the afternoon when they were fcarcely in fight; and having no hope of bringing them to action, he difcontinued the purfuit, and rejoined his convoy.

The French fquadron confifted of the Robufte of 74 guns, the Eveille of 64, the Garonne of 44, and the Licorne of 30%, carrying 1500 foldiers under the command of the count d'Haufonville. They fteered their courfe for Newfoundland, and on the 24th of June entered the bay of Bulls, where the troops were landed without oppofition. Having taken poffeffion of an inconfiderable English fettlement in this bay, they steered for the town of St. John's, which being defended by no more than fixty-three men, furrendered upon capitulation. This little garrifon were made prisoners of war, together with the officers and crew of his majesty's floop the Gramont, which was in the harbour. The French likewife took feveral merchant veffels, deftroyed the ftages erected for curing cod, and every thing else belonging to the fishery. They afterwards began to repair the fortifications of the town, of which they had determined to keep poffeffion.

When the news of this lofs reached England, the antiminifterial party employed it as a fubject of reproach against the king's fervants. Their abufe, though mean, illiberal, and vulgar, was not altogether ill-founded. Mr. Pitt's advice for guarding Newfoundland from any such attempt, had been neglected by the miniftry, who, while on this occafion they repre fented the loss of a place cold, barren, and inhospitable, as of very little confequence, did not delay to prepare an armament for regaining the poffeflion of it.