J

waited upon Lord North, to represent the defenceless ftate of the Weft India Iflands, and to folicit that a proper force might be fent out for their defence. The minifter expressed his concern, that the pofture of public affairs was fuch, as rendered it impoffible for government to ftrengthen those poffeffions with any additional troops, and recommended to the merchants, that they should provide a fufficient fecurity by their own exertions. The defencelefs ftate of Dominica could not be concealed from the French; whilft the fituation of that island between Martinico and Guadaloupe, caufed the Marquis de Bouille, Governor general of the former, to endeavour to re-annex this spot to the crown of France. As foon, therefore, as he received the document from his court, which was equivalent to a declaration of war in the Weft Indies, he proceeded thither with 2000 troops, and as fewer than 100 regulars defended the works, a capitulation followed of course *. Governor Stuart, who commanded, obtained fuch favourable terms for the inhabitants, that the event was to them little more than a change of fovereigns. The French foldiers and volunteers were gratified by receiving a confiderable fum in ready money in lieu of pillage, which prevented the smallest diforder being committed. Notwithstanding the want of a garrifon rendered the island defenceless, yet one hundred and fixty-four cannon, and two brass mortars were found there, together with a very ample fupply of warlike ftores, which, though they did not at all ferve to fecure the place from a foreign attack, greatly enhanced the value of its conqueft. The Marquis, effectually to fecure what he had so easily gained, left a garrifon of fifteen hundred men on the island. The lofs of this little fpot has proved of vaft disadvantage to our naval operations in the West In

* September 7, 1778,

dies

dies, and when the circumstances of it are confidered, Dominica may be faid to have been conquered in America. The enormous fum of 70,000l. fterling had been expended on its harbour and fortifications: a fum little fhort of that which had been received from government by the fale of lands in all the ceded islands !

The interefts of Great Britain in the East Indies, were however attended to as early and efficaciously as poffible. The chairman of the Eaft India Company having communicated with the miniftry on the pofture of affairs with respect to Great Britain and France, was authorised to fend advice over-land to the prefidency at Madrafs, of the approaching rupture between the two kingdoms. The officer who was entrufted with this bufinefs, received inftructions not to pafs through, or even to touch upon the kingdom of France, left fufpicions fhould be excited concerning the purport of his difpatches: he therefore proceeded through Germany, and reached Madrafs with fuch celerity, that the Company's forces were forming for the purpose of laying fiege to the French fettlement of Pondicherry, at the very time that the fleets of the two nations were fighting off Ushant,

Early in the month of Auguft, Major General Monroe, the Commander in Chief, had approached within four miles of the place, whilft Sir Edward Vernon, who commanded the fleet on that ftation, blocked it up by fea. His whole force confifted of a 60 gun fhip, two frigates, the one of 28, the other of 20 guns, a floop, and an Indiaman on her voyage to Europe. These hoftile attacks were the first notices which the French received of any breach between the two fovereigns. M. de Tronjolly, the French naval commander, foon after appeared with a fuperior force,

having

An

having a ship of 64 guns, two frigates, one of 36, the other of 32 guns, and two Indiamen armed for war. action immediately took place, which was maintained with warmth for two hours, when Tronjolly retired into Pondicherry; but failing out fome days after, Sir Edward Vernon, who then lay off the harbour, prepared for another engagement. This the French chofe to avoid, event at the inevitable lofs of all their valuable poffeffions on the Coromandel coaft: their fquadron retreated in the night, and proceeding to the Mauritius, appeared no more in those parts. The frigate of 32 guns, named the Sartine,

was taken.

On the 18th of September the batteries were opened be fore the town. M. de Bellecombe, who commanded, made a gallant defence, and the fiege was continued very brifkly until the 16th of October, when a general assault was intended to have taken place the next day; but the Governor offering to capitulate, prevented the flaughter and depredations which are consequent upon that last extremity of civilized war. Honourable terms were granted, and this important conqueft was made with little lofs. The fortifications have fince been demolished by orders from home. The poffeffions which the French held on the Ganges, fubmitted without any ftruggle, fo that France (as might have been expected) loft her poffeffions in the Eaft to become patronefs of the Weft. The ambition of princes is generally doomed to mourn over losses.

The King's fpeech on opening the feffion *, was totally filent with regard to the American war, and the whole of the parliamentary bufinefs, during the feffion, which re

November 26, 1778.

fpecled

1pected America, (the voting of fupplies for continuing the war alone excepted) was brought on by the members in oppofition. They reprobated the threat which had been denounced against America, by the Commiffioners, previous to their departure from that continent, in very fevere terms; and in the Houfe of Lords a proteft was entered against it, figned by no less than thirty-one Peers *.

The attention of parliament now began to be engaged by an altercation which had arifen to a confiderable height, between the Admirals Keppel and Paliser, on the conduct of the latter on the 27th of July. It has already been remarked, with what fuccessful affiduity Admiral Keppel had been traduced in the public prints; at length those news-papers, which ferved as vehicles for anti-minifterial doctrines could no longer forbear acting in their vocation, and accordingly took up the other fide of the question, fo that the conduct of Sir Hugh Pallifer was brought under difcuffion, with no more delicacy than had been fhewn to his fuperior officer. During this reciprocation of flander, an anonymous letter was inferted, which was neither fcurrilous nor misleading; it ftated the tranfactions of that day fairly, and drew just and obvious conclufions, which indeed conveyed an implied cenfure on the Vice Admiral of the Blue. Sir Hugh Pallifer applied to Admiral Keppel, requiring him to contradict the facts advanced in that paper. The Admiral declared his total ignorance of it or its author; but that he could not confider himself as under any obliga tion to confute an anonymous writer; he had not thought it worth his while to take notice of any among the numerous attacks which had been made upon himself. In a few days after, Sir Hugh Pallifer published in the newspapers his ftate of facts, which bore hard on the conduc

* December 7.

of

of his fuperior officer, and to this piece he figned his

name.

This procedure caufed the matter to be agitated in the Houfe of Commons, and a member moved to addrefs his Majefty for an order to bring Sir Hugh Pallifer to his trial, which was then over-ruled, but not rejected. Before this propofition was refumed, Sir Hugh Pallifer preferred to the Board of Admiralty five articles of accufation, or specific charges, against Admiral Keppel, for his conduct on the 27th of July, and demanded a Court-martial to be held upon that officer. The Admiralty-board were far from hefitating to comply with a requifition which affected the life of the most refpectable Commander then in the fervice, and who, during forty years, had acquired the respect, esteem, and love of the navy: without adverting to the fufpicious appearance which this conduct bore, of being dictated by perfonal refentment, from the length of time which had elapfed between the tranfaction on which it was stated, and the charges produced; without being withheld by the confideration of the vast injury which such a step must inevitably produce to the public fervice, not only by encouraging a captious humour towards fuperior officers, but by introducing divifions and animofities into the navy, at a time when the falvation of the nation depended upon the united exertions of that body of men; and finally without regarding the act of indelicacy, in giving countenance to a member of their own board, in his attack upon one, in every respect whatever his fuperior, whilft the accufer might be supposed to have taken this ftep for the purpose of skreening himfelf; uninfluenced by any, or all of those motives, they fuffered an ill-founded plea of official duty to varnish over their prompt alacrity, and immediately fent a copy of the charges to the accused Ad