DEFEAT OF THE SPANISH FLEET OFF SICILY BY ADMIRAL SIR GEORGE BYNG, JULY 31, 1718.
Source.—Byng's original despatch in Oldmixon's History of England: George I., 1735. P. 663.
August 6, O.S.—Early in the Morning, on the 30th of July, as we were standing in for Messina, we saw two Scouts of the Spanish fleet in the Faro, very near us; and at the same time a Felucca coming off from the Calabrian shore, assur'd us they saw from the Hills the Spanish Fleet lying by; upon which the Admiral stood thro' the Faro after the scouts, judging they would lead us to their Fleet, which they did, for before Noon we had a fair sight of all their Ships.... Their Fleet consisted of 26 Men of War, great and small, two Fireships, four Bomb Vessels, seven Galleys, and several Ships with Stores and Provisions. The Admiral order'd the Kent, Superbe, Grafton and Oxford, the best Sailors in the Fleet, to make what Sail they could to come up with the Spaniards; and that the Ship that could get nearest to them should carry the Lights usually worn by the Admiral, that he might not lose sight of them in the Night, and he made what sail he could with the rest of the Fleet to keep up with them. It being little Wind the Spanish Galleys tow'd their heaviest Sailors all Night. The 31st in the Morning, as soon as it was day, they finding us pretty near up with their Fleet, the Galleys and smaller Ships, with the Fireships, Bomb-Vessels, and Store-Ships separated from their Admiral and bigger Ships, and stood in for the Shore. After whom the Admiral sent Captain Walton in the Canterbury, with the Argyle and six Ships more. As those Ships were coming up with them, one of the Spaniards fir'd a Broadside at the Argyle. The Admiral seeing those Ships engag'd with the Spanish which were making towards the Shore, sent orders to Captain Walton to rendezvous after the Action at Syracuse.... We held our Chace after the Spanish Admiral with three of his Rear Admirals and the biggest Ships, which staid by their Flags, till we came near them. The Captains of the Kent, Superbe, Grafton and Orford having Orders to make all the Sail they could to place themselves by the four Headmost Ships, were the first that came up with them. The Spaniards began by firing their Stern Chace at them. But they having Orders not to fire unless the Spanish Ships repeated their firing, made no return at first, but the Spaniards firing again, the Orford attack'd the Santa Rosa, the St. Charles struck without much Opposition, and the Kent took Possession of her. The Grafton attack'd the Prince of Asturias, formerly call'd the Cumberland, in which was Rear Admiral Chacon, but the Breda and Captain coming up, she left that Ship for them to take, which they soon did, and stretched ahead after another 60 Gun Ship, which was at her Starboard Bow while she was engaging the Prince of Asturias, and kept firing her Stern-Chace into the Grafton. About One o'clock the Kent and Superbe engaged the Spanish Admiral, which with two more Ships fir'd on them, and made a running Fight till about Three, when the Kent bearing down upon her and under her Stern gave her a Broadside, and went away to Leeward of her; then the Superbe put for it and laid the Spanish Admiral on Board, falling on her Weather-Quarter, but the Spanish Admiral shifting her Helm and avoiding her, the Superbe rang'd under her Lee-Quarter, on which she struck to her. At the same time the Barfleur being within Shot of the said Spanish Admiral, one of their Rear Admirals, and another 60 Gun Ship, which were to Windward of the Barfleur, bore down and gave her three Broadsides, and then clapt upon a Wind, standing in for the land; the Admiral in the Barfleur stood after them till it was almost Night, but it being little Wind ... he left pursuing them and stood away to the Fleet again, which he found two Hours after Night. The Essex took the Juno, the Montague and Rupert took the Volante; Vice Admiral Cornwall followed the Grafton to support her ... Rear Admiral Delaval with the Royal Oak chas'd two Ships that went away more Leewardly than the rest, one of them said to be Rear Admiral Crammock, a Scotch or Irish Renegade, who had serv'd several years in the English Fleet; but we not having seen them since, know not the Success.[2]
[2] The result of the battle, in which the English had 1,360 guns, the Spanish 1,310, was that fifteen Spanish ships of war, 744 guns in all, one fireship, and one store-ship were taken, and two smaller vessels burnt, and Byng goes on to say that, "as is usual on such Occasions, their Mortification after their Defeat was equal to their Presumption before."
THE SOUTH SEA BUBBLE (1720).
I.
The Proposals: The Second Scheme of the South Sea Company.
Source.—The Schemes of the South Sea Company and the Bank of England as Propos'd to the Parliament for the Reducing of the National Debts. London, 1720.
To the Honourable the Commons of Great Britain in Parliament Assembled.
The Corporation of the Governors and Company of Merchants, Trading to the South Seas and other Parts of America, and for Encouraging the Fishery, having on the 27th January last presented their Humble Proposal to this Honourable House, for Enlarging the Capital Stock of the said Company, by taking thereinto the several Annuities and Publick Debts therein Mentioned, on the Terms and Conditions in the said Proposal also Mentioned, in which Proposal such Advantages were offer'd to the Publick, as the said Corporation did humbly hope would have been to the entire Satisfaction of this Honourable House, and most conducive to the certain Discharging and Paying off the whole Debt of the Nation, and to which Proposal they humbly crave Leave to refer. But the Governors and Company of the Bank of England having the same day also delivered a Proposal to this Honourable House, for enlarging their Capital Stock, by taking in the same Annuities and Debts on the Terms and Conditions in their Proposal also mentioned.
This Corporation therefore further, to manifest their Zeal and Earnest desire to Contribute their utmost to the reducing and paying off the Publick Debts, crave leave to offer the following Explanations and Amendments to their said Proposal.