venerable fortress having been put in a state of perfect security, the Commander-in-Chief sent Rear-Admiral Digby to England with part of his fleet, and the prizes taken during the passage, and proceeded with the remainder to the Leeward Islands.
On the 23d Feb. 1780, Prince William Henry was present at the capture of the Prothée, a French 64-gun ship, and three vessels, forming part of a convoy bound to the Mauritius, laden with naval and military stores. From this period H.R.H. served with the Channel Fleet until the spring of 1781, when the Prince George was attached to the fleet sent under the orders of Vice-Admiral Darby, with supplies for Gibraltar. On this occasion 7000 tons of provisions, and 2000 barrels of gunpowder, were landed in the midst of a tremendous cannonade, the enemy having collected such a formidable flotilla of gun-boats, carrying 24 and 18-pounders, for the purpose of impeding the disembarkation, as to render it necessary for several ships of the line to anchor in the bay, for the protection of the transports. We next find H.R.H. proceeding with Rear-Admiral Digby to the coast of North America, where, preferring a cruising vessel to the inactivity of a stationary ship, the Prince George remaining principally at New York, he was removed at his
were the Phoenix of 80 guns, bearing the Admiral's flag; and the Minorca, Princessa, Diligente, San Julian, and San Eugenio, of 70 guns each. By this time the British fleet, which consisted of three 3-deckers, eleven ships of 74 guns, one of 64, and two frigates, were very near the Spanish coast, which, with the wind as it then blew, was a lee shore. Every exertion was made to put the prizes in a proper state to proceed ; but the two last that submitted were so much disabled, and had approached so near the harbour of Cadiz, that it became dangerous, with such rough weather, to attempt taking them in tow: the San Eugenio was therefore abandoned, and soon struck on some rocks, whence she was afterwards hove off by the Spaniards. The San Julian drifting without any mast, excepting the stump of her fore-mast, very near the land, the British officers in possession were obliged to run her a-shore, near to Port St. Mary, where she was entirely lost: providentially, however, all on board escaped. This second disaster which the Spaniards experienced, rendered abortive a projected expedition in concert with the French, against our West India settlements. The total number of killed and wounded on board the British fleet, amounted to 134, including Lieutenants Forbes and Forrest of the navy, and Strachan of the marines.
