The Influence of sea Power upon the French Revolution and Empire 1793-1812, vol I

285

This is plain from his letter of June 6 to Nelson. (Ante, p. 313.) Keith's failure is usually attributed to St. Vincent's dispatches, received June 8; whereas the letter shows that he had decided to return to Minorca two days before receiving them.

286

Nels. Disp., vol. iii. pp. 408 and 414, with notes.

287

Nels. Disp., vol. iii. p. 380.

288

Keith to Nelson, July 12, 1799; Nels. Disp., vol. iii. p. 419, note.

289

The larger number is the estimate in Napoleon's Commentaries, which ordinarily exaggerate the enemy's forces. (Vol. iii. p. 107.)

290

Corr. de Nap., vol. v. p. 710.

291

Commentaires de Napoléon, vol. iii. p. 89.

292

Corr. de Nap., vol. v. p. 56.

293

Ibid., p. 403 (Feb. 10, 1799).

294

See ante, p. 291.

295

Mém. de Bourrienne, vol. ii. p. 238.

296

Ibid., p. 305.

297

Chevalier, Mar. Fran. sous le Consulat, etc., p. 16.

298

Nels. Disp. vol iv. p. 219, note.

299

Naval Chronicle, vol. iii. p. 149.

300

Napoleon's Commentaries give Sept. 26, 1799, as the date of this letter,—only a month after Bonaparte sailed. (Vol. iii. p. 183.)

301

Nels. Disp. vol. iii. p. 296.

302

June 28, 1799. Corr. de Nap. vol. v. p. 622.

303

At the same time he made requisitions for clothing for double the number of men actually in Egypt, notifying the officers concerned that he did so to deceive Europe as to the strength of the army. Corr. de Nap. vol. v. p. 721. This has a significant bearing on the charges, made by him against Kleber, of exaggerating his weakness.

304

Annual Register, 1800; State Papers, p. 225. It may be added the commissioners first met on board Smith's ship.

305

For the convention of El Arish, see Annual Register, 1800, State Papers, p. 217.

306

Allardyce's Life of Lord Keith, pp. 226, 227.

307

"At the theatre last night I had a conversation with General Kilmaine [commanding the division intended to send into Ireland]. He told me … the arsenals at Brest are empty; and what stores they have in other ports they cannot convey thither, from the superiority of the naval force of the enemy, which kept everything blocked up." (Wolf Tone's Journal, June 16, 1798.) In 1801 "the port of Brest lacked provisions. The difficulty of getting the convoys into it decided the First Consul to break up the fleet there and send part to Rochefort.... The Spanish admiral (who had come there with Bruix in 1799) was invited to escort the division. To equip the necessary ships, this officer had to give them equipments taken from the others of his squadron, and could obtain provisions only for seventeen days. Baffled by the winds and by the constant presence of the enemy, the ships did not sail." A combined expedition against the Cape of Good Hope failed for the same reason. "The blockade of the Dutch ports was no less rigorous than that of the coast of France." "At Brest, they lived from day to day. Villaret Joyeuse was ordered to go out with ten French and ten Spanish ships to support the entry of convoys. He did not go, and received another mission." (Troude, Batailles Navales, vol. iii. p. 222.)

308

Nelson's Disp., vol. v. pp 300, 306, 411, 498.

309

See ante, p. 212.

310

There is between Ushant and the reefs a narrow passage, practicable for ships-of-the-line, which was surveyed under Lord St. Vincent; but it could only be used with pilots, and was rather a convenience than an important feature.

311

In the English Channel and the neighboring western coasts of Europe, winds from S.W. to N.W. prevail during three fourths of the days of the year, and are often exceedingly violent.

312

See "Twelve letters to the Rt. Hon. Spencer Perceval," by Capt. James Manderson, 1812; in which it is also said that Mr. Pitt was towards the end of his life much impressed with the advantages of Falmouth's position. To this opinion is probably due the following statement in a magazine of the day, during Pitt's short second administration: "It is now (Feb. 1805) determined that the Channel fleet shall in future rendezvous at Falmouth, and moorings are immediately to be laid down for fifteen sail-of-the-line." (Nav. Chron., vol. xiii. p. 328.) Lord Exmouth seems to have shared this opinion. (Life, p. 140.) While Falmouth was by position admirably suited for a rendezvous, ships running for refuge to Torbay would have the wind three points more free, an advantage seamen will appreciate.

313

With the wind to the southward of south-east we know full well that no ship-of-the-line can get out of Brest.—Letter of St. Vincent; Tucker's Life, vol. ii. p. 119.

314

Tucker's Life of Earl St. Vincent, vol. ii. p. 14.

315

See ante, p. 220.

316

See ante, pp. 202, 214.

317

Chevalier, Mar. Fran. sous la Rép., p. 265.

318

Rousselin's "Vie de Hoche," quoted by Troude, Bat. Nav., vol. iii. p. 6.

319

Before Rochefort.

320

See map of Brest, p. 343.

321

In performing this audacious service Pellew was somewhat favored by the fact that his ship was a French prize, easily mistaken for one of the expedition. He kept close, often within half gun-shot of the leading ship.

322

The greater part of the "Séduisant's" crew was saved.

323

"Fog so thick we cannot see a ship's length. Has been foggy all day." (Wolfe Tone's Journal, Dec. 18.) "The state of the weather was such that it was impossible for Admiral Colpoys to keep his own fleet under observation, and the air so hazy that fog guns had continually to be fired." (Parliamentary Hist. xxxiii, p. 12. March 3, 1797.)

324

Wolfe Tone's Journal, Dec. 21, 1796.

325

James Nav. Hist. vol. ii. p. 7. Chevalier, Mar. Fran. sous la Rép. p. 281.

326

Bouvet was broken without trial by the Directory on the 15th of February, 1797, and was not restored to the navy until 1801, under the Consulate. Captain Chevalier's judgment is that "he despaired too soon of the success of the expedition, … and forgot that he should have been inspired only by the great interests entrusted by accident to his hands." (Mar. Fran. sous la Rép., pp. 309, 311.)

327

Chevalier. James makes the number captured to be seven.

328

See ante, p 306.

329

See post, Chap. XVI.

330

Parliamentary History, vol. xxxiii. pp. 113, 116. Wolfe Tone states that there were on board the ships of the expedition 41,160 muskets. (Journal, Dec. 22, 1796.)

331

Dundas's Speech, Mar. 3, 1797, Parl. Hist. vol. xxxiii. p. 12.

332

Ibid., vol. xxxiii. 13.

333

Ibid., vol. xxxiii. pp. 109, 111.

334

Speech of Lord Albemarle, ibid., p. 109.

335

Speech of Earl Spencer, First Lord of Admiralty, ibid., p. 111.

336

Dundas, Parl. Hist. vol. xxxiii. p. 13.

337

James's Nav. Hist., vol. ii. p. 21.

338

Of fifteen ships four were of ninety-eight guns or over. (Schomberg's Nav. Chronology, vol. iv. p. 525.)

339

James, vol. ii. p. 20.

340

James's Nav. Hist., vol. ii. pp. 20, 22.

341

Earl Spencer's Speech, Parl. Hist., vol. xxxiii. p. 115.

342

Tucker's Life of Earl St. Vincent, vol. ii. pp. 10 and 70; the latter reference being to a letter from St. Vincent to the First Lord of the Admiralty. The incident occurred on board Bridport's flag ship, the "Royal George."

343

Tucker's Life of Earl St. Vincent, vol. ii. p. 58.

344

Ibid., vol. ii. p. 13.

345

Ibid., p. 114.

346

Ibid., p. 24.

347

Tucker's St. Vincent, vol. ii. p. 114.

348

Ibid., p. 80.

349

Ibid., p. 78.

350

See Nelson's letter to Earl St. Vincent, Feb. 1, 1800. (Nelson's Dispatches.)

351

Tucker, vol. ii. p. 121. Modern ships, so much more complex, are much more liable to derangement than those of St. Vincent; and, unless such pains as his are taken to make them self-sufficing, their officers and the dockyards will make a heavier drain on the force of the fleet than in his day. Perhaps in no point will provident administration more affect the efficiency of the fleet than in this.

352

Tucker's St. Vincent, vol. ii. pp. 13, 88.

353

Tucker's St. Vincent, vol. ii. p. 14.

354

Ibid., p. 14.

355

Ibid., p. 115.

356

See Troude, Batailles Navales, 1800, 1801, vol. iii. pp. 190, 222, 223. "We had at Brest (in 1800) neither provisions nor material. The Franco-Spanish fleet there was of consideration only from its numbers." (Chevalier, Mar. Fran. sous le Consulat, p. 10.)

357

Tucker's St. Vincent, vol. ii. p. 136.

358

Naval Chronicle, vol. iv. p. 520.

359

See post, Chap. XIII.

360

Tucker's St. Vincent, vol. ii. p. 105.

361

Parliamentary History, vol. xxxiii. pp. 111-116.

362

Batailles Navales, vol. iii. pp. 187-190, 222, 223.