No. 4. See p. 2. For the pay and maintenance of 98,600 seamen and 31,400 marines .............. * the wear and tear of ships, &c. ,, the ordinary expenses of the navy, including half-pay to sea and marine officers the expense of sea-ordnance..... ,, the extraordinaries, including the building and repairing of ships, and other extra work the expense of the transport-service, and the mainte- Total supplies granted for the sea-service 281,400 0 0 .£18,087,547 19 10 Owing to an oversight apparently, the item marked * has been carried out in the London Gazette as 5,000,070, instead of what it is; and the mistake has even extended to the total, which stands at 18,017,6177. 19s. 10d. No. 5. See p. 8. Lord Collingwood's General Order. From every account received of the enemy, it is expected they may very soon be met with, in their way from Corfu and Tarentum, and success depends on a prompt and immediate attack on them. In order to which it will be necessary, that the greatest care be taken to keep the closest order in the respective columns during the night, that the state of the weather will allow, and that the columns be kept at such a sufficient distance apart, as will leave room for tacking or other movements; so that, in the event of calm or shift of wind, no embarrassment may be caused. Should the enemy be found formed in order of battle with his whole force, I shall, notwithstanding that, probably not make the signal to form the line of battle, but, keeping the closest order, with the van squadron attack the van of the enemy, while the commander of the lee division takes the proper measures, and makes to the ships of his division. the necessary signals, for com mencing the action with the enemy's rear, as nearly as possible at the same time that the van begins: to his signals, therefore, the captains of that division will be particularly watchful. If the squadron has to run to leeward to close with the enemy, the signal will be made to alter the course altogether; the van division keeping a point or two more away than the lee, the latter carrying less sail, and, when the fleet draws near the enemy, both columns are to preserve a line as nearly parallel to the hostile fleet as they can. In standing up to the enemy from the leeward upon a contrary tack, the lee line is to press sail, so that the leading ship of that line may be two or three points before the beam of the leading ship of the weather line, which will bring them to action nearly at the same period. The leading ship of the weather column will endeavour to pass through the enemy's line should the weather be such as to make that practicable, at onefourth from the van, whatever number of ships their line may be composed of. The lee division will pass through at a ship or two astern of their centre, and, whenever a ship has weathered the enemy, it will be found necessary to shorten sail as much as possible, for her second astern to close with her, and to keep away, steering in a line parallel to the enemy's, and engaging them on their weather side. A movement of this kind may be necessary, but, considering the difficulty of altering the position of the fleet during the time of combat, every endeavour will be made to commence battle with the enemy on the same tack they are; and I have only to recommend and direct, that they are fought with at the nearest distance possible, in which getting on board of them may be avoided, which is always disadvantageous to us, except when they are flying. The enemy will probably have a convoy of ships carrying troops, which must be disabled by the frigates or whatever ships are not engaged, or whose signals may be made to attack the convoy, by cutting their masts away and rendering them incapable of escaping during the contest with their fleet. In fine weather the watch are to bring their hammocks on deck with them in the night, which are to be stowed in the nettings, so that on any sudden discovery of the enemy, they will have only to attend to the duty on deck, while the watch below clear the ship for action. If any ship is observed by her second ahead to drop astern during the night to a greater distance than her station is, she is to notify it to her by showing two lights, one over the other, lowered down the stern, so that it may not be seen by ships ahead; and, should a ship not be able to keep her station, those astern of her are to pass her and occupy the place she should have been in. 2c2 No. 6. See p. 94. A list of ships of the line and frigates, late belonging to the French navy, captured, destroyed, wrecked, foundered, or accidentally burnt, during the year*1808. No. 7. See p. 94. A list of ships of the line and frigates late belonging to the Dutch, Danish, Russian, and Turkish navies, respectively, captured, destroyed, wrecked, foundered, or accidentally burnt, during the year 1808. An abstract of French, Dutch, Danish, Russian, and Turkish ships of the line and frigates, captured, &c. during the year 1808. No. 8. See p. 94. A list of the ships and vessels late belonging to the British navy, captured, destroyed, wrecked, foundered, or accidentally burnt, during the year 1808. Gun-ship Name. Commander. How, when, and where lost. 50 (T) Jupiter ......... Hon. E. R. Baker Wrecked, December 10, on a reef of rocks in Vigo bay, coast of Spain: crew saved. Wrecked, January 31, at the entrance of Milford Haven: crew saved. Wrecked, December 6, on the coast of Jutland, in a heavy gale: crew, except about twenty, perished. Wrecked, January 19, on the coast of Holland: crew, except nine, saved, but made prisoners. Wrecked, July 30, on Barebushkey, Jamaica: crew, except a midshipman and three seamen, saved. Wrecked, May 24, on the rocks near the island of Anagada, West Indies: crew, except four, saved. Wrecked, December 4, in the river St. Lawrence: crew saved. Captured, September 15, off Isle-de-France, by the French 40-gun frigate Canonnière. Wrecked, March 24, in the bay of Honda, in Cuba: crew saved. Wrecked, April 22, on the Memory rock, Little Bermuda: crew saved. Captured, October 3, off Martinique, by the French 16-gun brig Palinure. |