The Naval History of Great Britain From the Earliest Times to the Rising of the Parliament in 1779: Describing. Particularly. The Glorious ... Illustrious Commanders and Navigators. V. 5

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1779 Excerpt: ...that valuable settlement was kept, to be very defective. A long course of uninterrupted tranquillity had thrown them off" their guard, the dissensions which are so continually breaking in upon the repose of Europe, being little attended to in this remote district of the world. Colonel Draper proceeded from China to England, where he resided when the misunderstanding with Spain first arose; hereupon he Jaid before lord Anson and the secretary of state, the information he had gained concerning Manilla; the ministry bestowed due attention to this important object, and as soon as a war broke out, encouraged the undertaking of an expedition against that city; but the posture of public affairs rendered it unsafe to fend any fresh ships or troops to so great a distance, she Eastvlndia Company were soon induced to adopt » Pnge it. the the measure, on condition of receiving one third of the booty or ransom if it should prove successful. Government did nothing more than furnish a frigate to convey colonel Draper to Madrass, where the necessary force was to be drawn together. The colonel arrived at Madrass the latter end of June 1762, and was immediately appointed brigadkrgeneral and commander in chief of the expedition. Admiral Stephens died in the latter end of the year 1761, whereupon the command in chief of the fleet devolved on rear-admiral Cornish, who used the utmost dispatch in fitting out a proper number of ships for the occasion. He furnished five hundred and fifty seamen, and two hundred and seventy marines for the service on land; the seventy-ninth regiment, and a company of the royal artillery were embarked, the government at Madrass furnished thirty matrosses, and fix hundred Sepoys; a company of Caffres, one of Topazes, and one of Pioneers j t...