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British ships of war had now taken place, though at first, as has been
the case with other improvements, carronades were objected to on various
grounds, there were now few ships in the navy without them. A whole
class of ships, carrying 44 guns, were armed on the main-deck with
32-pounder carronades, instead of the long 6-pounders which they would
otherwise have carried. A considerable increase was also made in the
size of ships. The largest launched at this date, the _Ville de Paris_,
to carry 110 guns, was somewhat smaller, however, than the French 80-gun
ships. Fourteen ships of the line had been commissioned, and ten had
been purchased from the East India Company and armed with 54 guns, but,
though well fitted for merchantmen, were unsuitable for men-of-war.
With one of them, however, one of the most gallant actions on record was
fought, about the middle of this year, 1796. The _Glatton_, one of the
purchased Indiamen, of 1256 tons, commanded by Captain Henry Trollope,
and fitted on the main-deck with 28 carronades, 68-pounders, the rest of
her guns being 32-pounders, making altogether 54 guns; but, as the ports
were too small to allow the larger guns to traverse properly, and she
had no bow or stern chasers, they could only be pointed right abeam.
Having been appointed to reinforce the North Sea Fleet, under Admiral
Duncan, she proceeded from Sheerness to Yarmouth Roads, whence, on the
14th of July, she was directed to sail to join a squadron of two sail of
the line and some frigates, under the command of Captain Savage, of the
_Albion_ 64, cruising off the Texel. At one in the afternoon of the
16th, being about four or five leagues from Helvaetsluis, Captain
Trollope discovered a squadron of ships of war, consisting of six large
frigates, a brig, and a cutter. One of these, as far as could be made
out, mounted 50 guns, two 36, and the other three 28. He was soon
convinced, from the way in which they manoeuvred, and from not answering
the private signal, that they were enemies. Not intimidated, however,
by their vast superiority, he at once cleared for action, and bore down
resolutely to attack them. The strangers on this shortened sail,
backing their mizen-topsails, in order to keep their stations. At 10
p.m. Captain Trollope having got alongside of the third ship in the
enemy's line, hailed her, and finding that she was French, ordered her
commander to strike his colours. Instead of doing so, he immed