ron they stood away large, and Byng gave
chase all the rest of the day. In the morning, which was the eleventh
of August, rear-admiral de Mari, with six ships of war, the galleys,
fire-ships, and bomb-ketches, separated from the main fleet, and stood
in for the Sicilian shore. The English admiral detached captain Walton
with five ships in pursuit of them; and they were soon engaged. He
himself continued to chase their main fleet; and about ten o'clock the
battle began. The Spaniards seemed to be distracted in their councils,
and acted in confusion. They made a running fight; yet the admirals
behaved with courage and activity, in spite of which they were all
taken, except Cammock, who made his escape with three ships of war and
three frigates. In this engagement, which happened off Cape
Passaro, captain Haddock of the Grafton signalized his courage in an
extraordinary manner. On the eighteenth the admiral received a letter*
from captain Walton, dated off Syracuse, intimating that he had taken
four Spanish ships of war, together with a bomb-ketch, and a vessel
laden with arms: and that he had burned four ships of the line, a
fire-ship, and a bomb vessel.

* This letter is justly deemed a curious specimen of the
laconic style. "Sir,--_We have taken and destroyed all the
Spanish ships and vessels which were upon the coast; the
number as per margin. I am, &c._
G. WALTON."

Had the Spaniards followed the advice of rear-admiral Cammock, who was a
native of Ireland, sir George Byng would not have obtained such an easy
victory. That officer proposed that they should remain at anchor in the
road of Paradise, with their broadsides to the sea; in which case the
English admiral would have found it a very difficult task to attack
them; for the coast is so bold, that the largest ships could ride with a
cable ashore; whereas farther out the currents are so various and rapid,
that the English squadron could not have come to anchor, or lie
near them in order of battle; besides the Spaniards might have been
reinforced from the army on shore, which would have raised batteries to
annoy the assailants. Before king George had received an account of this
engagement from the admiral, he wrote him a letter with his own hand,
approving his conduct. When sir George's eldest son arrived in England
with a circumstantial account of the action, he was graciously received,
and sent back with plenipotentiary powers to his fath