of the line, with a
great number of transports, having on board a body of fifteen thousand
land-forces, had sailed from Toulon on the tenth day of April, and made
a descent on the island of Minorca, from whence he, captain Edgecumbe,
had been obliged to retire on their approach. General Fowke, who
commanded at Gibraltar, had received two successive orders from the
secretary at war, with respect to his sparing a battalion of troops, to
be transported by Mr. Byng, as a reinforcement to Minorca; but as the
two orders appeared inconsistent or equivocal, a council of war was
consulted, and a majority were of opinion that no troops should be sent
from thence to Minorca, except a detachment to supply the deficiency in
the little squadron of captain Edgecumbe, who had left a good number of
his seamen and mariners, under the command of captain Scroop, to assist
in the defence of fort St. Philip's. These articles of intelligence the
admiral despatched by an express to the lords of the admiralty, and
in his letter made use of some impolitic expressions, which, in all
probability, it would have been well for him had he omitted. He said, if
he had been so happy as to have arrived at Mahon before the French had
landed, he flattered himself he should have been able to prevent their
getting a footing on that island. He complained, that there were no
magazines in Gibraltar for supplying the squadron with necessaries; that
the careening wharfs, pits, and store-houses were entirely decayed, so
that he should find the greatest difficulty in cleaning the ships that
were foul; and this was the case with some of those he carried out from
England, as well as with those which had been for some time cruising in
the Mediterranean. He signified his opinion, that, even if it should be
found practicable, it would be very impolitic to throw any men into
St. Philip's castle, which could not be saved without a land-force
sufficient to raise the seige; therefore, a small reinforcement would
only add so many men to the number which must fall into the hands of the
enemy. He observed, that such engineers and artillery-men in Gibraltar
as had been at Minorca, were of opinion that it would be impossible to
throw any number of men into St. Philip's, if the French had erected
batteries on the two shores near the entrance of the harbour, so as
to bar all passage up to the sally-port of the fortress; and with this
opinion he signified the concurrence of his own s