who sent up two of his small ships to
anchor in the river between Knok and the city. The garrison, amounting
to three thousand seven hundred men, finding themselves thus cut off
from all communication with the country below, abandoned the place with
great precipitation, and some of their baggage being sent off by water,
was taken by the boats which the commodore armed for that purpose. It
was in the same month that the admiralty received advice of another
advantage by sea, which had been gained by admiral Osborne, while he
cruised between Cape de Gatt and Carthagena, on the coast of Spain.
On the twenty-eighth day of March he fell in with a French squadron,
commanded by the marquis du Quesne, consisting of four ships, namely,
the Foudroyant, of eighty guns, the Orphee, of sixty-four, the
Oriflamme, of fifty, and the Pleiade frigate, of twenty-four, in their
passage from Toulon to reinforce M. de la Clue, who had for some time
been blocked up by admiral Osborne in the harbour of Carthagena. The
enemy no sooner perceived the English squadron than they dispersed, and
steered different courses: then Mr. Osborne detached divers ships in
pursuit of each, while he himself, with the body of his fleet, stood off
for the bay of Carthagena, to watch the motions of the French squadron
which lay there at anchor. About seven in the evening, the Orphee,
having on board five hundred men, struck to captain Storr, in the
Revenge, who lost the calf of one leg in the engagement, during which
he wras sustained by the ships Berwick and Preston. The Monmouth, of
sixty-four guns, commanded by captain Gardener, engaged the Foudroyant,
one of the largest ships in the French navy, mounted with fourscore
cannon, and containing eight hundred men, under the direction of the
marquis du Quesne. The action was maintained with great fury on both
sides, and the gallant captain Gardener lost his life; nevertheless,
the fight was continued with unabating vigour by his lieutenant,
Mr. Carkett, and the Foudroyant disabled in such a manner, that her
commander struck, as soon as the other English ships, the Swiftsure and
the Hampton-court, appeared. This mortifying step, however, he did not
take until he saw his ship lie like a wreck upon the water, and the
decks covered with carnage. The Oriflamme was driven on shore under the
castle of Aiglos, by the ships Montague and Monarque, commanded by the
captains Rowley and Montague, who could not complete their destru