Identifier: cu31924028018574 (find matches)
Title: The Royal Navy
Year: 1907 (1900s)
Authors: Swinburne, Henry Lawrence Wilkinson, Norman, 1878-1934 illus Jellicoe, John Rushworth Jellicoe, Earl, 1859-1935, illus
Subjects: Great Britain. Royal Navy Great Britain. Royal Navy
Publisher: London, A. and C. Black
Contributing Library: Cornell University Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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bothhemispheres. The English and French East IndiaCompaiiies were contesting with one another, andthe jealousy and rivalry of the colonists in Americabecame a constant source of danger, while ourpresence in the Mediterranean was still a seriousoffence to the French and Spaniards alike. Theyresented our possession of Gibraltar, and regardedour retention of Minorca as a veritable outrage.General Blakeney, a veteran of 82, was in com-mand at Minorca, and John Byng was hurried out tofrustrate the attack that was being made upon him.The French were already besieging Port Mahon,when Byng came on the scene. The two fleetswere equally matched, each consisting of twelveships of the line, though the French ships weresuperior, and M. de la Galissonniere, who was incommand, was a very capable officer. It was Byngsimperative duty to prevent him from landing histroops, and, when he sighted the French on the 20thMay, Rear-Admiral Temple West, his second in AN EARLY TYPE OF FRIGATE, H.M.S. JUNO 1750
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THE EARLY GEORGIAN NAVY 125 command, bore down and commenced the attack.Byng, however, did not get into action so quickly,and there was no decisive result at nightfall, thoughsome of our ships had suffered a good deal, in masts,sails, and rigging, especially those in the van withAdmiral West. In the morning the situation wassuch that Byng, showing his irresolution, summoneda council of war, on the advice of which he gave upthe relief of Minorca, and left for Gibraltar, whichalso was threatened. General Blakeney held outfor ten days longer, but at last was obliged tocapitulate; and the loss of Minorca, which wasa great national disaster, exasperated the Britishnation beyond measure. Byng was no coward, buthe had more lamentably failed even than Mathews,and with far more serious consequences, and hisaction was condemned by most of his contempor-aries, though Pitt endeavoured to defend him.There had been many other examples of weak andinefficient action as well as of errors of conduct,bu

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