Cylchgronau Cymru

ADMIRAL SIR THOMAS FOLEY. 101 in the latter month he was promoted to the rank of post captain. The next mention that we have of Captain Foley is in James' Naval History, Vol. I., p. 6.5. From this work, which is con¬ sidered the ablest and best upon the actions of the British navy at this period, we shall chiefly quote during this sketch. Captain Foley was flag captain to Admiral Grell in the St. George, ninety-eight, in April, 1793. France having when she declared Avar assembled a powerful fleet at Toulon, it was con¬ sidered necessary to despatch a British fleet without delay to the Mediterranean. The first division, composed of the St. George, the Ganges, Edgar, and Egmont, of seventy-four guns, and the Phaeton frigate, sailed from Spithead early in April. On the 14th of that month, in lat. 41-43 IS7., long. 25 W., the British squadron chased two sail in the N.W. The frigate soon overtook one of them, which proved to be the San Iago, a large Spanish galleon under French colours. Dropping a boat as she passed, the Phaeton left this ship to be taken possession of by the Ganges, and stood in pursuit of the headmost enemy's ship. At the end of two hours the latter also was captured, and proved to be the French privateer Dumouriez, convoying to a French port the richly laden ship which eleven days before her com¬ mander and crew had thought themselves fortunate in having fallen in with. For greater security the Dumouriez had since transhipped to herself portions of the cargo, of the reputed value of £200,000. The galleon was from Lima, bound to Spain. Both the Dumouriez and the San Iago arrived in safety at Plymouth, and the latter ship and her precious lading, after a tedious litigation, were condemned as prize to the captors. This condemnation of a recaptured ship, however legally correct, caused a great stir at Madrid at the time, and was one of the chief causes of the war which subsequently broke out between England and Spain. A fleet consisting of twenty-one sail of the line assembled before Toulon, under Lord Hood, by the middle of August. Their operations were not attended with any great results, though there was much severe fighting, in which the St. George bore a conspicuous part. Captain Foley is next met with in the following year, 1797. The French admiral at Toulon put to sea on the 5th June with seven sail of the line and four or five frigates. Lord Hood, who then lay off Bastia, departed the moment he received information with thirteen sail of the line and four frigates, including the St. George. On the 10th the two fleets gained sight of each other. The British immediately made all sail in chase. On the 11th the British and French admirals were between three and four leagues apart. To avoid an action with a superior force, M. Martin, the French