THE CHANNEL FLEET.
The gale which proved so fatal to many merchant ships, afforded an occasion for showing what our Channel fleet could do under such cir- cumstances. The scene in the Channel is thus described by a correspon- dent of the Times.
"The ships that comprised the squadron under Rear-Admiral George Elliot, were the Hero, Captain Seymour, bearing the Admiral's flag ; the Trafalgar, Captain Fanshawe ; the Donegal, Captain Glanville ; the Algiers, Captain O'Callaghan ; the Aboukir, Captain Sehomberg ; the Mersey, Cap- tain Caldwell ; the Emerald ; and Melpomene, Captain Ewan. The ships remained in Queenstown a week. On Saturday the Admiral received his orders to proceed with the fleet to sea. The harbour was filled with shipping, a fresh north wind blowing. The signal was made about 9 a.m., ' Up pro- pellers,' shortly followed by ' Weigh ; outward and leewardmost ships first.' This was immediately obeyed ; the Algiers led out under all sail, followed closely by the Aboukir, Melpomene, Emerald, Mersey, Trafalgar, and Hero ; the Donegal remained in port in consequence of the illness of her captain. The ships sailed out in beautiful style, threading their way through a quan- tity of shipping. Nothing occurred at sea worthy of note until Monday morning. On that day the winds were light. The fleet was formed in line of battle, targets were laid out, and the whole forenoon was devoted to gun- nery practice. The practice was extremely good, notwithstanding a good deal of rolling motion. On that afternoon several heavy storms of hail and sleet came from the N.W. and continued during the night, with very vari- able winds. After quarters at sunset the top-sails were double-reefed, and courses reefed for the night. Variable winds still prevailed. Land was seen about the Land's End, and the Lizard lights sighted at about daylight, 6.30 a. in. The weather set in very dirty at S.E., with increasing wind and heavy rain. The third reefs were taken in the topsails about 9 a. m., and shortly after the top-gallant yards sent on deck; top-gallant masts struck by signal; and also a signal, Admiral will endeavour to go to Ply- mouth,' Form two columns ; form the line of battle.' About 10 a.m. signal, Prepare to move with bowers. Bend sheet cable.' The wind in- creased to a fury, with torrents of rain towards 11 a. in., with very thick weather, the wind heading the ships off, so that it became very doubtful if the sternmost ships could possibly get into the Sound, although it was pro- bable the Hero and the headmost ships could get in. Admiral Elliot then, with the spirit of a British Admiral, decided at once (although he knew his exact position, having made the Eddystone Lighthouse) to wear the fleet together and stand off and face the gale. Although the leading ships were in good positions to wear, it was not so with those in rear of the line. The Aboukir had just passed the Eddystone ; the Trafalgar and Emerald were still in the rear, the Trafalgar having been detained to pick up a man who had fallen overboard from the jib-boom, which was executed with great skill. The Aboukir immediately wore, set her courses, and dashed to wind- ward of the lighthouse by carrying a press of sail, and weathered it half a mile, followed closely by the Mersey. The Algiers, Melpomene, and Tra- falgar passed it very closely to leeward, as the Hand Deeps were under their lee. Added to these difficulties there was a perfect fleet of trawlers, vessels unmanageable while their trawl is towing, so that it required the greatest skill to avoid running them down. What must have been the sight from the lighthouse—these leviathan ships darting about like dolphins round it in the fury of the storm, defying the elements, and the little trawlers, with their masts bending like reeds to the gale. The signal was made to get up steam to secure the safety of the ships. The ships then got their canvass re- duced and stood off the land. The Mersey and the Melpomene furled their sails, and got up steam, the former stalwart ship moving along like an ocean giant. The gale etill increased until about 3 p.m., remaining very thick, with rain. About 3 it lifted, the wind fell, the sun shone ; but the sea remained towering up and breaking. The barometer then stood at about 28.50 degrees. The Hero, Trafalgar, Algiers, Aboukir, and Melpo- mene were not far separated. Signal made to ' Form the order of sailing in two columns.' This was partially executed when in a squall, the wind shifted to N.W. It then for some three hours blew a perfect hurricane' con- siderably harder than it had previously blown at S.E. The ships stood up well. The Hero, dauntless as her name, appeared to take it easy. The Aboukir, close to leeward of her, carried one reef out of her maintopsail through the whole of it ; and the Algiers, the Trafalgar, and the Melpomene were all doing well. The former eased up her topsail sheets in the squalls. The Mersey and the Emerald, it is supposed, had steamed into Plymouth, as they were not in eight. The ships kept in open order through the night ; they wore in succession by night, signal at about 1 a.m., made the land at daylight near the Start Point, formed the line of battle by signal, got the steam up, and carrying sail came up Channel at about eleven-knot speed, steamed into Portland, and took up their anchorage without the loss of a sail, a spar, or a rope yarn. This appears highly creditable to newly or- ganised ships—come only a few months together, the senior not a year; and I hope it will tend to show that our mariners of England arc not in that decay that some old gentlemen in the House of Commons are so glad to point out at all times and seasons. A little quiet organization—not a continual harassing and worry in shifting sails and spars and killing men, but a fair exercise at guns, sails, &c., will make our fleet a credit to the country and a safeguard to the nation."
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