Selected quad for the lemma: war_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
war_n	say_a	ship_n	vessel_n	2,929	5	10.6889	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26257	An Account of what English men of war have been taken, or otherwise lost, during the present war with some observations upon a late printed paper concerning that matter.		1696 (1696)	Wing A427; ESTC R216536	2,401	16

AN ACCOUNT OF WHAT English Men of War Have been Taken or otherwise Lost during the present WAR WITH SOME OBSERVATIONS Upon a Late Printed Paper concerning that Matter In the SAVOY Printed by EDWARD JONES 1696. AN ACCOUNT OF WHAT English Men of War Have been Taken or otherwise Lost during the Present WAR c. THERE having very lately crept abroad a certain printed Paper imposing upon the World a List of what English Men of War have been taken by the Enemy from the beginning of the present War to the First of October 1695 compared with those they have Lost within that Time I think my self obliged to undeceive such Persons who shall give themselves the Trouble to peruse the said Paper by laying open not only the Partiality but Ignorance of its Author in the Business he has taken in hand And in order thereunto I shall begin with the List of the Ships of War he says the Enemy have Lost the whole Number whereof he makes but Five though 't is notoriously known and allowed of by the Enemy themselves That in the Year 1693 Fourteen of their Capital Ships were destroyed by our Fleet under the Command of Admiral Russell at Cherbrook and La Hogue Two of which were mounted each with One hundred and four Guns and the others from Ninety to Fifty six carrying in the whole One thousand and sixty besides Two of Sixty Guns each which were said to be sunk in Fight which though on their behalf he industriously avoids the mentioning yet in the List of our Naval Losses he not only gives an Account of those Ships the Enemy have taken from us but squeezes in all such as have been lost by bad Weather or other Accidents and even those very Ships and the smallest Vessels also which in regard of their Age and Craziness have after being Cast been either Sold or Sunk for defence of our Docks or Graving-Places from the Sea and though the Guns belonging to those Ships and Vessels were taken out and placed in His Majesty's Stores before they were disposed of yet he Sums them up among the Number of those which have been really Lost But that it may the more plainly appear how many Ships of each Rate the Enemy have both Taken from Us and Destroyed during this long War I think it necessary to put down the following Account viz. Rate N o. 3 2 4 6 5 12 Two of which were Fireships and one of them a Ship formerly taken from the Enemy 6 13 Three of which were Ketches one a Tartan and another a small Advice-boat Three of which were Ketches one a Tartan and another a small Advice-boat   33 Which being compared with the Ships we have Taken and Destroyed of theirs it will appear that though an equal Number have not fallen into our Hands yet considering the Magnitude of the Ships and consequently their Guns amounting to almost the same Number as ours most of which were very small neither the Enemy nor the Author have any great Reason to value themselves upon the Advantage they have of Us in this Particular As to the Number of our Ships which have been Cast away I am of Opinion That when the Length of the War and the great Numbers of all sorts of Ships which have been constantly kept abroad even in the Winter Season when they must unavoidably be exposed to the greatest Hazards shall be duly considered it cannot be reasonably expected their Number will prove very small but as it is I have here inserted an Impartial Account What Ships of each Rate have been cast away or burnt by Accident since the beginning of the War Rate N o.   2 2 3 8 4 6 5 3 6 14 Most of them very small Vessels   33 In this place I think it not amiss to observe that as we are obliged to keep constantly at Sea great Numbers of Ships both at home and abroad the Enemy have for Years past been so far from exposing themselves to the frequent Dangers attending that Element as to keep almost their whole Strength within their Harbours contenting themselves only in carrying on a Piratical War which is the only Reason that our accidental Losses surmount those of theirs But the Gentleman against whom I have taken up the Cudgels insinuating in his Paper his own melancholy Thoughts upon the score of the great Decrease of our present Naval Strength to what it was at at the beginning of the War I have hereunder made a modest Account how that Matter stands by which it will appear how little Trouble he has been at to make himself Master of the Matter wherein he has employ'd his Pen. Decrease since the beginning of the War Rate N o. 1 1 2 2 Increase since the beginning of the War Rate N o. 3 9 4 6 5 19 6 29 It must be confess'd that the Losses the Merchants have sustained during this War is very considerable But in regard they do at a Time of so great Action and when the Seas are so much pestered with the Enemies Privateers Trade with almost as much Freedom as if there was a setled Peace it is not a matter of Wonder tho' t is much to be lamented that their Losses have been so great especially when 't is consider'd that they have not only very often ventured without Convoys but deserted such Convoys as have been appointed them so soon as they came within the smell of the Land in hopes thereby to forestall the Markets And as for the late Losses of the E. India Company had they by the best Information I can come at been pleased to have made those Gentlemen who sit at the Helm of our Naval-Force more privy to their Affairs I dare be bold to say that much of their Losses might very probably have been saved by the timely placing Ships in a proper Station to have met with their Trade in its Return The last thing that I think fit to take Notice of is That in the lamentable Account he gives of the Decrease of our Sea-Strength since the beginning of the War he is altogether a Stranger or at least seems to be so that above Twelve of the Ships and Vessels in his List are such as the French had lost to us and he takes a more than ordinary Care to croud in such Fireships as have been burnt on Service against the Enemy and to draw the Curtain over the Privateers we have taken from them the latter whereof in Reputation to our Sea-Commanders who as well as others are but too often exposed to the lash of ignorant and malicious Tongues and Pens I have justly numbred One Hundred Eighty Two Sixty Seven whereof were from Ten Guns to Fifty Six and very few of them under Twenty besides Ten which were destroy'd between the 10th of May 1694 and the first October 1695. January 14 1695 6. FINIS