1 7 7 8 time to dry on the Franco-American treaties of commerce and alliance. I 7 7 9 Warming Up May 8 Jones Gets a On the tenth of April, 1778, Jones sailed from Brest for a cruise in familiar waters. He took numerous prizes and made a GRE A T night entrance into the harbor of Whitehaven. On the follow ENCOURAGEMENT ing night, he F O R SEAMEN. A LL GENTLEMEN SEAMEN and able-bodied LANDSMEN who have a Mind to diftinguish themselves in the GLORIOUS Any GENTLEMEN VOrust who have Mind to take an agreable Voyage in this pleasade All reasonable Travelling Expences will be allowed, and the Advance-Money be paid on tried to ab duct the earl of Selkirk from his country seat on the River Dee, but found that his lordship was not at home. On the evening of the twenty-fourth, he captured the sloop-of-war "Drake," twenty guns, and, with her, two other prizes, and many prisoners, arrived safely at Brest. By this time, Jones felt that he ought to have a squadron that would enable him to inflict serious injury upon the enemy. After vexatious delays and tedious negotiations, the French government purchased an old Indiaman and gave the command to Jones. Jones renamed her the "Bon Homme Richard," a compliment to Franklin, and, 1 7 7 9 All "Ranger's" unsuccessful "Drake" in night of attempt to capture Carrickfergus Map of the Movements of the "Ranger" ships bore the American colors, and, excepting the "Alli- 1779 Norway, Portugal, Fayal, and Malaisia, while there were seven Maltese, and the knight of the ship's galley was from Africa." The Cruise of On the fourteenth of August, the squadron put to sea accompanied by two French privateers. The privateers and the "Cerf" soon left the squadron and did not come back. Taking occasional prizes, Jones sailed up the west coast of Ireland and came down the east coast of Scotland to beard the lion in his den. A daring scheme to seize the shipping at Leith, the port of Edinburgh, and to exact a ransom was frustrated by a gale that drove the September 17 squadron out of the Firth of Forth. By the middle of September, Jones had captured or destroyed twenty-six vessels and spread terror along the east coast of Scotland and England. On the twenty-third of September, off Flamborough Head, he sighted a fleet of forty British merchantmen under convoy of the "Countess of Scarborough" of twentyeight guns, and of the "Serapis," rated at forty-four but mounting fifty guns and commanded by Captain Richard Pearson. Jones gave the signal for a chase and Pearson signaled for the ships under convoy to take care of themselves. Most of the merchantmen ran in shore and anchored under cover of the guns of Scarborough castle. Landais, the French captain of the "Alliance," who had been insubordinate throughout the cruise, made little las that, if the fleet was con voyed by a vessel of more than P. Landais Autograph of Peter Landais L (Compiled by Mrs. Annie H. Eastman, assistant to the Librarian in the Naval War Records Library, Washington, D. C., by careful investigation of original sources and material, including parts of the log of the 46 Bon Homme Richard") |