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KERGUELEN’S VOYAGE TO THE NORTH. 763
I cannot here refrain from a reflection on the high idea that the public entertains of
certain intriguers, whofe merit confifts in their praifing themfelves ; who propofe the
grandeft fchemes, becaufe they run no other rifk than that of falling back into the no-
thing from which they are ftudious of raifing themfelves, and whom we every day fee
fail in their enterprizes with fhame, although fupported by an ignorant cabal, prejudiced
againft the royalnavy. ‘The proofs of this blind prevention are but too widely fpread.
Even in the Encyclopedia moft indecent abfurdities are to be founded under the head
marine. An abftract froma work intituled Reflexions of a Citizen on the Navy, is inferted
there. This is the work of an officer, a merchant of Dieppe. The rank of this man
fuficiently fhews that he is a blackener of the characters of his majefty’s officers. He
fays, ‘‘ the gentleman failor takes no pride in his occupation, he defpifes feamanfhip, &c.”’
I muft however do juftice to his fentiments, when {peaking of war and armaments,
“<The captain” he fays, ‘* ought to be compleatly mafter of the fighting his fhip, &c.
To wage war with the Englifh, their commerce mutt be attacked, andourfelves be fatisfied
with preferving our pofleffions ; it is precifely playing with a chance of lofing, and none
of gaining, to act otherwife: it is againft the Englifh commerce alone, that we fhould
wage war; no durable peace with this nation can be expected without following this
polity. Let England tremble for her trade in a war with us, this is the important point.
The enemy in the war of 1744, made confiderable infurances on our merchant veflels,
in this war few, and thofe at very heavy premiums. Why fo, becaufe they imagined
that a war on the continent would caufe us to neglect our navy, and they were in the
right ; itis the finances alone of the enemy which fupport her navy, and its finances
depend upon her trade; let us then make war on her commerce, and on her commerce
only. Take a colony from the Englifh, they murmur; ruin their trade, they will revalt.
We have three hundred leagues of fea-coaft to protect. This cafe requires a confider-
able navy—what ! Are veflels requifite to guard our fhores? Delufive error! We want
foldiers only for that purpofe, a hundred and fifty thoufand men fhall be put in arms for
faving’s fake, neverthelefs the fhores will be infulted; a hundred and fifty thoufand
men are clad in arms, and it is evident that twenty-five fail of {the line at Breft, and
fifteen thoufand men near that place, will be fufficient to prevent any - fuch
confequence ; nay, any thing except the prejudice in favour of foldiers.” It is vifible
that this feaman 1s poffefled of judgment, although he does not difplay the neceflity of a
navy, with equal eloquence with Mr. ‘Thomas, in his eulogy of Duguay Trouin. How-
ever, that orator guided by an excufable prejudice, feeing that he had never frequented
the fea-ports of his majefty ; lets efcape him fome critiques in favour of the merchant
veffels, to the injury of the king’s fhips. Labouring under the fame prejudice, a monk
has manufactured an_hiftorical journal of a voyage to the Madeira iflands in1763 and
1764. ‘The editor of this infipid journal, printed at Berlin in 1769, feems to have left
his convent for no other purpofe than to reap in another hemifphere an ample harveft of
lies, and invectives. Returning to Europe, he takes pleafure in pouring the coarfe
poifon of his gracelefs pen upon the navy, in a digreflion which contains as many blun-
ders as phrafes. ‘‘ On the fifteenth of June 1764,” fays the ftupid fon of St. Benoit,
“a veffel is feen to windward in the N. W., the flag and pennant is hoifted, a flag is plaited
and hoifted, and we lay clofe to the wind ; in fpite of all thefe pretended fignals, the veffel
continues its courfe.”’ ‘his learned Cenobite imagines that a veffel, who fhould fo aét’can
be no other than a French veflel. Upon this his bile inflames, his Jove for his country
and the commonweal puts in his mouth a violent diatribe again{t a navy which he ought
to refpect; but in what order has this monk learnt, thata love for one’s country is
fhown by exclaiming in a Hottentot dialect, that ‘* the licenfe of the reds, caufes the fla-
5k 2 very
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