Series 1 > Diary of the Reverend John Mill, minister of the parishes of Dunrossness Sandwick and Cunningsburgh in Shetland, 1740-1803. With selections from local records and original documents relating to the district

58
MILL’S DIARY
[1779
As the Spainyards joined with France in the war, they
appeared, ’tis said, before Portsmouth, with 100 sail of their
combined fleet, 60 whereof were of the line of battle. But upon
Sir Charles Hardy’s appearing with one of our squadrons of 30
sail of the line, they fled speedily off for the coast of France,
where Admiral Keppel had a skirmish with the Brest fleet, but
as he did not renew the fight, was tried but honourably acquit¬
ted, as the French veered off, and fled into their harbours.1
Sir William How [Howe] was blamed for not prosecuting
the war with vigour against the rebellious Colonies in N.
America, and General Clinton got the command there.
One Paul Jones,2 son to a gardiner of the Earl of Galloway’s,3
a wicked desperado, whom the American Congress entrusted
with the command of the above 4 ships of war, took two of
our small ships of war, and carried them into Holland, which
the states refused to deliver up and was like to breed war in
Holland. The combined fleets threatened Brittain or Irland
with an invasion, but they are prepared to receive them, and
are still augmenting our fleets. But may we never trust to the
arm of flesh. Gibraltar is besieged, and the Spaniards re¬
pulsed. The French have taken Grenada and St. Vincent,
West India isles, and used our people badly, which may be
retaliated upon themselves.
The Popish ruffians in Irland, called the ‘ White Boys ’4
1 There seems to be some confusion between this story and the action under
Admiral Keppel in the previous year, 1778, already referred to.
2 John Paul Jones. Born at Arbigland, in the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright,
on 6th July 1747. He went to sea, and, settling in Virginia, embraced the cause
of the Colonies, and got the command of a brig of 18 guns, with which he
visited the coasts of Scotland, and performed some bold exploits. In 1779 he
received the command of a small squadron of French ships, under American
colours, which caused consternation on the British coasts. Mill here corro¬
borates the story that he appeared off the east coast of Shetland, but was
driven off by a gale, as on the memorable occasion of his visit this same year,
1779, to the Firth of Forth.
* This should be the Earl of Selkirk, not Galloway.
4 White Boys : an illegal association of Irish peasants, originally organised
in the county of Tipperary, early in the reign of George m. Professing to aim
at the redress of grievances, they committed many cruel outrages, until the
movement was suppressed, only, however, to reappear in other forms. They
wore white shirts in their expeditions, which, like those of their successors, the
‘ Moonlighters ’ of the present day, were usually by night.