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, 1695.   

AN ACCOUNT OF WHAT English Men of War Have been Taken, or otherwise Lost, during the Present WAR, etc.  
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 myself 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 'tis 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 Wether, 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. No. 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.  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. No. 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 employed his Pen.  
Decrease since the beginning of the War, Rate. No. 1 1 2 2  
Increase since the beginning of the War, Rate. No. 3 9 4 6 5 19 6 29  
It must be confessed, 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 Enemy's Privateers, Trade with almost as much Freedom as if there was a settled Peace, it is not a matter of Wonder (tho' 'tis much to be lamented,) that their Losses have been so great; especially when 'tis considered, 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 crowd 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 numbered 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 destroyed between the 10th of May 1694, and the first October 1695.  
January 14, 1695/6.  
FINIS.