St Vincent, CAPE

St Vincent, CAPE, a promontory forming the south-western corner of Portugal, off which several important naval battles have taken place. On June 16, 1693, Admiral Rooke was here attacked by a superior French fleet, and defeated with the loss of twelve men-of-war and eighty merchantmen which were sailing under his convoy; on January 16, 1780, Admiral Rodney destroyed here several Spanish ships of Langara's fleet; on February 14, 1797, the great battle of Cape St Vincent (see following article) resulted in the total defeat of the Spaniards and capture of some of their largest ships. This victory frustrated the formidable Spanish-French scheme of invading England. The fourth naval fight off Cape St Vincent took place between the fleet of Queen Maria of Portugal, commanded by Sir Charles Napier (q.v.), and that of Dom Miguel, in which a portion of the latter was destroyed and the rest captured, 5th July 1833.