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[To THE EDITOR or THE " 8PECTLTOR."] 8/R.—The following from my personal experience may be of interest. Students of eighteenth-century history will remember the exploits of the famous privateer Paul Jones in his ship, the 'Ranger,' during the latter half of the century. Of these exploits perhaps the most striking was his successful encounter with H.M.S. `Drake' at the entrance of Belfast Lough in 1778. Of that encounter I received a vivid account in my boyhood from my father, who had his information from an eye-witness of the engagement. How this came about was as follows. My father was born in 1798. His native place was Bangor, County Down, on the east side of the entrance to Belfast Lough, opposite to Carrickfergus on the west side. His mother having died shortly after his birth, he was brought up by his grand- mother. She had a vivid recollection of standing with her neighbours on a hill overlooking the Lough and watching the
fight between the two ships, in which the king's ship got very much the worst of it, and, in fact, was captured. As all boys (perhaps Irish boys especially) are interested in a fight, my father retained a distinct recollection of what he was told. When he had boys of his own (of whom I was qne, born in 1840) he took a large part in their education. He was a country clergyman, but with scholarship much beyond what is usual in a clergyman in a country charge. In our history lessons we heard all about the fight between the `Drake' and the Ranger,' and we resented exceedingly having to admit that the ' Ranger ' won the fight.—I am, Sir, &c., J. R. L.
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