Battle of Sluys Slois

SLUYS (SLOIS), BATTLE OF, fought on June 24,134o, one of the two sea-fights in which King Edward III. of England commanded in person, the other being that called Espagnols-sur Mer (q.v.). The place of the encounter was in front of the town of Sluis, Sluys, or in French Ecluse, on the inlet between West Flanders and Zeeland. In the middle of the 14th century this was an open roadstead capable of holding large fleets. It has now been silted up by the river Eede. A French fleet, which the king, in a letter to his son Edward the Black Prince, puts at 190 sail, had been collected in preparation for an invasion of England. It was under the command of Hue Quieret, admiral for the king of France, and of Nicholas Behuchet, who had been one of the king's treasurers, and was probably a lawyer. Part of the fleet consisted of Genoese galleys serving as mercenaries under the command of Barbavera.

Although English historians speak of King Edward's fleet as inferior in number to the French, it is certain that he sailed from Orwell on June 22 with 200 sail, and that he was joined on the coast of Flanders by his admiral for the North Sea, Sir Robert Morley, with 5o others. Some of this swarm of vessels were no doubt mere transports, for the king brought with him the house hold of his queen, Philippa of Hainault, who was then at Bruges. Edward anchored at Blankenberghe on the afternoon of the 23rd and sent three squires to reconnoitre the position of the French. The Genoese Barbavera advised his colleagues to go to sea, but Behuchet, who as constable exercised the general command, refused to leave the anchorage. He probably wished to occupy it in order to bar the king's road to Bruges. The disposition of the French was made in accordance with the usual mediaeval tactics of a fleet fighting on the defensive. Quieret and Behuchet formed their force into three or four lines, with the ships tied to one another, and with a few of the largest stationed in front as out posts.

King Edward entered the roadstead on the morning of the 24th, and after manoeuvring to place his ships to windward, and to bring the sun behind him, attacked. The battle was a long succession of hand-to-hand conflicts to board or to repel boarders. King Edward makes no mention of any actual help given him by his Flemish allies, though he says they were willing, but the French say that they joined after dark. They also assert that the

king was wounded by Behuchet, but this is not certain, and there is no testimony save a legendary one for a personal encounter between him and the French commander, though it would not be improbable.

The battle ended with the almost total destruction of the French. Quieret was slain, and Behuchet is said to have been hanged by King Edward's orders. Barbavera escaped to sea with his squadron on the morning of the 25th, carrying off two English prizes. After the battle King Edward remained at anchor several days, and it is probable that his fleet had suffered heavily.

The story of the battle of Sluys is told from the English side by Sir Harris Nicolas, in his History of the Royal Navy, vol. ii. (London, 1847) ; and from the French side by M. C. de la Ronciere, Histoire de la marine francaise, vol. i. (Paris, 1899). Both make copious references to original sources. (D. H.) SMALL ARMS, THE DEVELOPMENT OF. Roger Bacon recorded in the year 1248 the composition of gunpowder, and it is almost certain that he was its discoverer. The Chinese and other Eastern nations are believed to have used at an earlier date mixtures which were incendiary but not explosive.

Early History.

There is no trace of fire-arms before A.D. 1300, and it is believed that the first to use gunpowder for the pro pulsion of missiles was Bernard Schwarz, a German monk. The earliest missiles were arrows padded out to fit the bores of these weapons. The hand-gun, as opposed to the cannon, was derived from the latter and does not appear to have existed until late in the 14th century. At first it consisted of a short iron tube, pro longed behind into a rod which was used to manipulate it, and which was hitched under the arm when the piece was fired. The charge was inserted from the muzzle and when in position was ignited by applying a wick match to a touch-hole on the upper side of the rear end of the tube. Later, the touch-hole was made on the side of the tube, the priming pan being conveniently placed. The match was held in a hinged fork mounted on the stock, enabling it to be brought into contact with the powder in the priming pan. This match-lock, so arranged, was known as the "harquebus." It is easy to understand that this smouldering wick match and the powder in the priming pan were affected by rain, etc., so adding to the probability of missfires.