towards the point of Africa; to preserve the Cape of Good Hope, and afterwards proceed to the East Indies. Thus all these naval forces, charged by their respective governments with the most important operations, got under sail almost at the same time. Without the delay which detained the English upon the coasts of Ireland, it is altogether probable that the French would have fallen in with them, and that they would have settled by a decisive battle in the seas of Europe, that quarrel for which they were going to fight in the two Indies.

Admiral Darby, sped by a favorable wind, stood for Cape St. Vincent, which having made, he proceeded with the greatest circumspection, on account of the proximity of the Spanish armament. But don Lewis de Cordova, who for several days had been cruising in the bay of Cadiz, was no sooner apprised of the approach of the English, than he lost all confidence in his own force. Forgetting the importance of the post he had to defend, instead of awaiting the enemy, he returned with precipitation to Cadiz, leaving him the ways free to Gibraltar.

Admiral Darby reconnoitred Cadiz, and finding the Spaniards were in no disposition to come forth, he immediately pushed forward his convoy, consisting of about a hundred sail, under the guard of a certain number of ships of war. A part of this squadron was to take post in the bay of Gibraltar itself, to cover the transports against the attempts of the Spanish gunboats; the rest was destined to cruise at the entrance of the strait, towards the Mediterranean, in order to oppose any hostile force that might present itself on that side. The admiral himself remained before Cadiz to observe the motions of the Spaniards with due diligence. The event justified his dispositions. The gunboats, it is true, made frequent attacks upon the transports, and that with the more audacity, as their inconsiderable size screened them in a manner from the effects of the enemy's artillery. The annoyance of this musquito fleet, put the English out of all patience; but still it had no result of any importance. They succeeded in getting ashore all their munitions of war, and all their provisions; their exultation equalled the consternation of the Spaniards; all Europe was in astonishment. The king of Spain, who had set his heart upon the conquest of Gibraltar, and who had already expended so much treasure in the prosecution of this enterprise, persuaded himself that he was on the point of reaping the fruit of his efforts. When apprised of the event which still retarded the attainment of his hopes, he flattered himself that his land troops would prove, perhaps, more fortunate than his naval forces. His ardor was also

stimulated by an eager desire to wipe off the stain which he was apprehensive would attach to his arms from the relief of Gibraltar. The labors of the camp of St. Roch were resumed with increase of activity; the trenches and works which beset the fortress, were fur

nished with an immense quantity of artillery. The batteries mounted no less than one hundred and sixty pieces of heavy cannon, with eighty mortars of the largest caliber. On the twelfth of April, the British fleet being still at anchor in the port of Gibraltar, the whole of this train began to shower upon the place its tremendous volleys of balls and bombs. The narrow extent of the spot upon which they fell, left no other refuge to the besieged but the casemates and vaulted places. General Elliot, the governor, did not remain a peaceable spectator of this tempest; he answered it bolt for bolt, thunder for thunder. The whole mountain, enveloped in flame and smoke from its base to its summit, resembled a volcano in the height of the most terrible eruption. The two neighboring shores of Europe and Africa were lined with people, who had thronged thither to contemplate this dreadful spectacle. But the inhabitants of the unhappy town were more exposed even than the soldiers themselves. Their terror was great, but their dangers were still greater. The limbs of the dead and dying were scattered upon the ground; women, with children in their arms, ran distractedly imploring a shelter which could not be offered them. Some were seen crushed at the same time with their precious burthen, and torn in a thousand pieces by the bursting bombs. Others, with trembling hands, let themselves down precipices in order to retire the farthest possible from the seat of danger; many threw themselves into the casemates, where, breathing an infected air, and deprived of repose by the dismal cries of the wounded who expired around them, they thought themselves happy in having escaped an inevitable death. The town, situated upon the declivity of the rock, and next the sea towards the west, was demolished to its foundations. The Spanish gunboats contributed especially to this disaster. Under cover of night, they slipped between the British vessels, and after having effected their purpose, profited of a wind, which commonly springs up in the morning, to return to the port of Algesiras. Their destructive fire often reached those unhappy persons who had sought, upon the flank of the mountain, a refuge against the artillery of the Spanish lines. It continued to batter the place for upwards of three weeks with hardly any intermission, and was answered with equal vigor. The firing was then relaxed on both sides; the besiegers became sensible that their efforts resulted in little more than a vain noise, and the besieged thought it imprudent to expend their ammunition without necessity. Scarcely a few shot, discharged by intervals from the fortress, attested that the garrison were upon the alert; the greater part of the time, general Elliot observed, in apparent tranquillity, the fruitless toils of his enemy. It was calculated that in this short space of time, the Spaniards consumed fifty tons of gunpowder; they had fired seventyfive thousand volleys of cannon balls, and twenty-five thousand of bombs. Notwithstanding the narrowness of the place in which the

English were immured, they had lost but few men by the fire of this immense artillery; their wounded did not exceed two hundred and fifty. As to the inhabitants, seeing their houses destroyed, and in continual dread of new disasters, they demanded permission to retire. General Elliot acquiesced in their desires, after having furnished them with all the assistance in his power. The greater part embarked in the fleet which had victualled the place, and repaired to England.

Before it had arrived there, fortune, propitious to the French, inflicted a heavy stroke upon their enemies; which was considered as a just chastisement for the robberies committed at St. Eustatius. Intelligence had been received in France, that a numerous convoy of ships laden with the rich spoils of that island, had left it about the last of March, and were on their way for the ports of Great Britain. It was also known, that this convoy was to be followed by another not less valuable, which was freighted with the produce of Jamaica. The first was guarded by four ships of war under admiral Hotham. The moment could not have been more favorable to the French, since the great English fleet was employed in succouring Gibraltar. The court of Versailles knew very well how to profit of so fair an occasion; it had equipped with great celerity in the port of Brest, a squadron destined to intercept the expected convoys. The chevalier de la Motte Piquet put to sea the fifteenth of April, at the head of eight ships of the line, all excellent sailers. He struck into the middle of the convoy of St. Eustatius, and dispersed it entirely. Twenty-two ships fell into his power, two others were taken by privateers. Some few, with the ships of war that had escorted them, made their way good into the ports of Ireland. The British merchants who had insured the captured ships, lost by this stroke upwards of seven hundred thousand pounds sterling. Admiral Darby, during his homeward passage, was very early informed of the disaster. He instantly made his dispositions for cutting off the retreat of la Motte Piquet. But the French admiral, attentive to all the movements of the enemy, and content with the brilliant advantages which he had just obtained, left the convoy of Jamaica to pursue its voyage in tranquillity, and returned without accident to Brest. So rich a capture created no little festivity in France.

Those who had projected this expedition, and those who had executed it, were loaded with just praises. The fleet of admiral Darby recovered the ports of England. In the meantime, the two fleets of Johnstone and Suffren had put to sea for the Cape of Good Hope. These two admirals had the most exact information respecting each other's departure, intended route, and ulterior destination. But the Englishman was obliged to touch at the bay of Praya, in St. Jago, the most considerable of the Cape de Verd islands. He was occupied in recruiting his water and provision for the long voyage

he was about to undertake, and a great part of his crews were on shore. M. de Suffren was soon apprised of it, and immediately shaped his course with press of sail for the bay of Praya, where he hoped to surprise the enemy. He kept so close along under a tongue of land which covers the port towards the east, that he was already on the point of entering it without being discovered. But the British ship Isis, which lay near the mouth of the bay, perceived beyond the eastern point the tops of several masts. Afterwards, by the mode of manoeuvring, it was known that they were French, and the signal of enemy sails was given immediately. The commodore recalled his crews from the shore, and made all his dispositions for battle. Meanwhile, the French squadron doubled the point, and appeared all at once at the entrance of the bay. The attack commenced forthwith. The English had one ship of seventy-four guns, four others of inferior force, three frigates, with several East India Company ships, armed for war. The French bad two ships of seventy-four, and three of sixty-four guns. After having cannonaded the Isis, which presented herself the first, they forced the entrance of the harbor, passing into the midst of the British squadron, and firing double broadsides, M. de Tremignon, with his ship the Haunibal, which was ahead of the rest, advanced as far as possible, and with admirable intrepidity cast anchor in the midst of the British line, which assailed him from right and left. He was followed by M. de Suffren, in the Hero, and afterwards the chevalier de Cardaillac joined them with the Artesien. The two other ships could not approach near enough to support them, and having fallen to leeward, after having discharged a few broadsides, they stood out to sea. Two British ships, the Isis and the Romney, were unable to take any considerable part in the action; the first having suffered severely from the fire of the French, at the time of their entrance into the bay, the second finding herself advanced too far within it. The engagement was therefore reduced to that of three ships of the line on either side; the French fired both starboard and larboard guns, as they had placed themselves in the centre of the English. But at length, the British frigates, with the armed ships of the India Company, having rallied, came up to the support of the commodore. After the action had lasted an hour and a half, the Artesien having lost her captain, and being no longer able to sustain so fierce a fire, cut her cables and drew off. M. de Suffren, finding himself deprived of his rear guard, and exposed to be cannonaded at once on both sides as well as in front and rear, took a similar resolution to withdraw from the harbor. The retreat of the Hero and Artesien left the Hannibal alone to sustain the whole weight of the enemy's fire, and of course, she suffered excessively; she lost first her mizenmast, then her mainmast, and at last her rudder. Nevertheless, by incredible exertions she made her way good to the mouth of the

bay, where she was taken in tow by the ship Sphynx. Her masts being refitted as well as it was possible, she rejoined the rest of the squadron. The English would fain have followed the French, in order to recommence the engagement; but the wind, the currents, the approach of night, and the disabled state of the Isis, prevented them from doing it. Such was the combat of Praya, which gave occasion to several observations upon the conduct of the two admirals. The British commander was censured for having anchored so imprudently in an open and defenceless bay, when he must have known that the enemy could not be far off. Vainly would he have alleged, that he believed himself protected by the neutrality of the place, the island of St. Jago belonging to the crown of Portugal; for he affirmed himself, that when the French see an opportunity for seizing their advantage they are not wont to respect these neutralities; an accusation which, though it were founded, appears not the less extraordinary from the mouth of an Englishman. Commodore Johnstone, cominitted, besides, great errors, in landing so great a part of his crews, in placing his weakest ships at the entrance of the bay, and in letting the Hannibal escape notwithstanding her crippled condition. M. de Suffren, it was said on the other hand, ought not to have attempted to combat at anchor. Every probability assured him a complete victory, if, instead of losing time in coming to anchor, he had immediately resorted to boarding, or even if he had fought under sail an enemy that was in a good degree surprised and unprepared for action.

As soon as the British squadron was refitted, it put to sea in pursuit of the French; but finding them drawn up in order of battle, it avoided a second engagement; night, which soon came on, separated the two squadrons. Commodore Johnstone returned to the bay of Praya. M. de Suffren, continuing his voyage to the south, and towing the Hannibal, repaired to False Bay at the Cape of Good Hope. He was rejoined there by his convoy, which, during his attack of Praya, he had left at sea, under the escort of the corvette la Fortune. Thus was frustrated the design which the English had meditated against the Cape. Constrained to relinquish all hope of conquest, they directed their force against the commerce of their enemies. Commodore Johnstone was advised by his light vessels, that several ships of the Dutch East India Company, very richly laden, lay at anchor in the bay of Saldana, not far from the Cape itself. Upon making the coasts of Africa, acting himself as pilot to his squadron in the midst of shoals and reefs, crowding all sail by night, concealing himself by day, he manoeuvred with such dexterity, that he arrived unexpectedly before the bay. He captured five of the most valuable ships; the others were burnt. After having obtained this advantage, which preserved him at least from the reproach of having undertaken an expedition without utility, he detached a part