with which as commodore he intercepted the trade, annoyed the cruizers, and occasionally engaged the batteries of the enemy, contriving to keep the whole coast in the neighbourhood of Havre de Grace, Granville, Cherburgh, St. Maloes, Arranches, and Doll, in a continual state of alarm. Another grand object was also effected at the same time: this was the encouragement given to the royalists, then exceedingly 'powerful and numerous, who were occasionally supplied with arms and ammunition by our ships of war. It was the opinion of all the naval men employed upon this occasion, that if the French princes had put themselves at the head of the insurgents, and been powerfully supported by the ministry of that day, something advantageous might have been effected: nor ought it to be omitted, that an army of English, Hessians, and emigrants, was suffered, at this critical period, to remain in the most astonishing state of inactivity during many months in the Isle of Wight, and never called into action until the season for success had elapsed.

Soon after his return (in the beginning of April 1794), Sir John was again detached with a small squadron of five frigates, in which two only of the former division (the Flora, the commodore's own ship, and La Nymphe, Captain G. Murray) were included. While proceeding to his former station, he fell in with four sail of the enemy,* under a coinmo

*

1. L'Engageante, of 34 eighteen pounders four carronades, and 300 men, commanded by Citizen Desgarceaux, chef d'escadre; 2. La Pomone, 44 guns; 3. La Resolue, 36 eighteen pounders, and 320 men;" 4. La Babet, 22 nine pounders, and 200 men.

dore,

dore, fresh from port, having left Concale bay on the preceding evening. The two squadrons crossed each other on opposite tacks, and the enemy, as usual, began the action at a considerable distance; but as the wind happened luckily to change two points in his favour, the English commander determined to obtain the weather-gage of the enemy, and accordingly threw out a signal for the ships under his command to engage as they came up, on purpose to ensure a close and decisive action. After a contest of upwards of three hours, during which the French commodore was killed, two of the enemy's vessels (La Pomone and La Babet) were captured. In consequence of the damage experienced by the Flora, she was unable to continue the chace; but the other frigates were sent in pursuit, and Sir Richard Strahan at length found means to take L'Engageante, on board of which was a distinguishing flag, to mark the superior rank of the commander.

Towards the latter end of the same summer, the commodore was dispatched with a stronger* squa. dron than heretofore, to his former cruising ground, and drove La Felicité, of forty guns, ashore on the Penmark rocks, while he pursued two corvettes, or sloops of war, under refuge of three batteries near the Gamelle rocks, and fought them in that position, until their masts fell overboard, on which they were abandoned by their respective crews.

The English cabinet, on the representation of one

1. The Flora; 2. the Pomona; 3. the Santa Margaritta; 4. the Diana; 5. the Arethusa; and 6. the Artois.

of

of its ministers, had by this time determined to land a considerable body of emigrants in their native country, on purpose to effect a junction with the Chouans; and as no one was better acquainted with the coast than Commodore Warren, he was selected for the command of the naval department. He accordingly hoisted his broad pendant on board La Pomone, a very fine vessel, formerly captured by his squadron, and took his departure from Spithead with three sail of the line, two forty-four gun ships, and four frigates, together with several gun-boats, cutters, &c. Having collected upwards of fifty transports, the emi. grant army, consisting of the regiments of Hector, Hervilly, Dudremu, Royale-Marine, Royale-Louis, Royale-Artillerie, &c. were embarked from the Isle of Wight, and after a passage of sixteen days, during which they were at one time in imminent danger of falling in with Rear-admiral Villaret Joyeuse, with the whole of the French fleet, they anchored in Quiberon bay July 4, 1795.

The landing of the main body was effected during the night, and the remainder was safely put on shore in the course of the succeeding day, together with an immense quantity of muskets, uniforms, provisions, stores, and five pieces of cannon. But as the position assumed in the peninsula could not be maintained, without getting possession of the battery which commanded it, the commodore gave orders for three fri

* 1. La Pomone, 44 guns, Commodore Sir J. B. Warren, K. B.; 2. Robust, 74; 3. Thunderer, 74; 4. Standard, 64.-Anson, 44; Artois, 33; Arethusa, 38; Concorde, 36; Galatea, 32.

gates

gates to attack Fort Penthievre, now termed Fort Sans Culottes, on one side, while he himself landed with a body of English marines to join the emigrants and royalists on the other, who being new clothed, presented the spectacle of a numerous and well appointed army; so that after a siege of two days, the garrison, consisting of about four hundred men, being afraid of an assault, surrendered prisoners of war.

So far as depended on the co-operation of the British navy, every thing was effected that could be wished for. The French were obliged to abandon Auray and Vannes, and also to evacuate the intrenched camp of Carnac; so that the Chouans were enabled to join them in large bodies. But the scheme had not been originally matured in the cabinet, nor was it attempted to be carried into execution by means of proper agents. Many of the troops were seduced from the prison-ships by the hopes of liberty, and not a few were picked up in the streets and the jails of the metropolis, a large portion of whom had served in the republican fleets and armies, and were secretly hostile to the royal cause.

The Count De Puisaye also, who had been selected for the command, was a man whose principles were equivocal, having acted as adjutant-general to Wimpffen, when that officer affected to sustain the cause of the Girondists against the convention. Nor did it appear that the military talents of this leader were calculated to promote success, for he seems to have confined his functions entirely to the distribution of clothes and arms, and the circulation

of

of a well written manifesto, in which he stated himself" lieutenant-general of the King's armies, and commander in chief of the catholic and royal army of Brittany."

No sooner did the intelligence of these events reach Paris, than the deputies Blad and Tallien were dispatched to stir up the neighbouring departments, while General Roche moved forward with a large body of troops, took post at St. Barbe, erected a chain of batteries across the peninsula, and vaunted" that he would shut up the royalists like so many rats in a trap." This boast was but too speedily realised, for the emigrants were completely foiled in their attempt to raise the blockade, in consequence of the intelligence kept up in their camp, and would have been cut in pieces, had it not been for the interposition of five English gun-boats, which secured their retreat. To complete their misfortunes, Fort Penthievre was retaken by the French, on the 21st of July, during a night attack, in consequence of treachery, the brave D'Hervilly was desperately wounded, and the gallant Sombreuil, whose fate was lamented by every one, was first made prisoner, and then executed, while De Puisaye, on the first alarm, had taken shelter on board a man of war. On this melancholy occasion, no less than six or seven hundred emigrants perished at the foot of a promontory, called Le Rocher de Portignes: of those who surrendered, such as were not noble, after some time obtained their pardon, and about two thousand were saved by the boats of the flect, to which no part of these misfortunes can be attributed.