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PREFACE.

THE

HE year of which we treat was fo abundant in military event, that if all other memorials of the fame nature were loft, it might afford no very imperfect tranfcript of the art of modern war in all its forms, whether by fea or by land. Though we are not astonished by the appearance of fuch immenfe armies as have fo often defolated the old world, nor by thofe actions which have in a day decided the fate of nations and empires, we fee as vast,` though lefs concentrated, operations of war, conducted upon its most scientific principles. When taken in a general view, the combination of its detached parts forms a great whole, whether confidered with respect to action or confequence. We fee the war rage, nearly at the fame time, in the countries on both sides of the North River, on the Chesapeak, in South Carolina, the Floridas, North Carolina, Virginia, the West Indies, the American and West Indian feas. Through this arrangement, in part fortuitous and in part the effect of defign, we are prefented with a number of the bestconducted and feverest actions recorded in hiftory. We behold, in an unhappy contention between Englishmen, the greatest exertions of military skill, a valour which can never be exceeded, and all the perfection of discipline exhibited on the one fide, and oppofed on the other by an unconquerable refolution and perfeverance, infpired and supported by the enthusiasm of liberty.

If the foldier finds abundant matter of entertainment and obfervation in the recital of thefe events, the ftatesman and philofopher will not find less room for ferious contemplation in the causes and confequences of the contention. They have led to the establishment of a new epocha in the hiftory of mankind; they have opened the way to new fyftems of policy; and to new arrangements of power and of commerce. To the whole British nation, however dispersed in the old or in the new world, every part of the hiftory of this contention, in all its circumftances and confequences, must at all times be in the highest degree interefting.

It would be trefpaffing too far on the indulgence of the public, to trouble them with any detail of the unavoidable and unfortunate interruptions which have occafioned the delay of our prefent publication. We confole ourselves in the hope, that thofe caufes will not appear in any degree to have operated with refpect to the attention which we have paid to a faithful difcharge of our duty in the conduct of the Hiftory. The happy return of the public tranquillity will, by leffening our labours, enable us to recover our former station in point of publication.

THE

THE

ANNUAL REGISTER,

FOR THE YEAR 1781.

THE

HISTORY

OF

EUROPE.

CHA P. I.

Retrospective view of affairs in Europe in the year 1780. Admiral Geary appointed to the command of the channel fleet on the death of Sir Charles Hardy. East and West India convoy taken by the combined fleets, and carried into Cadiz. Lofs fuftained by the Quebec fleet. Admiral Geary refigns, and is fuccceeded by Admiral Darby. M. de Guichen arrives at Cadiz, and the French fleets return to France. Great gallantry displayed in various engagements between British and French frigates. Seige of Gibraltar. Spanish firefhips deftroyed. Success of General Elliot in deftroying the enemy's works. Queen of Portugal refuses to accede to the armed neutrality. Germany. Election of the Archduke Maximilian to the coadjutorship of Cologne and Munfter, oppofed in vain by the King of Pruffia. Correfpondence between the King and the Elector of Cologne on the fubject. Meeting of the Emperor and the Empress of Ruffia, at Mohilow in Poland. Proceed together to Peterburgh. King of Sweden vifits Holland. Death of the Empress Queen, and fome account of that great princefs. Queftion, by torture, abolished for ever by the French king. Great reform of his household. Loans negociated by the court of Madrid. Public and private contributions to relieve the exigencies of the ftate. Humanity of the Bishop of Lugo. Duke of Modena abolishes the Inquifition in his dominions.

HE death of Sir Charles THardy, about the middle of May 1780, occafioned fome difficulVOL. XXIV.

ty with refpect to a proper comman der, who would undertakethe important charge of the channel fleet, as [4].

the

the discontents which had fo long prevailed in the navy, kept feveral of our best officers from the fervice. To remove this difficulty, Admiral Geary, an experienced officer, but who, like his predeceffor, had for many years retired from actual fervice, was prevailed on to aban'don his retreat, and to enter a new into the active duties of his profeffion.

He failed from Spithead pretty early in June, with 23 fail of the line, feveral of which were capital fhips, and was joined during his cruize by five or fix more. In the mean time, the French fleet from Breft had, according to a cuftom now becoming annual, formed a junction with the Spaniards at Cadiz; by which the allied nations acquired fuch a fuperiority, at leaft in point of number (though with refpect to real force and condition it might perhaps have admitted of fome doubt), as afforded them the apparent dominion of the European feas.

Admiral Geary had the fortune, in the beginning of July, to fall in with a rich convoy from Port au Prince, of which he took twelve merchantmen; but a thick and fuclen fog checked his fuccefs, and along with the nearness and danger of the enemy's coaft, afforded an opportunity to the reft, as well as to the fhips of war by whom they were guarded, to make their escape. It happened unfortunately, that the fatisfaction afforded by this fmall fuccefs was foon overwhelmed and loft, in the contemplation of one of the heavieft blows that ever had been fuftained by the British commerce.

But before this event took place, the naval commanders having re

.

ceived intelligence, that a detached fquadron of French and Spanish fhips of war, under the conduct of M. de Beauffet, were cruizing on the coafts of Spain and Portugal, the fquadron proceeded to the fouthward, at least to the height of Cape Finifterre, in the hope of intercepting the enemy.

In the mean time, a rich and confiderable convoy for the East and Weft Indies, under the conduct of Capt. Moutray of the Ramilies, and two or three frigates, failed from Portsmouth in the latter end of July, and were intercepted, on the 9th of Auguft, by the combined fleets, under Don Louis de Cordova. The convoy included, befides the merchantmen, eighteen victuallers, ftorefhips, and tranfports, destined for the fervice in the Weft Indes; one of thefe was of particular importance, being laden with tents, and camp equipage, for the troops defigned for active fervice in the Leeward Iflands. The five EaftIndiamen, likewife, befides arms, ammunition, and a train of artillery, conveyed a large quantity of naval ftores, for the supply of the British fquadron in that quarter. The five Eaft-India fhips, and above fifty Weft-Indiamen, including thofe upon government account, were taken. The Ramilies, with the frigates, and a few Weft-India ships, had the fortune to escape.

Such a prize had never before entered the harbour of Cadiz. An English fleet of near fixty fhips, led captive by a Spanish fquadron, was extremely flattering to a people, to whom naval captures, from fuch an enemy, were an unusual fpectacle. All their ancient loffes,

all

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