If the foldier finds abundant matter of entertainment and obfervation in the recital of thefe events, the statesman 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 difperfed in the old or in the new world, every part of the history of this contention, in all its circumstances and confequences, must at all times be in the higheft degree interesting. 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 those causes will not appear in any degree to have operated with respect 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 ANNUAL REGISTER, FOR THE YEAR 1781. THE HISTORY OF EUROPE. CHA P. I. Retrofpective 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 refufes 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 Mo-` hilow in Poland. Proceed together to Peterburgh. King of Sweden vifts Holland. Death of the Emprefs-Queen, and fome account of that great princess. 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 ty with refpect to a proper comman of undertakethe impor May 1780, occafioned fome difficul- tant charge of the channel fleet, as VOL. XXIV. [4] the If the foldier finds abundant matter of entertainment and obfervation in the recital of thefe events, the statesman 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 history 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 difperfed in the old or in the new world, every part of the history of this contention, in all its circumstances and confequences, must at all times be in the higheft degree interesting. 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 those causes 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 ANNUAL REGISTER, FOR THE YEAR 1781. THE HISTORY OF EUROPE. CHAP. 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. Eaft and Weft 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. Succefs of General Elliot in deftroying the enemy's works. Queen of Portugal refufes to accede to the armed neutrality. Germany. Election of the Archduke Maximilian to the coadjutorfhip 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 Petersburgh. King of Sweden wifts Holland. Death of the Emprefs-Queen, and fome account of that great princess. Question, 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. imporHE death of Sir Charles ty with refpect to a proper comman May 1780, occafioned fome difficul- tant charge of the channel fleet, as VOL. XXIV. [4] the the discontents which had fo long prevailed in the navy, kept feveral of our beft 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 abandon 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 respect 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 fudden 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 efcape. It happened unfortunately, that the fatisfaction afforded by this small fuccefs was foon overwhelmed and loft, in the contemplation of one of the heavieft blows that ever had been suftained 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 Eaft 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 these was of particular importance, being laden with tents, and camp equipage, for the troops defigned for active fervice in the Leeward Islands. 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 those upon government account, were taken. The Ramilies, with the frigates, and a few Weft-India fhips, 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 |