on the 8th of July, 1780, an end was put to the prefent

feffion.

The political alienation which had for fome years taken place between England and Holland became daily more vifible and notorious. A requifition had been made by the court of London to the States General, foon after the declaration of war against Spain, for the fuccours ftipulated by the treaty of 1678, confirmed by various fubfequent agreements but no answer could be obtained from their high mightineffes. On the contrary, loud complaints were made of the conduct of the English court, which had caused to be seized, and carried into the different ports of Great Britain, fhips belonging to the fubjects of the Republic, navigated under the faith of treaties and not laden with contraband goods :-this, no doubt, was, in many inftances, the fact. On the other hand, Great Britain, complained, with equal truth, that France received from Holland continual supplies of naval and military ftores, contrary to the faith of treaties; and that the principle of felf-defence warranted the feizure and detention of all veffels laden with fuch exceptionable cargoes.

On the 1st of January, 1780, commodore Fielding fell in with a fleet of Dutch merchant fhips off Portland, convoyed by a small fquadron of men of war, commanded by count Byland. Captain Fielding defiring permiffion to vifit the merchants fhips, in order to ascertain whether they contained any contraband goods, was refused by the Dutch admiral; on which he fired a fhot a-head of the count, who returned a broad-fide: Commodore Fielding did the fame, and then the Dutch immediately ftruck their colours. Such of the merchant ships as had naval ftores on board were fstopped, and the Dutch admiral was informed that he was at liberty to hoift his colours and profecute his voyage. But he refused to quit his convoy, and accompanied the commodore to Portsmouth, A memorial in ftrong and refentful terms was presented

by

by count Welderen, by order of the states, in confequence of this tranfaction, which was reprefented as a direct attack upon the independence and fovereignty of their high mightineffes, and a peremptory demand made of reparation and redress, to which no regard was paid. But on the 17th of April a declaration was published by the king of Great Britain, by which it was announced, "that repeated memorials having been presented by his majesty's ambaffador to the ftates general, demanding the fuccours ftipulated by treaty, to which requisition they had given no answer, nor fignified any intention of compliance, his majefty confidered their high mightineffes as having deferted the alliance that had fo long fubfifted between Great Britain and the Republic: and his majesty from this time fufpended, provifionally, all the ftipulations of the several existing treaties, particularly of the marine treaty concluded at London A. D. 1674."

Holland was, however, far from being fingular in her complaints respecting the violated rights of neutrality. The powers of the Baltic, with a firmer tone, and in more decided language, declared their refolution to adopt fuch measures as were neceffary for their own fecurity. Early in the fpring, 1780, the emprefs of Ruffia addreffed a declaration to the courts of London, Versailles, and Madrid, containing an explicit statement of the principles on which he had determined to act for the removal of thofe moleftations which had interrupted the navigation of her fubjects, and for the protection of the liberty of commerce in general.

The radical principles here laid down were:-I. That neutral fhips hould enjoy a free navigation even from port to port, and on the coaft of the Belligerent powers -II. That all effects belonging to the fubjects of the Belligerent powers hall be looked upon as free on board fuch neutral ships, excepting only warlike ftores or ammunition-but neither the veffels, paffengers, or the rest of the goods fhall be liable to feizure or detention. "To thefe

C 2

thefe principles," her Imperial majefty declared, "fhe was firmly refolved to adhere; and for the honour of her flag, and the fecurity to her fubjects, fhe had ordered a confiderable part of her naval forces to be equipped, to act wherever her honor, intereft, or neceflity fhould require."

Denmark and Sweden acceding in form to this declaration of Ruffia, and ordering fimilar equipments of their marine, this confederacy of the powers of the north acquired the appellation of "the armed neutrality," and the bafis on which it was founded feemed to give univerfal fatisfaction throughout Europe-England alone, against whom it was manifeftly levelled, excepted.

In the anfwer of the king of France it was faid, that what her Imperial majefty claimed from the belligerent powers was nothing elfe than the rules actually prescribed to the French navy, and that folid advantages must result from this meafure, not only to the fubjects of Russia, but to all nations." The reply of England was cold, and civilly evafive; but this measure in reality excited fo deep a refentment, that the conduct of England refpecting Ruffia, for several years fucceeding this period, may be ascribed chiefly, or folely, to the alienation and hatred originating in the present obnoxious procedure.

The war between Great Britain and Spain had scarcely commenced when the blockade of Gibraltar was formed by fea and land, and the hope of recovering that fortress probably operated as no inconfiderable inducement with Spain to engage in the prefent war.

Early in the year 1780 fir George Rodney, an officer distinguished by his gallant exertions in the late war, was appointed to the command of a powerful fleet, destined for the relief of that place, having on board prince William Henry, the third fon of his majefty. On the northern coast of Spain he fell in with a convoy of twentytwo merchant-fhips, richly laden, under the protection of a fquadron

a fquadron of feven fhips of war, to which he immediately gave chace, and in a few hours the whole were taken. This fuccefs was, however, only the prelude to another and much greater.

On the 16th of January, off Cape St. Vincent, he defcried a Spanish squadron, confifting of fourteen fail of the line, which he directly bore down upon, and notwithftanding the ftorminefs incident to the feafon, taking the lee-gage, in order to prevent the enemy from retreating into their own ports; at four in the afternoon the action began, and in little more than half an hour one of the Spanish ships blew up with a dreadful explosion. The engagement nevertheless continued with unabating fury in the midst of darkness and confufion, and before morning the Phoenix of 80 guns, Don Juan de Langara, the Spanish admiral's own fhip; the Monarca, the Princeffa, the Diligenti, of 70 guns each, ftruck their colours; the St. Julien and St. Eugenio were also captured, but through the violence of the tempeft were afterwards driven on fhore and loft. The others, efcaped in a very shattered condition, and the whole fquadron, as to any immediate capability of fervice, might be confidered as annihilated. Though the force of Admiral Rodney was greatly fuperior, his skill and courage were fully apparent in the mode of conducting the attack, which the violence of the storm, the darkness of the night, and the vicinity of a lee-shore, every where encircled with fhoals and breakers, rendered very dangerous; the admiral's own fhip, the Sandwich, and several others, were in extreme hazard of being lost on the fhoals of St. Lucar, and did not get into deep water till the next day.

After effecting the primary object of his commiffion, the relief of Gibraltar, fir George Rodney proceeded to the West Indies, fending home his prizes under the care of admiral Digby, who, on his paffage captured the

Prothèe

Prothée, a French fhip of 64 guns, and part of her. convoy of merchant ships.

No fooner had admiral Rodney taken upon him the command in the Weft Indies, than every poffible exertion was made to bring on a general action, which count de Guichen, who commanded the French fleet, cautioufly avoided; but intelligence being received that in the night of the 15th of April, 1780, they had put to fea with their whole force, admiral Rodney, who was ftationed at St. Lucie, immediately followed, and early on the morning of the 17th he came in fight of the enemy; at noon the admiral made the fignal for a general and close engagement, fetting himself a noble example of courage to the fleet by bearing down upon the French admiral, whom he fought with unremitting fury till the enemy bore away, leaving the Sandwich, which from caufes not eafily or clearly afcertainable was very ill fupported in this action, a mere wreck upon the water. Other partial and indecifive encounters alfo took place, in which little inferiority of fkill or courage was difcernible on the part of the French officers or feamen.

During these transactions in the Weft Indies Don Galvez, the Spanish governor of Louifiana, reduced the British fettlements on the Miffiffippi, and had made great progrefs in the conqueft of the province of Weft Florida, though Pensacola held out to the next year.

As a very inadequate counterbalance to thefe fucceffes, an expedition had been undertaken from Jamaica to the Spanish main; and the fortress of Omoa, which contained a confiderable booty in fpecie and merchandife, was taken by storm, but foon afterwards evacuated. A very heavy misfortune in the autumn of this year took place, in the entire capture of the outward bound Eaft and Weft India fleets in the bay of Biscay by the Spaniards,-a lofs which had no parallel in the naval and commercial history

of