foul on each other, it became extremely hazardous to attempt landing. Befides, the provifion was near exhaufted, and the foldiers by being fo long cooped up in the tranfports, were grown fickly. It became highly neceffary to return home; and they arrived at St. Helen's on the 29th of June. The fuccefs of this expedition, by which the French fuffered largely, with fcarce any lofs on our fide, though it fufficiently anfwered the intention of the armament, fell fomewhat fhort of the expectations of the public, who had formed much greater hopes than it was poffible for the nature of fuch enterprises to fulfil. However, their hopes were again revived; by feeing that every thing was prepared for another expedition, and that our armies and fleets were to be kept in conftant action during the fummer. The time was now come when we were to turn the tables upon France, and to retaliate by real attacks, the terrors which had been raised by her menaces of an invafion. The Duke of Marlborough had now taken the command of the English forces in Germany; and General Bligh fucceeded him in this command. Prince Edward refolved to go upon the expedition, and to form himself for the fervice of his country under fo brave and able a commander as Howe. It is eafy to imagine, how much the fpirit, the prefence and example of the gallant young Prince, who went with the utmoft cheerfulness through all the detail of a midfhipman's duty, infpired both into the feamen and the troops.

On the first of Auguft, the fleet fet fail fromSt.Helen's. In a few days hey came to anchor before Cher

bourg. The French had drawn a line ftrengthened by forts, along the most probable places for landing. They had drawn down three regiments of regular troops, and a confiderable body of militia to the fhore, and had in all appearance threatened a very refolute oppofition to the defcent of the English forces. But the Commodore difpofed the men of war and bomb ketches fo judiciously, and made fo fharp a fire upon the enemy, that they never ventured out of their entrenchments; fo that the landing was ef Aug. 6. fected in excellent order and with very little lofs. The French who made fo poor an oppofition to the landing, had ftill many advantages from the nature of the ground which they occupied; but they neglected them all; and abandoning by a moft fhameful despair their forts and lines on the coast, they fuffered the English to enter Cherbourg the day after the landing, without throwing the least obftacle in their way. It must be remembered too that the whole number of the English forces on this expedition, was rather short of 6000 men.

Cherbourg is on the land fide an open town; neither is it very ftrongly defended towards the fea. The harbour is naturally bad. But the place is well fituated, in the midft of the channel, for protecting the French, and annoying the Englifh commerce in time of war, and perhaps for facilitating an invafion on England itself. Monfieur Belidor the famous engineer, had demonftrated its importance, and propofed a plan for the improvement and defence of the harbour as well as for the fortifications of the town. This plan was approved

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and

and partly put in execution by the building of a mole, digging a bafon, and making fluices and flood gates with excellent materials and a vaft expence. The work had been for a confiderable time difcontinued; but in this expedition, that work of fo much ingenuity, charge, and labour, was totally destroyed. Whilft our humanity regrets the unhappy ncceffity of war, we cannot help thinking that the English nation was freed by the fuccefs of this expedition, from what might one day be caufe of no trivial alarms.

When this work of deftruction was over, all the veffels in the harbour burned, and hostages taken for the contributions levied on the town, the forces reim16th. barked, with great fpeed and fafety without any interruption from the enemy, and with the fame expedition, care and conduct, as they had been first landed; the army having continued ten days unmolested in France.

The nation exulted greatly in this advantage, efpecially as it almoft accompanied the news of our glorious fucceffes in America. Nothing was omitted to give the action its utmost eclat; the brafs cannon and mortars taken at Cherbourg, were drawn from Kenfington to the Tower, quite through the city, in great pomp and order, adorned with streamers Sep.16.attended by guards, drums, mufic, and whatever elfe might draw the attention of the vulgar. They who cenfured this proceffion as too oftentatious, did not confider how forcibly things of this nature ftrike upon ordinary minds, and how greatly they contribute to keep the people in good humour to fupport the many charges

and loffes that are incident to the moft fuccefsful war.

The fleet when it left Cherbourg, was driven to the coaft of England; but the troops were not difembarked; it was refolved, that the coaft of France fhould have no refpite; and accordingly they failed towards St. Malo, and landed in the bay of St. Lunar at a small diftance from the town of St. Malo. This choice of a place for landing, muft neceffarily have furprised all those who remembered upon what reafons the attempt against that place had been fo recently laid afide. There was no other object of fufficient confideration near it. The town was at leaft in as good a pofture of defence as it had been then; and the force which was to attack it had fince then been confiderably leffened. There is undoubtedly fomething very unaccountable, as well in the choice as in the whole conduct of this affair. The per fons in the principal commands, fhifted the blame from one to another. There is nothing more remote from our defign, than to fet up for judges in matters of this nature; or ungenerously to lean on any officer, who meaning well to the fervice of his country, by fome misfortune or mistake fails in fuch hazardous and intricate enterprifes. We fhall be fatisfied with relating the facts as they happened.

As foon as the troops were landed in the bay of St. Lunar, it became evident that the defign against St. Malo was utterly impracticable. Other projects were then propofed, but they all feemed equally liable to objection. Whilst they debated concerning a plan for their operations, the fleet was in

the

The fleet was feparated from the land forces; but it was ftill cafy to preferve a communication between them; and as no attack was yet apprehended, they made no fcruple to per.etrate farther into the country. In two days they arrived at the village of Matignon, having had feveral fkirmishes with fmall bodies of the enemy, who from time to time appeared on their flanks, and who always difappeared when they were brifkly encountered. By this time the Duke d'Aiguillon, Governor of Britanny, was advanced within fix miles of the English army, with a body of twelve battalions and fix fquadrons. of regular troops, and two regiments of militia. This determined the council of war to retreat; they wanted but three miles to the bay of St. Cas. But in this little march a confiderable time was confamed, and the French army was close upon them before they could be completely reimbarked. A very iteep hill formed a fort of amphitheatre about the bay of St. Cas, where the embarkation was making; but before the laft divifion, which confifted of all the grenadiers of the army, and the first regiment of guards, could get off, the French had marched down this hill, through an hollow way, and formed themselves in a long line against the few English troops

that remained. There remained in this exigency only the expedient of affuming a bold countenance, and attacking them with vigour. The bravery of our troops on this defperate occafion, was worthy of a better fortune. The hips and frigates feconded their efforts, and made a fevere fire upon the enemy. All was to no purpofe; their ammunition was at laft fpent; the enemies numbers prevailed; our little body attempted to retreat, but they fell into confufion, they broke, an horrible flaughter followed, many ran into the water and met their fate in that element. The fhore was covered with dead bodies. General Dury was drowned. Sir John Armitage a young volunteer of great fortune and hopes, was fhot through the head. Several officers, men of large fortune and confideration, fell. At length the firing of the frigates ceafed, and the French immediately gave quarter. About 400 were made prifoners, 600 were killed and wounded.

In the midft of this carnage, in the midst of a fire that flaggered the braveft feamen who managed the boats, Commodore Howe exhibited a noble example of intrepidity and fortitude, by ordering himself to be rowed in his own boat through the thickest of the fire, to encourage all that were engaged in that fervice, and to bring off as many men as his veffel could carry.

This affair difpirited the people of England, and clated the people of France far more than an affair of fo little confequence ought to have done. It was in fact no more than the cutting off a rear qurd. There is often more bloodshed in fkirmishes in Germany, which make no figure in the Gazettes.

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And certainly,

certainly, if our expeditions to the coaft of France were plannedwith any judgement, on our part we had rather reafon to congratulate ourselves that we were able to land three times on that coaft, with fo inconfiderable a lofs. The French indeed had reafon to magnify this lofs; and they did greatly magnify it in order to confole their people, who had feen their trade fuffer fo much, and their country fo long infulted with impunity.

Whatever our fucceffes were on the coaft of France, they did not affect us in the fame manner with thofe which we had in America. From this part of the world we had long been ftrangers to any thing, but delays, misfortunes, difappointments, and difgraces. But the fpirit which had been roufed at home, diffused itself into all parts of the world where we had any concern, and invigorated all our operations.

Admiral Boscawen with a powerful fleet of men of war and feveral tranfports, failed for Halifax from England Feb. the 19th. He had the chief command in the expedition against Louisbourg, and in particular the direction of the naval operations. General Amherst, from whofe character great things were expected, and who juftified thefe expectations, was to command the land forces. Thefe amounted to about 14000 men, including fome light troops, fitted for the peculiar fervice of the country. The whole fleet confifting of 151 fhips, fet fail from the harbour of Halifax. On the fecond of June they appeared before Louifbourg. They were fix days on the coaft before a landing was found practicable; fuch a prodigious furf fwelled all along the fhore, that no boat could

poffibly live near it. The French not trusting to this obstacle, had drawn entrenchments in every part where it might be poffible to land, fupported them with batteries in convenient places, and lined them with a numerous infantry. At length the furf though violent, at beft, was obferved. to be fomewhat abated, and June 8.

the Admiral and General did not lofe a moment to avail themselves of this first opportunity of landing; they made all their difpofitions for it with the highest judgement. They ordered the frigates towards the enemies right and left, to rake them on their flanks. Then the troops were difpofed for landing in three divifions. That on the left was commanded by General Wolfe, and was deftined to the real attack. The divifions in the center to the right, were only defigned for feigned attacks to draw the enemies attention to all parts, and to distract their defence.

When the fire of the frigates continued about a quarter of an hour, General Wolfe's divifion moved towards the land; the enemy referved their fhot until the boats were near in fhore, and then directed the whole fire of their cannon and mufquetry upon them. The furf aided their fire. Many of the boats overfet, many were broke to pieces, the men jumped into the water, fome were killed, fome drowned; the reft fupported and encouraged in all difficulties, by the example, fpirit, and conduct of their truly gallant commander, gained the fhore, took poft, fell upon the enemy with fuch order and refolution, that they foon obliged them to fly in confufion. As focn as this poft was made good, the center moved towards

the