tion was not, however, figned, patil the 14th in the morning, when the fort was given up, and the garrifon furrendered prifoners of war. This furrender, which appeared inevitable, was however attended with circumftances which rendered it exceedingly vexatious. For Major General Campbell had marched from Penfacola, with (as the Spaniards fay) 1100 regular forces, and fome artillery, for its relief; and was besides accompa nied by fome Talapuche Indians; a people, who being exceffively ferocious and cruel, and the inveterate and mortal enemies of the Spaniards, are by them regarded with a very peculiar dread and horror. The van of Campbell's force was arrived within fight of the Spanish camp, at. the very inftant that the fort was furrendered and they accordingly used the utmost expedition in taking poffeffion of, and covering them felves with the works, under the ftrong apprehenfion of an immediate attack. De Galvez boafted, that the British forces in the field and garrifon were fuperior in numbers to his own; and did not fcruple openly to declare, that, with the fmallest activity and vivacity in their works, the latter. might have made good the defence, until the arrival of the fuccour. : It seems upon the whole face of the affair, as it appears at prefent, that the lieutenant-governor had not, from the beginning, the fmallest idea of any attempt being made for the relief of the place; and that he accordingly, from the first appearance of the enemy, confidered its lofs as a matter of courfe and inevitable neceffity. The regular force was certainly fuch, as to give little encouragement to a very vigorous defence. Thus the province of West Florida, with a weak and divided force, was reduced piecemeal, without its being able any where to make that effectual refiftance, which might have been expected, if it had been concentered in fome one good point of defence. During thefe tranfactions on the continent of America, the Spaniards fent out fo great a force to join the French in the Weft Indies, as feemed fufficient to change the whole fortune of the war in that quarter, and to threat the British fleets and islands with the most imminent danger. In the latter part of April, Don 18th. Jofeph Solano failed from Cadiz upon that fervice, with 12 fail of the line, and feveral frigates, which convoyed a fleet of 83 tranfports, having eight regiments of Spanish infantry, of two battalions each, and a confiderable train of artillery, on board; the whole land force, including 100 engineers, amounting to 11,460 effective men. The island of Jamaica was generally fuppofed to be the great object in view; to facilitate the reduction of which, the giving of a decifive blow to Rodney by the way, would have been an ufeful, if not neceffary preliminary. It feemed to happen fortunately, that the Cerberus frigate, Capt. Mann, having fallen in with the Spanish fleet at fea, and that officer judging rightly of their deftination, from their courfe and other circumftances, he with great propriety confidered, that the pub-. lic utility, and the importance of the object, should fuperfede, or fupply the defects of, at leaft, general orders, and that no object of his cruize could poffibly ftand in any degree of comparative value, with the proper application of that knowledge, which he had now accidentally acquired; he accordingly, inftantly proceeded, with the utmost expedition, to the Weft Indies, in order to communicate the intelligence to Sir George Rodney. That commander, who was then at Carlisle Bay in the island of Barbadoes, whither, we have formerly fhewn, he had repaired, after his laft action with, and long purfuit of M. de Guichen, in order to victual, water, and refit his fleet, upon receiving this intelligence by the Cerberus, ufed the utmoft diligence in putting to fea, in order to intercept the Spanish fleet and convoy, before they could join the French, who were then in Fort-Royal Bay, Martinique, and had not yet recovered the effects of the late rough encounters. Nothing could have been more happy, fignal, or decifive in its confequences, than this defign, if it had taken effect. But the views and hopes of the British commander were fruftrated, through the caution of the Spanish admiral. Had he proceeded directly to Fort-Royal Bay, which was his object, and the appointed place of rendezvous to all his fquadron and convoy, he could fcarcely have avoided falling in with the British fleet, and the event would not admit of a doubt. But Don Solano, apprehensive, though not informed of the danger, prudently ftopped fhort, on his approach to the nearest islands, and dispatched an expeditious failing frigate, to in- form M. de Guichen of his fituation, and to require a fpecdy junction of the fleets where he then was. The French commander immediately failed from Martinique, with 18 fhips of the line, being all that were yet in readinefs, and keeping close to leeward of the inlands, June 10. joined the Spaniards under Dominique. The combined fleets, when all united, amounted to no less than 36 fail of the line; which, with their combined land forces, formed fuch an apparent fuperiority, as nothing in thofe feas or islands, feemed at all capable of refifting. The danger of Jamaica appeared to be great indeed; and the other iflands, which are called leeward, from their fituation with refpect to Europe and North America, though windward with respect to that, could fcarcely hope for any other fecurity, than what might arife from the pursuit of a greater object. But it happened fortunately for the British interest, that this great hoftile force, carried within itself the fources of inefficacy, weakness, and decay. The Spanish troops being too much crowded on board their tranfports, that circumftance operating with the length of the voyage, the change of climate and diet, and above all, with their peculiar lazinefs, and want of cleanlinefs, the whole of those combined caufes generated a moft mortal and contagious diforder, which firft infecting their own feamen, at length fpread, though not entirely with fo fatal an effect, through the French fleet and land forces. forces. Befides a great mortality on the paffage, the Spaniards had landed no less than 1200 fick, on their first arrival, at Dominique, and a much greater number afterwards, at Guadaloupe and Martinique. Thus, the fpirit of enterprize was not only damped, but fome part of the means were taken away, This in part accounts for their not having taken all the advantages against us, that was dreaded from the junction of the fleets but it does by no means clear the matter fufficiently. It has been faid, that the Spanish admiral had no orders to co-operate in any offenfive meafures with the French. This is not the only instance, in which the want of concert between thofe allies has faved Great Britain. : Sir George Rodney, upon the junction of the enemy's fleets, retired to Grofs-Iflet Bay, in St. Lucia, where he was equally well fituated, for obferving their motions, for counteracting, fo far as he was able, their defigns with refpect to the other islands, when ever they fhould become manifeft; and for felf-defence, if their fuperiority fhould prompt them to venture upon an attack. The air and refreshments of the French iflands, did not produce the good effects with refpect to the Spanith fick, or in reftraining the progrefs and violence of the diforder, which had been expected, or were even ufual, in fuch cafes, The diftemper was little lefs contagious or fatal than a peftilence; and if the mortality was apparent ly leffened, it feemed only to be reftrained by the decreafed number of the victims. In thefe diftreffing circumftances, the Spanish commanders re-embarked their people, and the combined fleets proceeded, before the middle of July, with the Spanish convoy to the weftward. It appeared afterwards, that M. de Guichen, having efcorted the Spaniards as far as the island of St. Domingo, and knowing there was no enemy in the way, he left them to proceed fingly to the Havanna, while he put in himself at Cape François. In the mean time, Commodore Walfingham had arrived from England at St. Lucia, with a few fhips of the line, and four regiments under his convoy for Jamaica. The commander in chief, who was in the dark as to the defigns of the enemy, but informed of their departure from FortRoyal, failed with the whole fleet, as well to obferve their motions, as to fee the convoy well on their way. Being foon fatisfied as to the immediate deftination of the enemy, he difpatched Admiral Rowley, along with Mr. Walfingham and the convoy,' to Jamaica; thefe commanders taking ten fail of the line along with them, to reinforce Sir Peter Parker, and thereby infure the fecurity of that ifland. Sir George Rodney kept the remainder of the fleet, in order to obferve the future motions of the enemy, and to cover the Leeward Inlands. The fickness among the Spaniards, with the apparent want of concert between the fleets, went far beyond, in their confequences, the immediate fcene, and near views of action. In a word, they were the means of overthrowing the whole fcheme and defign of the campaign, not in the Weft Indies only, but in North Ame rica likewife; and feemed to change, in no small degree, the fortune and nature of the war. France had defigns for the earlier part of the campaign in the Weft Indies, in which the cooperation of Spain would be neceffary. She concerted another with the Americans, which was to take place, on their fide, in the latter; and both together went to the direct annihilation (and with a very fufficiently apparent force for the purpofe) of the British power, in both parts of the new world. The fuccefs of the fcheme was founded upon many ftrong grounds of hope and expectation; but like all complex machines, it was liable to be difordered in the whole, by the failure only of fome of its parts. It was expected, that the great fuperiority of the combined fleets would have enabled them, without much lofs or damage, entirely to crush the British naval force in the West Indies; that, with the great land force, which it was fuppofed would be in their hands, the reduction of Jamaica would not be an object of much dificulty or delay; that fome or all of the fmaller iflands would follow of courfe; but that, without spending too much time upon leffer matters, M. de Guichen fhould proceed with his whole force to the coafts of North America, where, being joined by Ternay's fresh fhips, and Rocham beau's fresh troops, they fhould, in concert with Washington, at tack New York by fea and land. As the Americans would ftrain every nerve on the occafion, no doubt of fuccefs in that part of the design could be entertained; and the reduction of Lord Corn wallis's forces, with the driving of the British finally from the continent, were confidered only as matters of courfe. It was undoubtedly in confequence, and for the rounding and completion of this fcheme, that preparations were made by the Americans for a winter expedition to Canada, the conduct of which was to be committed to the Marquis de la Fayette. That officer published accordingly a preparatory memorial addreffed to the French Canadians, and calling upon them by all the antient ties of allegiance, blood, religion, and country, as well as by the natural and fervent defire of recovering their own freedom, to be in preparation to aflift, join, and fupport him upon his arrival; but holding out all the feverities of war, and all the terrors of military execution, to thofe, if any fuch there could be, who blindly perverfe to their own interefts, and forgetful of all those ties and duties, fhould in any manner oppofe the arms, or impede the generous defigns of their deliverers. The failure, with refpect to the great objects of the defign, occafioned the laying by for the present of this detached part. It is not to be wondered at, that the near contemplation of fuch vaft objects, and the flattering light in which they appeared, fhould wonderfully elevate the fpirits of the Americans, and greatly invigorate their measures and counfels. Washington's army was accordingly recruited and filled up with fuch diligence, that it was faid to exceed 20,000 men ; and the northern provinces were in readiness to fend their militia, and But it was impoffible that any judgment formed at a distance, could interfere with M. de Guichen's knowledge of the state and condition of his own force. Befides the ficklinefs of his people, he was fenfible that his fhips had fuffered fo much by long fervice in the West Indies, as well as in the feveral engagements, that they were not by any means in a condition to encounter, either the roughness of the fervice or of the climate, which they must neceffarily undergo in the North American campaign. This knowledge, and the determination founded upon it, were, however, ftrictly referved to himself, or to those in his immediate confidence. And when he took a great convoy from the French islands under his protection, it was still thought or expected on all hands, that as foon as he had feen them fo far on their way as to be out of danger, he would then proceed to the coat of America, for the accomplishment of the projected enterprize. But that coinmander proceeded directly to Europe with his fleet and convoy; and the bad ftate of his fhips, when he arrived at Cadiz, fufficiently juftified his conduct. Nothing was ever more galling to the Americans than this difappointment. It is even faid, that Washington himself, could not entirely preferve that command of countenance, and equanimity of temper, by both of which he is fo much diftinguished. All the views of France and America, with refpect to the campaign, were now finally fhut up; and the force fent by the former to Rhode Island, with a view of general co-operation, was now reduced to act only upon the defenfive as a garrifon. Undoubtedly, Great Britain had a wonderful escape from the dangers of the prefent campaign; and the island of Jamaica has experienced a fingular fortune, in the various hair-bredth rifques, which fhe has encountered during the war. Through all this courfe of tranfaction, the Admirals Arbuth not and Graves, kept the French fquadron as clofely blockaded at Rhode Island, as the advantage derived from the occafional shelter of fome neighbouring islands could afford, and the uncertainty of the winds and feas would admit. In the mean time, Sir George Rodney being aware of the original defign against New York; and apprehenfive that both the Britih land and naval force would be entirely overwhelmed by the vaft fuperiority of the enemy, as foon as he had received certain intelligence of the departure of M. de Guichen from Cape Francois, immediately failed himself, with eleven capital fhips, and four frigates, to their fuppofed affiftance and relief. Although he Sept. 14 found, foon after his arrival at New York, that this effort of zeal for the public fervice, which had arifen from the fpur of the occafion, might have been difpenfed with; yet he difcovered in the end, that he had no caufe to |