diate fervice; even, thefe on his reviewing them, with a 1778. feaman's eye, gave him no peculiar pleasure. The paucity and condition of both men and fhips was not more alarming, than the deficiency of all kinds of naval stores was lamentable; but the admiral acted with fuch prudence and caution, as to prevent that increase of the public alarm, that a display of these circumstances must have occafioned. He urged his private applications to the admiralty, with such affiduity and effect, that a new spirit and unufual degree of vigor were fuddenly feen to pervade the naval department; and fuch industry was used, that beside dispatching the twelve fhips for America under Byron, he was enabled to take the feas with a fleet of twenty fail of the line, at the time already mentioned. He had scarcely arrived at his station in the Bay of Bifcay, when two French frigates, with two fmaller veffels, appeared in fight, and were evidently taking a furvey of the fleet. War had not been declared, nor reprisals ordered but it was neceffary to stop these frigates, as well to obtain intelligence, as to prevent its being conveyed. A general signal for chafing was made: a ship June of the line got at length along fide of the Licorne of 17 32 guns; on her firing a gun, the Frenchman ftood to her and was brought into the fleet. Mean while, the other French frigate, La Belle Poule, of twenty-fix heavy twelve pounders, befide feveral others of lighter metal, with a schooner of ten guns in company, were closely pursued by the Arethufa frigate of only twenty-eight fix pounders, and the Alert cutter, till out of fight of the, fleet. The Arethufa getting up with her chafe, capt. Marfball requested the French officer, lieutenant Chadeau de la Clocheterie, to bring to, and acquainted him with

*778. the orders for conducting him to the admiral. A compliance being refufed, the captain fired a fhot acrofs the Belle Poule, which fhe inftantly returned, by pouring her whole broadfide into the Arethufa. A defperate engagement enfued with unufual warmth and animofity for aboye two hours, each fide vying with the utmost degree of national emulation to obtain the palm of victory, in this first action and opening of a new war. The Belle Poule had the fuperiority not only in weight of metal, but in number of men. The Arethufa was fo fhattered, that he became almoft unmanageable, as there was little wind. The captain was obliged to act with the more caution, as he was upon the French coaft, and clofe on fhore at midnight. The Belle Poule having her head in with the land, and meeting with no further interruption from the Arethufa, embraced the opportunity of ftanding into a small bay, During the fore part of this action, the engagement was no lefs warm between the Alert cutter and French schoonér. Their force was about equal. The conteft was well fupported for upward of an hour, when the fchooner was compelled to ftrike, Next morning an unexpected movement made by the Licorne, occafioned one of the convoy to fire a fhot acrofs her way, as a signal for keeping her course, when to the astonishment of admiral Keppel and the whole feet, fhe fuddenly poured her whole broad-fide, accompanied with a general difcharge of mufketry, into the America of 74 guns, at the inftant lord Longford her commander was ftanding upon the gunwale, and talking in terms of the utmost politeness to the French captain. The frigate inftantly ftruck her colours, as foon as she had difcharged her fire. Only four of the America's

people were wounded. Notwithstanding the provoca- 1778

command of his temper
Another French frigate

tion, lord Longford had fuch
as not to return a fingle shot.
falling in with the fleet, was detained by the admiral
under the plea of hoftility committed by the Licorne;
but feveral French merchantmen were fuffered to pafs
through the fleet unmolefted. The capture of the
French frigates afforded the admiral a fource of the most
critical and alarming information. He was now within
fight of Ufhant, when he discovered to his aftonish
ment, that the French fleet in Breft road and Breft
water amounted to 32 fhips of the line, befide 10 or 12
frigates, while his own force confifted only of 20 of the
former, and three of the latter. The odds between the
two fleets was fo vaft, that he could not justify risking
an action, which might prove fatal to the kingdom. But
it gave him the greateft uneafinefs, to find himself
obliged to turn his back on France. The French no
fooner determined to take a decided part with the Ame
ricans, than they affiduoufly applied themselves to the
getting of their navy into the utmoft forwardness for
actual service; and had proceeded with fuch profound
fecrecy, that the ftrength of it had not tranfpired so as
to reach the British miniftry, who appear to have been
wanting in procuring good and early intelligence; which
was a matter of fo much importance in the eftimation of
the French, that they ufed every mean for obtaining it.
The Breft fleet lay ready for failing; and was only de-
tained till the deftination of admiral Byron's force could
be afcertained at Paris.

On the return of the British fleet to Portsmouth, the June admiral's conduct was branded with the most opprobrious 27.

1778. terms, and afcribed to the moft difgraceful motives, and his general character treated with the most indecent fcurrility, in thofe publications which he confidered as under the immediate direction of the minifters. He bore all with wonderful temper; made no complaints; preffed forward the preparations for his return to fea, without noise or parade; and fubmitted to all the unmerited reproach thrown upon him, without being provoked to a justification, which, by the narration of the fact, must have criminated the firft lord of the admiralty. The feasonable arrival of the two first of the British West India fleets, and of the Levant trade, brought in a fupply of feamen, at the moft critical period in which they could have been wanted. By this mean and the exertions every where ufed by the admiJuly ralty, Keppel was enabled to put again to sea, on the 9th 9. of July, with 24 fhips of the line, and was joined on the way by fix more: he had also an addition of one frigate and two fire fhips. made use of the engagement with the Belle Poule and the taking of the other frigates, as the oftenfible ground for iffuing out orders for a reprifal on British ships, and the ordinance figned the 28th of March, was immediately published. Similar measures were pursued in Great Britain, when the account of these transactions was received, Thus nothing of war was wanting between the two nations excepting the formality of the declaration.

Mean while the French king

The force and deftination of admiral Byron being at length made certain to the French miniftry, orders were fent to the Breft fleet to proceed to fea. They instantly weighed anchor, and failed the day preceding the departure of the British fleet from Portsmouth. They

amounted to 32 fhips of the line and a cloud of frigates, 1778. and were divided into three fquadrons, the whole under the command of the count D'Orvilliers, who was affifted in his own particular division, by admiral the count de Guichen. The fecond was commanded by the count Duchaffault, affifted by Monfieur de Rochechovart; and the third by the duke of Chartres, a prince of the blood, feconded by admiral the count de Graffe. The duke was fent on board by the court to animate the fleet, and to intimate the greatnefs of the objects propofed, and how much reliance was placed on the courage and exertions of the officers and feamen. The British fleet was alfo thrown into three divifions, the van being commanded by Sir Robert Harland, and the rear by Sir Hugh Pallifer. The commander in chief, with the centre divifion, was affisted by the voluntary services of admiral Campbell, a brave and experienced officer, who from ancient friendship and a long participation of danger and fervice, condefcended to act as first captain in Keppel's own fhip the Victory. The two fleets came in fight of each other on the 23d in the afternoon. From the movements of the French admiral, it was inferred that he had no knowledge of the increase of Keppel's ftrength: but confidered his fleet as being in number the fame as when on its ftation before Breft. He appeared difpofed to bring on an immediate action: but when the fleets approached fo near, as to difcover each other's force, he apparently relinquished that determination, and continued afterward to evade, with great caution and knowledge in his profeffion, all thofe endeavours which were used on the other fide to bring on an engagement. Through a fresh gale and a change of wind

23.