56] 
It seemed like some sudden enchant- 
ment; but it proved real; for they 
used us like part of their own fa- 
mily or children which had been 
long absent, and now returned; 
and omitted nothing that could con- 
tribute toeither our easeor pleasure. 
The greatest part of our soldiers 
left Bremenwith muchregret. The 
generous and elegant entertainment 
we met with there, far exceeded 
any thing we ever experienced be- 
fore, or, I may venture say, ever 
will again. A great number ac- 
companied us out of town, and 
shewed every possible respect.’ 
The British troops began to em- 
bark on board the transports on the 
14th of April, at the mouth of a 
creek near Bremen lake. The 
whole fleet, with the convoy, was 
upwards of two hundred sail. On 
the 24th, it cleared the mouth of the 
Weser. The ships were tossed about 
and driven far to the northward of the 
due course by tempestuous weather. 
The Greeks who returned, under Xe- 
nophon, from an unsuccessful andhard 
expedition into Asia, were not more 
transported at the sight of the Ionian 
Sea, than the Brirish soldiers, when 
on the twenty-seventh, being off the 
coast of Northumberland and Dur- 
‘ham, they espied the Cheviot-hills. 
The fleet, the weather becoming 
favourable, steered southward to- 
wards the Nore, when it part- 
éd into different divisions: ene 
bound for Harwich, one for Green. 
wich, and one tor Portsmouth. 
They all arrived safely at the places 
of their respective destinations. 
During these transa¢tions in the 
seven provinces, the French armies 
on the Rhine were preparing to be- 
siege the city of Mentz, the only 
place of importance remaining to 
the empire on the left bank of that 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1795. 
river. They. hoped, that by effect- 
ing its reduction before the setting 
in cf winter, their hands would be 
at liberty for the pursuit of those 
vast schemes of conquest they had 
projected in Germany. Relying 
on the discontents frequently ex- 
pressed among the inferior classes, 
they flattered themselves that an the 
appearance of their armies on the 
right side of the Rhine, the sub- 
jects of the petty principalities in 
Germany woud be tempted to 
throw off the joke of their masters, 
and join them; or would at least 
compel their rulers to remain nevier, 
and leave the House of Austria to 
the sole defence of its own people, 
among whom a spirit of dissa'istac- 
tion was well kno vn to prevail. 
Induced by these motives, the 
French government dire¢ted its 
commanders, on the confines of 
Germany, to proceed towards Man- 
heim ; the reduétion of which would 
open an entrance into the interior 
parts of the empire, facilitate the 
taking of Mentz, by diverting the 
attention of the:r enem:es, and pre- 
venting them from affording it re- 
lief. They laid seige, accordingly, 
to that strong forc on the Rhine 
which covered that city; and it 
surrendered to the French on the 
twenty-fourth of December. Impa. 
tient to become masters of Mentz, 
in the same manner, they made three 
assaults on the fort of Zahlback, in 
its neighbourhood; but were re. 
ulsed with considerable loss. This 
check completely retarded their 
operations till the ensuing spring ; 
as it was found impraé¢ticable to form 
a regular siege of so strong a place 
as Mentz, until the severity of the 
winter was over. 
The possession of Holland had, 
in the mean while, filled’the French 
with 
