983] ANNUAL REGISTER, 1797. 
squadron before the town would 
not molest it. On the governor’s 
replying to this message, by requi- 
ring that they should surrender pri- 
soners of war; captain Hood an- 
swered, that he was directed to tell 
him, that if the terms he had prof- 
fered were not instantly accepted, 
the town would be fired, and the 
English attack the Spaniards at the 
point of the bayonet. On this 
resolute declaration, the governor 
thought, it prudent to comply with 
-the terms offered to him, and 
captain Trowbridge marched with 
his men, colours flying, to the 
head of the Mole, where they em- 
barked in their remaining boats, 
and in others furnished by the Spa- 
niards. The humane and generous 
behaviour of the Spanish governor, 
Don Juan Antonio Gutturez, on this 
occasion, well deserves to be com- 
memorated. As soon as the terms 
were agreed to, he directed the 
wounded English to be received 
into the hospitals, and the others 
to be supplied with alf the provi- 
sions that could be procured, and 
gave permission to the ships to send 
ashore and purchase the refresh- 
ments they wanted, while they re- 
mained off the island. — 
In this manner, terminated an 
unfortunate expedition, which cost 
the lives of numbers of the bravest 
men in this squadron. Among the 
wounded was admiral Nelson, who 
Jost his right arm. Never did the 
policy of courts exercise a severer 
sway over the real interests of na- 
tions, than when the Spanish nation, 
capable still of the noblest senti- 
ments, was dragged, against its 
will, into a war with another na- 
tion, equally generous, and also its 
most natural ally and friend. ‘The 
igoffensive manner in which the 
Spaniards waged war with Englands 
on the whole, chiefly by manifestoes 
and military preparations, unequi- 
vocally pointed to the real source 
from whence their declaration of 
war, against Britain, sprung. Ifthe © 
Spanish admiral had not been sens 
sible, that there was no real animo- 
sity or rancour in the breasts of his 
countrymen, against the English, 
he would neither have dared, nor 
been inclined, to let them go so 
well way. ‘ 
The great victory of the fourteentis 
of February had, intirely, disconcert- 
ed the plan of operations formed by 
the three allied powers. The hope 
of uniting, into one body, the fleets 
of France, Spain, and Holland, was 
now frustrated, and it remained for 
the Batavian republic to second 
the designs of the French, in the 
manner they had proposed. The 
naval preparations in Holland were 
extraordinary, and far surpassed any 
that had been made since the grand 
alliances against France, at the close 
of the last, and the beginning of 
the present century, Though not 
so numerous as the Spanish fleet, 
lately defeated, it was incomparably 
better manned. Both the officers 
and ships companies were excellent 
seamen, and no doubt was enters 
tained that the contest, between 
them and the English, would be 
extremely obstinate. The remem- 
brance of the many hard fought 
battles between the English gad 
the Dutch, in former days, and of 
the several successes obtained by 
these, was studiouslyrevivedthrough- 
out the several provinces. Europe 
itself was disposed to look upon. the 
Dutch as more formidable rivals, at 
sea, to the English than the French, 
whose character for. naval skill and 
prowess was decidedly considered 
as 
