A. D. 1781. 699 



while lying at anchor, and they aflerted, that the total deftrudtion of his 

 fleet, which muft be inevitable, would at once ruin the naval power of 

 Great Britain, and put an end to the war. But it was contended by 

 others, that the Britifh fhips were fo ported that they muft have a very 

 great advantage over thofe of the combined fleet, the ihips of which 

 could only follow each-other in a line, whereby each one muft be ex- 

 pofed fingly to the fire of many of the enemy'.s fliips ; and that the cap- 

 ture of fuch a large merchant fleet, which, there could be no doubt, 

 muft fall into their hands, an unrefifting prey, would be a much fcverer 

 blow upon the refources of Great Britain. The later plan was adopted, 

 and they drew off" from Torbay, leaving Admiral Darby at liberty to 

 proceed to fea, thus exhibiting an additional proof of the inefficiency 

 almoft infeparable from the operations of confederated forces. But, be- 

 fore he left Torbay, it pleafed the Almighty to emplov the elements to 

 fight for the prefervation of the Britifli commerce more elfedually than 

 any human force could have done. In the beginning of .September the 

 weather became fo ftormy, that the combined fleets, which were in 

 many refpecls in very bad condition, and crowded with fick men, were 

 obliged to abandon their towering hopes of deftroying the maritime 

 power, or the commerce, of Great Britain, and feek for fafety in their 

 own ports. And thus the French and Spaniards, after having a fecond 

 time filled the entrance of our channel with fleets, which feemed to 

 defy all power of refiftance, returned home, without accompliffiing the 

 fmalleft objed of advantage to thcmielves, and on the prelent occafion 

 without fo much as taking a fingle prize. The whole of the Weft- India 

 fleet, which was fo providentially detained later than was expeclcd, ar- 

 rived fafe in a few weeks after. 



September 23'' — At a meeting of the proprietors of bank ftock it was 

 determined to raife their dividends from Jive and a half to fix per cent, and 

 alfo to make an addition of eight per cent to their capital ftock by four 

 inftallmcnts, to be completed by the 15'" of February 1782, whereby the 

 capital of the bank was increated from ;^ 10,7 So, 000 to ^(^i 1,642,400. 



November 26'" — The marquis de Bouille with about 300 foldiers, at- 

 tended by three frigates, and fome Imall vellels .as tranlports, landed at 

 an unguarded bay in S'. Euftathius, i'urpriled Colonel Coekburn with 

 his garrilou of 723 men, and imniediately got pofll-fiion of the illand. 

 The marquis that fame day rertored the Dutch inhabitants to the civil 

 government of the ifland, and allhred them, that the French fliould keep 

 jjoflcllion, only till a Dutch garrifon could arrive to take charge of the 

 ilkmd, which he had reconquered nuMcly in hieudlliip to ihem. He alfo 

 reftored a large fum of money, which was found in the government 

 houfe, to fuch of the inhabitants as could jirove their right 10 it. — 

 The ifland of S'. Martin followed the fate of S'. Euftathius now. as it 

 had done in the beginning of the year. And thus ended our tranhiory 

 pofleflion of thofe iflands. 



■• 4T 2 



