4 1 



fitted out in the northern ports of France. The great expedition 

 under Admiral Conslans sailed out of Brest harbour on the 14th 

 November, 1759, but it was not fated to reach our shores, Sir 

 Edward Hawke having completely broken its strength in the en- 

 gagement off Belleisle. It was known in this country that M. 

 Thurot had been placed in command of a small French squadron, 

 also for invasion purposes, and that he was lying in the harbour of 

 Dunkirk, waiting for an opportunity of evading the watchfulness of 

 Commodore Boys, who was blockading him there. On the 5 th of 

 October, 1759, Thurot managed to carry his squadron out of Dun- 

 kirk, in the midst of a severe gale; he arrived at Ostend the 

 next day, and then bore away, through stress of weather, for 

 Gottenberg, in Sweden. Thurot's squadron consisted of five fri- 

 gates, The Marshall Belleisle, La Blonde, Terpsichore, Amaranthe, 

 and the Begon, along with two cutters. 



The ships carried, in addition to their own complement of sailors, 

 1,270 soldiers, volunteer drafts from the king's guards, and other 

 regiments, under the command of General de Flobert. Severe 

 weather confined Thurot to Gottenberg for more than a month, 

 and immediately after sailing, a storm scattered his vessels ; the 

 Begon and cutters are heard of no more, and with four frigates he 

 is glad to take shelter in Bergen, in Norway. 



After leaving Bergen, Thurot's ships were driven about for up- 

 wards of ten weeks, in mid winter, among the rocks and mists of 

 the northern and western shores of Scotland, till on the 16th of 

 February, 1760, the expedition arrived in a shattered condition off 

 the island of Islay, where fresh provisions were purchased for the 

 starving crews, many of the soldiers and sailors having already died 

 from the hardships of the voyage. Shortly- before arriving at Islay, 

 the Amaranthe frigate had separated from her companions, and 

 made the best of her way to France, arriving at St. Malo on Feb. 

 17 th, with her ship's company almost dead with fatigue, hunger, 

 and thirst. After leaving Islay, Thurot, with his three remaining 

 ships, made direct for the Irish coast, and, on the morning of 

 Thursday, the 21st February, cast anchor close to Carrickfergus. 



Here a difference of opinion took place between Thurot and 



