ENGLAND. , 23? 



About the close of this year a war with Holland commenced, in, 

 consequence of the clandestine commerce carried on between the 

 Dutch and the Americans ; it was prosecuted with great vigour; and 

 that republic soon suffered a Very severe blow in the loss of the isl- 

 and of St Eustatius, which was taken by the English on the 2d of 

 February, 1781. 



On the 5th of August, the same year, an engagement was fought 

 between an English squadron of ships of war, under the command 

 of admiral Hyde Parker, and a Dutch squadron under the command 

 of admiral Zoutman, off the Dogger Bank. Both the contending 

 squadrons fought with great gallantry, and by both the victory was 

 claimed. 



The war continued to be prosecuted with various success ; the 

 French made themselves masters of the island of Tobago; and the 

 Spaniards of Pensacola, and the whole province of West Florida, 

 with little effectual resistance. 



On the first of March, 1782, after repeated struggles in the house 

 of commons, the house addressed the king, requesting him to put a 

 stop to any further prosecution of the war against the American co- 

 lonies. This was a most important event : it rendered a change of 

 measures and of councils absolutely necessary, and diffused univer- 

 sal joy throughout the kingdom. 



Peace every day became more desirable to the nation. A series of 

 losses agitated the minds of the people. January 14th, 1782, the 

 French took Nevis. On the 5th of February the island of Minorca 

 surrendered to the Spaniards; and on the 13th of the same month 

 the island of St. Christopher's was given up to the French. The va- 

 luable island of Jamaica would soon probably have shared the same 

 fate, had not the British fleet, under admiral Rodney, fallen in with 

 that of the French under the count de Grasse, in their way to join 

 the Spanish fleet at St. Domingo. The van of the French was too 

 far advanced to support the centre, and a signal victory was obtained 

 over them. 



May 18, the Bahama islands surrendered to the Spaniards; but the 

 credit of the British arms was well sustained at Gibraltar, under ge- 

 neral Elliott, the governor ; and the formidable attack, on the 13th of 

 September, with floating batteries of 212 brass cannon, See. in ships 

 from 1400 to 600 tons burthen, ended in disappointment, and the de- 

 struction of all the ships and most of the assailants in them. The 

 garrison was relieved by lord Howe in the month of October, who of- 

 fered battle to the combined force of France and Spain, though 

 twelve sail of the line inferior. The military operations after this 

 were few, and of little consequence. 



By the treaty of peace between Great Britain and France, the pre= 

 liminaries of which were signed January 20, 1783, Great Britain 

 ceded to France all her possessions before the war, the islands of 

 Tobago, St. Lucia, St. Pierre, Miquelon, and Goree ; with Pondi- 

 cherry, Karical, Mahe, Chandernagore, and Surat, in the East Indies, 

 which had been conquered from the French during the war. France, 

 on the other hand, restored to Great Britain the islands of Grenada, 

 and the Grenadines, St. Christopher's, St. Vincent, Dominica, Nevis, 

 and Montserat. 



By the treaty with Spain, Great Britain gave up to that power 

 East Florida, and also ceded West Florida and Minorca, which Spain 

 had taken during the war, Spain agreed to restore the islands of 



