Philippines? The preceding war, 1739-1748, had been substantially
inconclusive on the chief points at issue, because European questions
intervening had diverted the attention of both France and Great Britain
from America and from India; and the exhaustion of both had led to a
perfunctory compact, in which the underlying contention was
substantially ignored in order to reach formal agreement. That the
French conquest of Madras, in India, was yielded in exchange for
Louisburg and Cape Breton Island, which the American colonists had won
for England, typifies concisely the _status quo_ to which both parties
were willing momentarily to revert, while they took breath before the
inevitable renewal of the strife, with added fury, a few years later;
but then upon its proper scene, the sea and the over-sea regions in
dispute.

In this great arbitrament Hawke was at once called forth to play his
part. In 1754 diplomatic contention had become acrimonious, and various
events showed that the moment of open conflict was approaching. The
squadron in India was then considerably increased. In the beginning of
1755 Hawke was again afloat to command the Channel Fleet, the operations
of which extended ordinarily from the Channel, over the Bay of Biscay,
to Cape Finisterre. A naval force was collecting at the same time at
Portsmouth, under Boscawen, to counteract the preparations the French
were known to be making in North America. It sailed soon afterwards,
with orders to intercept a squadron convoying reinforcements for
Canada; and on the 8th of June two of these ships were captured off the
mouth of the St. Lawrence, the remainder escaping under cover of a fog.
In July Hawke went out, with instructions to take any French
ships-of-the-line that he might meet; and in August he was further
directed to send into port French ships of every kind, merchant and
other, that he might encounter. Before the end of the year three hundred
trading vessels, valued at $6,000,000, had been thus seized. War had not
yet been declared, but the captured vessels were held, as on other
occasions before and after, as hostages to await the settlement of
existing difficulties.

The French government protested of course, and recalled its ambassador,
but it did not proceed to formal hostilities. A great stroke was in
preparation at Toulon, which could be covered for a while by diplomatic
correspondence, coupled with angry demonstrations on the Atlantic and
Channel