opinions as to the influence of Sea Power on the
American contest 397

CHAPTER XI.

MARITIME WAR IN EUROPE, 1779-1782.

Objectives of the allied operations in Europe 401
Spain declares war against England 401
Allied fleets enter the English Channel, 1779 402
Abortive issue of the cruise 403
Rodney sails with supplies for Gibraltar 403
Defeats the Spanish squadron of Langara and relieves the place 404
The allies capture a great British convoy 404
The armed neutrality of the Baltic powers, 1780 405
England declares war against Holland 406
Gibraltar is revictualled by Admiral Derby 407
The allied fleets again in the Channel, 1781 408
They retire without effecting any damage to England 408
Destruction of a French convoy for the West Indies 408
Fall of Port Mahon, 1782 409
The allied fleets assemble at Algesiras 409
Grand attack of the allies on Gibraltar, which fails, 1782 410
Lord Howe succeeds in revictualling Gibraltar 412
Action between his fleet and that of the allies 412
Conduct of the war of 1778 by the English government 412
Influence of Sea Power 416
Proper use of the naval forces 416

CHAPTER XII.

EVENTS IN THE EAST INDIES, 1778-1781.--SUFFREN SAILS FROM BREST
FOR INDIA, 1781.--HIS BRILLIANT NAVAL CAMPAIGN IN THE INDIAN SEAS,
1782, 1783.

Neglect of India by the French government 419
England at war with Mysore and with the Mahrattas 420
Arrival of the French squadron under Comte d'Orves 420
It effects nothing and returns to the Isle of France 420
Suffren sails from Brest with five ships-of-the-line, 1781 421
Attacks an English squadron in the Cape Verde Islands, 1781 422
Conduct and results of this attack 424
Distinguishing merits of Suffren as a naval leader 425
Suffren saves the Cape Colony from the English